Exposition of Job 8-10, Commentary on Job · Chapter 8 · Verses 8-10
JOB Chap. 8. Verſ. 8, 9, 10.
For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thy ſelf to the ſearch of their fathers.
(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing; our daies upon earth are a ſhadow)
Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
WE have opened the firſt argument, by which Bildad confirms his propoſition laid down at the third verſe, That God is juſt; both from the example of Gods dealing with Jobs children, verſ. 4. and from what, God was ready to do for him, in the 5, 6, and 7. verſes.
The context now read contains a ſecond generall argument to prove the former aſſertion, and it is grounded upon the teſtimony or authority of the Ancients; as if Bildad had ſaid thus, I will not preſſe thee with my own bare ſentence, and ſay ſo, with my own reaſon and authority, but I wiſh thee to ſearch the records of former times, to conſult the wiſeſt and the holieſt men that ever were in the world, and let them judge in this caſe. Enquire of the former age, and prepare thy ſelf to the ſearch of their fathers.
It is here obſervable that Bildad manages his counſell by the ſame arguments which Eliphaz had uſed before him: Eliphaz bid Job (Enquire who ever periſhed being innocent, Chap. 4.) and promiſes him peace upon repentance (Chap. 5.23, 24.) Bildad runs the ſame ſtrain, If thou were pure, &c. and here, Enquire of the former age, &c.
The ſtrength of his argument may be caſt into this forme.
That is true which the holieſt and wiſeſt in all antiquity with one mouth and one conſent agree in.
But the holieſt and wiſeſt in all antiquity agree in this, that God is juſt.
Therefore this is a truth.
Hereupon he inferreth, that God had dealt juſtly with Job in conſuming his eſtate, in deſtroying his children, and in afflicting his perſon. That's the logicall meaning or argument of theſe three verſes.
Enquire I pray thee.
foreign Significat petere, poſtulare & quidem cum precibus. Etiam ſciſcitari in dubiis.The word notes a very earneſt, and a diligent ſearch or enquiry: To enquire with induſtry, yea, with importunity. The grave hath it's name in Hebrew from this word, and ſo hath hell: becauſe the grave (as it were) cals for, or enquires after all fleſh; and hell with much earneſtneſſe gapes for wicked men, Eccl. 2.10. Whatſoever mine eyes deſired. The eye is a ſtrong asker.
It is applied ſometimes to perſons, and then it ſignifies, to enquire or conſult what is to be done.De perſona, ſic conſulere: de rebus, ſic petere. Merc. Sometimes it is applied to things, and then it ſignifies, to ask that a thing may be done. Prayer is an enquiry after God, and the things of God, 1 Sam. 1.17, 20, 27. This word is uſed about Hannah's prayer to God for a childe, Hannah conceived and bare a ſon, and called his name Samuel, ſaying, Becauſe I have asked him of the Lord.
Further, The word is applied to God, when he enquires after, or asks ſomewhat of us, as if he made his requeſt and ſute to us, (Deut. 10.12.) And now, Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? Or, what doth he enquire after in thee? It is this, To fear the Lord thy God &c.
Here, to enquire, is to uſe all endeavours and means to finde out the beſt informations and reſolutions, which the fathers in thoſe former ages were able to give Job in the controverſie then a foot between him and his friends, Enquire, I pray thee.
Of the former age.
By the former we are not to underſtand thoſe that were immediately preceding only, or thoſe that were preceding for ſome few generations paſt,foreign. but as the Septuagint well renders it, by former generations, we may underſtand the firſt generation; begin at the firſt, and ſo come down all along, begin as high as thou canſt. Enquire not only of thoſe who lived ſince the floud, but of all who have been ſince God created man upon the earth; draw the line of thy ſearch thorow all ages, and thou ſhalt finde the pedegree of this truth from age to age,foreign à radice. foreign Continuè & ſucceſſivè vixit, duravit: ſenſu & ſono idem quod vox latina. Duro. from generation to generation. Enquire, I pray thee, of the former Age.
This word age, is taken three waies.
1. For the whole ſpace of mans life; which, when it is doubled, ſignifies a very long life, Pſal. 61.7. Thou ſhalt prolong the Kings life (or, according to the letter of the Hebrew, thou ſhalt adde daies to the daies of the King) and his years as many gen…rations; or, as generation and generation, age and age: long and long, that is, very long; Two lives, or two mens ages, being (as it were) laid into one.
2. For ſome ſpeciall part of mans life. Mans life is divided into ſeverall ages. Some divide it into four, alluding to the four parts of the year. Some, into five, infancy, childehood, youth, mans-eſtate, and old-age; comparing them to the five acts of an interlude, the Prologue whereof is infancy, and the Epilogue, decrepid old-age. Others into ſeven, in alluſion to the ſeven Planets.
3. It is taken for an age of men, or the ſtate of the time preſent.Aetatem vocant Hebraei genus hominum ſimul viventiū, ſic aetas prava, adultera. Apud Graecos foreign, ſignificat intervallum ſeptem annorū, unde medici vetant duas aetates habenti, i. e. annos quatuordecem nato venam incidi, quod ſanguine egeat. Suidas. So in the Goſpel, Chriſt calleth the Scribes and Phariſees, A generation of vipers, and an adulterous generation. As if he had ſaid; You of this time and age of the world, are a viperous and an adulterous brood. So Pſal. 14.5. God is in the generation of the righteous: That is, he favours that generation, or ſort of men; God is in all generations, but ſuch he delights in moſt; the wicked have cauſe enough to fear thoſe, in whom God delights.
T…t of the Prophet (which text hath variety of interpretations) is taken in this ſenſe (Iſa. 53.8.) Who ſhall declare his generation? It is the word of the text, Who ſhall declare his age, or the generation of Chriſt? Some underſtand it of his eter… generation. Others of his …rall generation, when he was …rnate, the myſtery whereof was beyond words. A third, of that eternity which followed his paſſion. As if it were an Antitheſis to thoſe words, He was taken from priſon, and he was cut off, but who ſhall declare his generation? You may quickly write up the daies that Chriſt lived here upon earth, they were but few, even his pilgrimage was ſhort on earth, but who can declare his generation? Thoſe infinite and eternall ages and revolutions, thorow which he ſhall paſſe, though now you have quickly cut off his life? Others, by his generation underſtand the holy ſeed and iſſue, the children of Chriſt. His Croſſe was fruitfull, and his ſufferings productive of an infinite generation, Who can declare it? Though you cut off the Father, yet this father by dying will give life to an innumerable poſterity, Who can declare his generation? So (verſ. 10.) He ſhall ſee his ſeed. But beſides all theſe we may with good probability interpret the word generation for the time when Chriſt ſojourned in the fleſh,Quis cogitare aut dicere poteſt, quam perverſi fuerint homines, qui tempore ejus victuri ſint. Pined. Who can declare his generation? That is, who can deſcribe the time or the age wherein Chriſt lived? As if he had ſaid, you ſee here in this glaſſe of prophecy how they will uſe Chriſt, how bloudily and cruelly they will deal with him, he ſhall be impriſoned, he ſhall be cut off and numbred among tranſgreſſours, Who can declare his generation? What pen is able with lively colours to paint out the ſeveral wickedneſſes and tyrannies of that age, acted againſt, and inflicted upon that holy and innocent lamb Ieſus Chriſt, who came to die for the ſins of the world? Surely his generation, or the ſtory of his age will be ſuch, as no pen is able to draw out, or fully to delineate, Who ſhall declare his age?
The age which Bildad cals Iob to enquire into, is not a part of mans life, or the whole life of a man, or one age of men, or ſtate of times, but the whole ſpace of time from the very beginning, with all things done or ſuffered, and the perſons who have been active or paſſive, doers or ſufferers in thoſe times. Thus enquire of the former age.
The reaſon why he called him to enquire of the former age, was, becauſe in thoſe times the will of God was not reduced to writing. The divinity of the firſt ages was traditionall; The Scriptures were not compoſed for more than 2000. years after the creation, bu… …he minde of God was either immediately revealed, or carried from father to ſon, from generation to generation; being preſerved, not in paper and … or other formall records, but in the memories and hearts of t… …ithfull, untill the giving of the D…. Hence it was that Bildad refers Iob to thoſe revelations, or to the experiences of the fathers concerning the dealings of God in former ages.Columnae duae inſcriptae à nepotibus Adami, characteres quoſdam & figuras mathematicas, pro ſiderum obſervatione potius quā ullam hiſtoriā, aut exquiſitam de Deo & ejus providentia doctrinam habuiſſe dicuntur. Beroſ. l. 8 Ant.
Beroſus in his eighth book of Antiquities, reports that the fathers after Adam ſet up two great pillars, upon which, ſome affirm they inſcribed many divine truths: but he tels us that thoſe pillars, (of which ſome monuments were ſeen after the floud) were filled rather with Aſtronomicall obſervations, Mathematicall ſcheams of the heavens and figures of ſtarrs; we cannot put much value upon either of theſe opinions. The former cannot warrant us that any thing was regiſtred and written by Gods appointment, till the writing of the Law. And therefore Bildad, according to the uſage of thoſe times, ſends Iob for information to the traditions and reports of the fathers. For after the Law was written, the Prophets, in caſe of emergent doubts and controverſies, ſent the people, not to the traditions or experiences of former ages, but, To the Law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light, or no morning in them, Iſa. 8.20. The word once written was the rule, and though it cannot ſpeak, yet it muſt teach us how to ſpeak. If we ſpeak not according to this, there is no light in us. But the word not being written, Bildad adviſes Job well, Enquire of the former age, And prepare thy ſelf to the ſearch of their fathers.
Having counſel'd him to enquire of the former age; he addeth,foreign Prepare thy ſelf to the ſearch of their fathers; as if he had ſaid,Fundare, aptare parare, ordinare, ſtabilire ſignificat. though I bid thee enquire, yet I would not have thee ruſh hand over head upon this enquiry, Prepare thy ſelf. The word ſignifies to lay a good foundation; Due preparations are the foundations of action. Hence it ſignifies alſo to eſtabliſh; becauſe a matter is eſtabliſhed and confirmed by wiſe preparations and conſiderate addreſſes to it. Thoſe things ſtand faſteſt about which we make not too much haſte. Further, the word ſignifies the fixing of the minde, Fix thy heart upon this work; keep thy ſpirits intent (Pſal. 108.1.) My heart is fixed (ſaith David, which ſome render, My heart is prepared) I will ſing and give praiſe. Prepare thy ſelf To the ſearch of their fathers.
Before he adviſed him to enquire of the former age, here, To ſearch their fathers; as if he had ſaid, Do not confine thy ſelf to the immediately fore-paſſed times, but go as high as thou canſt: The former age (as was touched upon that paſſage) may include all times paſt: but here to avoid all miſtakes, he gives it in expreſly. The fathers of the former age, are the fathers of every age. All that have lived before us, come under the relation of our fathers. The fathers were dead, but they lived in their monuments and works: theſe he muſt ſearch, ſo farre as any mark or remembrance of them could be found. Hence obſerve,
Firſt, That as it is a duty in all, ſo it was a cuſtome in ancient times, carefully to record the dealings of God with them, for the uſe of enſuing generations.
To what end ſhould Job ſearch, if nothing were to be found; The Jews were commanded to remember the works of God for their learning after the word was written, Pſal. 78.5. He eſtabliſhed a teſtimony in Jacob, &c. That they ſhould make them known to their children. God hath alwaies had a book of his acts and monuments, as well as of his laws and inſtitutions. Names given to children and yearly feaſts, to ſtones and pillars, have been the preſervatives and memorials of his wonderfull works. The works of God are his holineſſe, juſtice, power, mercy, truth made viſible. The adminiſtrations of God in one age, are for the inſtruction of all ages. God ſpake with Jacob only in perſon at Bethel, yet there the Scripture ſaith he ſpake with all his poſterity, Hoſ. 12.4. He found him in Bethel, and there he ſpake with us. It is then a debt to poſterity, to ſhew them what God hath done for us. Obſerve,
Secondly, That it is our duty to enquire into the dealings of God in all ages.
It was their duty before the word was written, and it is a duty ſtill. The works of God are to be ſtudied and read over as well as his word, Deut. 4.20. & 32. Ask now of the daies that are past, which were before thee, ſince the day that God created man upon earth; and ask from one ſide of heaven to another, enquire every way to ſee whether ever God dealt with a people, as he hath dealt with thee, whether God did ever aſſay to take to himſelf a Nation from the middeſt of another Nation by temptations, and by ſigns, and by wonders, &c. Enquire this of all the former times. So, Deut. 32.7. Remember the daies of old, conſider the years of many generations, ask thy father and he will ſhew thee, thy Elders and they will tell thee. The Pſalmiſt promiſes to rehearſe what theſe were enjoyned to record, Pſal. 78.3, 4. I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter dark ſayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. Our ſpeaking of, and enquiring into, what God hath done, ſhews the harmony between his word and works. And the former providences of God are food for our faith, as well as the promiſes of God.
Thirdly, That which I ſhall rather inſiſt upon, is this,
True antiquity ever gives a testimony to the truth.
Hence the Prophets ſend the people back to antiquity, Jer. 6.16. Enquire for the good old-way. Every old way is not a good way, but in every good old way we may walk ſafely and ſee the footſteps of truth.Quod antiquiſſimum veriſſi…um. It is a received rule, That is trueſt which is ancienteſt. It is certainly ſo, for truth is not only ancient, but eternall. Truth is as old as God himſelf, for truth is nothing elſe but the minde of God, truth was with God from everlaſting. Truth is commonly called the daughter of time, yet (in a ſenſe) it is the mother of time, for it was before time was; and therefore (no queſtion) that which is ancienteſt is trueſt.
Yet there is a great abuſe of this principle. Look back to antiquity and conſult with your fathers (ſay many) and ſee what they did, how they believed. But what is the antiquity they call us to conſult with? It is not (as Moſes ſpake in that place of Deuteronomy) antiquity, ſince God created man upon earth, or ſince Jeſus Chriſt was upon the earth, and gave out his Goſpel-laws: but it is the antiquity of ſome later ages and editions, an antiquity far ſhort of what is indeed the ancient time. The Apoſtle (1 Joh. 2.7.) gives us the definition of an old commandment, This is the old commandment which was from the beginning. Our ſinfull nature is called the old man, and yet it is a corrupt man. It is called the old-man not that it is older then the new man; the new man is not of a younger houſe, or later date then the old man. Holineſſe was before corruption. And the image of God upon man, elder then ſinne, the image of the devil. There are many corruptions in doctrine, in opinion, in worſhip, in practice, which go for very old: And there are many doctrines which we call new truths; Is it becauſe thoſe corruptions are older then theſe new truths? No, new truths are elder then the oldeſt corruptions. That which we call the new world, was created in the beginning, though diſcovered but yeſterday. So new truths were given from the beginning, only they were unknown till of late; and we may well conceive that ſome goodly regions of truth are ſtill (terra incognita) undiſcovered; God having reſerved them for the honour, and induſtry of ſome divine Columbus, who may give us an exacter ſea-card of divine myſteries, then the world hath yet ſeen, though enough hath been ſeen from the beginning for the ſafe ſteering of our courſe to heaven. He that would enquire and make a diligent ſearch for truth, muſt goe to the firſt inſtitutions, That's the old commandment which was from the beginning. The Prophet Ezekiel (Chap. 23.43.) ſpeaks of ſome who were grown old in adulteries; that is, old in adulterating and corrupting the truth, and worſhip of God, That which is old may be old in evil, and fuller of errours then it is of daies. We finde when the good Kings of Judah reformed, they did not ſearch only into what was done in the ages immediately before them, or what their next fathers had done, but they ſearcht what was done in the times of their godly fathers, how many removes ſoever diſtant from them. Hezekiah (2 Chron. 29.6.) tels the Levites that their fathers were in an errour, that they had treſpaſſed, and done that which was evil in the ſight of the Lord, and had forſaken him; and Chap. 30.5. ſpeaking of the obſervation of the Paſſeover, he ſaith, They had not done it of a long time in ſuch ſort as it was written; therefore, v. 7. he dehorteth them ſaying, Be not ye like your fathers which trespaſſed againſt the Lord God of your fathers; he doth not mean that they ſhould not be like their firſt fathers, who had the truth purely committed to them, and ſo worſhipped God purely; but be not like your immediate fore-fathers, or your corrupt fore-fathers, how many deſcents and generations ſo ever, ye can number from them. And this was a thing ſo ſtrange, that when Hezekiah ſent the Poſts from City to City thorow the Countries of Ephraim and Manaſſeh with this meſſage, that he would have a reformation according to the firſt inſtitution or patern, and would not have them ſtay in what their fore-fathers had done; It is ſaid, verſ. 10. That they laughed the meſſengers to ſcorn, and they mocked them, what muſt we now be wiſer then our fathers? Yes, ſaith he, you have done evil a long time, you and your fathers, therefore I muſt bring you back to your firſt fathers, in compariſon of whom, the fathers you claim by were but children, and thoſe degenerate children. It is ſaid of Joſiah's reformation (2 King. 23.22.) That there was not the like from the daies of the Judges, nor in all the daies of the Kings of Iſrael and Judah, he went to the very beginning of all, there had not been ſuch a thing done before. So that if any ſhould have objected, why may not ſuch a reformation ſerve us as ſerved thoſe Kings and Judges? No, ſaith Joſiah, I will ſearch what was beyond their time, into the remoteſt antiquities. The Church makes humble confeſſion (Pſal. 106.6.) We have erred with our fathers; let not any turn this into a ſtubborn reſolution, and ſay, We will erre with their fathers: if that be an errour which our fathers believed and practiſed, we will erre with them. So thoſe rebellious Jews pleaded (Jer. 44.17.) We will doe as our fathers. They who will doe as their fathers, may ſuffer with their fathers; they who will needs erre by their fathers copy, may goe to hell too by their fathers copy. Ierome once deſired leave of Auſtin to erre with ſeven fathers whom he found of his opinion, I ſhould not deſire that leave, nor envy any one the priviledge. The Fathers are but children, when they erre, and they who will erre with their fathers, are worſe then children.
Conſider then to what antiquity and to what fathers you appeal. Many practices are very old, yet very erroneous. Many old ſayings and old doings, muſt be unſaid and undone, or we ſhall be undone for ever. How many old ſayings of the Jews doth Chriſt gain-ſay (Mat. 5.) Ye have heard that it hath been ſaid by them of old time, thus and thus, But I ſay unto you &c. And (Mat. 19.) anſwering the Queſtion about divorce, Moſes indeed for the hardneſſe of your hearts, ſuffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not ſo. Beſides, ſome (like the Gibeonites) feign antiquity, they can put a gray beard upon a green head; and their opinions will be found fennowed and mouldy with errour, not with age. As we muſt take heed of novelties ſo we muſt be cautious about antiquities. Some antiquities of old men are no better than old wives fables of which the Apoſtle bids us beware; unlearned old wives fables are as authentick as many learned mens antiquities pleaded for. To have an itch after novelties, and to dote upon antiquities, are alike vain and dangerous. Old fables and young fancies are with me at the ſame rate, No man having drunke old wine (ſaith Chriſt, Luk. 5.35.) ſtrait way cals for new, for he ſaith the old is better. Old is better then new, if it be as good as new. But any new truth is better then the oldeſt errour; and every errour, the elder it is, the worſer it is.
Again Bildad adviſes Job to prepare himſelf to the ſearch of his fathers. Hence obſerve,
We muſt not preſume to finde truth with eaſe, or to come ſleightly by it.
Prepare thy ſelf (Prov. 2.3.) If thou criest after knowledge, and lifteſt up thy voice for underſtanding: if thou dig for it as ſilver, and ſearch for it as for hid treaſures, then thou ſhalt finde, &c. A man that will finde ſilver, muſt prepare and fit himſelf to ſearch for ſilver. That lies not upon the ſurface, but in the boſome and bowels of the earth. There are four things wherein this preparation conſiſts.
1. Humility: God doth not teach but reſiſt the proud, he gives more grace (humility is much grace) to the humble. A lowly minded man ſhall know the minde of the moſt high God.
2. Holineſſe ſubmitting to and practiſing the truth we know prepares us for the receiving of more truth. He that doth the will of Chriſt ſhall know his doctrine, Ioh. 7.17.
3. Prayer: Doth any man want wiſdome, let him ask of God Jam. 1.5. Truth is the daughter of God, and he will not beſtow her in marriage upon our mindes, unleſſe we ask him.
4. Love unto truth. Truth is a beauty, and deſerves our love; to love truth is not a civility, but a duty: to ſearch for truth without love to truth, is a diſhonour to truth; and as the not receiving the love of the truth, is the cauſe why many apoſtatize and fall from it, ſo it is a reaſon why many are ſtill ignorant and cannot come at it. As God, the Father of truth muſt be askt his good will before we can have her: So truth the daughter of God ſhall be loved before we have her.
Bildad having thus adviſed Job to ſearch antiquity, giveth him a reaſon of his advice, a modeſt reaſon, reflecting upon himſelf and upon his friends.
Verſe 9. For we are but of yeſterday and know nothing, our daies on earth are a ſhadow.
As if he had ſaid, the reaſon, why we referre thee to the former ages, is, becauſe we are able to ſay ſo little of our ſelves and from our own experience, we are but of yeſterday, that is, the time we have lived is very little, our daies have been few upon earth. Truth is the daughter of time, and we are ſcarce ſons of time, we are but of yeſterday.
foreign Heri dicitur de die praeterito, tam de propinquo, quam de longinquo, quaſi diceres antea Rab Dav. Apoſtolus Hebraizans, ſ…c utitur voca…ulo, foreign. Heb 13.8.Yeſterday] Taken in our common ſpeech, ſignifies only the day immediately going before. 2. It is put for the time a little before, and is as much as lately, 2 King. 9.26. Surely I have ſeen yesterday the bloud of Naboth, and the bloud of his ſonnes: That is, It is not long ſince Naboth and his ſons were ſlain, and their bloud is as freſh in my memory, as if it were in my eye. 3. It is put for all time, how long ſo ever paſt (Heb. 13.8.) The Apoſtle Hebraizing, ſaith, Jeſus Chriſt, the ſame yeſterday and to day and for ever; yeſterday is not put for the day immediately before, or for many daies before, but for all daies before, even from the beginning of the world; yea, not only are all daies paſt included in yeſterday, but the eternity, which is paſt.
Heri & nudius tertius, dum ſimul junguntur proverbialem conficivet hyperbolem, tempus ru…er actū ſignificantem. Sic etiam apud Graecos foreign. Bold.Yeſterday and the day before, are often tranſlated before or heretofore, Gen. 31.2, 5. Exod. 40.10. Ruth 2.11. 2 Sam. 5.2. noting time not much paſt, the preſent.
In this place by yeſterday, we are not to underſtand all time paſt, nor the time immediately paſt, but ſmall time paſt, We are but of yeſterday, that is, we have lived but a while in the world (yet they were old men) the daies which we have ſeen are as nothing, he expreſſes their lives by the leaſt compleat time paſt, to ſhew that they had lived but a little time paſt.
So, in Scripture, this phraſe,foreign uſurpatur in…efinitè de tempore praeterito ut cras de futuro. Druſ. to morrow (oppoſite to yeſterday) ſignifies not only the day immediately to come, but any time to come indefinitely (1 Sam. 28.19.) the devil anſwers Saul, To morrow thou and thy ſonnes ſhall be with me; he did not know exactly and preciſely that it ſhould be the very next day, but he uſeth a word which would ſave his credit, if it ſhould have fallen out many daies or ſome years after. To morrow may be any time to come. As then to morrow ſignifies the immediate day comming,foreign. Senſus eſt antea nunc. Nazianz. de Mat. or all time to come, ſo yeſterday ſignifies the immediate day paſt, or all time paſt. Thus one of the Ancients ſpeaks of Matthew, Yeſterday a Publican, to day a Preacher: that is, he was heretofore a Publican, and now a Preacher.
For we are but as yeſterday.
Bildad ſtileth himſelf and his friends yeſterday, to ſhew they had been but ſhort-lived, though they had lived long. Some have given us the date of their years, or an account how old they were. They reckon Bildad an hundred and fourty, Eliphaz an hundred and fifty, and Zophar an hundred and twenty years old.Hiſterni, quaſi unius diei homines ſunt, novi & recentes. In what records the years of their nativities were found, I know not: but probable enough it is, that they were ancient men; And (Chap. 15.10.) Eliphaz ſpeaks as much, With us are both the gray-headed and very ancient men, much elder then thy father. Yet Bildad calleth himſelf and them, but as of yeſterday, either abſolutely, becauſe the life of man is ſhort, or comparatively to the lives of the fathers in the firſt age of the world, who lived much longer. His meaning then is, we will not bound thee to our experiences, who have lived but a while, but enform thy ſelf from them who lived many years ago, and lived many years, ſome of them nine hundred years and more; enquire of Methuſelah, and his contemporaries who are able to give thee a better account then we. Therefore he addeth, And know nothing.
The particle [And] is here cauſall, We are but of yeſterday, therefore we know nothing; in which ſenſe we read it often. Take an inſtance (Ezek. 23.31.) Thou haſt walked in the way of thy ſiſter, therefore I will give her cup into thine hand: The Hebrew is, And I will give her cup into thy hand, thou ſhalt pledge her in the ſame cup of affliction. So here, We are but of yeſterday and know nothing; that is, We are but of yeſterday, therefore we know nothing.
Know nothing.
The negation is not abſolute but comparative. We know nothing, that is, we neotericks know but little in compariſon of thoſe who lived long ago, and lived ſo long, even many centuries, gathering knowledge, and making up their obſervations: for (Chap. 12.12.) With the ancient is wiſdome, and in length of daies underſtanding. Hence obſerve,
The ſhort life of man is not ſufficient to gain much knowledge.
We are but of yeſterday, and we know nothing, we cannot know much who live but little. The great Phyſitian complained long ago, Life is ſhort, Ars longa vita brevis. Hippoc.and art is long; Naturall life is not long enough for the journey of naturall knowledge. How much leſſe is it for divine knowledge, in the myſtery of Chriſt: which is the art of all arts, and ſcience of ſciences. Thoſe myſteries are very long, and our lives are very ſhort, therefore at our beſt, we come ſhort in the knowledge of them. Hence the Apoſtle (1 Cor. 13.) ſpeaking of the moſt perfect knowledge we have in this life, concludes, We know but in part; there is a vaſt ocean of truths in the Goſpel, but we are ſtraightnecked veſſels, we take in truth but by drops; we are long a taking it in, and we have not long to take it in; hence the emptineſſe of thoſe who are fulleſt. He that hath much to learn, and out a little to live, cannot learn much. And as our time is little, ſo we loſe a great deal of our time.Non parum temporis habemus, ſed multum perdimus Sen. Our loſſes of the time we have, hinder more then our having but little time. Our daies are few, but if we could number them, we ſhould apply our ſelves to, and gain to our ſelves a ſufficient ſtock of holy wiſdome. The greateſt reaſon why we profit no more in knowledge, is becauſe we improve our time no more, though that be a reaſon alſo, becauſe we have no more time.
Secondly, Obſerve, how modeſtly Bildad ſpeaks of himſelf, and of his friends, We are but of yeſterday, and we know nothing.
It becommeth us to have humble thoughts of our own knowledge, how much ſoever we know.
Theſe were neither children nor fools, who had to do with Iob, they were the wiſeſt of that age, Oracles of wiſdom, yet we know nothing, ſaith Bildad. The beſt of our knowledge here, is to know our imperfections; it is as much knowledge as we can reach, to know wherein our knowledge commeth ſhort. The Apoſtle (1 Cor. 8.2.) is direct, He that thinketh he knoweth any thing, knoweth nothing as he ought to know: He would not have us thinke that we know any thing: Though he had ſaid in the former verſe, We know that we all have knowledge; the Apoſtle knew it, but he would not have them thinke it. His meaning is, I grant there is knowledge abroad in the world, I have ſome, and you have ſome. We know that we all have knowledge: which yet ſome underſtand, as if he ſpake in a ſecret irony, againſt thoſe who brag'd ſo much of their knowledge, Yea, We know you have knowledge, foreign geminatio negantis particu ae vehementius negat. Bez.but let me tell you thus much, you who ſtand ſo much upon your knowledge, He that thinketh he knoweth any thing, knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. How can that be? Is not a man to thinke that he knows what he knows? Muſt a man thinke himſelf ignorant, or otherwiſe, he muſt be accounted ignorant? Surely no. There are very many that know much, and they may thinke that they may know ſomething, yea, that they know many things.foreign non ſignifi…at ſimpli…em aliquam perſuaſionem, ſed quae cum ſuperbia & inſolentia conjuncta eſt, alioquin nihil magis repugnat fidei, quam Academica dubitatio. Bez. But obſerve the word there, He that thinketh: the word doth not ſignifie a ſimple apprehenſion of a thing, or a bare and naked knowledge, for ſo a man may reflect upon his own knowledge, and know that he knows as well as what he knows: but it imports thinking, with a kinde of inſolency and pride of ſpirit, with affectation, boaſting and vain-glory in that knowledge. He that thinketh he knows any thing, that is, he that vaunts and ſtands upon his knowledge, who conceits he hath ſo much knowledge, ſuch a head-peece that he can carry all before him by the ſtrength of his wit and parts, ſuch a knowing man knows nothing, That mans wiſdome is but conceit, who is wiſe in his own conceit. In this ſenſe we have the word (Mat. 3.9.) where the Baptiſt beſpeaks the Phariſees, Thinke not to ſay within your ſelves, We have Abraham to our father; Thinke not, it was not a ſinne for them to thinke that Abraham was their father, and that they were deſcended from him, but, thinke not, that is, doe not thinke of this, and ſo be proud of it. Be not lifted up upon an outward priviledge, which will ſtand you in no ſtead at all, if you ſtand upon it: Except you be changed and born again of the Spirit, it will not avail you that you are born of Abrahams fleſh: If Abrahams faith be not in your hearts, it ſhall be no advantage to you that Abrahams bloud runs in your veins. The word is ſo uſed again (Phil. 3.4.) If any one thinketh he may be confident, I much more: If any one may have an opinion of himſelf in regard of outward priviledges, ſurely I may, but I will not. So then an opinion or a conceitedneſſe of our knowledge blaſts all our knowledge, ſuch a man knoweth nothing as he ought to know; he knoweth ſomewhat by rote, but he doth not know any thing (as a Chriſtian ought) by heart. By how much we have the more true knowledge of the higheſt objects, by ſo much we have the lower thoughts of our knowledge. It is beſt to know as much as we can of the beſt things, and to thinke as little as we can of our ſelves.
Our daies upon earth are a ſhadow.
But were not the daies of all the fathers a ſhadow? Yes, the longeſt life is but a long ſhadow; he means comparatively, our lives are ſhorter by much then theirs were, and therefore but a ſhadow.
There are three ſorts of ſhadows. 1. Naturall. 2. Civill. 3. Spirituall.
Firſt, A naturall ſhadow is a dark light cauſed by the comming of ſome thick body between us and the Sunne. This is a ſhadow in a proper and ſtrict acception.
Secondly, Beſides the naturall, there is a civill ſhadow, Protection is a ſhadow: and to be under a ſhadow, is to be protected. We tranſlate (Numb. 14, 9.) Their defence is departed from them, the Hebrew is, Their ſhadow, So Iſa. 4.5. & 25.4.
Thirdly, A ſhadow is taken for a dark or imperfect repreſentation of things ſpirituall; ſo all the Ceremonies of the old Law are called ſhadows (Heb. 8.5. & 10.1. & 9.9. Col. 2.17.) Ceremonial vvorſhip is expreſſed by a ſhadow, becauſe it was but an obſcure repreſentation of the truth: The Ceremonies were interpoſed between Chriſt the true light and us, and ſo caſt a ſhadow of him. Or, as a Painter, vvho is to draw the lively figure or ſhape of a man, at firſt makes an obſcure draught, or ſome imperfect lines of the body, but afterwards gives it beauty and luſtre to the life. The Moſaicall rites were ſuch a ſhadow of heavenly things. Yet further, a ſhadow (vvhichwhich comes neareſt the meaning of this text) notes the leaſt imaginable ſign or ſemblance of a thing: So (Jam. 1.17.) when the Apoſtle ſaith, That with God the Father of lights, there is not ſo much as a ſhadow of turning, he means, there is not the leaſt ſign or token of turning with God.
When Bildad ſaith, Our daies upon earth are but as a ſhadow, vve may underſtand it, either of the time paſt, and ſo our life is but as a ſhadow that is gone. Or, it may be meant of the whole life of man taken together. The life of man (take it from the beginning to the ending, from the Alpha to the Omega, from the firſt to the laſt of it) is a ſhadow. The compariſon is frequent in Scripture, I ſhall not need to ſtay upon it. See two or three particulars of the reſemblance.
1. The life of man is as a ſhadow,Ʋmbra eſt quid tnane, & nihil habens ſolidae ſubſtantiae. becauſe it hath little in it that is ſubſtantiall, a ſhadow is oppoſed to a ſubſtance; our life rather ſeems to be, then is, it is ſo quickly gone.
2. A ſhadow (though ſometimes it be put for protection and ſafety, yet) implies unſetledneſſe and uncertainty;Ʋmbra denotat malefidam ſtationem & protectionem fugacem, nam qui ſub umbra dormit proditur ſtati…, at que traditur radiis ſo…is. Pined. if a man ſtands or reſts under a ſhadow, the ſhadow will leave him, 'twill be gone from him, and betray him to the ſcorching Sunne-beams; a ſhadow never keeps long in one place, but varies with the motion of the Sunne, and vvhen it is high noon the ſhadow goes quite up, and is not. There is ſuch an uncertainty in the life of man, it holds not one tenour, it ſtaies not in any ſtate, there is a deceitfulneſſe in it, changes are upon it. The greateſt certainty of our lives, is, that they are uncertain.
In generall, the life of man being compared to a ſhadow, teaches us, that it is ſhort, moveable and unconſtant, there is no hold or tack in it, Pſal. 102.11. My daies are like a ſhadow that declineth. The encreaſe of our daies hath a declenſion in it, 1 Chron. 29.15. We are ſtrangers before thee, and ſojourners, as were all our fathers; our daies on the earth are as the ſhadow. How doth he explain that? There is none abiding in our daies, as there is no abiding in a ſhadow. Homo vocatur foreign. Pin. foreign. Soph foreign. Aeſch.Many of the Ancients have repreſented the life of man, not only as a ſhadow, but leſſe then a ſhadow, A dream of a ſhadow, a ſhadow of a ſh…dow an Idol of a ſh…dow which is the loweſt expreſſion that can be, as much as to ſay, a nothing of nothing. An Idol is nothing in the world. God made no ſuch thing in the world. And though our daies be made by God in the world, yet they are no ſuch thing as God made, or as the world makes them. We have met with points about the ſhortnes and tranſitorines of mans life often in this book, I ſhall therefore only adde a word here.
It is our wiſdome foraſmuch as our life on earth is as a ſhadow, that we improve this ſhadow to gain aſſurance of eternall light: Life here is but a fleeting ſhadow, that to come is an abiding ſubſtance. Shall we for the pleaſures and comforts of a life, which is no more enduring then a ſhadow, hazard the pleaſures and comforts of a life, which endures for ever. A man hath not a ſhadow of reaſon,Attendat igitur homo in diebus umbrae ſuae, ut faciat aliquid dignum defide ratae l…cis ſuae. Aug in Pſ. 143. not a ſhadow of true wiſdome and underſtanding, who will ſpend out a ſhadowiſh life in thoſe things which are but a ſhadow, neglecting that which is the true light, and will bring us to eternall light?
Bildad having put in this parentheſis as a reaſon why he ſends Job to the fathers, gives him an encouragement at the tenth verſe, to make this enquiry, he tels him what he ſhall get for his pains in conſulting with thoſe former ages, and with the fathers.
Verſe 10. Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?
As if he had ſaid, Thou ſhalt not loſe thy labour by enquiring into thoſe ancient times, ſhall not they teach thee? Certainly, they ſhall, thou ſhalt not come away empty, undirected, uncounſel'd.
Shall not they teach thee?
How, could they teach? They were dead and gone, they were paſt many ages before. Bildad may be conceived to anſwer, Though the fathers are dead, yet they will speak to thee, and counſell thee, as well as if they lived and ſtood before thee with our ſelves. They ſhall teach thee, and they ſhall inſtruct thee. And more then that, they will not onelyonly teach thee in a complement, and ſpeak words to thee, but they will ſpeak their very hearts to thee: thou ſhalt finde that they will give thee cordial counſell, They will utter words to thee out of their heart.
Ʋtter words out of their heart.
The meaning of that is, either: Firſt in generall, they will give thee the reall conceptions of their mindes about theſe points, they will ſpeak ſincerely, they will not ſpeak to thee from the teeth outward, but from the heart inward. Secondly, they will ſpeak wiſely and judiciouſly to thee about theſe things; they will utter, not ſo much words as oracles to thee out of their heart.
The heart is the ſeat of knowledge and underſtanding, and a wiſe man is (homo cordatus) a hearty man,Eloquia ex corde proferre, eſt ſapienter loqui, ſapiens cordatus dicitur; ſtultus excors. a man with a heart; and a fool in Scripture is ſaid to be a heartles man, a man without a heart; he cannot utter words from his heart, who wants a heart, he utters them from his mouth, or from his tongue. A fools heart is in his mouth, and a wiſe mans mouth is in his heart; he ſpeaks that which lies in the in-moſt receſſes and cloſets of his ſpirit: he ſpeaks from meditation, he brings what he ſpeaks to his heart,Cor loquitur, quae animus praemeditatus eſt; os loquitur ſine meditatione. and from his heart utters what he ſpeaks. Chriſt aſſures us, That a good man out of the good treaſure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treaſure of his heart brings forth evil things. Every heart is a treaſury. When a good man ſpeaks evil, he ſpeaks not from his heart (though he hath a ſtock of ſinfulneſſe in him) but from his lips; and when an evil man ſpeaks good, he ſpeaks it not from his heart, but from his lips: for he hath no ſtock or treaſury of good within. An hypocrite ſpeaks good with a heart and a heart, with a double heart. A fool ſpeaks without a heart, yet of the two, it is better to have no heart then two.
Or we may take the meaning of the words, as a ſecret reproof of Job; If thou wilt look after theſe fathers, and ſearch them, they will not ſpeak as thou haſt done, raſhly, unadviſedly and indiſcreetly, but they will ſpeak from their hearts, they will utter things of weight and ſerious conſideration. From hence obſerve,
Firſt, That old men are preſumed to have a great ſtock of knowledge.
Go to the fathers, they will certainly teach thee. Every man ſhould labour to have a proportion of knowledge to his proportion of years, we ſhould not be children in underſtanding, when we are men in time. The Apoſtle reproves ſuch as are ſo (Heb. 5.2.) When (ſaith he) for the time you ought to be teachers (look upon the yeers that are gone over your heads, and you ought to be teachers; you ſhould have much in your hearts for the inſtruction of others, yet ſo it is) you have need that one teach you again, which be the firſt principles of the oracles of God, and you are become ſuch as have need of milk, and not of ſtrong meat.
Secondly, obſerve, They who are dead and gone, yet ſpeak to us as if they were living.
Bildad ſends Job to the ancient fathers, Go, they will teach thee and utter words out of their heart. Whileſt we conſider what they have ſpoken and done, it is as if they now ſpake, Heb. 11.4. Abel by faith offered a better ſacrifice then Cain, and being dead he yet ſpeaketh. They who are dead ſpeak by their works, and they ſpeak by the words which they ſpake, while they were alive. The records which they have left give us counſell to this day. When the rich man (it is the ſcope of the Parable) I ſay, when the rich man (Luk. 16.2….) deſired that Lazarus might go from the dead to ſpeak to his brethren, Abraham anſwers him, They have Moſes and the Prophets, let them hear them, &c. If they hear not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded though one roſe from the dead. They have Moſes and the Prophets; but Moſes and the Prophets were dead and gone; how have they Moſes and the Prophets? they have not the men before them, but they had their writings and records: they who read the Prophets writings, hear their ſpeakings. Books are ſilent voices.
If Moſes and the Prophets may be heard when dead and gone, then much more may we hear Chriſt, ſince he died and roſe, and his Apoſtles who are dead. And whereas ſome have an opinion that they do not know the minde of Chriſt, or that they cannot reform the Church or their Churches till Chriſt himſelf come from heaven to do it, or till there be Apoſtles ſent perſonally to do it (they wanting an Apoſtle, cannot order the vvorſhip and ordinances of God, and therefore conclude againſt a preſent Church-ſtate) I ſay to ſuch, if that be your ground that you muſt have Chriſt and his Apoſtles to ſettle all for you; you have your deſires. Look into the vvorks and vvord of Chriſt, into the vvritings and practices of his Apoſtles, both for your rule and patern. If Abraham could ſay, they have Moſes and the Prophets, they may hear them: ſurely, vve may ſay much more, we have Chriſt and his Apoſtles vvhom vve may hear and conſult about all the inſtitutions and orders that concern the frame of his Church. We need not ſtay till Chriſt come down in perſon from heaven, or till new Apoſtles are ſent, and furniſhed vvith inſtruction for this vvork, for we have Chriſt and his Apoſtles already, vve hear what Chriſt ſpake, vve read the rules vvhichwhich he gave concerning the vvaies of his vvorſhip and government of his Church (in all the eſſentiall and conſtitutive parts of either) to the end of the world.
Thirdly, obſerve, They that teach others ſhould teach their own hearts to speak.
It is beſt ſpeaking to others with the heart. The heart will teach better then the tongue, yea better then the underſtanding, …he word which comes from the heart of the teacher, goes ſooneſt to the heart of the hearer.
Fourthly, obſerve, The heart is the true repoſitory or treaſury of holy truths.
You may ſee where the fathers, the holy men in ancient time laid up truth: they utter words out of their heart, then, truth was laied up there. Truth is (as it vvere) the heart of God, and therefore we muſt put it into our hearts. David hid the Commandments of God in his heart: Mary laid up the words of Chriſt there. To have the word only ſwimming in our brains, is to as little purpoſe, as to have it only in our Note-books. To have truth only in our brains or in our books, will do us as little good as water in our ſhoes. It is a ſad thing to conſider how many thouſand Sermons are written almoſt word for word in books, and ſcarce a letter of them written in the heart. The promiſe of the new Covenant is, that God will write his law in our hearts: Let not any reſt ſatisfied in having the word written in their books.
Obſerve further, Holy men of old did highly eſteem the word and truths of God.
You may know the eſteem they had of theſe by the place where they laid theſe; the heart is the beſt place, the faireſt room in man. To put a thing into the heart, notes higheſt eſteem and approbation. When we ſay a thing is in our hearts we cannot ſay more to expreſſe our eſteem of it. When the Apoſtle (Phil. 1.7.) profeſſes to the Philippians, I have you in my heart; his meaning is, you are moſt dear and precious to me. When vve ſee a man preparing a ſpeciall place, a ſafe place, a convenient place to lay a thing in, we conclude that the thing he vvould lay up is of value and account vvith him: vvhen vve are preparing and fitting our hearts to put the vvord and truths of God in, hereby we give a real teſtimony, that we honour the word of God. For the moſt part the truths of God (as we ſay of things we neglect) are caſt at mens heels rather then laid up in their hearts. We may know the eſteem a Queen of England had of the City of Calice, when ſhe ſaid, It was in her heart, and there they ſhould finde it, if they opened her.
So much concerning theſe three verſes, containing an argument from antiquity, and the teſtimony of the firſt ages, by which Bildad confirms his former poſition, That God is juſt.