Exposition of Job 8-10, Commentary on Job · Chapter 9 · Verses 5-10 · Verse 10
Verſe 10. Which doth great things paſt finding out, yea, and wonders without number.
Theſe words are repeated from the diſcourſe of Eliphaz, in the 5th Chap. v. 9. I would ſeek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cauſe, which doth great things and unſearchable, marvellous things without number. I will not ſtay in a particular diſouſſion of them, but refer the Reader to the place before cited, where the text is opened at large, and particular obſervations given from it. Take only this obſervation in generall.
That, A godly man labours to exalt God, both in his thoughts and in his words, with heart and tongue, when God depreſſes and humbles him moſt.
Mark in what a condition Job was, when he ſpeaks thus honourably of the name and power of God. One would think, Job had little reaſon to extoll the power of God, which he felt to his own ſmart; Job was ſtript of all he had, his outward comforts were taken from him, and the arrows of the Almighty wounded his very ſpirit. Now when he had wounded Job thorow and thorow, thorow fleſh and thorow ſpirit, even at this time, when God appeared, making no uſe of his power but to undo Job, Job is in his Encomium, all in the praiſe and commendation of God. He endites a Chapter on purpoſe to ſet forth the power and wiſdom of God, while he imploied both to make his afflictions both great and accurate. This ſhews the admirable frame of his ſpirit; in all his diſtempers his heart ſtood right, and he would ſpeak good of God, what evil ſoever befell him from Gods hand. Let God afflict with his power, yet a gracious heart rejoices in it. A gracious heart will lift up that power which weakens and throws it down. Let the Lord imploy his wiſdom to undo, to impoveriſh ſuch a man, to bring him into ſuch ſtraits that he cannot get out, yet he hath enlarged thoughts of that wiſdom, He ſees God is as wiſe in troubling us, as he is in delivering. That language of Spira, is the right language of hell (I judge not his perſon, but his ſpeech) who in a great temptation ſpake thus, I would I had more power then God, or, O that I were above God. He was angry that God had ſo much power, becauſe God uſed his power againſt him. A carnall man would be above God: eſpecially, if God at any time puts forth his power againſt him. When he is hard beſtead and hungry, he frets himſelf and curſes his King and his God, looking upward (Iſa. 8.21.) to murmur at God, not to pray unto him, or ſpeake good of him.Tertullian. Illud eſt impiorum ingenium, ut Deum non ulterius celebrent, quam cum benefacit. Fer. It is obſerved by one of the Ancients concerning the Heathen, That if God did not pleaſe them, he ſhould be no longer God. Such are our hearts by nature, if God do not uſe his power, wiſdom, mercy for us, we preſently wiſh he had no power, wiſdom, nor mercy for any in the world; we would be above God, unles God will ſerve us: but an holy heart ſaith thus, Let God improve his power and wiſdom which way he pleaſeth, if to afflict and chaſten me, yea to deſtroy and caſt me to hell, his be the power for ever, I extoll his power. Nature can only praiſe God, and ſpeak good of him, when he is doing of us good: But grace prompts the heart to indite a good matter, and bids the tongue be as the pen of a ready writer to advance God, when ſenſe feels nothing but ſmart, and ſees nothing but ſorrow round about. Then grace is in her heights, when ſhe can lift up God higheſt, while he is casting us down, and laying us loweſt: When we can honour God frowning, as well as ſmiling upon us; ſmiting and wounding, as well as kiſſing and imbracing us, then we have learned to honour God indeed.