Exposition of Job 15-17, Commentary on Job · Chapter 17

Exposition of Job 15-17 · Commentary on Job · Chapter 17

p. 401JOB, CHAP. 17. Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

My breath is corrupt, my dayes are extinct, the Graves are ready for me.

Are there not mockers with me? And doth not mine eyes continue in their provocation.

Lay downe now, put me in a ſurety with thee, who is he that will ſtrike hands with me?

For thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding: therefore ſhalt thou not exalt them.

He that ſpeaketh flattery to his freinds; even the eyes of his Children ſhall faile.

THE beginning of this Chapter purſues the Argument layd downe in the cloſe of the former: Or as a learned Expoſitor ſpeaks, Job in this doth enliven the premiſes, Hoc capite intendit inanimare praemiſſa. Aquin.and (as it were) put freſh ſpirits into what he had ſpoken before. For whereas he had before deſired the Lord to haſten his cauſe to a day of hearing, becauſe his day of death haſtened (Cha. 16. Verſ. 22.) When a few yeares are come, I ſhall goe the way, whence I ſhall not returne: Here to ſhew that hee was a dying man, he deſcribes himſelfe as a dead man; My breath is corrupt, my dayes are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

Secondly, There Job made an appeale to God, O that a man might plead with God, as a man pleads with his Neighbo…r (Verſ. 21.) And hee gives the reaſon why, My Freinds ſcorne mee (Verſ. 20.) He doth the ſame here in other language (Verſ. 2.) Are there not mockers with me? And doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? And therefore he renews his appeale to God, and beggs to be heard before indifferent Judges, or Umpires, Lay downe now, put me in a ſurety with thee, who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? In the fourth and fifth Verſes he further urgeth the reaſons of his appeale, or he backs his motion, p. 402that God would doe him right, from the inſufficiency of his Freinds to doe him right: Thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding: As if he ſhould ſay, Who would ſtand to the judgement of thoſe, who want underſtanding? Thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding: therefore ſhalt thou not exalt them; ſo: To this honour of judging my cauſe, and deciding this controverſie, yea, I finde them ſo unfit to be eyther my Judges, or my Arbitrators, that they are indeed but Flatterers; and therefore they may rather expect ſome ſudden judgement upon themſelves, or their Children, then that God ſhould doe them this honour to judge for me: He that ſpeakes flattery to his Freinds, even the eyes of his Children ſhall faile (Verſ. 5.)

Thus I have opened Jobs ſcope in the context of theſe five Verſes; which I have put together, becauſe the matter runs in a continued dependence. And though for the maine it be the ſame with which he concluded in the ſixteenth Chapter, yet the variety of reading and expreſſion will yeeld us variety of meditation: I deſcend to particulars.

Verſ. 1. My breath is corrupt, my dayes are extinct; the graves are ready for me.

Here are three things, every of which ſpeakes a dying man.

Firſt, Corrupt breath.

Secondly, Extinguiſhed dayes.

Thirdly, A grave made ready.

Pereo ſpiritu agitatus. Sept. foreign Vox foreign ligavit, conſtrinxit per antiphraſin ſignificat ſolutus, ruptus, corruptus, accommodatur etiam ad dolores intenſiſſimos quales ſunt parturientium, quia cor valde conſtringunt.Firſt, My breath is corrupt: Ruach. There are three interpretations given of that word [My breath] ſome underſtand it of his minde, or whole inward man: As if he had ſayd, My thoughts are, or my minde is exceedingly troubled; and ſo moſt of the Greek Interpreters read it; and then the word which we tranſlate Corrupt, may ſignifie greived, pained, or afflicted, and it is often applyed to thoſe paines which are moſt painefull; even the paine of a Woman in travell. And ſo the ſenſe is made out thus, as if Job had ſayd, I am extreamely troubled, 'or I am pained, like a Woman in the houre of travell; as ſhee is in bodily paine, ſo I am pained in minde; I hvve felt many inward pangs, and throwes, and yet I am not delivered: But I conceive this expoſition unſuitable to the ſcope of the place, Job being about to deſcribe the ſtate of his body, or of his outward p. 403man, and not the affliction, and trouble of his minde.

Secondly, The word (Ruach) ſignifieth the vitall powers or ſpirits, which ſupport man,Spiritus vitales qui animae inſtrumentum ſunt ad vitae functiones. Aquin. and ſerve him in all the functions of life; ſpirits are the promoters of action, and when the vitall ſpirits are corrupted, man is unable, not onelyonly to act, but to live. The expence of ſpirits, is the moſt chargeable expence to the life of man, and when a mans ſpirits are much ſpent, he is like a dead man, though he be alive: Wee ſay ordinarily when we are weary, Our ſpirits are ſpent; that is, Our vitall ſpirits which give activity and ſtrength to the whole body.

Thirdly, Rather underſtand it literally, and ſtrictly for the breath, which comes forth by reſpiration, My breath is corrupt: and then the corrupting here ſpoken of, is not to be taken for any ill ſavour in his breath: they who have corrupt breath are offenſive to others in breathing.Corruptio non hic denotat ſpiritum graveolentum, ſed ſpiritum qui cum ingenti niſu & dolore emittitur Pined. Medici Aſthma vocant; & quia Aſthmaticus ſuffocari videtur, ideo legitur hic; jam quidem Ago animam. Tygur. The breath is ſaid to be corrupt, becauſe it ſmels of the corruption of thoſe parts from whence it is drawne; we muſt not underſtand Job ſo: But when he ſaith, My breath is corrupt, his meaning is, that eyther hee had obſtructions and ſtoppings of breath, which diſtemper Phyſitians call the Tiſſicke; a man under that infirmity may be ſayd to have his breath corrupted, becauſe he breathes difficultly. And as it is ſo in ſome diſeaſes, ſo it is alway ſo in the approaches of death; a little before a man dyes, his breath ſhortens, he breathes hardly, or he hardly breathes, he lyes gaſping for life, and catching for breath: Such a ſtate Job here intends, The Tygurine tranſlation takes that ſenſe, My life is departing, or I am giving up the ghoſt.

Hence Note.

The breath of man is corruptible, though his ſoule be not.

Theſe two are very diſtinct: Some make the ſoule and brea…h one thing, and argue the corruptibility of the ſoule from ſuch Texts as this. But the breath differs, not onelyonly from the ſoule, but from the life: The ſoule hath a life of its owne, and the life of the body is its union with the ſoule; breathing is the acting of life, proceeding from that union, and ending when that union is diſſolved. Breath may be corrupt, and life may baniſh, but the ſoule continues; the breath is ſo vaniſhing, that the Prophet gives caution (Iſa. 2.22.) Ceaſe p. 404from man, whoſe breath is in his noſtrills. The breath of man is ſo ready to ceaſe, that it is our wiſedome to ceaſe from man; for when breath goes, man is gone, and all goes with him, in that day his thoughts periſh; and therefore Job had no ſooner ſayd, My breath is corrupt, but he adds, My dayes are extinct.

foreign Vox tantum hoc loco reperta ſignificat excidere amputare extinguere.[My dayes] that is, The time appointed for my life, which is meaſured by dayes, by naturall dayes, or by artificial dayes: Our dayes come and goe continually, and when our tale of dayes is come and gone, our dayes are [extinct] The word which here we tranſlate extinct, is found no where elſe in the Hebrew of the Old Teſtament: It is rendered three wayes.

Firſt, Thus, my dayes are cutt off; which metaphor is often uſed in reference to life; our dayes are (as it were) ſo many threads,Exciſſi ſunt. Pagn. and our life is like a peece of clooth woven together by many dayes; when the Webb, be it more or leſſe, longer or ſhorter, is finiſhed, the thred is cut: My dayes are cut off.

Secondly, The Vulgar reads it, my dayes will be ſhortned; they ſhall be put in a narrow roome, into a little compendium, I ſhall ſoone be able to read over the volume of my dayes,Breviabuntur dies mei. Vulg they are but ſhort, a meer Epitome.

Thirdly, We read, my dayes are extinct, or put out. Which is a metaphor taken from fire, from a Torch, or Candle, which is the ſenſe of the Tygurine tranſlation.

My dayes faile, as a Candle, or as a Lamp, which, when the oyle is conſumed, goes out: Mr. Broughton keeps to the metaphor of fire,Deus mei ritu lucernae deficiunt. Tygur. My dayes are quenched. There is a flame of life in the body, the naturall heat is preſerved by the naturall moyſture; theſe two, Radicall heat, and Radicall moyſture, worke upon each other; and as long as Radicall moyſture holds out to feed the Radicall heat, life holds out; but when the heat hath once ſucked and drunk up all the moyſture (in ſome acute diſeaſes it drinks all at a draught) as the flame drinkes up the Oyle of the Lampe,Vita extinguitur quando humor nativus in quo vita conſiſtit extinguitur. then wee goe out, or as Job ſpeakes here, Our dayes are extinct. Exceſſive moyſture puts out the fire, and for want of moyſture it goeth out.

Hence Note.

Firſt, Mans life, as a Fire, or Lampe, conſumes it ſelf continually.

p. 405There is a ſpeciall diſeaſe called a Conſumption, of which many dye; but the truth is, every man who dyes, dyes of a Conſumption; he that dyes of a Surfet, may be ſayd (in this ſenſe) to dye of a Conſumption. The fewell and food of mans life is waſted ſometimes more ſparingly and gradually, but 'tis alwayes conſumed (except in thoſe deaths which are meerely occaſionall, or violent) before man dyes.

Againe, Job ſpeaks peremptorily, My dayes are extinct. He was not then dead; but becauſe hee ſaw all things in a tendency to death, and was himſelfe in a dying poſture; therefore he concludes, My dayes are extinct.

Hence note, Secondly.

What we ſee in regard of all preparatorie meanes and wayes ready to be done, we may ſpeake of as already done.

The Scripture ſpeakes often of thoſe things which are ſhortly and certainly to come to paſſe, as come to paſſe, and as the Apoſtle argues in ſpirituals, We know that we are tranſlated from death to life, becauſe we love the Brethren, and he that believeth hath eternall lif: So we may argue about naturals, he that is ſick beyond the help of meanes, and the skill of the Phiſitian, is tranſlated from life to death, and we may conclude of a man in this caſe, he hath tempoall death, or he may ſay of himſelfe; as Job doth in the next words.

The graves are ready for me.

The Originall is very conciſe, it is only there, The graves for me; we ſupplie thoſe words Are ready. And becauſe of that ſhortnes of the Language,foreign Sepulchra m…hi. Cum mutila ſit oratio indifferens eſt ut variis modis porfici poſſit. there have been many conjectures for the ſupplie or filling up of the ſence. Some thus, The graves for me; that is, there is nothing for me to thnke of now but only a grave, I may lay aſide all other buſineſſe, and attend that alone, how I may lye downe in the duſt with peace. I am not a man for this world, it is beſt for me to retire or withdraw my ſoule quite from the earth, ſeeing I have no hope to keepe my body long out of it; or if I doe let out my ſoule to the earth, it ſhall be only to ſo much of it, as will hold my body, or ſerve to make me a grave. The graves for me.

Secondly, The graves for me; that is, I deſire or wiſh for nothing but a grave, A grave for my money, as wee ſay of a thing that we greatly deſire: ſo ſaith Job, A grave for me:

p. 406As if he had more largely ſpoken, thus.

As I perceive I am going to the grave, ſo I deſire to goe thither, I have (as to this ſence) made a covenant with death, Sepulchra mihi; ſupple opto, quaero, cogito, aut quid ſimile. Sepulchra mihi inhiant, ego ſepulchris. q. d. Aliis omnibus rebus valedico atque renuncio. Jun.and an agreement with the grave. The grave and I ſhall not fall out, now that I am ready to fall into it. For if I had my vote or might put downe in writing what I would have, I would write, A Grave, A Grave for me; as I am declining, and decaying in my body, ſo my ſpirit, and my minde are as willing that my body ſhould decay: I am as ready for the grave as that is for me. A grave for me: So the words carry a reciprocation of readineſſe betweene Job and the Grave, The grave gapes for me, and I gape for the grave: Wee may parallell this kinde of ſpeaking with that in the Booke of Canticles (Chap. 2.16.) where the Spouſe ſaith, My beloved is mine, and I am his: The Originall is, My beloved to me, and I to him: There are no more words then needs muſt be. The largeneſſe of their affection, bred this conciſeneſſe in language, My beloved to me, and I to him: We are to one another, as if we were but one.

The expreſſion notes two things.

Firſt, Propriety, My beloved to me, or, my beloved is mine; that is, I have a propriety in him.

Secondly, It notes poſſeſſion, I have him, I have not onelyonly a right to him, but I enjoy him; I have not onelyonly a title, but a tenure; God hath given me Liverie and Seiſin (as our Law ſpeakes) he hath put me into poſſeſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, and I have given Jeſus Chriſt full poſſeſſion of me, I am no longer my owne, but his, and at his diſpoſe. So here, The grave for me, and I for the grave: The grave is my right; yea, the grave is my poſſeſſion. The grave is a houſe that every one hath right to, and ſome are ſo neere it, that they ſeeme poſſeſſed of it. The grave is mine, ſaith Job, or I am as a dead man, ready to be carryed to my grave: The grave is not made ready, till man is undreſſed by death, and ſo made ready for the grave. We ſay of very old men, though in health, and we may ſay of very ſick men, though young, They have one foot in the grave. Job ſpeakes as having both his feet in the grave: Yea, wee may ſay, that Job ſpeakes as if he had not onelyonly his feet in the grave, but (which is farr more) his heart in the grave. There are many who have their feet in the grave, whoſe hearts are at furtheſt diſtance from it, Job had both. Heman (Pſal. 88.4, (5.) deſcribes his condition in ſuch a language, My ſoule is p. 407full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh to the grave, I am accounted with them that goe down into the pit; I am as a man of no ſtrength, free among the dead; like the ſlaine that lye in the grave, whom thou remembreſt no more, and that are cut off from thy ſight: That Scripture may be a Comment on this, My breath is corrupt, my dayes are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

Further, Job ſpeakes in the Plurall number; he ſaith not the grave is ready for me, but, The graves are ready for me. Why, how many graves muſt Job have? Would not one grave hold him? Or, was Job covetous to have many graves? Many houſes will not ſerve ſome men when they live, but one houſe will ſerve any man when he dyeth. A little roome will hold thoſe dead, for whoſe covetous and ambitious minds the whole World was not room thy enough while they lived. Ordinary men will have here their Winter-houſes, and their Summer houſes their Citty houſes, and their Country houſe, their houſes on the Plaine, and their houſes on the Hill; men have variety of houſes while they live; but one is all when dead: Why then doth Job ſay, The [graves] are ready for me?

He ſaith it to ſhew that death abounded to his apprehenſion or that he could not eſcape death: As if he had ſayd, Whereſoever I ſet my foot, I ſtep upon a grave.Plurima mortis imago. The Poet deſcribing a tragicall ſtate, ſaith, There was much of death to be ſeene, or many appearances of death. Job ſaw deaths, and b…held graves every where gaping for him. Paul was in deaths often, and Job was in many deaths at once: The graves are ready, there are many Pits making, I am ſure to fall into one, there's no avoyding it.

Learne from it, Firſt

That,

In times of ſickneſſe and affliction, diſcourſes of the grave, are the moſt ſeaſonable diſcourſes.

Death ſhould be much in our thoughts, and much in our ſpeech at all times, but moſt of all in times of ſickneſſe, or of danger. Some when they are ſick, cannot abide to heare a word ſpoken of the grave; others will forbid ſuch as come to viſite the ſick, to ſpeak a word of death.Com…naeus. lib. 10. Lewis the eleventh King of France, was ſo exceſſively afrayd of death, that hee had given command to his Attendants not to give him any warning of the approach of this his laſt Enemy by Name. It p. 408was worſe then death to him to heare of death; and yet before he dyed, he was told of it, not onelyonly plainely, but rudely. The French Hiſtorian reports, that his very Barber, with ſome other inferiour Servants (as if they had rather come as Judges to pronounce the ſentence of death upon him, then as freinds to be his remembrancers of death) told him bluntly and abruptly, without preface or preamble, or the leaſt word of comfort to ſweeten ſuch a bitter potion, That his fatall houre was come, that neither his Hermit nor his Phyſitian, could keep him alive a day longer. They who are unwilling to heare, or ſpeake of death, ſhall heare it ſpoken of whether they will or no. Death ſhould be much upon the tongue, and more in the thoughts of good men when they are in health, but when they are in their naturall preparation for death (ſickneſſe is a naturall preparative for death) they ſhould be very often in their ſpirituall preparations, by thinking and diſcourſing of it.

Secondly, From this manner of ſpeaking, The grave for mee.

Obſerve.

That,

A godly man is ſometimes as ready for the grave, as the grave can be for him.

Let it come as ſoone as it will, it cannot come too ſoone; as the grave gapes for him, ſo doth he for the grave; as the grave hungers for him, ſo doth he for it, and nothing can ſatisfie him but a grave. I deſire (ſaith Paul) to be diſſolved: He was ready for the grave: And ready he was, not in a vaine wiſh, O, I would dye, and I deſire to dye; but from a grounded hope that he ſhould be well in death. Saul (2 Sam. 1.9.) was ſorely wounded, the graves were ready for him, and he was ready for the grave too: But whence was it? It was not from his preparedneſſe to dye, but from his impatience to live; as appeares both by the true Hiſtory of his death, and by the falſe report of it made by the Amalekite. The former ſaith (1 Sam. 31.4.) Then ſayd Saul unto his Armour-bearer, Draw thy ſword and thruſt me through therwith, leſt theſe uncircumciſed come & thruſt me through & abuſe me: Saul, upon this account was ſo ready for the grave, that he begg'd to be thruſt into it, and when he could not obtaine that miſerable favour, he p. 409thruſt himſelfe into it; ſo the latter part of the Verſe informs us, But his Armour-bearer would not, for he was ſore afrayd: therefore Saul took a Sword and fell upon it. The Amalekite reports Saul thus beſpeaking him (2 Sam. 1.9.) Stand I pray thee upon me, and ſlay me; for anguiſh is upon me, becauſe my life is yet whole in me.

Man dyes not by peece-meale, now a little, and then a little, nor is life diviſible, when it departs it departs together, but when Saul had no minde to live, it troubled him that he was no neerer death: A diſhonour was fallen upon him, the day was loſt, and he was wounded: Saul could eaſier dye then out live this diſgrace. Such a readineſſe to dye many have had, it vexeth them to live, dye they will, becauſe they cannot live as they would: this is a readineſſe of deſperation, not of preparation. Job was much troubled, paine and ſmart afflicted him, and they had ſome influence upon his deſire of death; but his chiefe motive was above: what old Simeon deſired, to depart in peace becauſe his eyes had ſeen his ſalvation, Job deſired, becauſe he knew by Faith, that God was his ſalvation.

Thirdly, Job ſpeakes chearefully of the grave:

Hence learne.

A Beleever in the greateſt afflictions of this life, ſees eaſe and refreſhing in death.

He knowes that he ſhall bury all his ſorrows when himſelfe goes to the grave; yea, that then his ſins, as well as his afflictions goe to their grave too, and ſhall never riſe againe.

Fourthly, Job ſpeakes confidently he ſhall dye preſently, the grave was ready for him: But it was not ſo, Jobs grave was nor ready, and he outlived this black day many a fayre yeare.

Hence Obſerve.

A good man may miſtake the times and ſeaſons of Gods diſpenſations to him.

He thinks, yea concludes, he ſhall dye, when he ſhall not dye: Wicked worldly men, doe not beleeve they ſhall dye, when they muſt; they cannot be perſwaded that they ſhall dye, when they are ready to dropp into their graves. Job ſeemed to have an aſſurance that he ſhould dye, yet he did not, God reprived him from death, and reſtored him from trouble. p. 410We are never the neerer the grave, becauſe we prepare for it, ſpeak and meditate on it, or reſolve to goe into it: It is not our holding back from the grave, that wil keep us out of it, nor our willingneſſe to goe to the grave, that will put us into it. It is good to miſtake upon the beſt ſide; God uſually recalls thoſe from death, who are moſt ready at his call to dye.

Fifthly, In that he ſpeaks of Graves in the Plurall number: Learne this.

There are many wayes of going out of the World, though there be bilt one way of comming in.

Whither ſoever we are going, wee are going to the grave, and when we have ſtept over, or ſcrambled out of one grave, wee may quickly ſlip into another, and be locked in faſt enough.

Laſtly, Take this from the whole, by way of Correllary; It is our wiſedome to ſtand alwayes ready for death, and the grave, for they ſtand ready for us: Ours is a dying life, a decaying ſtrength, ours are conſuming dayes, our dayes cannot be many, poſſibly they will be but very few; for ought wee know the grave is now ready for us, and wee are ſure it is a digging and preparing for us: Therefore let us be digging in the Word of life, that we may be ready to meet and welcome death and the grave, which are ſo ready for us: The graves are ready for me.

Job proceeds to re-inforce the cauſe of his appeale.

Verſ. 2. Are there not mockers with me? And doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

foreign a illuſit deriſit. foreign Formula juriſjurandi huic linguae familiaris. Merc. Diſpeream niſi amici mei ſtudeant mihi imponere. Vatabl.Maſter Broughton tranſlates by way of affirmation, Surely mockers are beſtowed on me. We by way of Queſtion, Are there not mockers with me? Yes, there are mockers with me: Some read it as the forme of an Oath. It is familiar in the Hebrew to uſe ſuch formes of ſwearing and imprecating; ſo the words are rendred by a learned Interpreter, Let me periſh if my freinds are not mockers, if they goe not about to delude me. Job ſpake this a little before, My freinds ſcorne me (Chap. 16.20.) Here he is at it againe, Are there not mockers with me? I finde three words applyed by Job to his Freinds, while he reproves this their unfreindly uſage.

foreignThe firſt (Chap. 12.4.) there he uſeth a word which ſignifieth p. 411to mock with deriſion.foreign The word (Chap. 16.19.) notes them ſuch as mocked, with wit and jeſting. The word here uſed ſignifies to mock by deceiving or deluding, as if his Freinds had carryed matters with him more like Sophiſters, then Comforters: So the word is applyed (Gen. 31.7.) Jacob tels Leah, and Rachell, You know that with all my power, I have ſerved your Father Laban, and your Father hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times: that is, He thought by changing my wages to deceive me, and get all the ſtronger Cattell to himſelfe. When Moſes went out upon the requeſt of Pharaoh, to ſue unto the Lord for the removing of a preſent plague: Moſes ſayd, Behold I goe out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the ſwarmes of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his Servants, and from his people to morrow; but let not Pharaoh deale deceitfully any more (Exod. 8.29.) as if he had ſayd, You have mocked me two or three times, and ſaid you would let the people goe, doe not ſo any more, leſt your deceiving of my expectation, prove the greateſt deceit of your owne.

The deluding Doctors which ſome delighted in, are expreſt by this word (Iſa. 30.9.) This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not heare the Law of the Lord: They did not love the Law of the Lord; What then? which ſay to the Seers, ſee not, and to the Prophets, propheſie not unto us right things, ſpeake unto us ſmooth things, propheſie deceits. The wickedneſſe of that people lay in two things; eyther they would have the Prophets ſilent, and not ſpeak at all, or if they did ſpeak, they muſt Propheſie deceits: They loved to be cozoned, truth made them ſmart, and they could not abide it. A guilty conſcience cannot endure plaine words, but it loves ſmooth words; as many as you will of theſe words (ſay they) or elſe not a word; eyther propheſie deceit, or ceaſe prophecying. Here Job complaines, Are there not deceivers with me? As if he had ſayd, You tell me you bring the minde of God, but you bring falſe Doctrine, you preach deceit. Though we cannot ſay they preached ſmooth things to Job, they ſpake hardly enough of him, and harſhly enough to him, yet we may ſay they preached deceitfull things to him; for though they did not ſpeake with an intention to deceive him, yet they were deceived in ſpeaking, and he had been deceived if he had yeelded to what they ſpake. In which ſenſe Job cals them (which one would p. 412think he had little reaſon to doe, conſidering how roughly they dealt with him, he, I ſay, cals them) Flatterers at the ſixth Verſe of this Chapter: And what's the buſineſſe or chiefe deſigne of Flatterers, but to catch others with words, or to deceive them into a complyance with their owne ends. And this is often (and was in this caſe) the end,Finis operis & finis operantis diſtinguuntur. or tendency of the action, when it is not the end, or intention of the Agent. From this notion of the word,

Obſerve.

Firſt, To be among Deceivers is a great miſery.

Secondly, To be a Deceiver is a great ſin.

Thirdly, To publiſh that which is falſe, though there be no intendment to deceive, is to be a Deceiver.

As moſt are ignorantly deceived, ſo there are ſome ignorant Deceivers: and as ſome thinke what they doe to be very juſt, and that it is their duty to doe it, when indeed it is very ſinfull, ſo there are ſome who thinke what they teach to be very true, and that it is their duty to teach it, when indeed it is very erroneous. There are but few who know they are Deceivers, when they are: now as that Servant which knew his Lords will, but did not according to his will, ſhall be beaten with may ſtripes, and yet, he who knew it not, and did commit things worthy of ſtripes (ſhall not eſcape a beating, he) ſhall be beaten with few ſtripes (Luke 12.47, 48.) So he that knowes the truth of God, and yet deceives others with falſe Doctrine, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes, and he who not knowing the truth, deceives others ſhall not eſcape unbeaten, or unblamed, as Jobs Freinds did not.

Non peccavi. Vulg. q. d. innocens heu morior. Quandoquidem non ſunt ludificationes apud me. Jun.There is another reading of this firſt clauſe, differing from ours, Are there not mockers with me? The Vulgar thus, I have not ſinned. A ſecond to the ſame ſenſe, thus, For as much as there are no mockings or deceivings with me. I am a man who deals plainely and ſimply: The word which we tranſlate Mockers, as noting a Perſon, is rendered by the act, and that negatively: There are no mockings with me; that is, I uſe no mockings or no falſe play, as I am accuſed; I have ſpoken my heart nakedly and clearly, And yet mine eye continueth in their provocation: therefore lay downe now, put mee in a ſurety with thee, &c. (Verſ. 3.) This is a good reading, but I will not ſtay upon it; onelyonly take two briefe Notes from it.

p. 413A good man is upright hearted, and downe-right in all his dealings and ſayings.

There are no mockings with me, I am what I appeare, and I appeare what I am: An Hypocrite is full of tricks and ſhifts, he diſguiſeth both his perſon and his actions: No man can tell where to have him, or what to make of him. When hee ſpeakes, his words doe not ſignifie what he meanes, if they ſignifie any thing; and when he acts his workes doe not ſignifie what he is, they ſignifie any thing rather then that. All are mockings of others, though he will finde in the end, that he hath mocked himſelfe moſt of all.

Secondly, As he joynes this with the next clauſe, There are no mockings with me, and yet mine eye continueth in their provocation. Note, that, How plaine-hearted ſoever a man is, yet it is very hard to perſwade thoſe who are once prejudiced againſt him that he is ſo.

Let Job ſay and profeſſe what he would, yet hee could not recover his credit, nor ſet himſelfe right in the opinion of men till God did it for him (Chap. 42.) But I paſſe that, Are there not mockers with me? What the mocking and ſcorning of Jobs Freinds was, hath been opened (Chap. 12.4. Cha. 16.19.) and therefore I referr the Reader thither.

Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

Should he not rather have ſayd, Doth not mine eare continue, &c. Mocking is the object of the eare, and not of the eye. There are ſome mockings indeed, by mimicall fooliſh geſtures, and they are the object of the eye;Aſſiduè in id oculos & mentis aciem intentam habeo quod me aſſidue irritant, in eo defixae ſunt omnes meae cogitationes. Merc. Iſti dies nocteſque non ceſſant exacerbare animum meum, Iun. Intenta cogitatio ſomnum impedit. but here Job ſpeakes of what he had from them in conference, which is properly the buſines of the eare; and yet he faith, Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? By the eye wee are to underſtand the eye of the minde. Doth not mine eye? that is, Have I not a repreſentation in my ſpirit, or upon my fancy of your mockings, and bitter provocations, even as if they were viſible before mine eyes? Have I not night viſions and apparitions upon my Bedd, of what you ſpeak or act againſt me every day?

Againe, We may expound the Text properly of his bodily eye, b cauſe the trouble which they gave him in the day time, hindred his ſleep in the night. The letter of the Hebrew favours this ſenſe, Doth not mine eye lodge in their provocation? So we put in the Margin of our Bibles: Hence Maſter Broughton p. 414reads, In theſe mens vexing lodgeth mine eye; that is, When I goe to Bed and hope to ſleep, then in ſtead of lodging in my Bed, I lodge in the thoughts of my Freinds unkindneſſe; and indeed, a man may ſleep better upon the bare boards, then upon hard words. Such words keep the eyes waking, and are as bad to ſleep upon, as a pillow of thornes; eſpecially when (which was Jobs caſe) the eye continueth in them. Intentneſſe of minde, or vehement cogitation about any thing, keep open the eyes, and forbid the approach of reſt; Doth not mine eye continue?

In their provocation.

[Provocations.] He called them Mockers, and their mockings were provocations. Vel a foreign amarum eſſe. Sive a foreign quod eſt irritare ſive exacerbare.The word (as ſome derive it) ſignifies that which is bitter, Provocation is a bitter thing: Others derive it from a root ſignifying to irritate and ſtirr up the ſpirit of a man; which is provocation properly. Provocation is a high act of wrong: A man may doe another wrong, on this ſide a provocation; as the provocation of God is a high act of ſinne in man, ordinary acts of ſin doe not amount to a provocation (Pſ. 106.7.) They provoked him at the Sea (it is this word) even at the red Sea, that is, There they ſinned extreamly. So (Pſ. 95.8.) which the Apoſtle quotes (Heb. 3.8.) The holy Ghoſt cals the whole time of that peoples froward walking, or ſinning againſt God in the Wilderneſſe, The provocation: Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation: that is, In the time when yee ſinned, not onelyonly to the offending, but to the provoking of God againſt you, not to the breaking of his Lawes, but to the vexing of his ſpirit. When ſin is compleat, and iniquity growne to a full ſtature, that day is juſtly marked in the Calendar of Scripture, with a red letter, implying wrath, and is therefore called, The provocation: So when any man deales very unkindly, frowardly, or unfaithfully, againſt his Brother, then 'tis a provocation, Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

Now for as much as the ſame word ſignifieth both bitterneſſe and provocation, and that moſt provocations are given by uncharitable and unconſiderate ſpeeches;

Obſerve.

Firſt, Ʋnkinde words are bitter to the hearer.

p. 415The Apoſtle gives the rule to Husbands (Col. 3.19.) Huſbands love your Wives, and be not bitter to them: that is, Doe not give them bitter words in ſtead of faithfull counſels. Some Husbands ſpeak their Gall to their Wives, to whom they have given their hearts. Among the Heathens the Gall of the Sacrifice which they ſuperſtitiouſly offered at Marriages,Quo inſtituto legis Author non obſcure innuebat a conjugio ſemper debere bilem iramque abeſſe. Druſ. Prov. Claſ. 2. l. …. was puld out and throwne away, before it was preſented at the Altar, ſignifying that Man and Wife ſhould be (as Naturaliſts ſay the Dove is) without Gall one towards another. Wholeſome counſels and admonitions for the matter, are often adminiſtred with ſuch an undue mixture of heat and paſſion as renders them, not onelyonly diſtaſtefull but hurtfull to the receiver.

Secondly, Note.

Harſh words carry much provocation in them.foreign, animum deſpondeo.

The ſame Apoſtle in the ſame Chapter enlarging his Inſtitutes for the direction of Beleevers in all Relation, beſpeakes Parents (Verſ. 21.) Fathers provoke not your Children to anger: The word ſignifies any kinde of provocation, but that eſpecially which is cauſed by contumelious and upbrayding ſpeeches. A Father provokes his Childe, when he ſpeakes haſtily, and threatningly, terrifying his Childe, rather then inſtructing him: The reaſon why Fathers ſhould not thus provoke their Children, is added, Leſt they be diſcouraged, or (as the word imports) be as if they were without ſoules, …noop't (as we ſay) and heartleſſe. For as there is a provocation (in a good ſenſe) which heightens the ſpirit in well doing, and enlivens it for action: The Apoſtle exhorts to that (Heb. 10.24.) Let us conſider one another to provoke one another to love, and to good works, that is, let us ſet ſuch copies of holineſſe that others may be ſtirred up, beyond their ordinary pitch, and elevation of ſpirit, to a zealous doing of good. Or ſpeake ſuch winning words, give ſuch preſſing exhortations, that the hearts of your Brethren, may be carryed beyond their uſuall courſe in holineſſe. Thus he tels the Corinthians (2. Epiſt. 9.2.) That their zeale had provoked many: But to what had it provoked them? Not to anger and paſſion, towards any, but to charity, yea and liberality towards the poore. And though the Apoſtle uſeth another word in the Greek, yet he meanes the ſame thing, when hee aſſures us (Rom. 11.11.) p. 416that the Jewes ſtumbled not that they ſhould fall (but that they might riſe) for ſo it followes, But rather through their fall ſalvation is come to the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealouſie. The ſalvation of the Gentiles bred emulation in the Jewes, What? Shall they goe away with all the ſalvation? Shall the Gentiles poſſeſſe Heaven alone, whom wee thought the meaneſt people upon the Earth? Come, let us alſo put in at leaſt for a part, and get a ſhare in Goſpel-mercies and priviledges with them. Thus they were provoked to emulation, and this emulation was and ſhall be (through the power of God, who is wonderfull in counsell, and excellent in working) a help to faith in Chriſt, and ſo to their riſing from their fall. And the Apoſtle was ſo intent upon the promoting of this deſigne of God, that he profeſſeth (Verſ. 13, 14.) that he magnified his Office among the Gentiles, not onelyonly to ſave them, but (ſaith he) If by any meanes I may provoke to emulation them which are my fleſh, and might ſave ſome of them: He hoped the Jewes would, at laſt, beleeve for anger, or for very ſhame, and goe to Heaven in a holy chafe.

Now (I ſay) as there is a provocation which heates and hightens the minde of man to an eager purſuite of the beſt things; ſo there is a provocation which abates and blunts his edge, which chills and flats his ſpirits to any thing that is good, which was the ground of the Apoſtles dehortation, Provoke not your Children, leſt they be discouraged: And as the effect of ſuch provocations is to ſome a diſcouragement in doing their duty, ſo the effect of it in others is a thruſting them onn to doe that which is moſt contrary, not onelyonly to their duty, but to their diſpoſition.

Rayling ſpeeches, uncomely and uncivill language, have provoked many, both to ſpeak, and to doe that which they never dreamt of, or which was moſt remote from their naturall temper and inclination. For though ſuch diſtempers lye in the bottome of nature, yet unleſſe they had been ſtirred and ſpurred up, thoſe diſtempers would not have appeared and broken out. Moſes was the meekeſt man upon the earth, yet when they provoked his ſpirit, he ſpake unadviſedly with his lips (Pſal. 106.33.) There are three ill effects of provocations.

Firſt, Provoking ſpeeches raiſe up hard thoughts of the p. 417ſpeaker. It is a high worke of grace to thinke well of them, who ſpeak ill of us, or to us.

Secondly, Provoking ſpeeches blow up hard words of the ſpeaker; many excuſe it, when they give ill language, You provoked me: And though they be not to be excuſed who doe ſo when they are provoked, yet their ſin is the greater, who provoke them.

Thirdly, Provoking ſpeeches are ſometimes the cauſe of revengefull practices, and very often of licentious practices. Sober admonitions and grave reproofes, reclaime thoſe who goe aſtray, but violent rebukes make them deſperate. Some care not what they doe when they heare others ſay they care not what. Many Children have run ill courſes by over much indulgence, and neglect of diſcipline; and ſo have not a few, by the over mvch ſeverity and ſharpneſſe of thoſe that are over them. Patience is hard put to it, to keep eyther minde or tongue or hand in compaſſe, when wee are provoked: Great provocations are great temptations. When God is provoked he is tempted (Heb. 3.8.) Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the Wilderneſſe, when your Fathers tempted me, &c. Wee may expound it two wayes.

Firſt, That while they tempted God, by queſtioning his power for them, and preſence with them, they provoked him, he was greatly diſpleaſed with them for it.

Secondly, That while they provoked God they tempted him, they tempted him to deſtroy them, or to act that power againſt them which they did not beleeve (after ſo many experiences) able enough to deliver or protect them. If then God himſelfe be ſo tempted, that (as he is pleaſed often to expreſſe himſelfe after the manner of men) hee can ſcarce hold his hands, or forbeare to doe that which he had no mind to doe when he is provoked, how much more is weake man tempted to doe that which his corruptions are alwayes forward enough (and too too much) to doe, when hee is provoked.

Againe, When he ſaith, Doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

Learne, thirdly.

Hard words ſtick upon the ſpirit.

p. 418They hang about the minde, and are not eaſily gotten off. Good words dwell much upon the ſpirit, and ſo doe ill words; when a man hath onee got a word of promiſe from God, about any mercy ſet home upon his heart, the eye continues in that conſolation: O it is a ſweet word, the ſoule lyes ſucking at it night and day. And when a man hath once got a word of command from God about any duty ſet home upon his ſpirit, his eye continues in the direction of it. O how I love thy Law (ſaith David, Pſal. 119.97.) It is my meditation all the day; he could not beate his thoughts off from it, when love had faſtned on it. As theſe good words cleave to a gracious ſoule, and dwell with it; ſo it is hard even for a gracious ſoule to diſlodge hard words: O how doth the eye continue in thoſe provocations? And doth not experience teach us, that vaine thoughts throwne into the minde by Satan will not eaſily be driven out? How often doth the eye continue in his provocations? The ſpirit of a man hath a ſtrong retentive faculty, it will hold the object cloſe, and as it were live and lodge in it. How many make their abode in provocations, and reſide upon bitter words, received from their Brethren? How many lye downe with them at night, and riſe with them in the morning; yea, and walke with their eye upon them all the day long. And here it may be queſtioned.

Was not this a ſin in Job? That rule of love then was in being, which is now expreſſed (Epheſ. 4.26.) Be yee angry and ſin not, let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath. Then, how could Job ſuffer his eye to continue in theſe provocations?

I anſwer, There was an infirmity in this; 'tis our duty, as to forgive, ſo to forget, or lay aſide the thought of injuries and wrongs received: And it is the Character of wicked men, They ſleep not unleſſe they have done miſchiefe (Pro. 4.16.) Their eye continues in their owne corruption, or in the temptation of Satan till they have brough it forth. For as when good men have ſtrong impreſſions unto good upon their ſpirits, they cannot ſleep till they have done good: their eye continues in that holy provocation (Pſal. 132.4.) I will not (ſaith zealous David) give ſleep to my eyes, nor ſlumber to my eye lids, untill I finde out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob: So wicked men give no ſleep to their eyes till they p. 419have done that miſcheife, or executed that revenge to which they conceive themſelves provoked. But the eye of Job did not continue in thoſe unfreindly provocations, to watch an opportunity for ſelfe-revenge upon, or of doing miſcheife to his Freinds: He did not let the Sun goe downe upon wrath, that he might deviſe their ruine in the darke. He was not ſo wiſe as he ſhould have been to hurt himſelfe, and hinder his reſt, by ſuch a continuall poring upon their unkindneſſes; but he was not wicked at all, much leſſe ſo wicked (which ſome from this paſſage may conceive him) as to pore upon their unkindneſſes, with a purpoſe to hurt them:. So, that act might have ſomewhat of ſin in it, becauſe hee troubled his owne peace more then he needed, but it had not this ſin in it, that he ſtudyed how to trouble the peace of others.

Laſtly, We may rather interpret theſe words to the blame of his Freinds, who continued to provoke him, then to his, whoſe eye (becauſe they did ſo) could ſee nothing but provocation, or at leaſt muſt ſee that, whatſoever it ſaw, and therefore could not but continue in it. How could the eye of Hannah chuſe but continue in the provocation of Peninnah, when it is ſayd (1 Sam. 1.6, 7.) That as her Husband Elkanah gave her ſpeciall tokens of his love, yeare by yeare, ſo ſhee provoked her to make her fret yeare by yeare, therefore ſhee wept and did not eate. While a provocation is continued, our ſenſe of it can hardly be intermitted.

Job having complained of received provocations, renews his appeale to God.

Verſ. 3. Lay downe now, put me in a ſurety with thee, who is he that will ſtrike hands with me?

The words are an Apoſtrophe to God. That Job, ſpeakes to God, not to Eliphaz, is cleerer then needs be proved. The word which we render lay downe, ſignifies alſo to appoint, (Exod. 1.11.) They did ſet (or appoint) over them Taske-maſters. And againe (Exod. 21.13.) I will appoint thee a place whither he (the man-ſlayer) ſhall flee. Appone cor tuum. i. e. adverte quaeſo animum meis verbis. Vatabl.In the preſent Text both rendrings of the word are uſed. We make uſe of the firſt, Put, or lay downe: What would Job have God lay downe?

Some give it thus, Lay downe, or apply thine heart to me, attend I pray thee to my words, and conſider my cauſe.

p. 420Secondly, The words may be conceived as an alluſion to thoſe, who going before a Judge, or having a cauſe to be tryed by Umpires, uſe to lay downe an ingagement, or as wee call it, an Aſſ…mpſit, that they will ſtand to the award, or arbitrement, which ſhall be made.

Put me in a ſurety with thee.

foreign a foreign Eſt fideijubere pro aliquo, ſeu aliquem in ſuam fidem recipere. Hinç arrabo ſpiritus. Pone pignus, vadem, aut fidejuſſorem mihi tecum. Pagn-Diſpone quaeſo conſponſorem mihi tecum. Jun. Num Arrabonem dabis?The Originall word properly ſignifying to undertake for, or to give credit and aſſurance in the behalfe of another; and hence the Noune derived from it, ſignifies an earneſt, becauſe an earneſt layd downe, is a reall ſurety, that ſuch a thing ſhall be performed. In which ſenſe Thamar uſeth the word (Gen. 38.17.) who when Judah promiſed to ſend a Kid of the Goates, ſaid, wilt thou give me a pledg til thou ſend it? and hence in the new Teſtament the word Arrabo is uſed in the Greek, as alſo in the Latine, for the earneſt of the ſpirit, or for that aſſurance which the ſpirit ſettles upon the hearts of Beleevers in this life that they ſhall inherit eternall life (2 Cor. 1.22.) Who hath alſo ſealed us, and given the earneſt of the ſpirit in our hearts. And againe (2 Cor. 5.5.) Now he that hath wrought us for the ſelfe ſame thing is God: God having prepared a place for us, prepares us for the place, and then gives us our evidences, that in due time wee ſhall take poſſeſſion of it. Who alſo hath given us the earneſt of the ſpirit The ſame Apoſtle tells the Epheſians, that, After they beleeved they were ſealed with the ſpirit of promiſe, which is the earneſt of our inheritance, till the redemption of the purchaſed poſſeſſion (Epheſ. 1.14.) So that an earneſt is a reall ſu…ety, and a ſurety is a perſonall earneſt. While Job ſaith, Put me in a ſurety, his meaning is, hee would have ſome perſon to be an undertaker for the ordering of his cauſe, or an enſurer that all ſhould be performed according to the determination that ſhould be given about it, Put in a ſurety with me.

Who is he that will ſtrike hands with me?

foreign Sig: Defigere, infigere, & ſi de contractibus dicitur, percutere manum.He proceeds in the ſame alluſion. Theſe words are diſpoſed two wayes: Some put the Interrogation after He; Give, or put me in a ſurety, Who is he? I would gladly ſee the man, or know who it is; Who is he? let him come and ſtrike hands with me, whoſoever he is: As if hee had ſayd, I ſhall eaſily agree p. 421that any man ſhould have the hearing and determining of this buſineſſe, whom thou ſhalt appoint.Quis eſt? manui meae plaudatur. Jun. Quiſquis ille ſit fide juſſor meus veniat & paciſcatur mecum. In ſponſionibus manus invicem complodebant, hinc manum complodere, pro paciſci, ſtipulari. Merc.

We put the Interrogation after the whole ſentence, Who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? And then the ſenſe appears thus, If God once put in a ſurety to undertake for me, who is hee that will contend with mee, or engage in this Quarrell againſt me?

To ſtrike hands, is a phraſe of ſpeech grounded upon that ancient forme of making bargaines or entring contracts, by joyning, or ſtriking hands: And theſe contracts may be taken two wayes, or under a double notion.

Firſt, As they concerned ſuretiſhip for Money, in which ſenſe Solomon ſpeakes of it more then once (Prov. 6.1.) My Son if thou be ſurety for thy Freind: If thou have ſtriken hands with a ſtranger; that is, if thou haſt entred into Bond for him, and haſt teſtified it by ſtriking hands, then, &c. (Prov. 22.26.Haec eſt ſponſio quae propriè ad mammorum negotium ſpectat. Aben Ezra. in Prov. 6.Prov 6) Be not thou one of them that ſtrike hands; that is, Be not too forward to engage thy ſelfe, or to undertake for others; as it is expounded in the next words, or of them that are ſureties for debts; ſuch haſty engagements may bring thee into more trouble, then thou wilt be able to get off in haſte: There are many who have ſtruck, yea wounded their owne hearts incurably, by ſtriking hands for their Freinds. Goe to the Courts of Juſtice, and there is nothing more frequently heard of, then the ſighes of Sureties: He diſaſſures his owne Eſtate, who aſſures for others.

Secondly, As Contracts and Suretiſhip for Money were confirmed by ſtriking hands; ſo it is very probable that thoſe ſuretiſhips which were given about Tryals, and for appearing to the Action of the Plaintiffe in Judgement, were alſo confirmed by that outward ceremony; in which ſenſe we are to underſtand it here.

Further, The word which we tranſlate to Strike, ſignifies alſo to Faſten, which ſhewes another part of the ceremony; for as ſtriking, ſo joyning and claſping of hands was uſed.

Once more, the word ſignifies,Clangere tuba. Comploſis manibus ſonus editur. and oft is applyed to the ſounding of a Trumpet, or the giving of any ſound: This alſo carries on the ſame alluſion, becauſe when two men ſtrike hands, they make a ſound, the interpretation of which is, that the bargaine is made, or it ſpe…kes the parties agreed; p. 422and hence that knowne expreſſion among us, Of ſtriking up a bargaine, or a buſineſſe.

Thus the whole Text is carryed on in termes alluding to the ordinary proceeding, eyther in becomming Bound with another for Money, or in giving aſſurance to performe, and ſtand to the arbitrement, or award of thoſe who ſhall judge, and determine any matter in difference: But how are wee to apply this to the preſent caſe?

Lay downe now, put me in a ſurety with thee, who is hee that will ſtrike hands with me?

There are three or foure expoſitions given about it.

Firſt, That Job, in theſe words, deſires God to give ſurety that he would ſtand to the judgement which ſhould be given: or he would have God aſſure him,Da fidejuſſorem apud te, qui in hac contentione quae mihi tecum intercidit ſpondeat te ſtaturum iis quae judicata fuerint; ut te non tanquam judicem geras ſed tanquam litigato rem. Merc. Familiarius quam par erat cum Deo agit. Merc. that hee would not deale with him according to the ſeverity of his Juſtice, or the excellency of his Soveraignty as a Judge, but deſcend to ſuch a courſe as is uſuall among men, while they are engaged in any controverſie between themſelves. Job hath ſpoken the ſame ſenſe cleerely before, in ſome other paſſages of this Book, eſpecially (Chap. 9 33, 34.) But this ſenſe is not cleere to the ſcope of the preſent place: And therefore as they who maintaine it, confeſſe, that Job was ſomewhat too bold with God, ſo wee may ſay that they are ſomewhat too bold with the Text.

For the reaſon or ground upon which Job deſires that God would give him a ſurety, hath no correſpondence with this interpretation (Verſ. 4.) For thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding. Now, what coherence is there betweene theſe two, that Job ſhould ſay, Thou haſt hid their heart (that is, the heart of theſe men) from underſtanding: therefore give mee a ſurety that thou wilt proceed with me after the manner of men. Beſides the words of the fifth Verſe oppoſe it yet more. He that ſpeaks flattery to his Freind, the eyes of his Children ſhall faile. Now, for Job to deſire God to put him in a ſurety that hee would deale thus, or thus with him, becauſe the man who ſpeakes flattery to his Freind, his Childrens eyes ſhall faile, hath no argument at all in it; yet the abetters of this Interpretation mollifie all, by ſaying, that Job ſpake from a diſturbed ſpirit, being much moved with the ill dealing of his Freinds, and p. 423though there may be ſome inconſiſtence with the context, yet the Text conſidered in its owne compaſſe, beares it well enough; but I paſſe from it.

Secondly, That Job deſires God to appoint a Surety betweene him and his Freinds, who ſhould undertake both Gods cauſe and his againſt them three: As if hee had ſayd, Lord, my Freinds have wronged me, and they have wronged thee too, O that thou wouldeſt provide a man furniſhed with wiſedome, and a ſpirit of diſcerning, both to right thy honour, and to cleare up my integrity. Such a one was Elihu, who appeared ſhortly after, upon the Stage, and there acted ſuch a part as this.

Thirdly (ſay others) Job deſires that God himſelfe would be his Surety, and take up the whole matter betweene him and his Freinds; which hee alſo did in the latter end of this Book, giving judgement for Job, and blaming the miſcarriage of his Freinds. So the word is uſed (Iſa. 38.14.) when Hezekiah lay ſick, even unto death, he prayed, Lord I am oppreſſed, undertake for me, It is this word, Be Surety for me. A learned Tranſlator renders it, Weave me through, or weave me to the end; for the word ſignifies the Thred in weaving,Pertexe me. Jun. called the Woofe, which being put upon the Shuttle, is caſt through the Warpe, in making Cloath, whether Linnen or Woollen; thus it is uſed (Lev. 13.52.) and ſo theſe words of Hezekiah carry on the Allegory of the tenth Verſe, I ſayd in the cutting off of my dayes, &c. and of the twelfth Verſe, I have cut off like a Weaver my life, he will cut me off with pining ſickneſſe. In both which Verſes, Hezekiah compares mans life to a peece of Cloath in the Loome, which is made ſometimes ſhorter, and ſometimes longer, and whereſoever it ends, the Woofe, or running Thred is cut off: Hence Hezekiah prayeth, Lord, theſe ſickneſſes, like a ſharpe Knife, threaten to cut the thred of my life, yet I beſeech thee, doe thou weave on, weave me to the end of that Warpe which is given to man, in the common courſe of nature, and let not this ſickneſſe cut my thred in the mid-way: This is a good ſenſe of the Text.

But when our Tranſlators render the word, Ʋndertake for me; the meaning is, I am ſore oppreſſed with the violence of this ſickneſſe, which like one of the Sergeants of cruell death hath arreſted me, nor is there any way for me to eſcape, unleſſe thou, O Lord, reſcue me out of its hands, or (as it p. 424were) give Bayle, and become ſurety for me, I am oppreſt, O Lord, undertake for me.

David having done a great peece of Juſtice which contracted him much envy, and had drawne many Enemies upon him, thus beſpeakes God (Pſal. 119.121, 122.) I have done judgement and juſtice, leave me not to mine oppreſſors, be ſurety for thy Servant: that is, mainetaine mee againſt thoſe who vvould wrong me becauſe I have done right; put thy ſelfe, or interpoſe betweene mee and mine Enemies, as if thou wert my pledge. Impartiall juſtice upon oppreſſors, layes the Judges open to oppreſſion; but they who run greateſt hazzards, in zeale for God, ſhall finde God ready to be their Surety, when they pray, Be ſurety for thy ſervants. And thus we may conceive Job entreating the Lord to be his Surety, and Protector againſt all thoſe oppoſitions, and miſapprehenſions which were heaped upon him by man. David was aſſured that God would be his Surety (Pſal. 27.5.) In the time of trouble hee ſhall hide me in his pavilion; and he aſſures all that feare God, that he will be their Surety (Pſal. 31.20.) Thou ſhalt hide them in the ſecret of thy preſence, from the pride of man: Thou ſhalt keep them ſecretly in a Pavilion, Pone me juxta te & cujuſvis manus pugnet contra me. Vulg.from the ſtrife of tongues. To this ſenſe the Vulgar Latine tranſlates the whole Verſe, Put me neere thy ſelfe, and then let whoſe will contend with me; that is, Doe thou ſtand by me, and undertake for me, and then I feare not who oppoſeth me: Which anſwers that of the Apoſtle (Rom. 8.) If God be with us, who can be againſt us.

This expoſition holds out a comfortable truth to us, yet the Text ſ…emes to ayme at ſomewhat elſe; for the words are not barely, Put me in a ſurety, but, Put me in a ſurety with thee; which ſhewes that God and the Surety he deſired, were two, or diſtinct; his prayer was not that God would be his Surety, but that hee might have a Surety with God. And therefore,

Fourthly, The whole Verſe is thus read word for word out of the Originall; Appoint I pray thee, my Surety with thee, who is he then that will ſtrike upon my hand; that is, Appoint Chriſt, who is with thee in Heaven (and hath already agreed with thee, to be the Surety of diſtreſſed ſinners, appoint him I ſay) to plead my cauſe, and to ſtand up for me, and then no man will dare to contend with me. So the words are of p. 425the ſame meaning with (Chap. 16.21.) where Job having made his appeale to God, declares his confidence that Chriſt would plead for him, and appeare his Advocate.

Hence Obſerve.

FIrſt, Jeſus Chriſt is not onelyonly an Advocate for his people, but their Surety.

Hee doth not onelyonly plead our cauſe, but pay our debts. Chriſt entered into Bond for us, and took all our debts and duties, whatſoever we owe to God, upon himſelfe, to ſee all performed, that we might goe free, and be accepted (Heb. 7.22.) By ſo much was Jeſus made the ſurety of a better Teſtament. Where the ſame word which is here uſed by Job, is (with the difference onelyonly of that Dialect) uſed alſo in the Syriake verſion of that Epiſtle. Jeſus Chriſt may be called the Surety of the Covenant two wayes.

Firſt, Becauſe he ratifies it on Gods part, making Faith of it unto us, or aſſuring us that all the mercies and good things therein granted and promiſed, ſhall be made good, and fulfilled to every Beleever; as the Apoſtle concludes (2 Cor. 1.20.) For all the promiſes of God in him are yea, and in him Amen: that is, He will give a being and an accompliſhment to them all. Whatſoever God hath ſpoken, he will ſee it done.

Secondly, Jeſus Chriſt is called the ſurety of the Covenant becauſe he ratifies it on our part: For though (as Socinians object againſt this point) we ſent not Chriſt unto God in our name, but God ſent him to us in his name, yet Chriſt did undertake, as in our nature, ſo in our Name, and did reſtipulate with God on our behalfe, that whatſoever was owing to his juſtice and holineſſe by man, eyther as a penalty for paſt defaults, or as a duty to preſent commands, ſhould all be ſatiſfied and performed by himſelfe: And as Chriſt (being our Surety) did both theſe in his owne perſon, by active and paſſive obedience, ſo farr as it was ſatisfactory; ſo (as a Surety) he helpes us to performe the latter ſo farr as it is gratulatory. For whatſoever duty God requires of us, and cals us to, in teſtimony of our thankfulneſſe for his benefits, and of our ſubmiſſion to his will, this Chriſt undertakes to his Father that we ſhall doe, and accordingly out of his fulneſſe gives us grace and ſtrength to doe it.

p. 426Secondly, Obſerve.

If Chriſt be ſurety for us, we need not feare any oppoſer.

Put me in a ſurety with thee (ſaith Job) who will ſtrike hands with me: who will contend with me, or ſue me? When eyther the Money or duty which a man is bound to pay, is already payd by his Surety, or is undertaken for by a Surety, who is not onelyonly able but willing to pay, what needs he to feare? The Creditor cannot Arreſt the Debtor, if the Surety have diſcharged and cancel'd the Bond. Thus the Apoſtle teaches Faith to tryumph (Rom 8.33, 34.) Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that juſtifieth, who is he that condemneth; it is Chriſt who dyed, yea rather who is riſen againe? Jobs challenge, Who is he that will ſtrike hands with me? is very parallell in words, and full to the ſenſe of Pauls, Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect?

Thirdly, Obſerve.

Our Surety is of Gods appointing, not of our owne.

Appoint, I pray (ſaith Job) put me in a ſurety with thee. We ſinned of our ſelves, but we could not finde a Surety of our ſelves. God ſent his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to deliver thoſe that were under the Law (Gal. 4 4.) God ſent his Son, man did not ſend for him, no nor ſue for him: The way of our deliverance was as much from the will and wiſedome of God as from his mercy (Heb. 10.10.) By the which will wee are ſanctified through the offering of the body of Jeſus Chriſt once for all. It was as impoſſible for man to contrive this way of his deliverance, as it was to deliver himſelfe. Job did not direct God to this way of acquitting by a Surety, but God having revealed it to Job, he prayes for the effect and comfort of it, to his owne ſoule: when a Beleever burdened with ſin, or diſtreſſed by temptation, ſpreads his condition, and makes his moane to God, he in effect beggs of him (as Job here did) to appoint and put him in a ſurety with him, by perſwading his heart, that Jeſus Chriſt became bound for him, and hath diſcharged all his engagements according to that eternall Decree and Ordination of ſaving lapſed man by his mediation. To which Ordination Jeſus Chriſt moſt willingly conſented, as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it (Heb. 10.9.) Then ſayd I, Loe, I come to doe thy will, O God, &c. Which readineſſe and freeneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt to undertake for us, is alſo elegantly deſcribed p. 427by the Prophet Jeremiah (Chap. 30.21.) by that very word which Job uſeth in this place, For who is this, that engageth his heart to approach unto me, ſaith the Lord? The Jewes had beene long under the Babylonian yoak, and their Governours were eyther ſtrangers, or appointed by ſtrangers. But the Lord promiſed in this Verſe, that their Nobles ſhould be of themſelves, and that their Governour ſhould proceed from the midſt of them: Which was verified, when God turned their Captivity as Rivers in the South, and rayſed up Zerubbabel, and others of the Jewiſh line, to reaſſume the Government of Judah. But this Propheſie was chiefely intended and verified in a ſpirituall ſenſe, when God ſent Jeſus Chriſt, A Governour, proceeding from the midſt of them (of whom Zerubbabel was but a type) for of him the Lord ſpeakes chiefely in this admiring Queſtion, Who is this, that engageth his heart to approach …nto me? Or who is this that with his heart (that is, with ſo much chearefulneſſe and willingneſſe) hath put himſelfe as a ſurety for this people with me, to approach to me in their cauſe, and to take upon him the diſpatch of all their affaires, and concernments with me, in the Court of Heaven? Who is this great, this forward Engager, but he who alſo ſayd, Loe, I come to doe thy will, O God? What will came he to doe? Even this, To be a Surety, and ſo a Sacrifice to God for ſinners (Heb. 10.) Thus the whole buſineſſe of our deliverance, and the firſt motions to it, lay quite without us. God appointed and put in Chriſt our ſurety with him, and Chriſt freely condiſcended to be our ſurety, knowing that the whole debt muſt lye upon his diſcharge: Put me in a ſurety with thee.

But here it may be doubted, how this notion of a Surety, ſuites with this place, ſeeing Jobs controverſie was with man, not with God; and himſelfe alſo had profeſſed that all was cleare for him in Heaven.

I anſwer, That although men accuſed Job, yet their accuſation reacht his peace with God, for had he been ſuch a one as they repreſented him, he muſt needs have fallen under the divine diſpleaſure, more then he did under theirs. And therefore while he pleaded Not-guilty to their charge, he beggs further diſcoveries of the favour of God to him through the Mediatour, by the remembrance of whoſe Suretiſhip his heart was confirmed in the pardon of all his ſinfull faylings againſt p. 428God, vvhereof he was guilty, as well as his heart told him that hee was not guilty of thoſe wilfull ſins wherewith hee was accuſed by men. When we lye under wrongfull accuſations, of which we indeed need no ſurety to acquit us, it is good to view and renew our Intereſt in the Surety, who will acquit us where there is need.

Job proceeeds to re-inforce the reaſon why he deſired God to undertake, or to provide a Surety for him.

Verſ. 4. Thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding, therefore ſhalt thou not exalt them.

Or, Thou haſt hid underſtanding from their heart; As if he had ſayd, Thou haſt caſt ſuch a miſt before the eyes of theſe men, who mocke me, and judge me wicked, that they are unfit to be truſted with the determination of my cauſe; for did they not want a due light of underſtanding, they might quickly diſcerne my integrity, and cleare me from their owne ſuſpitions. God ſometimes (as it were) wraps, or folds up the hearts of the Children of men in ignorance, blindneſſe, and darkneſſe, and ſo hides not onelyonly underſtanding from their hearts, but their hearts from underſtanding. As God is ſayd to circumcize the heart, to open the eyes,, to take away the vaile, when he gives the knowledge of his truth; ſo he is ſayd to blinde the eyes, to cover the heart with fat, and to cloud the underſtanding vvhen hee denyes, or withholds the knowledge of the truth: Thou haſt hid their hearts from underſtanding.

foreign Eſt mens, ratio, intellectus, dexteritas in agend….The vvord which we tranſlate Ʋnderſtanding, ſignifies any of, or all the intellectuall powers, together with a readineſſe, or activity for diſpatch in any ſervice we are called unto, Thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding, therefore they doe but bungle at the buſineſſe, and cannot judge aright; they cannot diſcerne the manner of thy diſpenſations towards me, nor ſee the bottome of my condition. Job did not cenſure his Freinds as fooles, or ignorant, as if they were witleſſe, or worthleſſe men; they were wiſe and learned, yea honeſt and godly too. But when Job ſaith, Thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding, we are to reſtraine it to the matter in hand, or to his particular caſe: As if he had ſayd, Thou haſt hid the underſtanding of what thou haſt done to me from their hearts; thy providences are myſteries and riddles which they cannot unfold; and as p. 429they know not the meaning of what thou doſt, ſo they know not my meaning, when I ſayd (Chap. 9.17.) He hath multiplyed my wounds without cauſe, Nor vvhen I ſayd (Verſ. 22.) He deſtroyeth the perfect and the wicked. Theſe ſayings are ſecrets to my Freinds: Now, Lord, for as much as theſe men have no true inſight in this preſent controverſie, therefore I begg that thou wouldeſt undertake for me, or put me in a ſurety with thee.

Further, For the clearing of this Scripture, it may be queſtioned: Firſt, how God is ſayd to hide the heart from underſtanding? God doth this foure wayes.

Firſt, By ſpeaking darkely, or in ſuch a manner, as the underſtanding cannot eaſily finde a paſſage to the things that are ſpoken. A Parable is a darke ſaying: And when Chriſt Preached in Parables, His Diſciples came and ſayd unto him, Why ſpeakeſt thou to them in Parables (Matth. 13.10.) Now among other reaſons which Chriſt was pleaſed to give of that diſpenſation, this was one (Verſ. 14.) In them is fulfilled the Propheſie of Iſaiah, which ſaith, By hearing yee ſhall heare, and ſhall not underſtand: and ſeeing yee ſhall ſee and ſhall not perceive. As if Chriſt had ſayd, Theſe men have juſtly deſerved to be puniſhed with ſpirituall darkneſſe (which is not Ʋnderſtanding) and therefore I have ſpoken to them in a darke way. They did not heare to obey vvhat was plaine and eaſie to be underſtood, and therefore now they ſhall heare, what they cannot underſtand.

Secondly, God hides the heart from underſtanding, by denying, or not giving light; and that a twofold light.

Firſt, The outward light of his word: Thus all thoſe people are ſayd to ſit in darkneſſe; that is, To have no underſtanding in the things of God, where the Gospell is not publiſhed.

Secondly, By denying, or not giving the inward light of his ſpirit, though the light of the World abound. For as a man may have the Sun ſhining in his face, and yet be in the darke, if he wants eyeſight: So (as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, 2 Cor. 4.3, 4.) the Goſpell is hid in the moſt glorious ſhining of it to thoſe, whoſe mindes the God of this World hath blinded. Now, every man is borne ſpiritually blinde, or he is blinde by nature, and he is blinded by the God of this Worlds, till the God of all Worlds ſends his ſpirit with the Word for the opening of his eyes.

p. 430Thirdly, God hides the heart from underſtanding, as by not giving, ſo by vvithdrawing the light vvhichwhich he hath given. Many have forfeited their eye-ſight and their light, and God hath taken the forfeiture of them: Which he doth firſt, when men are proud of the light, and puft up with knowledg. Secondly, vvhen men are unthankfull for the light, and vvill not acknowledge God the giver of it. Thirdly, vvhen men grow vvanton or vaine in the light, vvhen they abuſe it, and having the light vvalke in darkneſſe. All vvhichwhich reaſons of Gods vvithdrawing light, as many Scriptures teſtifie, ſo they are all teſtified in that one Scripture (Rom. 1.21, 22.)

Fourthly, As God may be ſayd to hide the heart from underſtanding, by a totall withdrawing of light, ſo by vvithholding it for a time, or in part, by clouding or eclipſing it. God hides the heart of ſome men from underſtanding, onelyonly in ſuch a point, or at ſuch a ſeaſon, giving them light in other things, yea and in that thing too at another ſeaſon. This fourth way I conceive moſt proper to this Text of Job; for his Freinds vvere not under that terrible judgement of a totall hiding their hearts from underſtanding; onelyonly the light was with-held from them in and about that tranſaction. As vvhen Chriſt after his reſurrection appeared to thoſe Diſciples (Luke 24.26.) the Text ſaith, Their eyes were held, that they ſhould not know him. And (Verſ. 31.) Their eyes were opened, and they knew him: Thus God at one time holds the intellectuall eye of ſome good men, that they cannot diſcerne ſuch or ſuch a Truth, yet afterwards he opens their eyes and they diſcerne it.

Hence Obſerve.

Firſt, The wiſeſt men doe not ſee all truths, nor are they able to judge of all matters.

Theſe were vviſe men, very vviſe men; they ſpake excellent things, and very underſtandingly about God, they gave Job very good counſell, but yet they failed here. Elihu (Ch. 32.9.) ſaith, Great men are not alwayes wiſe; vve may ſay vviſe men are not alwayes wiſe: and as no man is wiſe at all times, ſo there is no man wiſe in all things. We cannot conclude, that becauſe a man hath given a right judgement in ſome one, or in many points, that therefore we may truſt his deciſions in all points. As God hides all wiſedome from ſome men, ſo he very rarely, p. 431if at all, truſts any one man or ſort of men at one time with all vviſedome. Jobs Freinds were vvell acquainted with, and they have acquainted us with many excellent notions about that great Doctrine of Providence, but they were much miſtaken about the Providence of God with Job, nor did they ſhew themſelves acquainted vvith that excellent Deſigne of God in his afflicting Providences, thereby to try the ſtrength and manifeſt the graces vvhichwhich hee hath beſtowed upon his people.

Secondly, Obſerve.

The hiding of the heart from, and the opening of the heart to underſtanding, are the worke of God.

We ſee no further then God gives us light, and ſo farr as he leads us, we goe right; if hee vvithdraw, vve turne aſide, and quickly vvander from the way of truth and righteouſneſſe. We have nothing of our owne but ſin and ignorance, wiſedome is of God; Every good and perfect gift comes from above. As God hides all Goſpell-truths and myſteries from vvorldly vviſe men; ſo no Goſpell myſterie is knowne to any man till God diſcover and make it knowne (Matth. 11.25.) At that time Jeſus anſwered and ſayd, I thanke thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, but haſt revealed them unto babes. By vviſe and prudent, he meanes wordly vviſe men, meere Philoſophers and Politicians, or hypocriticall Profeſſors, ſuch as the Scribes and Phariſees were, from theſe God (in judgement) hides the things of the Kingdome of Heaven; and reveales them unto Babes, even to ſuch as are at the greateſt diſtance in naturall conſiderations from the capacity of ſuch rich and heavenly manifeſtations. There is no greater argument, that God opens the heart to underſtand, then to ſee Babes underſtand: If true knowledge in ſpirituall myſteries vvere from man, they vvho have moſt of man in them vvould have moſt of that knowledge; but vvee are taught by experience, that ſuch men as the World calls Fooles doe not erre in the way of holineſſe (Iſa. 35.8.) And that the courſe of all Worldly vviſe men, is a continuall erring from that vvay, and that ſome godly men, who are higher by head and ſhoulders then ſome of their Brethren in naturall wiſedome, have run into, and maintained errors; whither can we aſcribe p. 432all this, but to the power of God. Moſes ſpeakes of the many ſignes and miracles which God wrought in the midſt of that people, vvhichwhich they did not underſtand: Why, what was the reaſon? Moſes tells us expreſſely, vvhat, Yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to conceive, nor eyes to ſee, nor eares to heare to this day (Deut. 29.4.) They had ſenſitive eyes and eares, yea, they had a rationall heart or minde, but they vvanted a ſpirituall eye to ſee, a ſpirituall care to heare, a ſpirituall heart or minde to apprehend and improve thoſe wonderfull vvorkes of God: And theſe they had not, becauſe God had not given them ſuch eyes, eares, and hearts. Wonders without grace, cannot open the eyes fully, but grace without wonders can. And as man hath not an eye to ſee the wonderfull workes of God ſpiritually, untill it is given, ſo, much leſſe hath he an eye to ſee the wonders of the Word of God, till it be given him from above; and therefore David prayes (Pſal. 119.18.) Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law. And if the wondrous things of the Law, are not much ſeene till God give an eye, then much leſſe are the vvondrous things of the Goſpell. The light of nature ſhewes us ſomwhat of the Law, but nothing of the Goſpell was ever ſeen by the light of nature: Many who have ſeene and admired ſome excellencies in the Law, could never ſee and therefore have derided that which is the excellency of the Goſpell, till God hath opened their heart to underſtanding.

Thirdly, Obſerve.

It is a great judgement to have our hearts hidden from underſtanding in the things of God.

It is a ſore judgement not to have the light, but it is a ſorer judgement not to ſee by the light when we have it. To have a heart hid from underſtanding, is farr worſe then to have a heart unable to underſtand. Our inability to underſtand, ariſeth two vvayes.

Firſt, From a naturall infirmity in the underſtanding.

Secondly, From the naturall obſcurity of the matter preſented to the underſtanding.

Plaine truthes are not apprehended by a weake underſtanding, and the ſtrongeſt underſtanding cannot apprehend ſome obſcure truthes, as the Apoſtle Peter ſaith of Saint Pauls Epiſtles, that in them there are ſome things hard to be underſtood p. 433(2 Pet. 3.16.) Now as there is an affliction in it, not to be able to underſtand any truth which God hath revealed for our uſe, ſo there is much wrath and judgement in it, when God hides underſtanding from the heart in any of thoſe things which he hath revealed for our uſe, but eſpecially in thoſe things which are neceſſary, eyther to our future, or our preſent peace. Thus the Prophet Iſaiah was ſent to Preach that people blinde, and deafe, and ignorant (Chap. 6.9, 10.) Goe tell this people, Heare yee indeed, but underſtand not, and ſee yee indeed, but perceive not: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their eares heavy, and ſhut their eyes, leſt they ſee with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and underſtand with their hearts, and convert and be healed: As if the Lord had ſayd, This people ſhall want neither meanes nor Miniſters, neither word nor light; but they ſhall reape no benefit neither by meanes nor Miniſters, neither by word nor light; yea, all theſe meanes ſhall produce contrary effects, they ſhall be hardned and not ſoftned, blinded and not enlightned, their eares ſhall be deafned, not bored by the Word. They would not heare, therefore they ſhall not; they would not underſtand, therefore they ſhall not be able to underſtand. They who refuſe the offers of mercy, ſhall be deſtroyed with the offers of mercy. And as God doth often take away the Goſpell in wrath, ſo he ſometimes ſends it in wrath. It is a great miſery to have the Goſpell hid from a people for want of revelation, but it is loweſt miſery to have it hid in the revelation. Jeruſalem ſignifies, The viſion or ſight of peace; and this was the glory of Jeruſalem; yet at laſt this glory was taken from Jeruſalem, though her name continued; Jeruſalem (the ſight of peace) could not ſee her peace (Luke 19.41, 42, 43.) When Chriſt came neere to Jeruſalem, He beheld the City, and wept over it, ſaying, If thou hadſt known, even thou, at leaſt in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace: What then? Chriſt ſuppreſſes the happineſſe which they ſhould have enjoyed by ſuch a ſight, with a ſilent admiration; and onelyonly tells them weeping, But now they are hid from thine eyes; How hid? Was there no more Preaching in Jeruſalem, no publique Miniſtry after that day? Yes, the whole Colledge of Apoſtles Preached there, and they Preached the things which belonged both to their temporall, and to their eternall peace; yet as the things which belonged p. 434to their eternall peace were hidden from moſt of their eyes, ſo the things vvhichwhich concerned their temporall peace, were hidden from ſo many of their eyes, that their ruine was unavoydable. God hid their heart from underſtanding, therefore hee did not exalt them; yea, therefore hee caſt them downe.

Thus Job deſcribes the ſequell of that ſad diſpenſation to his Freinds, Thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding: What followes?

Therefore ſhalt thou not exalt them.

Maſter Broughton renders it; Therefore thou ſhalt not give them Honour: And is this all; That they ſhall not be exalted or honoured? No, the Negative hath this affirmative in it, Thou wilt therefore caſt them downe, or humble them: As (Prov. 17.21.) Solomon ſpeakes of the Father of a Foole, Hee that begets a Foole, doth it to his ſorrow, and the Father of a Foole hath no joy: Is that all, that he hath no joy? No, the meaning is that the Father of a Foole, hath much ſorrow; yea, the denyall of all joy, affirmes more then the feeling of much ſorrow, for it ſpeakes all ſorrow. So, to accept perſons in judgement is not good; that is, It is extreame ill: There is nothing worſe then that, which in this ſenſe is not good. Thus here, thou haſt hid their heart from underſtanding, therefore ſhalt thou not exalt them: that is, Thou ſhalt humble and abaſe them; and though Non-exaltation, in this place, doth not carry all kinde, or the extremity of abaſement, yet it carries a very great abaſement: Why? What was this abaſement, or non-exaltation?

We may interpret it two vvayes. Thou ſhalt not exalt them: that is,

Firſt, Thou ſhalt not give them this honour to determine my cauſe; thou wilt take the matter out of their hands into thine owne, or thou wilt put it into ſome other hand.

Secondly, Thou ſhalt not exalt them to the honour of a conqueſt over me,Hinc colligo te nolle ut de reportata ſuper me victoria glorientur, Bold. or to carry the cauſe againſt me; yea, they ſhall be overthrowne, and the cauſe ſhall goe againſt them: Both theſe wayes anſwer the event. Jobs three Freinds had neyther the honour to end this controverſie, nor did they at all prevaile in the end; they went not away vvith victory, p. 435nor could they glory, that they had got the day of Job: Thou ſhalt not exalt them.

Note hence.

Firſt, Exaltation is from God.

Promotion comes neither from the Eaſt, nor from the Weſt, nor from the South; that is, It comes not by the power of any creature, in any coaſt or quarter of the earth. Whence comes it then? The next Verſe directs us, For God is the Judge, he putteth downe one, and ſetteth up another (Pſal. 75.6, 7.) we can no more make our ſelves great men, then wee can make our ſelves men: Our civill frame is as much from God as our naturall; by what hand ſoever we are exalted, it is God that exalts us.

Secondly, Obſerve.

God hides underſtanding from them, whom he is about to abaſe, or caſt downe.

The fall of moſt men is from their owne folly, and uſually God takes away their wiſedome, whoſe honor he takes away. They ſhall not ſee the way to their own preſervation, who are intended for deſtruction. All Ages have taught us this Doctrine in the downefall of the greateſt Princes; who have refuſed all counſels and overtures for their owne good,Quos perdere vult Jupiter hos dementat. till their evils have proved paſt cure, and themſelves irrecoverably loſt. That vvhichwhich a Child might foreſee, they have had no eyes to ſee, nor hearts to conſider: becauſe God would eyther not exalt them, or not eſtabliſh them in their exaltations, therefore he hid their hearts from underſtanding the things of their owne peace. Fooles are not fit to be exalted to high places, and wh…n once we ſee thoſe who are in high places, acting the fooliſh man, we ſhall ſoone ſee them tumbling down from their high places, and acting the miſerable man. Some who were never very wiſe, have been exalted to, and continued in high places, but there was ſcarſe ever any man, who (in this ſenſe) loſt his wits, that hath eyther been exalted to a high place, or continued in his exaltation.

Thirdly, Conſidering thoſe particulars wherein the Non-exaltation here propheſied of, did conſiſt.

Obſerve.

It is an honour to heare and judge the cauſe of another man.

God is the Judge of all the Earth, he will heare nad determine p. 436the cauſes and caſes of all mankinde. He that hath the hearing but of any one caſe, ſhares in this honour of God, and they who are ſet apart by office to doe ſo, are called Gods (Pſal. 82.) God puts ſo much of his owne worke into the hand of a judge, that he therefore puts his owne name upon him.

Againe, We may looke upon Jobs Freinds, not as Judges of his caſe, but as Parties, putting in their accuſation, and pleading againſt him.

Hence Obſerve.

It is an honour, and an exaltation to win the day in any cauſe, or to get the better.

Whatſoever the contention be, or in what way ſo ever mannaged, whether by the Sword, or by the tongue, or by the Pen, to be victorious in it, is honourable; and hee that loſes his Cauſes, loſes much of his credit alſo. And though prevailing, or ſucceſſe doth not at all juſtifie the matter (it is the matter which muſt juſtifie the ſucceſſe) yet ſucceſſe doth alwayes exalt the man. He that overcomes in a diſpute carries away the honour, though poſſibly he carry not away the truth.

Laſtly, From the connexion of this with the former part of the Verſe.

Obſerve.

They who maintaine errour among men, ſhall not finde favour with God.

A heart hid from underſtanding is hid from the truth; God loves his truth ſo well, that he will not exalt thoſe who depreſſe his truth. Jobs Freinds being left in the darke (as to that point in queſtion) Did not ſpeake of God the thing that was right (Chap. 42.7.) And therefore the Lord ſayd to Eliphaz, My wrath is kindled againſt thee, and againſt thy two Freinds. Though an error be held unknowne and in zeale for God (as they did) yet the jealouſie of God waxeth hot againſt ſuch: Theſe repenting, were, and ſuch as they, repenting, may be pardoned, but they ſhall not be exalted. And if they who for want of light of knowledge, and in much heat of honeſt zeale, defend a leſſer error (ſuch was theirs) ſhall not be exalted, how will the Lord caſt them downe who broach, and ſpread blaſphemous errors, and damnable Doctrines, in a p. 437time of cleere light, and againſt frequent admonitions, if not convictions. Whoſoever (ſaith Chriſt, Matth. 5.19.) ſhall breake one of theſe leaſt Commandements, and teach men ſo (Joyning the error of his practice with, or turning it into the error of his opinion) he ſhall be called leaſt (that is, nothing at all, or No-body) in the Kingdome of Heaven: And he who is nothing in the Kingdome of Heaven is not exalted, how high ſoever he may get in the Kingdomes of the earth. And if the teacher of error againſt the leaſt Commandement of the Law ſhall have no place in Heaven, where vvill their place be who teach errors againſt the greateſt Commandements of the Law, yea againſt the moſt precious and abſolute neceſſary principles and foundations of the Goſpell?

Verſ. 5. He that ſpeakes flattery to his freind; even the eyes of his Children ſhall faile.

There is ſome variety in expounding theſe words; becauſe of the ſeverall notions into which the Originall is rendred: As we read the Text, it is a plaine affirmation of judgment upon the poſterity of Flatterers.

The word vvhichwhich we tranſlate Flatterie ſignifies in the Verbe to divide into parts, and hence in the Noune,foreign Diviſit in partes; in Hiphil emollivit, laevigavit, blanditus fuit. a lott or portion, becauſe every lott or portion is divided from the whole; it ſignifies alſo a prey or booty, which men take in Warr, or which Theeves and Robbers take from Travellers upon the high way, and that upon the former reaſon, becauſe when a prey is taken, they divide, or caſt it into ſeverall portions, or parts: Hence alſo (ſay ſome) it ſignifies to flatter; becauſe the tongue of a flatterer is divided from his heart.

Further, It ſignifieth to ſmooth and polliſh or (as wee ſay) to make a thing very glib and neate. This comes neereſt our tranſlation; for a flatterer hath a ſmooth polliſhed tongue, and his trade is to ſmooth, or ſooth both things and perſons. The flatterers tongue is like the Harlots tongue, to whom this word is applyed (Prov. 7.21.) With much faire ſpeech, ſhee cauſed him to yeild, with the flattering of her lips (with the ſmoothneſſe, or as ſome tranſlate, with the lenity of her lips) ſhee forced him: Flattery ſeemes to be farr from force, yet nothing puts, or holds men under a greater force then flattery.

p. 438He that ſpeakes flattery to his freind.

Flattery is a ſpeciall language, though it be ſpoken in all languages.foreign. Men learne to ſpeake flattery, even as we learne to ſpeake Latine, French, Italian, Spaniſh, or any other language: Flattery is an Art, it hath rules of its owne, and termes of its owne; he that ſpeakes flattery: Maſter Broughton in this place calls it, Vaine-goodly-ſpeech: And the Apoſtle Paul calls it, Good words, and faire ſpeeches (Rom. 16.18.) The expreſſions which the Apoſtle uſeth, are moſt proper to the deſcription of flattery; they are both Compounds, as the ſpirit of the Flatterer alſo is: He hates ſimplicity, or ſingleneſſe of heart, making a ſhew of much goodneſſe in word, but is voyd of deed and ſubſtance: Hee promiſeth faire, and when hee ſpeakes, you would thinke hee minded nothing, or were ſollicitous about nothing but the Honour and advantage of him to whom hee ſpeakes, when indeed he minds nothing but himſelfe, and ſelfe-concernements, as the Apoſtle in that place deſciphers him, He ſerves not our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Haec eſt blandities quae a Graecis, vocatur foreign, & Ariſtoteles vulgo foreign, appellari docet eos, qui comiter cum omnibus converſantur, ſed veram amicitiam cum nemine colunt. Ariſt. l. 8. ad Nicom. Pertinax Imperator dictus foreign quod blandus eſſet magis quam benignus. Bez. in loc. ex Aurelio. Vict.but his owne belly, and by his good words and faire ſpeeches, he deceives the hearts of the ſimple. The Greeks have another characteriſticall word for this ſort of men, by which they meane all ſuch as ſeeme to carry it faire with all men, but maintaine true freindſhip with no man, wee may call them Men-pleaſers, but Selfe-ſeekers. As alſo one of the old Emperours had his Sir-name from that word uſed by the Apoſtle in the place laſt mentioned; becauſe hee was obſerved very ready to give all men good words, but had no regard to doe good, yea, he did very much evill; or as another gives the reaſon, becauſe he was a Fanning Prince, rather then a kinde one. Job ſeemes to charge his Freinds, that they were men of ſuch a temperament, and had rather faund upon him then been reall freinds to him.

But here it may be queſtioned, Why doth Job ſpeake his Freinds ſpeakers of flattery? Hee had little reaſon to complaine he was flattered; and wee finde him often complaining that he was roughly dealt with: Job heard few polliſhed, or buttered words, but bitter words great ſtore, why then doth he ſay, He that ſpeakes flattery to his freind?

p. 439We may underſtand it two wayes.

In reference to

Job.

God.

Firſt, His Freinds had ſpoken flattery to him; for though in ſome things they were very ſevere and harſh, yet in other things he might interpret their ſayings to be but ſoothings;Is eſt foreign qui verbis multum pollicetur re nihil praeſtat. Bez. Blandiebantudum externa bona illi pollicebantur. Merc. they made him large promiſes of a reſtauration, that his eſtate ſhould be like the morning, that he ſhould outſhine the very Sun, and be a great man againe. Thus they ſpake (Chap. 5.19, 20. Chap. 8.5. Chap. 11.15, 16, &c.) hee looked on all theſe fayre promiſes as flatteries, becauſe in his owne thoughts he was a dead man, and his calamities paſt all hope of recovery in this World. As if hee had ſayd, Why doe you feed me with ſuch vaine hopes, and propheſie to me of Wine, and of ſtrong drinke, of earthly honour and riches, of length of dayes, and of a multitude of yeares yet behinde in the race of this preſent life; I cannot but call this flattery, and a departure from the laws of freindſhip: For alas! My dayes are extinct, my breath is corrupt, and yet you are telling me of long life, and good dayes in this World. And indeed this is at once the cuſtome and the fault of many who viſit their Freinds upon the borders of death; they thinke they are not freindly, unleſſe they labour to give them hopes of life, and deliver their opinion peremptorily, We doubt not but you will doe well enough, you will recover from this ſickneſſe, and getting over this brunt, and ſee many dayes. This is flattery: it is our duty to ſpeake comfortably to our dying Freinds, to ſet forth the love of God, and his readineſſe to pardon, to prepare them for a better life, and to make their paſſage out of this more eaſie: But when wee ſee them at the Graves mouth; when death is ready to ſeize on them, then to tell them of long life, is rather the office of a Flatterer then of a Freind. We ſhew more love to our dying Freinds, by offering our counſels, and tendering up our prayers for their fitneſſe to depart out of this life, then by ſhewing our deſire, that they ſhould live, and our loathneſſe to part with them.

Secondly, Jobs Freinds may be ſayd to ſpeake flattery to God; and then the words are an Argument from the greater to the leſſe; as if he had ſayd, If he who ſpeakes flattery to his freind, a man like himſelfe, ſhall be puniſhed, then much more ſhall p. 440he, who ſpeakes flattery to God. But, you will ſay, How can God be flattered? There are two wayes of flattering men.

Firſt, By promiſing them more then we intend.

Secondly, By applauding them more then they deſerve.

When we cry up thoſe for wiſe men who are little guilty of wiſedome; or commend thoſe as good, who are very guilty of evill; both theſe are ſtraines of flattery: It is impoſſible to flatter God in this latter ſenſe, for we cannot ſpeake of God higher then he is; his glory, wiſedome, and goodneſſe, are above, not onelyonly our words, but our thoughts. But we may flatter God in the firſt ſenſe, by promiſing him more then we intend; they on their ſick beds doe but flatter God, who tell him how good, and holy they will be, when their hearts are not right with him: Yet neyther is this the flattery of God which Job may be ſuppoſed to ſuggeſt againſt his freinds. The flattery here ſuggeſted, is their juſtifying the proceedings of God in afflicting Job, by condemning Job; as if there had been no way left to cleare up the righteouſneſſe of God, but by concluding that Job was unrighteous: This manner of arguing, Job calls, Speaking wickedly for God, and talking deceitfully for him: This he alſo calls, The accepting of his perſon (Ch. 13.7, 8.) As if they had been the Patrons and Promoters of Gods cauſe and honour, while they thus pleaded againſt Job, and layd his honour and innocency in the duſt. That there is a ſinfull flattery of God in ſuch a procedure againſt man, was ſhewed more largely in the place laſt mentioned, to which I referr the Reader for his further ſatisfaction.

He that ſpeakes flattery to his freind, What of him? The next words tell us what.

The eyes of his Children ſhall faile.

But ſhall he himſelfe eſcape? Shall not hee ſmart for it? Saith not the Scripture, Whatſoever a man ſowes, that ſhall hee reap: the ſower ſhall be the reaper.

This is not ſpoken to free the Flatterer from puniſhment, but to ſhew that more then he ſhall be puniſhed for his flattery; as he himſelfe ſhall not eſcape, ſo he may bring others alſo into danger with him: As ſin ſpreads it ſelfe in the pollution of it, ſo in the puniſhments of it. When but one ſins, many may be defiled, and when but one acts a ſin, many may p. 441be endangered; a man knowes not upon how many he may bring evill, when he doth ill himſelfe.

The eyes of his Children ſhall faile.

What is meant by the failing of the eyes, was ſhewed (Ch. 11.20.) where Zophar ſaith, The eyes of the wicked ſhall faile, and their hope ſhall be as the giving up of the ghoſt. In generall 'tis this, They ſhall be diſappointed of their hopes, or they ſhall expect ſo long and nothing come, that their eyes ſhall faile with expectation, The eyes of his Children ſhall faile.

Some by Children, underſtand, not his naturall Children, or the Children of his body, but his Children in a figure,Morum atque vitae imitatores. Aquin. ſuch as imitate and follow him, who take his courſe, and tread in his pathes; for as they are called the Children of the Devill, who are like him, and doe his workes; and as we are called the Children of God, not onelyonly in reference to our new birth and ſpirituall generation, but alſo in reference to our new obedience and holy actions (Mat. 5.44, 45.) So they may be called a mans Children, who reſemble him in his manners, as well as they who iſſued from his loynes.

Hence Note.

Firſt, The puniſhment of ſin doth not alway reſt or determine in him that committed the ſin.

The bitter fruits of ſin are often tranſmitted, and handed over to thoſe who had no preſent hand in them when they were committed. The whole Familie, and Poſterity of ſinners may ſmart many a day after, and inherit the ſins of their Progenitors, as well as their Lands; when the Father purchaſeth, or provides an Inheritance for his Childe by flattery, or any other indirect way, the eyes of his children may faile for it. I have met with this point before (Cha. 15.33, 34.) and elſewhere, therefore I onelyonly touch and paſſe from it.

Secondly, Conſider the particular ſin againſt which this judgement is pronounced: It is the ſpeaking of flattery.

Hence Obſerve.

The ſin of flattery is a very provoking ſin.

That ſin which ſhall be puniſhed in poſterity, is no ordinary ſin: Thoſe good actions which the Lord promiſeth to reward in poſterity, or in after times, have a ſpeciall excellency in them: It ſhewed that the deed of Jehu, in deſtroying p. 442Ahabs Houſe, and rooting out his Idolatry (though Jehu himſelfe was a very bad man, and did it with a bad heart, yet I ſay, it ſhewed that the deed) was very good, becauſe the Lord promiſed to reward his Children for it, with the poſſeſſion of the Throne of Iſrael to the fourth generation (2 Kings 10.30.) Now as thoſe acts have a great deale of excellency in them, for which God rewards and bleſſeth to poſterity; ſo thoſe ſins have a ſpeciall malignity in them, which are threatened and purſued with revenges to Poſterity. Such ſins have a touch of the firſt ſin in them. The puniſhment of Adams firſt ſin is hereditary to the laſt man; all have ſmarted for that ſin, and the eyes of his Children have failed becauſe he looked upon, and eate the forbidden fruit. Now every ſin which is thus ſpoken of in Scripture, as Idolatry in the ſecond Commandement, and here flattery, hath a ſpeciall ſtampe of the firſt ſin upon it; not onelyonly as being a ſin, and ſo a derivative from it, but as having much of the ſinfulneſſe of that ſin in it: The evils of which did not dye with thoſe who gave it life.

And as all flattery is very ſinfull, ſo ſpirituall flattery, or flattery about ſpirituall things is moſt ſinfull; both becauſe about them we ought to be moſt plaine-hearted, and becauſe a deceit about them doth moſt hurt. Any kinde of flattery is bad enough, but this is worſt; ſuch was that of the falfe Prophets, who daubed with untempered morter, and cryed Peace, peace, when there was no peaee. Who ſet themſelves to pleaſe, not to inſtruct the people, and were therefore buſie in ſewing pillowes under every elbow. A flatterer would make all men leane ſoft, ſit eaſie, and be well perſwaded of themſelves, though their caſe be ſtarke naught: He that thus ſpeakes flattery to his Freind, doth indeed ſpeake miſery, yea, and death to his Freind. The flatterer is the greateſt hater, and no man ſpeakes worſe of another then hee who ſpeakes better of him then he deſerves, or then his ſtate will beare. It is dangerous to ſpeake all the good of a man that is true, but to ſpeake good of him which is not true, may be his utter undoing.

And though it hath beene ſayd, and often experienced, that flattery gaines Freinds and Truth-ſpeaking hatred; yet none have run into ſo much hatred as flatterers. For as it is p. 443ſayd of Treaſon, That many love the Treaſon, but all hate the Taytor; ſo many love to heare themſelves flattered, but all hate flatterers. And though true reproofes are bitter Pills, and very diſtaſtfull to moſt in the taking downe, yet wiſe Solomon hath aſſured us, That, he that rebuketh a man, afterwards ſhall finde more favour (even with that man) then he that flattereth with his lips (Prov. 28.23.) There are many who as the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes (Pſal. 36.2.) Flatter themſelves, they are their owne Paraſites. But as they who flatter others, doe moſt commonly fall under their diſpleaſure, ſo all they (ſooner or latter) ſhall fall under their owne diſpleaſure (and that's worſe then the diſpleaſure of any, yea then of all men) who have flattered themſelves. It is our wiſedome and our peace, to be plaine with our ſelves and with all men, how much preſent diſquiet ſo ever we get by it. Paul ſpeakes it out to the Theſſalonians (1 Epiſt. 2.3, 4, 5.) Our exhortation was not of deceit, neyther at any time uſed we flattering words. But as we were allowed of God to be put in truſt with the Goſpel, even ſo we ſpeake; not as pleaſing men but God.

Further, theſe words may be expounded not as a threat againſt his Freinds for their flattering of him, but as a threat againſt himſelfe, in caſe he ſhould have flattered them. And ſo they carry alſo the weight of a reaſon, why hee uſed ſo much freedome in reproving them, and ſhewing them the danger that hung over their heads: As if he had ſayd, You my Freinds may perhaps wonder at my boldneſſe and plaineneſſe of ſpeech, while I tell you that God hath hid your hearts from underſtanding, and that he will not exalt you: But you muſt pardon me, I had rather incurr your frownes by my downeright dealing with you, then Gods by flattering you; I had rather make your eares tingle by reproving you, then make the eyes of my Children ake by my applauding you; for this I have learned as a certaine truth, that hee who ſpeakes flattery to his Freind, the eyes of his Children ſhall faile.

Hence Obſerve.

That even a godly man doth, and ought to ſtrengthen himſelfe in doing his duty, by the remembrance of thoſe evills which are threatned againſt the neglect of it. A Beleever makes uſe of the threatnings, as well as of the promiſes, to keep his heart cloſe in obedience. That is the beſt obedience p. 444which ſprings from the feare of the Lord and his goodneſſe, but that may be a good and a pure act of obedience which ſprings from the feare of the Lord, and his wrath. Chriſt exhorts and forewarnes his freinds to feare him, who after hee hath killed, hath power to caſt into Hell (Luke 12.5.) 'Tis nobleſt and moſt ſpirituall, to obey God for himſelfe, without reſpect eyther to Heaven or Hell; yet wee may have reſpect both to Heaven and Hell, to reward and puniſhment in our obedience. Joſeph reſiſted temptation by the higheſt argument, when he ſayd, How can I doe this great evill and ſinne againſt God? (Gen. 39.9) He reſiſts temptation by a good argument, who ſaith, How can I ſin againſt God, which will doe ſo much evill to my ſelfe, or draw many evils upon mine? And thus Job argued according to this interpretation, when he ſayd, He that ſpeakes flattery to his freind, the eyes of his Children ſhall faile: Or, as Maſter Broughton renders, The eyes of the given that way (that is, to flattery) ſhall be conſumed.

Vox Ban in non filios ſed intelligentes vel conſiderantes ſignificat a Verbo foreign quod eſt intelligere, hinc ſic conficitur textus. Et ooculi conſiderantium eum deficient. Bold.There is another reading of the latter clauſe, and ſo of the whole Verſe, The eyes of thoſe that conſider, obſerve, or attend him ſhall faile; and ſo they derive the word (Bamin) not from (Ben) a Son, or a Childe, but from (Bin) which ſignifies to underſtand or conſider, The eyes of thoſe that conſider him ſhall faile: Then the meaning is, my freinds are ſo exact, and accute in flattery, in compoſing and uttering fauning ſpeeches, that they who heare them are wrapt into an extaſie, and their very eyes doe faile with their intentneſſe in beholding them. They are ſuch powerfull Orators, that they can draw the mindes and eyes of their Auditors whither they pleaſe, and cauſe their eyes to ake with looking ſo wiſtly on them, having (as the Apoſtle ſpeakes in a like caſe) their perſons in admiration.

Job having thus complained againſt, and taxed his Freinds of flattery, goes on to aggravate the ſadneſſe of his condition, and upon the whole, to move the Lord to haſten an end of his miſeries, or to haſten his end, eyther to determine them, or to determine him.