Exposition of Job 15-17, Commentary on Job · Chapter 15
JOB, Chap. 15. Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Then anſwered Eliphaz the Temanite, and ſayd,
Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge? And fill his belly with the Eaſt winde?
Should be reaſon with unprofitable talke? Or with ſpeeches wherewith he can doe no good?
Yea, thou caſteſt off feare, and reſtraineſt prayer before God.
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou chuſeſt the tongue of the crafty.
Thine owne mouth condemneth thee, and not I: Yea, thine owne lips teſtifie againſt thee.
WEE are come to the ſecond Seſſion of this great diſpute, between Job and his three Freinds; they have all ſpoken one turne, and now they returne to ſpeake: Eliphaz who led the firſt charge, leads the ſecond, and that with a very violent march, againſt this ſorrowfull man. Yet we are not to conceive Eliphaz upon any deſigne, to revile his perſon, or to vex his ſpirit: That were moſt unſuitable in any Freind, much more (ſuch we ſuppoſe Eliphaz to have been) in a godly freind:Non malidicendi ſtudio ferebatur, quod abono viro prorſus alienum eſſet. Pined. Charity ſuggeſts a fairer interpretation of this procedure, that he ſpake thus harſhly, and dealt thus roughly, being moved by ſome unwary paſſages in Jobs diſcourſe, not well underſtood or miſapplyed. At which ſtone how many ſtumble at this day! Firſt, miſconceiving, and then censuring their Brethren; being firſt offended without any juſt cauſe given, and then giving juſt cauſe of offence. Had wee once learned to expound each others actions, ſpeeches, and opinions, by the rules of Charity, we ſhould not ſo often, no nor at all breake the Laws of Love. We ſhall make a good improvement of this fayling in Jobs Freind, if it may be our warning (in dealing) to deale better with our Freinds.
There are three parts of this Speech; in the firſt, Eliphaz appeares by way of reproofe, and reprehenſion, which extends it ſelfe from the beginning of the Chapter, to the end of the thirteenth Verſe; and he reproves Job upon five points of errour, or misbehaviour, of all which he conceived him guilty.
Firſt, He reproves him of folly, or for ſpeaking that which was unworthy a wiſe man, in the ſecond and third Verſes, Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge? &c.
Secondly, He reproves him of prophaneneſſe, or for doing that which was unworthy a godly man, at the fourth Verſe, Yea, thou caſteſt off feare, and reſtraineſt prayer before God. The ſumme of both is, Thou ſpeakeſt unwiſely, and thou acteſt wickedly: which he takes for ſo plaine a charge, that hee makes him his owne accuſer, as if there needed no evidence but his conſcience, though hee had (as Eliphaz miſ-judged) daubed up the matter with faire words, and colourable pretences (Verſ. 5, 6.) Thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity: Thine owne mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine owne lips teſtifie againſt thee.
Thirdly, He reproves him of pride, and arrogance, of ſelfe-conceit, and overweening his owne parts, and poſitions (Verſ. 7, 8, 9, 10.) Art thou the firſt man that was borne, or waſt thou made before the Hills, &c. As if he had ſayd, Thou carryeſt it, as if thou hadſt engroſſed all wiſedome, as if thou hadſt more knowledge and underſtanding, more learning and experience, then any man; yea then all men living.
Fourthly, he reproves him, for ſlighting, and undervaluing the counſels, and the comforts tendered to him by his Freinds, at the 11. Verſe, Are the conſolations of God ſmall with thee?
Fifthly, he reproves him for his confident ſticking, or adhering to his owne principles, at the 12. and 13. Verſes, Why doth thy heart carry thee away, &c. Thus he reproves his morals in the firſt part of his diſcourſe.
In the ſecond, he confutes his Doctrinals, or that which he ſuppoſed Job had aſſerted; ſc. His owne purity and perfections (Verſ. 14, 15, 16.) What is man that he ſhould be cleane? Behold he putteth no truſt in his Saints, &c.
In the third place, he labours to maintaine his owne aſſertion, that God doth afflict none but wicked men, Who ever periſhed being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off: Eliphaz aſſeruiſſet tantum malos hic a Domino affligi, idem ille nunc ſed apertius oſtendit, Merc.Chap. 4.7. This he doth both by the authority of the Learned, and from the experiences of the Ancient, Verſ. 17. to the end of the Chapter; I will ſhew thee, heare me, and that which I have ſeene I will declare; which wiſe men have told from their Fathers, and have not hid it, &c. Theſe are the parts, and this the reſolution of the whole Chapter.
Verſ. 1. Then anſwared Eliphaz the Temanite, and ſaid:
Then; that is,foreign excipiens, Sept. Quilibet pro ſuis ſocijs velut in ſolidum reſpondet, ut nunc patet. Sopharis enim defenſionem contra. Jobum manifeſte aſſumit Eliphaz. Bold. when Job had made an end of anſwering Zophar, then Eliphaz anſwered or replyed upon Job. That's properly a replication which takes off the anſwer given to a former Argument; and in this Eliphaz alſo makes a defence for his Brethren Zophar, and Bildad. Theſe three ſtood to one another, as much as any one of them did for himſelfe; as if they had all entred Bond, and given ſecurity for reciprocall aſſiſtance. Thus the diſpute growes hot, but ſtill 'tis orderly, according to that Apoſtolicall Canon, (1 Cor. 14.29.) Let the Prophets ſpeake two or three, and let the other judge. Eliphaz is now up, let us conſider what he ſaith.
Verſ. 2. Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge?
The queſtion denyes; he ſhould not: No man ſhould, leaſt of all he.
The wiſe man is here oppoſed to the crafty man, at the 5. Verſe. There is a wide difference betweene wiſedome and craft, betweene prudence and cunning; A crafty man knoweth what is good, but he commonly doth what is evill; he is able to ſee the right, but if it be not for his turne, he turnes from it, and cares not to doe wrong: A wiſe man is he that knoweth how to diſtinguiſh betweene good and evill, and ever aimes to act what is good; his underſtanding is well enlightned, and his conſcience binds him to follow the light of his underſtanding; as he can ſee what is juſt and right, ſo he cannot but embrace and doe it. A wiſe, man in Scripture-language, is a holy man, and a foole, is a wicked man; holineſſe is the beſt wiſedome, and wickedneſſe is the worſt of folly: Eliphaz ſeemes to admit Jobs challenge of being a wiſe, man, that he might check him with more advantage for ſpeaking ſo unlike one: As if he had ſaid, Should a morall wiſe man, much more a ſpirituall wiſe man, ſhould he that is, or pretends to be thus wiſe (as thou doſt, ſhould he) utter vaine knowledge?
Job at the 12. Chapter of this Booke, Verſ. 2.3.4. objected ignorance, or but popular knowledge to his Freinds; I have underſtanding as well as you; I am not inferiour to you, who knoweth not ſuch things as theſe? as if he had ſaid; You thinke your ſelves among knowing men, the higheſt in knowledge; but who knoweth not ſuch things as theſe? Eliphaz turnes it here upon Job, by the way of recrimination or counter-charge, he brings in a croſſe Bill: Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge? Thou doſt arrogate to thy ſelfe the reputation of a wiſe man, but art thou wiſe, who ſpeakeſt at ſuch a rate of folly? The Image of thy mind is ſtampt upon thy words, it may be ſeene as well as heard what thou art, by what thou ſpeakeſt.
foreign Scientiam venti vel ventoſam i. e. vanam. Numquid ſapiens reſpondebit ſcientiam venti, vel ſcientiam ventoſam. Merc. Numquid ſapiens reſpondebit quaſi in vē tum loquens. Vulg.Vaine knowledge. The letter of the Hebrew is knowledge of winde, or windy knowledge: The Metaphor is elegant; vaine knowledge is juſtly called windy knowledge; Vaine knowledge makes a great bluſter, and noiſe, like the wind, but it paſſeth away, and though we cannot tell whither it goes, yet we may eaſily tell whence it comes, even from the fancie, and out of the mouth of a fooliſh man. It was uſuall of old, to call that which is vaine, windy; thoſe deſpiſers of holy counſells, and Divine Alarums, given by the Prophets, ſaid, The Prophets ſhall become wind, and the word is not in them, Jer. 5.13. That is, both the Doctrine and the threats which theſe Prophets utter, are vaine and ineffectuall; they will doe us neither good nor evill; no mans finger ſhall ake, though their tongues ake with talking.
The Prophet Hoſea at once reproves and terriſies the Jewes in this language, They have ſowne the wind, and they ſhall reape the whirlewind (Hoſ. 8.7.) To ſow the winde, is to doe a vaine thing; our actions are as ſeed: ſuch as we ſow, ſuch ſhall we reape; they ſowed ſin, and they reaped trouble. Themſelves ſowed the wind by what they did, and they thought the Prophets ſowed the winde in what they ſpake: And indeed the words of the Prophet were wind as the peoples works were, in reference to the iſſue; thoſe produced a whirlewind to ſcatter their contemners, as theſe did to ſcatter their actors. The old Satyriſt calls vaine words, bubly toyes, Bullatas nugas utpote ſimiles bullis vento plenis, Perſ. Sat. 5.becauſe ſuch words are like a bubble, full of wind (poſſibly full of wit) but empty of wiſedome and good inſtruction.
Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge? The Scripture calls that vaine:
Firſt, which is unprofitable, theſe mutually expound each other, Eccleſ. 1.2, 3. Vanity of vanity, ſaith the Preacher, &c. What profit hath a man of all the labour which he taketh under the Sunne. There's moſt vanity, where there is leaſt profit, and where there is no profit at all, there is nothing at all but vanity. Turne not aſide from following the Lord (ſaith Samuel) for then ſhould you goe after vaine things which cannot profit, 1 Sam. 12.20, 21.
Secondly, the Scripture calls that and thoſe vaine, which hath or have no ſolidity in them; vanity hath ſo little weight in it, that when the Spirit would expreſſe men who have no weight in them, he ſaith, They are lighter then vanity, Pſalm. 62.9.
Thirdly, the Scripture calls that vaine which is alwayes moving, varying, and unſetled, (Pſal. 144.4.) Man is like to vanity, his dayes are as a ſhadow that paſſeth away: He is therefore like to vanity, becauſe he is ſo like a ſhadow, continually paſſing, but never continuing.
Fourthly, the Scripture often calls that vaine which is ſinfull in practice, or unſound and erroneous in opinion, I hate vaine inventions (ſaith David) but thy Law doe I love. Whatſoever oppoſes either truth of Doctrine, or purity of Worſhip is a vaine invention of man, and oppoſite to the Law of God; he utters vaine knowledge, who utters falſe Principles which ſubvert the Faith, or ſuperſtitious formes which endanger the life and power of godlineſſe. Eliphaz ſuppoſed, that ſomewhat of vanity in all theſe notions, was rallyed together into the diſcourſe of Job, that it was light and froathy, that it was erroneous and full of incongruity, eſpecially (which carries all theſe in it) that it was worthleſſe and unprofitable to the receiver, as he expreſſeth in the third Verſe, Should he reaſon with unprofitable talke?
Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge?
Hence obſerve:
There is a vanity in ſome kind of knowledge, and folly in that which not a few call wiſedome: It hath been the buſineſſe of ſome mens knowledge, to finde out a vanity in all ſorts of knowledge. Eliphaz ſpake well for the matter, though ill to the man. Job did not utter vaine knowledge, but, we know, too many doe. The old Gentiles waxed vaine in their imaginations, foreign, vani facti ſunt in ratiocinationibus ſuis, Baz.their very reaſonings were vaine; ſo the Originall word tells us: It was not their phanſie but their underſtanding which was vaine. The Apoſtle cautions the Coloſſians, Let no man ſpoyle you through Philoſophy and vaine deceit (Col. 2.8.) Philoſophy in it ſelfe is an excellent knowledge, yet it may be vainely taught, and ſo deceive us, as to ſpoyle us: I may ſay alſo, let no man ſpoyle you through Divinity and vaine deceit. Divinity, which is in it ſelfe the moſt excellent knowledge, the knowledge of God, may be vainely taught, and ſo deceive us, as to ſpoyle us: That knowledge which is beſt in it ſelfe, is vaineſt to us, when it is unduely or falſely uttered.
Secondly, obſerve, It is moſt uncomely for thoſe, who either have, or would have the reputation of wiſedome, to ſpeake vainly; Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge? 'Tis no wonder to heare a vaine man ſpeake vainely, and for a foole to utter folly. Doe men gather Grapes of thornes, or Figgs of thiſtles? The vile perſon will ſpeake villany, and his heart will worke iniquity, to practice hypocriſie, and to utter errour againſt the Lord (Iſa. 32.6.) If a foole, a vaine man, or a vile perſon, ſpeake thus, he ſpeakes like himſelfe, but if a wiſe, or a good man ſpeake thus, he ſpeakes ſo unlike himſelfe, that the Chaldee Paraphraſe puts not onelyonly an undecenſie, but an impoſſibility upon it, Can a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge? It is impoſſible. Eſtne poſſibile, &c. Chald. Paraph.Men act according to their principles; every thing is in working, as it is in being; if there be wiſedome in the heart, it will be heard at the tongue: A wholeſome Fountaine will ſend out wholeſome waters; He that is borne of God (ſaith the Apoſtle John, 1 Epiſt. 3.9.) cannot ſinne; though he hath not a naturall impoſſibility to ſin,Sapiens ad menſuram ſermones profert libra examinatos juſtitiae, ut ſit gravitas in ſenſu, in ſermone pondus in verbis modus. Ambroſ. l. 1. Offic. c, 3. yet he hath a morall impoſſibility to ſinne, becauſe the ſeed of God remaineth in him, the frame and bent of his heart is ſet another way: Now, as there is a morall impoſſibility that a godly man ſhould commit ſin, ſo that a wiſe man ſhould ſpeake ſin, or utter vaine knowledge. A wiſe man ſpeakes, as well as acts, by meaſure; he waighs what he ſaith, as much as what he doth; the tongue of the wiſe is as a Tree of life: Grace in the heart bloſſomes at the lips, in ſavory words, which miniſter grace unto the hearers. Should a wiſe man utter vaine knowledge?
And fill his belly with the Eaſt winde?
A belly full of windy meat is bad enough, a belly full of wind is farre worſe: But what is here meant by the belly, what by the Eaſt-wind?
The belly is put for the heart and affections, together with all the intellectuall powers of the minde, John 7.38. Out of his belly (that is, out of his whole ſoule) ſhall flow Rivers of living water. This water is the holy ſpirit; the holy ſpirit is ſometimes compared alſo to the wind.Venter pro corde, cor pro intellectu & mente accipitur in Scriptura. A wiſe man ſhould deſire that his heart may be filled, with the ſweet gales and holy breathings of the ſpirit of God, by heavenly inſpirations: And ſhall hee fill his heart with the Eaſt-wind of earthly paſſions?
The word which we tranſlate Eaſt wind, foreign Pro foreign Rab. Mardoch. Obſervat hunc ventum a Graecis appellari Ape…oren quod a ſole ſpiret atque eadem ratione appellatur a Latinis ſubſolanum.ſignifies onelyonly the Eaſt; Should he fill his belly with the Eaſt, we rightly add the Eaſt wind; he compares Jobs paſſions unto the winde, and unto the Eaſt wind; to the wind, becauſe of the vanity of them, to the Eaſt wind, becauſe of the hurtfulneſſe of them. For, as by wind in the former clauſe he meanes worthleſſe things, ſo by Eaſt wind in this he meanes dangerous things. There are two reaſons why he expreſſes ſuch inwa…d motions by the Eaſt wind.
Firſt, The Eaſt wind is a vehement and ſtrong wind; wee read Exod. 14.21.Portae Eurum Appellans truculemum, rapidum, animoſum, tumidum & indomitum. that when God divided the Red Sea, to make a paſſage for his people, he cauſed an Eaſt wind to blow all night, and divided the Sea with the force of it. Poets deſcribe the Eaſt winde to be feirce, heady, turbulent, and impetuous, thats one ground of it.
Secondly, The Eaſt winde is obſerved by Naturaliſts to be a hot and fiery winde;Ardore. Hence the Vulgar tranſlates, Thou filleſt thy belly with heate: The Eaſt winde parcheth and blaſteth Corne and Fruits. Pharoah beheld in his Dreame ſeven eares withered,Sub calidi & aeſtuantis aeris ſimilitudine ſermones ejus exſpaeratos & excandeſcentia plenos deſcribit. thin, and blaſted with the Eaſt wind (Gen. 41.23.) So then, under this notion of the Eaſt winde. Eliphaz cloſely cenſures Job; Firſt, that his thoughts were violent, and impetuous: Secondly, that they were angry, fiery, furious; as if coales were kindled in his boſome, and a flame ready to blaze at his lips: As if like Paul, while Saul (Acts 9.1.) he breathed out threatnings and ſlaughter, or was inwardly heated with reſolutions of revenge. The Prophet Jeremie ſaith, The Word of God was as a fire in his boſome, and he could not refraine: Jobo attribuit vanitatem in ſententia, tempeſtatem in affectu, imbecillitatem in argumento. ſuperfluitatem in verbis. Coc.Many a mans breaſt is like a heated Oven, he is ready to conſume all with the breath of it.
But why doth Eliphaz charge Job with ſuch unruly perturbations? Some aſſigne the reaſon from thoſe words, Chap. 14. v. 14. where he deſires that God would even hide him in the grave; he was ſo vext and troubled at the ſtate wherein he lived, that he preferred death before it, and thought a not being in the World, better then a being in his condition. But we may rather leave the reaſon more at large, to all that vehemency of ſpirit, with which Job had proſecuted and pleaded his ſorrowfull caſe.
From the ſcope of Eliphaz in this part of his reproofe, we may obſerve:
Firſt, That violent paſſions are the diſguiſe of a wiſe man. We cannot ſee who he is, while he acts unlike himſelfe: anger lodgeth in the boſome of fooles; and when it doth but intrude into the boſome of a wiſe man, he (for the time) looks like a foole.
Secondly, Paſſions in the minde are like a tempeſt in the ayre, they diſturbe others much, but our ſelves more: Many a man (like a Ship at Sea) hath been overſet and ſunke with the violent guſts and whirle-whinds of his owne Spirit.
Obſerve thirdly, He that fills his owne minde with paſſionate thoughts, will ſoone fill the eares of others with unprofitable words; this is cleare from that which goeth before, He utters vaine knowledge; and it is clearer from that which followes after; when a mans thoughts are like a winde, his words (which are the firſt borne of his thoughts) muſt needs be windy. A paſſionate man ſpeakes all in paſſion, and ſometimes cannot ſpeake at all for paſſion; his extreame deſire to ſay much ſtops him from ſaying any thing: But whatſoever he ſaith, is the copy of his preſent ſelfe, fierce and boyſterous. The image and ſuperſcription of our hearts is ſtamped upon our words. Some can ſpeake better then they are, but uſually men ſpeak according to what they are, and then eſpecially when they are (which paſſionate men alwayes are) not themſelves. Thus it followes in the next Verſe.
Verſ. 3. Should he reaſon with unprofitable talke?
Eliphaz ſpeakes all Interrogatories; and theſe ſpeak him in anger, if not in ſome diſtemper. Should he doe this? and ſhould he doe that? doe ſhew that either another hath very much done, what he ſhould not, or that he who reproves him hath not ſuch a ſpirit of meekneſſe, as a reprover ſhould, Gal. 6.1.
The words ſhew the effect of what he taxed him with before; as if he had ſayd,Cum interrogatione & ſtomacho legenda ſunt haec. Merc. Would you know what to expect from a paſſionate man, from a man whoſe belly is filled with the Eaſt-wind? You ſhall have him ſhortly filling your eares with an Eaſt wind, even reaſoning with unprofitable words: And (as the next clauſe gives it, which is onelyonly an expoſition of this) with ſpeeches wherewith he can doe no good: Some words are great doers, they doe much hurt, or they doe much good, and thoſe words uſually doe ſome hurt, which can do no good; yea, that which is weake and unable to doe good, may be ſtrong and powerfull to doe evill. However, not to doe good is to doe evill, becauſe it is every mans duty, whatſoever he doth, to be doing good: Here Eliphaz reproves Jobs words as evill, while he onelyonly ſaith, they doe no good. And yet he ſaith ſomewhat more then that, for he ſaith, They can doe no good: It is ill not to doe good actually, but not to have a poſſibility of doing good is farre worſe. When the Apoſtle would ſay his worſt of the beſt of mans ſinfull fleſh, he doth not onelyonly ſay, It is not ſubject to the Law of God, but adds, Neither indeed can be (Rom. 8.7.) So here, Words wherewith a man can doe no good, how bad are they?
Hence obſerve:
Firſt, That which can doe no good, ſhould not be ſpoken: Before we ſpeake a word, we ſhould aske this queſtion, to what purpoſe,Cui bono. to what profit is it? ſhall he that heares it be made more knowing, or more holy by it?
Obſerve ſecondly, Ʋnprofitable talke is ſinfull, and ſpeeches which doe no good, are evill: Every idle word that men ſhall ſpeake, they ſhall give an account thereof in the day of judgement, Matth. 12.37. and though a man be very buſie, and take much paines in ſpeaking, yet if his words be unprofitable, and his ſpeeches ſuch as can doe no good, they will come under account as idle. Now, if unprofitable talke be ſinfull, and ſpeeches that can doe no good, then what is prophane talke, and ſpeeches which doe hurt, (infection gets quickly in at the eare) defiling the minde and corrupting the manners of thoſe that heare them. The Apoſtle gives us the rule of ſpeaking, both in the negative and in the affirmative (Epheſ. 4.29.) Let no corrupt communications proceed out of your mouths, but that which is good to the uſe of edifying, which may adminiſter grace to the hearer. Againe, (Coloſ. 4.6.) Let your ſpeeches be alwaies with grace; that is, ſuch as teſtifieth that there is grace in your heart, never ſpeake a word but ſuch as may ſtand with grace; yea, ſpeake ſuch words as may be a witneſſe of grace, wrought in your ſelves, and a meanes of working grace in others. Let your words be ſeaſoned with ſalt; the ſalt of our words, is holineſſe, and truth; prudence alſo is the ſalt of words; good words, and true, ſpoken unſeaſonably, may doe hurt: Prudence teaches us the time when and the manner how to anſwer every man.Belial ex foreign non & foreign quod in hiphil ſignificat prodeſſe; ut denotet inutilem, qui nec ſibi, nec alijs prodeſt.
Thirdly obſerve, It is matter of juſt reproofe againſt every man to be unprofitable, and to doe no good: Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and caſt into the fire, (Matth. 3.10.) Some conceive that the word Belial comes from Beli, which in Hebrew ſignifies Not, and the word Jagnal, which here in the Text ſignifies to doe good: Becauſe a Belialiſt, or a Son of Belial is ſuch a one as neither doth good to himſelfe nor to any other. The unprofitable Servant who hid, and did not improve his Talent, ſhall be condemned: And he who uſes his talent unprofitably and vainely, ſhall not eſcape: Should he reaſon with unprofitable talke?
Thus farre we have ſeen Eliphaz reproving Job of folly in ſpeaking unlike, and below a wiſe man; he proceeds to reprove him for acting unlike, and below a godly man: This he ſets home with a particle of aggravation.
Verſ. 4. Yea, thou caſteſt off feare, and reſtraineſt Prayer before God.
As if he had ſaid, beſides, or above all this, that thou haſt uttered vaine knowledge, words that cannot profit, thou haſt alſo caſt off the feare of God, &c. The word which we tranſlate to caſt off, ſignifies to make voyd, to ſcatter, to diſſolve, foreign Labefactaſti, irritum feciſti, diſſolviſti, fregiſti,to break in peices; to make as nothing, or to make nothing of. It is often uſed in Scripture, for breaking the Commandements of God, imploying ſuch a breach as makes the Commandements voyd, which is the proper character of an evill heart; A godly man may ſin againſt the Commandements, but a wicked man would ſinne away the Commandements; he would repeale the Law of God, and enact his owne luſts: Such is the force of the word here, Thou caſteſt off feare.
There is a naturall feare, and a ſpirituall feare; we are not to underſtand this Text of a naturall feare (which is a trouble of ſpirit, ariſing upon the apprehenſion of ſome approaching evill) but of a ſpirituall: Feare is here put alone, but we are to take it with its beſt adjunct, the feare of God; for as the word ſometimes is put alone, to ſignifie the word of God, as if there were no word but his; and as the word Commandements is put alone, to note the Commandements of God, as if no Commandements deſerved the name, but onelyonly the Commandements of God, ſo feare is put alone, by way of excellency, for the feare of God; as importing, that his feare is excellent, and no feare to be deſired but his. This Divine feare comes under a double notion:
Firſt, it is taken for the holy awe or reverence we beare to God in our ſpirits, which is the worſhip of the firſt Commandement, and the ſanctifying of God in our hearts.
Secondly, For the outward acts of Religion, which is the worſhip of the ſecond Commandement, Their feare is taught by the precepts of men (Iſa. 29.13.) that is, their outward worſhip and Religion, is ſuch as men have invented, not ſuch as God hath appointed: Some take it here in the firſt ſenſe onelyonly, thou caſteſt off feare; that is, thou caſteſt off that awe, reverence, and regard thou oweſt to the Name of God; others underſtand it in the ſecond, Thou caſteſt off feare; that is, the outward worſhip and ſervice of God: but I conceive we have that expreſſed in the next clauſe,Timor hoc loco pro reverentia & tremore, potius quam pro religione & cultu, licet utrumque cohaereat. Pined. And reſtraineſt prayer before God; there he taxeth him with neglect of outward worſhip, and here with neglect of inward, Thou caſteth off feare; feare is as the bridle of the ſoule; feare holds us in compaſſe, it is the bank to the Sea; feare keeps in the overflowing of ſinne, Thou caſteth off feare.
But what cauſe had Job given Eliphaz to charge him with caſting off the feare of the Lord; we finde Eliphaz touching upon this point before, and upbraiding Job, (Chap. 4.6.) Is this thy feare? Nullo pudore loquutus es coram Deo. Symmach.Is this thy confidence? As if he had ſayd, Is all thy profeſſion come to this; here he chargeth him expreſly, thou haſt caſt off feare; Job had not given him any juſt cauſe to ſpeak or thinke thus hardly of him; but Eliphaz might poſſibly ground this accuſation, upon thoſe words (Chap. 9. v. 23.) This is one thing, therefore I ſayd it, he deſtroyeth the perfect and the wicked, &c. Which Eliphaz did interpret as a caſting off the feare of God; hath he awfull and reverent thoughts of God, who affirmeth, that God laugheth at the afflictions and tryals of his people? Againe, Chap. 12.6. The Tabernacles of Robbers proſper, and they that provoke God are ſecure, into whoſe hands God bringeth abundantly: Hath not this man caſt off all feare of God, who dares ſay, the wicked proſper, and are ſecure? Is God become a freind to thoſe that profeſſe themſelves enemies to him? Others referre the ground of this to Chap. 13.21, 22. where he ſeemes to ſpeake boldly, and as ſome have taxed him, impudently, Doe not two things to me, withdraw thy hand from me, &c. Then call thou, and I will anſwer, or let me ſpeake, and anſwer thou me: Hence Eliphaz concludes, ſurely the man hath caſt off the feare of God; he ſpeaks to God as if he were Gods fellow, Speake thou and I will anſwer, or let me ſpeake, and anſwer thou me; are theſe words becomming the great God of Heaven and Earth; art not thou growne over bold with God, doeſt thou ſpeake as becomes the diſtance, that is betweene the Creator, and the Creature? the Greek tranſlates to this ſenſe, Thou ſpeakeſt to God without any modeſty, thou haſt put on a braſen face, and hardned thy heart againſt the feare of the Almighty. Theſe ſhewes of a ground Eliphaz might take, but Job had given him no reall ground to pronounce this heavy cenſure, Thou caſteſt off feare: But paſſing by the rigid hypotheſis of Eliphaz, we may from his words, as they are a Theſis, obſerve,
That to caſt off the feare of God is higheſt wickedneſſe; to caſt off the feare of God is the beginning of wickedneſſe, as to entertaine The feare of God is the beginning of wiſedome; the word, here uſed, ſignifieth not onelyonly the beginning but the top, the chiefe, the head and higheſt perfection of a thing: the feare of God is both firſt and laſt, the beginning and end of holineſſe. To feare God, and keep his Commandements, is all man in goodneſſe, to caſt off the feare of God, is all man in ſinfulneſſe: the beginning and end of wickedneſſe; It is ill not to have the feare of God, but it is farre worſe to caſt of the feare of God; it is ill not to chuſe the feare of God (Prov. 1.29.) but to reject the feare of the Lord that is deſperate; if once feare be caſt off, all wickedneſſe is let in; at the ſame doore, at which the feare of the Lord goes out, any ſin may enter: As Abraham ſayd, The feare of God is not in this place, and they will kill me for my Wives ſake; they have no impediment of luſt to caſt off, who have once caſt off the feare of God. And as they who caſt off this feare are ready to doe or ſay any thing that's evill; ſo they are unready to doe or ſay any thing that is good; as they have no reſtraint upon them from iniquity, ſo they can eaſily reſtrain themſelves from duty: The next words ſhew this.
Thou reſtraineſt prayer before him: Prayer is a principall part of the outward worſhip of God, and is both here and elſewhere put for the whole outward worſhip of God.
The word ſignifies alſo, meditation, muſing, or thinking: Detrahis confabulationem cum Deo. Jun.So ſome render here, Thou takeſt off conference with God; thou waſt wont to keep continuall correſpondence with Heaven, and maintaine a ſweet humble familiarity with God by holy meditation, but now thou art like a ſtranger and commeſt not at him. But whether we tranſlate the word by Prayer, or Meditation, the ſenſe is the ſame;foreign Meditatio, loquela, etiam oratio. for praying is ſpeaking to God; yea an arguing and pleading with God: And ſo 'tis uſed in the Titles of the 102. and 142. Pſalmes. The word which we render to reſtraine, foreign Significat, 1. prohibere, 2. diminuere. Non eſt intelligendum quaſi arguatur Job, quod remiſerit vel prohibuerit orandi ſtudium: ſed potius è contra, quod multiloquio, vel battologia uſus erat. Bold. Hoc eſt vitium dictum a Theophraſto foreign & proprie a Graecit dicitur foreign minutiloquium. Minuere ſtillas aquarum, eſt minutiſſimas frequentiſſimaſque pluviae guttas mittere.ſignifies two things; Firſt, to withdraw or ſtop; Secondly to leſſen and diminiſh, Jer. 48.37. Every beard clipt or diminiſhed: we may take it in both ſenſes here, as reproving Job either for a totall forbearance, and throwing up the duty of Prayer, or for ſhortning and abating it; Yet there is an opinion that Job is not here charged for leſſening or abating, but for lengthening and encreaſing Prayer; Thou caſteſt off feare, and multiplyeſt Prayer: The Hebrew word notes the cutting or dividing of a thing into ſmall peices or portions; which is indeed to multiply it, and to make it, though not more in bulke, yet more in number, Job 36.27. Thou makeſt ſmall the drops of raine; that is, thou multiplyeſt the drops of raine; ſo here, thou makeſt ſmall thy Prayers, as ſo many drops of raine, thou haſt never done dropping Prayers; thou doſt mince thy ſupplications, or cut them out into many ſmall ſhreads, as if thou didſt hope to be heard for thy much ſpeaking: Such were the ſilly devotions of the old ſuperſtitious Gentiles, which the hypocriticall Phariſees imitated, and were therefore reproved by Chriſt, under the name of vaine repetitions (Matth. 6.7) Of which fault a learned Interpreter, judges Eliphaz, reproving Job in this place But I rather keep to our owne Tranſlation, Thou reſtraineſt Prayer.
Here againe it may be queſtioned, What cauſe had Eliphaz to charge Job with reſtraining prayer? The Jewiſh Writers ſay, it was becauſe he denyed Providence,Hebraei ad id referunt, quod putant Jobum Dei providentiam negaſſe, quod nos non putamus. Mer. q d. iſta tua aſſertio & doctrina, quod mala & ſupplicia eveniant bonis & juſtis tollit religionem & publicum divini numinis cultum. and ſo by conſequence Prayer; for if God doe not order the affaires of the World, the afflictions and deliverances of his people, why ſhould we pray to him about them? Others referre it not to his denyall of Providence, but to that which Eliphaz ſuppoſed a fundamentall errour againſt the Doctrine of Providence, That God deſtroyeth the righteous and the wicked; That he laughs at the tryall of the innocent. Now will any innocent man pray to God in his affliction, when he is told that God laughs at his affliction? Will any righteous man call upon God for help, when he is taught that God deſtroyeth the righteous? Who would ſerve a Maſter who gives ſuch wages, and payes thoſe that honour him with diſgrace, yea with deſtruction? So that Job is charged with reſtraining Prayer according to this anſwer to the queſtion, not becauſe he totally forbore prayer himſelfe, or perſwaded others to forbeare it; but becauſe Jobs aſſertions were ſuch as might yeeld thoſe conſequences, and cauſe many to ſuſpend Prayer, or give over calling upon the Name of God in the day of trouble. We may be charged to ſay or doe that, which flowes from what we doe or ſay, though we neither ſay nor doe the thing it ſelfe.
Many are guilty of thoſe errors conſequentially, which yet they never affirmed thetically or directly. We may be ſo farre from aſſerting, that we may profeſſedly abhorre an opinion which yet lyeth ſecretly under ſome of our aſſertions. We ſay juſtly, That the Pope is Antichriſt, and that pure Popery is Antichriſtianiſme; yet the Pope doth not deny Chriſt, for the Pope thinks himſelf Chriſts Vicar upon earth, and therefore muſt needs acknowledge him to be come in the fleſh, yet by conſequence, the Pope is an oppoſer both of the Perſon and Offices of Chriſt, and popiſh Doctrine fights againſt the truth of Chriſt. As prophane men Profeſſe they know God, yet in their workes they deny him (Tit. 1.16.) So many erroneous perſons profeſſe they love and honour thoſe holy truths and ſpirituall duties, which by conſequences they indeed deny, as Eliphaz (though unduely) ſuppoſed Job had done, the duty of Prayer.
Thou reſtraineſt prayer before God.
Taking the words abſtractly, they yeeld us this uſefull obſervation, That it is an argument of an evill heart, to ſhorten, Hic proponitur tanquam ingens piaculum quod homo afflictus remittat orandi ſtudium.or reſtraine, to leſſen, or to give off Prayer in times of trouble. That King ſpake to the height of prophaneneſſe, when he ſaid (2 Kings 6.) This evill is of the Lord, and why ſhould I waite on the Lord any longer? When we have done waiting, we have done praying. No man will aske for that which he doth not expect to receive. How long ſo ever affliction laſteth, ſo long prayer-ſeaſon laſteth; if the Winter day of our trouble, be a Summer day in length, if it be continued many dayes, yea many moneths, and yeares, prayer ſhould continue (Pſal. 50.15.) Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare, and thou ſhalt glorifie me; Let the day of trouble be ſhort or long, God lookes to heare of us all that day. Is any afflicted let him pray, ſaith the Apoſtle James; it is a duty to pray, when we are not afflicted, when we proſper in the World: But is any man afflicted, then is a ſpeciall ſeaſon for prayer. A ſincere heart prayes alwayes, or continues in prayer; an hypocrite never loves to pray, and at two ſeaſons he will reſtraine, or lay aſide prayer: Firſt, when he is got out, or thinks he hath prayed himſelfe out of affliction. Proſperity and worldly fulneſſe ſtop the mouth of prayer, and he hath no more to ſay to God, when he hath received much from God. Secondly, a Hypocrite reſtraines prayer, when he perceives he hath got nothing by prayer; he ſees he cannot, or feares he ſhall not get out of trouble, and therefore he will pray no more in trouble; his ſpirit failes, becauſe his afflictions hold out. Upon which ſoever of theſe two grounds, the Hypocrite reſtraines prayer, he ſhewes the wickedneſſe of his heart. If from the former, he ſhewes, that he beares no true love to God; if from the latter, he ſhewes that he hath no true faith in God, or dares not truſt him. Further, to caſt off prayer, is to caſt off God; and he that lives without prayer in the World, lives without God in the World: Hence the Heathen who know not God, and the Families that call not upon his Name, are joyned together, or rather are the ſame (Jer. 10.25.) Further, to reſtraine prayer, is worſe then not to pray: The latter notes onelyonly a neglect of the duty, the fromer a diſtaſt of the duty. To give over any holy exerciſe is more dangerous then not to begin or take it up. The one is the prophane mans ſin, the other is the Hypocrites. Thou reſtraineſt prayer: and hee that doth not utter prayer with his mouth, will ſoone utter wickedneſſe with his mouth, as it follows.
Verſ. 5. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou chuſeſt the tongue of the crafty.
Here Eliphaz explaines, and proves what he ſaid before, that Job had caſt off the feare of God, and reſtrained prayer; as if he had ſaid, If thou hadſt kept in holy feare, that would have kept in thine iniquity: Hadſt thou not reſtrained prayer, that would have reſtrained, and bridled downe thy ſin; but thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and that ſheweth that prayer is reſtrained, and that feare is caſt off; here is a demonſtration of it; If you ſhould come to a Princes Court, and ſee a great croud about the doore, you would ſay, the Porter is there, he ſtops and examines them; if at another time you ſee all going in as faſt as they pleaſe, you will ſay the Porter is out of the way. Thus while the feare of the Lord ſtands like a Porter at the doore of the ſoule, we keep our thoughts and actions in compaſſe; we examine what goes in, and what comes out: but when once thats gone,Non opus eſt ut te doceam in quo pecces, cum ipſe tuus ſermo doceat te iniquum eſſe. Vatab. Reus verbis oris tui. Sept, order is gone. Any thing may be ſayd, any thing may be done by him, who feares not, who prayes not. Thou haſt caſt off feare, and reſtrained prayer, for thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, out it comes, as faſt as it can: I need not tell thee wherein thou haſt offended, thy mouth powres it out.
Hence Note, That the evill which is in the heart will out at the mouth, unleſſe prayer and the feare of God reſtraine it: As the good that is in the heart will come out of the mouth, eſpecially when prayer unlocks the mouth. David prayes, Lord open thou my lips, and then he undertakes for his mouth, that it ſhall ſhew forth the praiſe of God. (Pſal. 51.1.) My heart is inditing a good matter (the heart doth this in prayer or meditation) what follows, My tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer: Heavenly thoughts in the heart, ſhoot out at the tongue in heavenly words. When the heart is deviſing of a good matter, the tongue will be ſwift to ſpeake, and ſet all to a good tune. Thus alſo while the heart is inditing an evill matter, the tongue runs to evill: Such a man needs not learne from others, he hath a root of bitterneſſe in himſelfe: Hence our Saviour concludes (Matth. 12.37.) By thy words thou ſhalt be condemned, and by thy words thou ſhalt be juſtified: Why ſhall we be condemned by our words?Qualis vir talis oratio. Mens mala linguam movet & vos fingit ad improbos ſenſus neque aliud os loquitur quam quod interior ſuggerit atque imperat ſenſus. The Prophet complaines of thoſe who made a man an offender for a word; I anſwer, our words ſhew what we are, they declare our hearts, as a man may be diſcovered of what Country he is, when he ſpeakes, ſo of what ſpirit he is. The tongue is the ſcholler of the heart, and ſpeakes what that dictates: A man is juſtly condemned by evill words, becauſe they teſtifie that he is evill.
Thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity.
Obſerve Secondly, There are ſome iniquities which are more properly ours then ſome others are. Thine iniquity: Job had (as Eliphaz ſeemes to ſuggeſt) a kind of peculiarity in it. As God ownes ſome people in a ſpeciall manner; though all the people of the earth be his, yet they are his beloved people: So man ownes ſome ſin in a ſpeciall manner; though a corrupt heart hath a relation to all the ſins in the World, yet ſome one is his beloved ſin; and may be called by way of emminency, his iniquity. 'Tis his, as his Houſes and Lands, as the Money in his Purſe, and the Garments on his backe are his.
Obſerve thirdly, Every man is moſt ready to act and utter his ſpeciall iniquity: Thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity. There are ſome ſins in a mans heart, which poſſibly, he may never utter all his dayes: but he muſt be talking of, or acting his beloved one. Hence David ſpeakes it, as a high worke of grace in him (Pſal. 18.23.) I have kept my ſelfe from mine iniquity: Even a godly man who diſownes every ſin, hath ſome one ſin more his owne then others. This findes him work (not to doe it) but to keep himſelfe from doing it.
And thou chuſeſt the tongue of the crafty:
As if he had ſayd, Thou waſt wont to ſpeake prayer, now thou ſpeakſt pollicy, thou dealeſt cunningly and deceitfully with us, not plainely and clearely. Why, what had Job ſpoken or done, that ſhould gaine him the diſreputation of a crafty man; ſome conceive Eliphaz hinting at thoſe words (Chap. 6.24.) Teach me, and I will hold my tongue, &c. Thou ſpeakeſt as if thou wert willing to be taught, ſhew me my errour, and I will turne from it; yet this is from craft not from conſcience. For though thou ſeemeſt to be willing to receive inſtruction, yet thou keepeſt cloſe to thy opinion, and wilt not part from it. We ſhall ſometimes heare a man ſpeaking very ingenuouſly, convince me that I am in an errour, and I will relinquiſh it,Lingua pro doctrina Metonymicè, cauſa vel inſtrum…ntum pro effectu. and yet he reſolves to hold his owne. To deſire inſtruction is growne into a complement; but 'tis by the tongue of the crafty: The inſtrument is here put for the effect, the tongue for ſpeech, as Iſa. 50.4. Thou haſt given me the tongue of the learned, what to doe, that I may know to ſpeake a word in ſeaſon.Lingua erudita vel doctrinarum, i. e. eruditè, ſapienter, ornate, ſuaviter loquendi facultas.
Againe, the word Crafty, is taken in a good ſenſe, by ſome Interpreters. So the tongue of the crafty is the tongue of the wiſe; as if he had ſaid, thou ſeemeſt to ſpeake very wiſely, ſoberly and holily; others render it thus, Thou ſhouldeſt have choſen the tongue of the wiſe; that is, thou ſhouldſt have ſpoken more reverently and diſcreetly, whereas thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity; but rather the crafty, is the ſubtill man. As if he had ſayd, Thou loveſt to play the Sophiſter, to put faire colours on a bad matter,foreign verſutus, malignus, calidus. Calidos hic vocat, qui cum male ſentiant & agant, inveniunt tamen cauſationes & colores. Coc. and wilt not let things appeare as indeed they are. Be wiſe as Serpents, is Chriſts advice, but he adds, Be innocent as Doves: Serpentine wiſedome muſt be mixed with Dove-like innocence; the craftineſſe of the Serpent alone, belongs onelyonly to the ſeed of the Serpent.
Laſtly, whereas he ſaith, Thou chuſeſt the tongue of the crafty; he heightens his accuſation, and would repreſent this good man to the eye of the world in a blacker hue. To chuſe, notes a mixt act both of the underſtanding, will, and affections; and it ſeemes here to be oppoſed to that wicked act (but not in the wickedneſſe of it) where-with he beſpatter'd Job in the former Verſe, Thou caſteſt off feare: To caſt off, or reprobate, is contrary to electing or chuſing, and ſo is the feare of God to craft. The feare of God is the beginning of wiſedome, a good underſtanding have all they that doe thereafter; but craft is onelyonly the corruption of wiſedome, and they have no good underſtanding who doe thereafter. Now, when Divine feare and humane craft ſtand in competition, for a man to give his vote for craft, and to refuſe, at leaſt to let paſſe the feare of the Lord, this is one of the higheſt growths of ſinfull corruption. He that doth thus, needs neither Judge nor witneſſe againſt him, he is both himſelfe; ſo Eliphaz reſolves it in the next Verſe.
Verſ. 6. Thine owne mouth condemneth thee, and not I, thine owne lips teſtifie againſt thee.
This Verſe hath nothing in it that needs a Comment. The intendment of it may be thus given, It is as cleare as the light that thou caſteſt off feare, and reſtraineſt prayer before God; for as much as thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, Teſtes olim manus ſuper caput rei imponentes dicere ſolebant, Malitia tua te adduxit ad mortem non nos, Lyran.and thou haſt choſen the tongue of the crafty; theſe things are ſo plaine that I need not prove them, thine owne mouth ſhall condemne thee, and not I. As the Judge ſaid at Chriſts tryall; What need we any witneſſe, ye have heard his blaſphemy, Matth. 26.65. Witneſſes of old were wont to put their hand upon the head of the offender, and ſay, It is thy owne wickedneſſe which condemnes thee, and not wee; much more doth their wickedneſſe condemne them, who may juſtly be condemned without witneſſe.
Hence obſerve:
That ſelfe condemnation, is the ſtrongeſt condemnation, Luke 19.22. Chriſt tells the unprofitable Servant, Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked Servant. The obſtinate Heretick is condemned of himſelfe, Tit. 3.14. Not that the Heretick doth condemne himſelfe, formally, he doth not ſay I am in an error, you can hardly bring an Heretick to that, and when you doe, he ceaſeth to be an Heretick. It is his ſtiffeneſſe in opinion, which faſtens the reproach of hereſie upon him; but he is ſaid to condemne himſelfe, becauſe holding ſuch an erroneous opinion, he doth virtually condemne himſelfe, and plainely declares that he is fallen from the truth, or hath alwayes oppoſed it.
The Prophet, (Iſa 44.9.) ſaith of Image-makers, They are all of them vanity, their delectable things ſhall not profit them, and they are their owne witneſſes; they ſee not, nor know, that they may be aſhamed: Images ſhew what both they and their worſhippers are; though no man ſhould ſpeake a word againſt them, they having tongues and cannot ſpeake, ſpeake enough againſt themſelves: their ſilence, or dumbneſſe rather, proclaimes aloud to all the World, that they are vaine and dunghill Deities; they can doe neither good nor evill, to ſhew themſelves Gods, and they who worſhip them doe not ſo much as ſhew themſelves men, Iſa. 46.8. In all this they are their owne witneſſes. They cannot but ſee their owne blindneſſe and folly who ſpeake to that which cannot heare, and lift up their eyes to that which cannot ſee: Every ſinner hath reaſon to condemne himſelfe with his owne mouth, and why an Idolater doth it not, no reaſon can be given, but that which was toucht even now from the Prophet, he wants his reaſon, and is therefore in a holy ſcorne adviſed, to ſhew himſelfe a man. While we acquit our ſelves with our owne mouths, and beare witneſſe to our ſelves, our witneſſe is of no validity, nor are we at all acquitted; but while we condemne our ſelves with our owne mouths, and beare witneſſe againſt our ſelves, our witneſſe is ſtronge, and we are abundantly condemned.