Exposition of Job 32-24, Commentary on Job · Chapter 34
JOB, Chap. 34. Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Furthermore, Elihu anſwered and ſaid.
Heare my words, O ye wiſe men, and give ear to me, ye that have knowledge.
For the car tryeth words, as the mouth taſteth meat.
Let us chuſe to us judgement: let us know among our ſelves what is good.
THe former Chapter concluded Elihu's firſt diſcourſe with Job: and we may well ſuppoſe that he had made ſome pauſe; to try whether Job would give him an anſwer, as he had Invited him to doe. But perceiving him ſilent, and forbearing to ſpeak; he himſelfe proceeds to this ſecond ſpeech.
In which we may conſider:
Firſt, His Preface, in the foure firſt verſes.
Secondly, His charge or accuſation brought againſt Job, from the 5th verſe Incluſively to the 10th Excluſively.
Thirdly, We have the refutation of what Job ſaid of himſelfe, and ſeem'd to charge upon God; this is proſecuted with much variety from the 10th to the 30th verſe of this Chapter.
In the foure laſt verſes, Elihu gathers up the ſtrength of all he had ſayd, and makes his Concluſion.
The foure verſes now under hand, are a Preface to this ſecond undertaking of Elihu with Job: In which we have
Firſt, His tranſition from what he had ſaid, to what he was about to ſay, in the firſt verſe; Furthermore.
Secondly, We have his addreſs or application to thoſe about him for audience and diligent attention to what he had to ſay, in the 2d and 3d verſes; Heare O ye wiſe men, &c.
Thirdly, We have his motion; and the motion which he makes, is, that the whole proceedure of the buſineſſe might be both faire and friendly, as alſo judicious and juſt; or that they might to the utmoſt endeavour after a right underſtanding and diſcerning of the matter before them: v. 4. Let us chuſe to our ſelves judgement, &c.
Verſ. 1. Furthermore, Elihu anſwered and ſaid, or, and Elihu anſwered and ſaid.
It may here be queſtioned, by what propriety of ſpeech it can be ſaid that Elihu anſwered, ſeeing Job made no reply to what he had ſayd before.
To this query, I ſay, Firſt, that in Scripture both the beginning of a ſpeech, and the continuance of it, where nothing hath been interpoſed, is called an anſwer; we find it ſo frequently in the Goſpel (Math: 11.25.) Then Jeſus anſwered and ſaid: there was no queſtion, no diſcourſe antecedent, yet it is called an anſwer. The like is obſervable in the 17th of Mathew, v. 4. and John 2.18.
Secondly, We may reſolve the doubt thus; though Job ſaid nothing now to which Elihu made anſwer; yet he had ſaid much which was yet unanſwered, altogether unanſwered by Elihu; therefore Elihu might ſay, that he proceeded to anſwer the many matters of Jobs former ſpeech, to which as yet he had given no anſwer. This may ſuffice to ſhew how or why that which he ſayd further, was an anſwer, let us now conſider what Elihu anſwered and ſaid.
Verſ. 2. Heare my words, O ye wiſe men, and give eare to me ye that have knowledge.
As if he had ſaid, I will not be my owne Judge in this matter, I referre it to the judgement of wiſe and knowing men, let them determine it.
We may here take notice; Firſt, of the character given the perſons to whom Elihu ſpake, or did addreſs his ſpeech, they were wiſe men, men that had knowledge.
Secondly, We may take notice of the earneſtneſs of his exhortation or admonition, to mind what he had to ſay, Give ear, O ye wiſe men, O ye men that have knowledge.
For the clearing of theſe words, we muſt enquire, firſt, who is a wiſe man? who, a man that hath knowledge? a wiſe man in diſtinction to a man that hath knowledge, is a man of mature judgement, of cleare underſtanding, and ſolid prudence, in the managing either of diſcourſes or actions. A man of knowledge is one that hath improved his underſtanding by ſtudy, reading, or long experience. Some men are wiſe, who yet have not much knowledge; and ſome have a great deale of knowledge, who have very little wiſdome. Now Elihu ſpeaks to his auditory, as conſiſting or made up both of wiſe and knowing men; O ye wiſe men, that have great underſtanding and judgement; and, O ye men of knowledge, that have attained to learning and skill in all things knowable, heare my words and give eare. Here was a choice and ſelect auditory, wiſe men, and men of knowledge.
Secondly, It may be queried, whom Elihu intends by theſe wiſe men, and men that had knowledge?
Some conceive, he takes in all that were preſent at that long and ſolemn conference between Job and his friends; and that he deciphers the whole Company under theſe titles of wiſe and knowing men, inviting them all to attend what he had to ſay, they being ſo well fitted to judge what he had to ſay; It is not good to give flattering titles to men, but it is good to give them winning titles, ſuch as may gaine upon them for their good.
Yet I rather conceive, that Elihu ſpeakes more ſpecially to ſome that were there preſent; namely, to Jobs three friends, who had had the matter in hand before, and now ſtood out: to theſe men he now turnes himſelfe, and bends his diſcourſe, ſaying, Heare O ye wiſe men: hearken ye that have knowledge; that is, ye Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad, who have all this while engaged with Job, give me leave to ſpeake a few words in your eares, and I pray attend unto me.
Thirdly, Suppoſing that they, ſpecially, were the wiſe and knowing men to whom he ſpake. It may be queſtion'd againe, under what notion he called them wiſe and knowing men.
Some ſay, he called them ſo Ironically, putting a cloſe or ſecret ſcorn upon them; As if he had ſayd, Heare me, O ye wiſe men, and hearken, O ye knowing men, ye that for years and age ſhould be indeed knowing and wiſe men; and are ſo in the reputation of others, as well as by your owne profeſſion and pretention; Ye who came from farre to undertake this weighty worke, the comforting and counſelling of this your afflicted friend, ſee now how well you have acquitted your ſelves, and anſwered the expectation raiſed both of you and by you. Have ye not comforted him fairely, and counſelled him wiſely? Doe ye not ſee how ſhort you are of your owne propoſalls? and how ill you have handled the matter, he remaining as farre from conviction, ſatisfaction, or conſolation, as when you firſt began with him? Thus ſome carry the ſence, but I ſhall not ſtay upon it, nor doe I conceive that Elihu ſpake Ironically, but plainly, and in good earneſt, not only calling them wiſe and knowing men, but judging and believing they were ſo. Of theſe he beggs audience.
Heare and give eare.
To heare is a naturall act; a man that hath ears cannot chuſe but heare (unleſſe he ſtop them) when any thing is ſpoken: but to give ear, is, as I may ſay, an artificiall act, a ſtudyed act, yea a ſpirituall act,foreign eſt auribus percipere five aurizare, ſi fas eſſet ita loqui. Rab: Mord- Et quia auribus velut brachijs ſtaterae ponderantur quae audivimus, ipſae bilances eodem quo aures nomine foreign appellantur. Et verbum audiendi ponderare ſignificat. Bold: when the matter ſpoken of is ſpirituall. Elihu doth not call for a bare hearing of words, but for a ſtudious hearing of the matter which ſhould be preſented to them; heare and give eare; or as the Elegancy of the Hebrew may be rendred, ear my words: for the word which we render to give eare, ſignifies alſo the ear, ear my words. We ſay of a thing that we deſire another would reach to us, pray hand it hither, putting the denomination of the Organ or Inſtrument upon the act; ſo by a like Elegancy, it is here ſayd, Ear my words; that is, heare ſtudiouſly and diligently, with an holy art and skill. As there is an art in ſpeaking, ſo there is a great, if not a greater art in hearing; ear my words, or, give eare to me ye men that have knowledge.
From the Conſideration of the parties here ſpoken to, wiſe and knowing men.
Note.
The wiſe, and knowing, are to heare as well as ſpeake.
They that are wiſe, need more wiſdome, and they that are knowing, may improve their knowledge by hearing; They who know many, yea moſt truths, may yet know more truths; and if any know all truths, they may yet know every truth more. This cauſed the Apoſtle to profeſſe (2 Pet: 1.12.) I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of theſe things, though ye know them, and be eſtabliſhed in the preſent truth. As the ignorant ought to heare that they may know, ſo they who have knowledge, ought to heare, that they may be more knowing; as they that are fooles, ought to heare that they may be wiſe; ſo they that are wiſe ought to heare that they may be yet wiſer. (Pro: 1.5.) A wiſe man will heare, and will encreaſe learning. Solomon having ſayd in the former verſe, that he ſpake theſe Proverbs, To give ſubtlety to the ſimple, to the young men knowledge and diſcretion; leſt any ſhould ſay, if your Proverbs or wiſe ſentences are ſo plaine and eaſie, that the ſimple may ſound them, and young men comprehend them, then what profit ſhall wiſe and learned men get by reading or hearing them? ſhall not they looſe their labour and miſ-pend their time in the ſtudy of them? No, ſaith he, the greateſt Clerkes and ripeſt wits may gather inſtruction from them, as well as the ſimple vulgar, and greener heads. Their depth will not drowne a lambe, and they are deep enough to ſwim a Leviathan. And therefore as a wiſe man will heare, that is, is willing to heare, that he may encreaſe learning; ſo let not the wiſeſt thinke themſelves too wiſe to heare, for they may encreaſe their learning, how learned ſoever they are. And as the wiſeſt may learne every day, ſo they that are truely wiſe, doe learne every hearing day, as the ſame Solomon tells us (Prov: 9.8.) Give inſtruction to a wiſe man, and he will be yet wiſer. Sapientum eſt velle diſcere.They are the moſt fooliſh of all men, who thinke themſelves ſo wiſe that they need no more inſtruction, and ſo knowing that they need learn no more knowledge. The word of God it is fitted for all ſorts and ſizes of men, it is for the ignorant, and for the knowing; it is for the fooliſh, and for the wiſe; it is milke for babes, and ſtrong meate for men; it is for them that are out of the Church to bring them in; and for thoſe that are within the Church to build them up (Eph: 4.13.) Till we all come unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt; till we are wiſe and knowing to perfection, and fullneſs of ſtature (which will not be on this ſide glory) we have need to give eare, and heare, for the perfecting of our knowledge, and the hightning of our ſtature.
Againe, Theſe wiſe men were called to heare and give eare, not only that they might learn and encreaſe knowledge by what was ſpoken, but to judge aright of what was ſpoken; for this was not ſo much the hearing of a Sermon (as I may ſay) as of a diſpute, or the debate of a Controverſie; and therefore wiſe men were deſired to heare it, that they might, he able to judge, and give their opinion, (as 'tis ſayd in the 4th verſe) Let us chuſe to our ſelves judgement, and know among our ſelves what is good.
Hence note, Secondly.
We had need to heare and give eare, or to heare diligently, before we judge either of things or perſons.
Though we may judge rightly of that we have not heard, or of that which we have heard ſlightly, yet we are not right Judges of any matter till we have heard it. 'Tis poſſible to hit upon a right judgement blind-fold; but Judges muſt not be blind, nor judge blind-fold. To judge right, not knowing it to be ſo, ſhall have no better reward then a wrong judgement. Yea they that are called to judge, muſt both heare and give eare, elſe they may quickly give wrong judgement.
Againe, Elihu is ſpeaking here to wiſe and good men, yet how ſtrictly doth he exhort them? Heare and give eare.
Hence note.
Good men are often dull of hearing, and had need to be put forward.
Chriſt tells his Diſciples that many are judicially ſo, and we know that all are naturally ſo (Math: 13.15.) and the Apoſtle tells the Hebrewes they were ſo (Chap: 5.11.) where treating of Chriſt called of God, an high Prieſt after the order of Melchiſedeck, he concludeth, of whom we have many things to ſay, and hard to be uttered, ſeeing ye are dull of hearing. But how did their dullneſs of hearing make thoſe things hard to be ſpoken or uttered? may it not be eaſie enough for a man to utter that which others are dull to heare? I anſwer, the Apoſtles meaning ſeemes to be this? It was hard for him to utter or expound them ſo, as they might perceive the cleare truth of thoſe great myſteries, becauſe their internal eare, or apprehending faculty was weake and dull. There is a ſtople in the eare of man, and 'tis hard to pull it out. When any one ſpeakes to purpoſe, 'tis the duty of thoſe that are preſent to heare: and yet he that ſpeakes had need to invite and preſſe all to heare, yea to heare and give eare. The words of the wiſe are goads to provoke and pricke us on to heare the truth, as well as nayles to faſten it (Eccl: 12.11.) Elihu having called wiſe men to heare or eare his words, ſheweth the uſe or force of the eare in the next verſe.
Verſ. 3. For the ear tryeth words, as the mouth taſteth meat.
In this verſe Elihu gives the reaſon why he ſo earneſtly exhorted them to heare and give ear; The ear tryeth words, that is, by the hearing of the ear, words are tryed. It is the office of the eare to conveigh words to the underſtanding, that ſo a judgement may be made of them, before they are either received or rejected.
The word which we tranſlate to try, foreign pericula fecit, probavit.ſignifies to try as gold is tryed in the fire: the eare is, as it were, a furnace wherein words are tryed, the ear will diſcover whether what is ſayd be droſs or pure mettal. The Prophet (Zach: 13.9.) ſpeaketh of a third part of men that ſhould be brought thorow the fire and tryed; as the fire of affliction and perſecution tryeth perſons, ſo man hath a fire and a touchſtone in his eare which tryeth words. The ear is given not only to heare a ſound of words, not only to underſtand the general meaning of words what they ſignifie in any language, but the eare is given to try the ſenſe and ſoundneſs of words. And when Elihu ſaith words, ſpeaking indefinitely, he includeth all words of one ſort or other; it tryeth good words, and it tryeth bad words; it tryeth heavenly words, and it tryeth earthly words; it tryeth naturall words, and it tryeth ſpirituall words, the truth or falſhood of words are brought to tryall, at the barre and tribunall of the eare. But in what manner or after what ſimilitude doth the eare try words? The anſwer followeth.
as the mouth taſteth meat.
In the 12th Chapter we had the ſame expreſſion, and therefore I ſhall not ſtay upon it here. Only there the ſentence is made up by a particle Copulative; The ear tryeth words, and the mouth taſteth meat. Here by a particle of likeneſs; The eare tryeth words, as the mouth taſteth meat. There is a faire analogy or proportion, between the eare and the mouth, in diſcriminating their proper obiects. Hearing and taſting, are two of thoſe five excellent uſefull ſenſes which God hath planted in the nature of man, the other three are ſeeing, ſmelling, feeling. Here we have a compariſon between two of the five ſenſes; look what the mouth is to meat, the ſame is the ear to words. In the mouth the ſenſe of taſting is placed as a Judge to diſcerne between good and bad, ſavory and unſavory meates; and the eare of a man which receiveth words, is accompanied with an underſtanding, whereby we apprehend what is true, what is falſe, what is to be approved, and what refuſed. And the compariſon runs yet more clearely, while we conſider, that as the food which the mouth receiveth is prepared for the helpe of our natural or bodily life, ſo the words of inſtruction which the eare receiveth are prepared for the food of our ſoules, and the maintaining of our ſpirituall life.
Some conceive the compariſon is not here made between the two ſenſes of taſting and hearing, but that both are compared to thoſe wiſe and knowing men ſpoken of, and to whom appeale is made in the former verſe. For as all the ſenſes are not fitted to judge of words and meates, but only the eare and palate; ſo all men are not fit nor capable to judge of weighty matters and profound queſtions, but only wiſe and knowing men. And ſo according to this interpretation, both or either of theſe ſenſitive faculties, and both or either of their properties, are alike compared to wiſe and learned men, who are able not only to underſtand the ſound of words, but alſo exerciſe a judgement upon them, both to diſcerne and determine what there is of truth and right in them.Sapientia eſt ſapida ſcientia. Hence that ſaying of the Ancient, Wiſdome is a ſavory knowledge. Wiſe men taſt and ſavour the things which they know. He ſurely was a wiſe man who ſayd of the word of God (Jer: 15.16.) Thy words were ſound, and I did eate them, and thy word was to me the joy and rejoycing of my heart. Heare, O ye wiſe men, and give ear to me ye that have knowledge; the ear tryeth words, as the mouth taſteth meat; that is, as the ear of a man tryeth words, and as the mouth of a man doth taſt meat; ſo wiſe and knowing men try and taſt that which is ſpoken and heard. Thus both theſe ſenſitive faculties, their properties and powers are compared to wiſe men, who doe not only heare the voyce of him that ſpeaketh, but ſit downe to conſider it. The mouth having taken meat and chawed it, taſts it, and makes a judgement of it; Thus wiſe men deal with all they hear; ſo that, look what theſe two natural faculties doe with naturall things; with words naturally ſpoken, with meat naturally eaten; the ſame, they who are wiſe and knowing do to what is ſpoken ſpiritually and rationally, they try and judge it.
But I conceive, we need not inſiſt ſtrictly upon this; For whether we compare theſe two ſenſes in their ſeverall operations to wiſe men, or whether we compare them in their operations one with another, yet (according to the ſenſe of our tranſlation) the meaning of Elihu is the ſame, namely, that thoſe wiſe men to whom he ſpake, ſhould not only hear but try what they heard, becauſe they had received a power ſo to do; for the ear tryeth words, even at the mouth taſteth meat.
There is a twofold eare, there is an outward eare,Auris interna dicitur foreign, quae vox alibi legitur in Graeca editione pro foreign, cum ſit ipſa mens, quae verba et res dijudicat. Druſ. and an inward eare: And ſo a twofold tryall: The outward eare tryeth words of what ſignification they are, whether they are as we ſay good Engliſh, or Latine, &c. It tryeth them alſo as to their grammaticall ſenſe, or the conſtruction of what is ſpoken in the letter: The inward eare or underſtanding tryeth them as to their logicall ſenſe, ſcope and tendency, as to their uſe, and force in the matter they are ſpoken to. Both wayes the eare tryeth words, as the mouth taſteth meate; only with this difference, that the tryall which the mouth makes is meerly ſenſitive, and both begun and perfected in the mouth; but the tryall which the ear makes is chiefly intellectuall, it is begun at the ear, but perfected by the underſtanding. It is the mind which judgeth, the eare only brings in the report of things to the mind.
Hence Note.
Firſt, The ſenſe of hearing is a great mercy, and of great uſe to mankind.
The eare is the chiefe Gate or inlet to the ſoul;Aurem audientem dicit auditorem verbi obedientem. Beda. nor were our eares given only for an Ornament to the head, but for the enriching and bettering of the heart. The naturally rationall eare given to heare and try words is a mercy; but when a ſpiritually rationall ear is given with it to heare and try words, that's a mercy indeed. Solomon ſaith (Prov. 20.12.) The hearing eare, and the ſeeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. Theſe naturall ſenſes are of Gods own creation, and the uſe of them his bleſſing, yet common to all mankind good and bad; but the ſpirituall ſenſes of ſeeing and hearing, are a ſpeciall priviledge promiſed to the elect, and a fruit of Goſpel grace. (Iſa. 35.5.) Then the eyes of the blind ſhall be opened, and the eares of the deafe ſhall be unſtopped. He meaneth it not either only or chiefly of the bodily eyes and eares (though Chriſt wrought miracles upon them, and healed both the blind and deafe in the dayes of his fleſh) but of the eyes and eares of the ſoul, which are often darke and ſtopt while the other are free enough in the exerciſe of their ſeverall faculties. The ſeeing eye, which both Solomon and Iſaiah intend, is the eye which ſo ſeeth as that it followeth the good which it ſeeth; and that's their hearing eare which beleeveth and obeyeth what it heareth. A ſuperficiall ſeeing eye is a blind eye, and a formall hearing eare is a deafe eare in the ſight and account of God. We ſay it is the ſymptome of ſome diſtemper or growing diſeaſe upon the body, when the pallate doth not relliſh meate; Surely it argueth a diſeaſed and ſick ſoul, when we have no mind to heare nor find relliſh in the word of God.
Secondly, Note.
Words are not to be received nor ſubmitted to, nor beleeved as true, till they are tryed.
Itching eares are bad, (2 Tim. 4.3.) Trying eares are good. You will not ſwallow your meat till you have chewed and taſted it; nor ſhould you ſwallow words, till you have tryed them; why elſe have we eares to heare? why are we truſted with reaſon to judge things with? or with rules to judge them by? There is no greater Tyranny in the World, then to command a man to beleeve (by an implicit faith) as others beleeve; or to impoſe our opinions and aſſertions upon thoſe that hear them, and not to give them liberty to try them. This is to be at once (as the Apoſtle James expreſſeth it, (Chap. 3.1.) many Maſters, or many Maſters where we ſhould not be one.
But ſome will ſay, when the Word of God is preached, is that to be tryed by men? have we a liberty to take that into conſideration or to take and refuſe it as we are perſwaded in our own judgments?
I anſwer, The word of God is not to be brought to the barre nor to be tryed by man. The word of God is our Judge, therefore ought not to be judged by us; the word of God is perfect, and how can we that are imperfect judge that which is perfect. The word of God is truth, and all men are lyars; we are not therefore to judge the word of God, nor try that: Yet when any man ſpeaks of or from the word of God, we are to try what he ſpeakes; that is, whether what he ſpeaks be according to the word of God, and his doctrine or interpretation grounded on the Text. Every one that ſpeakes about ſpirituall things profeſſeth he brings the word of God, and it muſt be tryed whether he doth ſo or no. It is a truth to which all are to ſubmit (without diſpute) by beleeving that Jeſus Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners, to waſh away their ſins with his blood. This is the word of God: yet when this truth is Preached, we may conſider whether it be mannaged according to the word of God or no. This great doctrine, which containes the ſumme of the Goſpel, may have ſuch things mingled with it, as are not to be received for the word of God. Some in the primitive time thought and taught that there was no ſalvation by Chriſt unleſſe they ſtill kept the ceremoniall Law and were circumciſed; though they held that fundamentall truth, that Chriſt dyed to ſave ſinners; yet when they came to the explication of it, they deſtroyed it by urging a neceſſity of continuing the ceremoniall Law: whereas others judged rightly that faith only, without the uſe of any Jewiſh ceremony, purifieth the heart. Therefore a counſell of ſpirituall and godly wiſe men was called to conſider of this matter. (Acts 15.6.) What to doe? not to try the Word of God, but to try which of thoſe two different opinions was according to the Word of God. Thus when we hear a Sermon, though the Word of God and Chriſt crucified be the generall ſubject of it, and that is not to be tryed, but received by faith and obeyed; yet what is ſpoken upon it and delivered about it as the mind of God in the Scripture, that is to be tryed. (1 Cor. 2.15.) He that is ſpirituall, tryeth, or judgeth all things. And againe (1 Cor. 14.29.) the Apoſtle gives this counſell about propheſying, Let one or two ſpeak, and let the others judge; what? the Word of God, no! but whether they ſpeake according to the word of God, or no; In this ſenſe every one muſt judg ſor himſelfe, we muſt not take all for granted, but try what we heare by the eare, as we doe what we eat by the mouth.
Thirdly, Note.
A ſpiritually judicious and conſiderate man will take time to judge of things that are ſpoken, as the pallate doth of meates that are eaten.
The eare tryeth words as the mouth taſteth meat; God hath given man a faculty for that end, and he is to uſe his faculty. We commonly fay, Look before you leape. Surely then we ſhould taſt before we eate, and prove all things whether they are good or no, before we (electively) hold that which is good. (1 Theſ. 5.21.) The noble Bereans received the word with all readineſſe of mind; yet they would make no more haſt then good ſpeed to receive it, for (as the Text ſaith, Acts 17.11.) They ſearched the Scriptures dayly whether thoſe things were ſo.
Fourthly, Here are two Organs of ſenſe ſpoken of, the ear and the mouth, both are of great uſe to man, but one of them, the eare is of a more frequent and noble uſe. Beaſts have both mouths and eares; but becauſe theirs is only a ſenſitive life, they make more uſe of their mouths then of their eares. Whereas man whoſe life is rationall, yea and ſpirituall too, muſt or ought to make more uſe of his eares then of his mouth.
How doth this reprove all thoſe who are more in trying meats, then in trying words? or more for taſting, then they are for hearing? It was a complaint of ſome in the former age, that they made themſelves like bruit beaſts, which having both thoſe powers of hearing and taſting, have yet no regard to hearing, but are all for feeding and eating. They carry it like beaſts, and are more bruitiſh then a beaſt, who employ their mouths more then their eares. A beaſt is made in that low forme, to live to eat, and worke, and ſo to dye; man is of a higher forme, next to that of Angells, and for him to ſpend his time in eating and drinking, as if his worke lay at his mouth, not at his ear, is to degrade himſelf and lead a bruitiſh life. The Apoſtle brings in ſuch bruits ſpeaking thus, (1 Cor. 15.32.) Let us eat and drink for to morrow we ſhall dye; not a word of uſing their eares: they ſay not, come let us hear the word of God, let us ſeek bread for our ſoules, but come, let us eat and drink; now for a man to be ſo much in eating, as to neglect hearing and meditating, what doth he but make himſelfe like a beaſt of the earth, who ſhould be like the Angels in Heaven, dayly riſing up to a ſpirituall and heavenly life; God lifts us up to Heaven (as I may ſay) by the eares. Our eares were not given us only to heare delightfull ſounds, or to commune one with another about the affaires of this life; the uſe of the eare is yet more noble, even to helpe us in the receiving of all ſaving and ſanctifying knowledge. Faith comes by hearing, (Rom. 15.17.) and ſo doth every grace, both as to the implantation and growth of it, till we come to glory. Therefore conſider how you uſe this excellent ſenſe of hearing, and how you improve in ſpirituals by what you have heard. We were made after the Image of God in knowledge and righteouſneſſe, and it ſhould be the great deſigne of our lives to get this image renewed; and that is done at the eare, 'tis wrought by hearing; faith, repentance, and every grace come in and are wrought at the eare. Some ſcoffe at this latter age, calling it a hearing age, not a working age; we (ſay they) are much for ear-work, little for hand-work; all for Preaching, nothing for doing; nor can this reproach be quite wiped off, ſeeing with our plenty of Preaching, there is ſo little practiſing; as if men had turned all the members of their body into eares, and were nothing but hearing: To doe nothing but heare, or to heare and doe nothing, to heare much and act little, is a high provocation. To have a ſwel'd head and a feeble hand is the diſeaſe of Religion. Yet let not voluptuous Epicures who are all for the palate and belly-cheere think to excuſe themſelves, for not hearing, or for ſeldome hearing, becauſe ſome who hear much are found doing little, or ſeldome do what they hear: for as theſe ſhall be condemned by the word which they have heard and not done, ſo ſhall theſe for not hearing the word which would have ſhewed them what to doe. It hath been anciently ſaid, The belly hath no eares, nor will they either mind hearing, or mind what they hear, who mind their bellyes (not for hunger and the ſupport of nature, that is (as Solomon ſpeaks (Eccleſ. 10.17.) for ſtrength but) for drunkenneſſe or ſurfet.Cum eo vivere non poſſum cui palatum magis ſapiat quam cor. Plutarchus in vita Catonis. When a voluptuous perſon deſired Cato that he might live with him: No, ſaid Cato, I like not your ſociety, I doe not love to converſe with a man who uſeth his mouth more then his eares; who is buſied more to pleaſe his taſt in eating and drinking, then to enrich his underſtanding by hearing and diſcourſing. The Apoſtle (Tit. 1.12. referring them to one of their own Poets) calleth the Cretians evill beaſts, ſlow bellies. They were not ſlow to fill their bellyes, but their full bellyes (their belly being their God, as he told ſome among the Philippians, Chap. 3.19.) made them ſlow, yea reprobate to every good word and worke. Solomon gives man a great charge when he ſaith (Prov. 23.23.) Buy truth, and ſell it not. The mart for thoſe moſt precious commodities grace and truth, is kept (not at the belly, but) at the eare; there we buy without money, and without price both grace and truth; to get theſe is to be wiſe merchants. The beſt market we can make, the beſt trade we can drive is with and at our eares: The eare tryeth words, as the mouth taſteth meat. And from this Elihu infers
Verſ. 4. Let us chuſe to our ſelves judgment; let us know among our ſelves what is good.
This verſe containes the ſecond requeſt which Elihu made to Jobs friends; The ſumme of it is, that they might proceed judiciouſly and fairly in the cauſe before them. As if he had ſaid, Seeing it is the office of the eare to try words, as the mouth taſteth meat; let us ſee what we can do with our eares towards the determination of this matter. Job hath often wiſhed to find one with whom he might debate and try this cauſe in judgment; let us give him his wiſh, and having throughly weighed the matter and merits of his cauſe, let us ſee what juſtice will award him. Let us chuſe to our ſelves judgment, &c.
Let us chuſe.
To elect or chuſe is the worke of the will. And to chuſe what is good, what is right, is a gracious work of a renewed will; as Gods Election of us from Eternity, ſo our Election of God and the things of God at any time, is a very gracious worke.
This affirmative act, To chuſe to us judgement, ſeemes to imply a negative, the rejecting or laying aſide of whatſoever is contrary to or a hindrance of Judgement; that is, the laying aſide, Firſt, of all animoſities or undue heates of ſpirit; Secondly, of all prejudices and undue prepoſſeſſions; Thirdly, of all groundleſſe ſuſpitions and jealouſies of the perſon we have to deale with, we can never chuſe judgement, till we are cleare of all theſe.
The original word rendred to chuſe, ſignifies in the noune, a young man, a man in the flower of his age, in the beſt of his life, when his breaſts (as Job ſpake at the twentieth Chapter) are full of milke, and his bones of marrow; and the reaſon is given, becauſe our younger time is our chuſing time, as to our way in this world; it ſhould be ſo much more for heaven, or the things of another world. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, ſaith Solomon (Eccl: 12.1.) Some render thoſe words expreſſely, In the dayes of thy elections or chuſings; As if he had ſayd, Remember to chuſe God in thy chuſing dayes, when thou chuſeſt thy calling in which to live, when thou chuſeſt a wife,In diebus electionum tuarum. Mont: with whom to ſpend thy life, then be ſure and remember above all things to chuſe God. When Moſes was a young man, he was famous for this Choice (Heb: 11.25, 26.) He choſe the reproach of Chriſt rather then the riches of Egypt; when he had all the riches and honours of Egypt preſented to him, and courting him on the one ſide, and the reproach of Chriſt, affliction, poverty, diſgrace, threatning him on the other ſide, he choſe theſe rather; who would thinke that man wiſe who ſhould chuſe the reproach of Chriſt (in appearance nothing but dirt and droſs) before the riches of Egypt? yet Moſes never ſhewed his wiſdome and learning ſo much in all the learning of the Egyptians, as he did in that Choice.
Let us chuſe Judgement.
Judgement may be taken two wayes; Firſt,Judicium eſt cauſae inquiſitio. Judicium pro aequo. Merc. for the act of enquiry, let us diſcourſe and debate this matter, to find out what is juſt; Judgement is the reſult or ſentence given upon hearing and debate. And moſt properly a right ſentence is Judgement; and that by Judgement Elihu meanes a right ſentence, appeares clearely from the next words.
And let us know among our ſelves what is good.Communis hic ſit nobis propoſitus ſcopus, ut accurata judicij lance quae hactenus in hac cauſa dicta ſunt probemus, & quod optimum eſt approbemus. Scult:
Let us know, that is, let us ſo try by the ear what ſhall be ſpoken, that we may come to a right knowledge, to a right guſt or taſt of what is good. There is a two-fold knowledge; Firſt, of ſimple intelligence, when we know any thing as it is preciſely in its owne nature, true or falſe, good or evill; Secondly, of approbation, when we conclude what we know, to be true or good. We may take in both here, eſpecially the latter; It being (doubtleſſe) the deſire of Elihu to find truth and goodneſs (if it were to be found) on Jobs ſide.
And when he ſaith, That we may know what is good; we may underſtand it either Comparatively or Poſitively; that we may know what is good; is, firſt, that we may know good from evill; Secondly, that we may know among good things, what is better, yea what is beſt; let us not only diſtinguiſh between good and bad, but between good and better, better and beſt. The reaſon of man is able to put a difference not only between wheat and tares, but if you bring him ſeverall ſamples of wheat, or other graine, he is able to judge which is the better, which is beſt; a knowing man will judge to two pence in a buſhell which is beſt; ſo in all other commodities we not only judge between that which is good, and that which is ſtark nought, but when we have many parcels and particulars of any kinde before us good and uſefull, we judge which is the beſt, which the principall.
Thus in ſpiritualls, we are not only to judge of things ſo farre as to know good from evill (which yet is a very good piece of knowledge; for many put darkneſs for light, and light for darkneſs; bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter, as the Prophet complained (Iſa: 5.20.) that is, they huddle all things together in a Chaos of confuſion) but it ſhould be our care to know good from good, yea to know what excells among things that are excellent. 'Tis well when we know truth from falſhood, but we ſhould labour to know which among truths is the moſt precious truth. Paul having ſpoken of what was good, yea of the beſt gifts, ſaith, Yet I will ſhew you a more excellent way (1 Cor: 12.31.) As if he had ſayd ſayd, This is a good way you are in, the exerciſe of the beſt gifts, but here's a more excellent way, the exerciſe of grace. Thus here I take good, not ſo much Poſitively as Comparatively, Let us know what is good, that is, what is beſt, and what is beſt of all.
Let us chuſe to our ſelves Judgement: and know among our ſelves that which is good.
Firſt, In that he ſaith, Let us chuſe to our ſelves Judgement.
Obſerve.
We muſt conſider deliberately and maturely before we paſs Judgement.
Judgement is a choice thing, and muſt be made upon choyce; it is not to be ſnatched up haſtily, but duely choſen. They that are upon the choyce either of things or perſons, ſhould be much in Conſideration. How uncomely (beſides unrighteous) is it, to judge men or matters raſhly, to be hurried on to election with paſſion, or to judge upon heare-ſayes and Conjectures? This is not to chuſe Judgement, but to ſnatch it up; to chuſe Judgement is to doe it with mature deliberation; there muſt be much weighing, elſe properly no judging; raſh judgement is uſually wrong judgement; and that layeth us open to another judgement, Judge not that ye be not judged, is Chriſts warning (Math: 7.1.) that is, doe not judge haſtily, or harſhly, doe not judge raſhly nor rigidly, much leſſe falſely, for if you do you ſhall be judged righteou…y (indeed) as to your caſe, but not comfortably as to your condition. They who will not chuſe Judgement, doe, in the iſſue, chuſe Judgement, that is, not uſing deliberation in Judgement, they draw deſervedly upon themſelves a judgement of condemnation.
Secondly, Taking it more generally, Let us chuſe to our ſelves Judgement, or that which is right.
Note.
It is not enough for us to doe Judgement, or that which is right, but we muſt chuſe it.
'Tis a worke of no acceptation with God to doe that which is juſt, unleſſe we chuſe it as wel as doe it, that is, unleſſe our hearts cloſe with it, and pitch upon it. Solomon (Prov: 1.29.) chargeth the ſimple for not chuſing what was good; they did not chuſe the feare of the Lord. By the feare of the Lord, he meanes the true worſhip of the Lord, or any worke of obedience, by which we teſtifie a holy feare of him; poſſibly they might doe the feare of the Lord; poſſibly they worſhipped the Lord, they prayed to him, and heard his word, but they did not chuſe the feare of the Lord; they did not ſit downe and judge that beſt, or moſt neceſſary, but tooke it up by accident, or by cuſtome, or for company, becauſe they ſaw others doe it. It will not turne to our account to be found doing good, unleſſe we chuſe to our ſelves that which is good. Our elections are more eyed by God, then our actions, and the ſetting of our hearts, then the work of our hands.
Thirdly, From the latter branch, Let us know among our ſelves what is good.
Note.
Firſt, There's nothing worth our knowing, but that which is good.
Whatſoever hath a morall, or a ſpirituall good in it, is worthy to be knowne; the truths, the workes, the wayes of God, are the moſt deſireable good things to be ſtudied and knowne (Pſal: 4.6.) There are many will ſay, who will ſhew us any good? What's their good? Corne, wine, oyle, gold, ſilver, houſes, lands, &c. theſe are their good, and theſe are all their good; but though a godly man knoweth that theſe are good things, and bleſſeth God for any portion in them; yet that which he call's his good, and the good, is of a higher nature; We commonly call worldly things our goods, but we miſ-call them if we call them our good. The Favour of God is our good, grace is our good, faith and love and hope and righteouſneſſe are good above all, God himſelfe is good, and to know and enjoy him in Chriſt through the Spirit is our chiefeſt good here, and will be all our good hereafter. Let us know what is good.
From the Comparative ſenſe of the words, Let us know what is good, that is, if there be a better to be had let us know that.
Obſerve.
It is not enough for us to have the knowledge of good things, but among good things the best are to be ſought out, to be knowne, and attained to.
This was a ſpeciall branch of the Apoſtles prayer for the Philippians (Phil: 1.10.) That ye may approve the things that are excellent; or the things that differ in excellency; Some are contented to ſit downe in the loweſt forme of Chriſts Schoole; if they have but any thing which they may call good, or true, right and ſincere, they looke no further; any thing ſatisfieth them, which will ſerve turne to keep them from periſhing; they have no holy aſpirings, nor godly covetous deſires after the beſt things, and the beſt of the beſt. God is willing and hath promiſed to give us not only good things, but the beſt things (Pſal: 81.16.) He ſhould have fed them alſo with the fineſt of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock ſhould I have ſatisfied thee; 'tis a mercy to have wheat, but the fineſt of the wheat, and honey out of the rock, not ordinary honey, but the beſt honey, the pureſt honey, are greater mercies. We, by our ſins, deſerve that God ſhould (as the Prophet ſpeakes, Iſa: 30.20.) give us the bread of adverſity, and the water of affliction; that is, either that he ſhould give us adverſity in ſtead of bread, and affliction in ſtead of water, or that he ſhould feed us with the courſeſt bread, with huskes and bran, and give us bitter waters, the waters of Marah to drinke, yet he in mercy gives us pleaſant bread, and wel-taſted water; yea were we better, he would give us the beſt bread, the fineſt of the wheat, and our cup ſhould be ſweeter to us then the ſweeteſt honey. The reaſon why we have not of the beſt, is becauſe we are no better. Yea God now gives us not only good things, but the beſt of good things, even himſelfe, his Son and Spirit, who are beſt of all (O how excellent is this loving kindneſs!) therefore let us not only look after good things, but the beſt of good things, to honour God, and lift up his name to the higheſt in this world; Let us labour to know and doe the beſt things; and give God our beſt ſervices and pureſt praiſes, even the male of our flocke, the firſt-borne, the ſtrength of our whole ſoules. To theſe higheſt attainments, Elihu perſwades thoſe wiſe and knowing men, promiſing to joyne with them in that ſearch; Come let us beat out the buſineſs with diligence, that we may at laſt chuſe Judgement, and know among our ſelves what is good, what is beſt.