Exposition of Job 32-24, Commentary on Job · Chapter 34
JOB. Chap. 34. Verſ. 20, 21, 22.
In a moment ſhall they die, and the people ſhall be troubled at midnight, and paſs away: and the mighty ſhall be taken away without hands.
For his eyes are upon the wayes of man, and he ſeeth all his doings.
There is no darkneſs nor ſhadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themſelves.
IN theſe three verſes Elihu doth two things principally; Firſt, He ſets forth the judgements of God; Secondly, He gives an account of the equity of them. He ſets forth the judgements of God,
Firſt, More generally, Upon People and Nations.
Secondly, Upon Princes and Governours; All this in the 20th verſe. And in this judgement of God upon Nations, we may take notice,
Firſt, Of the nature of it, and how it is deſcribed: and that is laid down three wayes. Firſt, They ſhall die. Secondly, They ſhall be troubled. Thirdly, They ſhall paſs away. Under theſe Notions the judgement of God upon People and Nations is expreſt.
Secondly, We may here conſider the ſuddenneſs of all this, In a moment they ſhall die.
Thirdly, We may conſider the ſeaſon, (or rather as to man, the unſeaſonableneſs) of it, it ſhall be (though in a dreaming time) when they little dream of it; The people ſhall be troubled at midnight. Thus we have the judgement or ſad diſpenſation of God deſcribed in this 20th verſe, both as to the acts of it, and likewiſe as to the manner of it upon the people.
Elihu having ſhewed the judgement of God upon the people in the former part of this 20th verſe, declares alſo his judgement upon the Princes in the latter end of it; The mighty ſhall be taken away without hand. Where we ſee, Firſt, How Princes are expreſſed or called, They are the mighty. Secondly, What kinde of judgement befalleth them, They are taken away. Thirdly, The manner how this is brought about, They are taken away without hand.
From the matter of the judgement of God both upon people and Princes, Elihu proceeds to give the reaſon why the Lord deals thus with both; This he doth in the two verſes following.
Firſt, Becauſe of their ſin; They are workers of iniquity; in the cloſe of the 22th verſe.
Secondly, Becauſe, as they are workers of iniquity, ſo God is fully acquainted with all their iniquity, &c. He ſeeth all their works, and the iniquity of their works, nothing can cover it or them from his fight; and therefore, as Elihu aſſerts the omniſcience of God poſitively in the 21th verſe, ſo negatively in the 22th verſe, There is no darkneſs, nor ſhadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themſelves. Now ſeeing the works of thoſe Nations and Princes were naught, and the naughtineſs of them was evident to God, how could he but puniſh them? And how juſt and righteous is he in puniſhing of them? By all this Elihu clears his general Aſſertion, or the point he drives at all this chapter over, namely, to prove that God is righteous; againſt which poſition, he tells us before, Job having ſpoken dangerouſly, he was engaged to maintain it vigorouſly; which he doth here, eſpecially in that eminent branch of it, mentioned at the 19th verſe, That he accepteth not the perſons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more then the poor. For, Princes as well as common people fall under his hand. So much for the parts and reſolution of theſe three verſes, as alſo for the general ſcope of them.
Yet before I go on to the particular explication of them, I would only minde the Reader of another Tranſlation of the whole 20th verſe, which varieth ſomwhat from ours, rendring it as a deſcription of the judgement of God upon Princes, by the violence of the people; whereas according to our Tranſlation, it is a deſcription of the judgement of God both upon people and Princes. The Tranſlation I mean, is that of the Vulgar Latine, which runs in this form.
Verſ. 20. Suddenly ſhall they die,Subito morientur & in media nocte turbabuntur populi, & per tranſibunt, & auferent, violentum abſique manu. Vulg. at midnight the people ſhall be in a tumult, and ſhall paſs over, and take away the violent man without hand.
This Reading, and the expoſitions given upon it, prove, That God is ſo far from accepting the perſons of Princes, that he does not only tell them their own, and reprove them to their face for their wickedneſs and Apoſtacy (as was ſhewed from the former reading of the 18th verſe) but deprives them alſo of their dignity, and pulls them from their power; And he doth it in ſuch a manner, that every man may underſtand and ſee the hand of God in it, becauſe they ſee no hands in it. The leſs of man appears in any work of providence, whether it be in a way of mercy or of judgement, the more of God is to be acknowledged in it: and where nothing of man appeareth, all, or the whole muſt be attributed unto God. The judgement which Elihu ſpeaks of here, ſeems (according to this Interpretation) to have much of man in it; yet becauſe the men ſuppoſed to be in it, are looked upon as ſuch as can do little in it, or ought to do nothing in it, therefore 'tis ſaid to be done without hands. Hiſtories have given many examples, and dreadful inſtances of ſuch calamities falling upon Princes by the riſing of the people; and then they are ſaid to be taken away Without hand,
That is, Without any foreſeen appearance of ſuch a miſchief; a hand which was not thought of being lifted up againſt them. It is ſaid of wicked Zimri, who ſlew his maſter, that when he ſaw the people conſpire againſt him, and the City taken, he went into the Palace of the King's houſe, and (in the heat of his rage) ſet it on fire, and burnt the Kings houſe over him, and died, (1 Kin. 16.18.) Juſtine reports the like concluſion (upon a like occaſion) of Sardanapalus, that effeminate and voluptuous Monarch of the Aſſyrian Empire. They who proſecute this Tranſlation, conceive Elihu reflecting upon Job in all this, who was very uncivilly treated by his own people, from whom he had deſerved higheſt reſpects, as he complained at the 30th chapter, they raiſed up againſt him the wayes of their deſtruction; they uſed him very rudely, even deſpightfully; and he was in a pining conſuming condition, as a man taken away without hand. But I ſhall not inſiſt upon this reading, but take the words according to the ſcope before given, as a deſcription of a mixt judgement from God; a judgement partly upon the people, and partly upon Princes, a judgement upon the many, and a judgement upon the mighty; In a moment ſhall they die.
foreign Punctum momontum, tempus exiguum: Illipſis praepoſition… בIn a moment.
The Text is, a moment they die; Not, that they ſhall die but a moment, or be only for a moment dead, but they ſhall die before a moment is over; there is an Elipſis of the prepoſition [Beth,] in the Hebrew, which we ſupply in our Tranſlation, In a moment they ſhall die: A moment is the leaſt particle or parcel of time; we cannot imagine any thing ſhorter then a moment, 'tis the very point of time, (Pſal. 30.5.) His anger endureth for a moment, (ſaith David, when he would ſhew how very ſhort (comparatively) the anger of God towards his people is) but in his favour is life: Thus Solomon (Prov. 2.19.) He that ſpeaketh truth, his tongue ſhall be eſtabliſhed; but a lying tongue is for a moment: A lye cannot laſt long; he that ſpeaks truth, what he ſpeaks to day, is good to morrow, and to morrow, and will be good for ever; but a lying tongue is for a moment; that is, his lies will be diſcovered, and uſually they are quickly diſcovered; though he live long to tell lies, or doth nothing but tell lies as long as he liveth, yet his lyes are not long lived. Job deſcribing the joy of the hypocrite (chap. 20.5.) ſaith, It is but for a moment; like a fire of thorns, a blaze and gone: when the Apoſtle would ſtrengthen and encourage the hearts of believers againſt all the troubles and ſorrows of this preſent life, he calls them, (2 Cor. 4.17.) Firſt, light, Secondly, ſhort; Our light afflictions that are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And that we might know how quick the devil was at his work with Chriſt, the Scripture ſaith (Luke 4.5.) He ſhewed him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. As to ſhew the inſtantaneouſneſs of our change from death to life in the reſurrection, it is ſaid, (1 Cor. 15.52.) In a moment, in the twinckling of an eye, at the last Trump, we ſhall be changed: So to ſhew the extream ſuddenneſs of theſe mens change from life to death, it is ſaid here, In a moment They ſhall die.
They? Who? Both great and ſmall, one and another of them ſhall die, or be ſwept away by death in a moment. There is a twofold death;
Firſt, Natural; When either ſickneſs or old age diſſolves the earthly houſe of this tabernacle. The natural death of ſome is very lingring and ſlow, others are ſuddenly ſnatcht away, they die in a moment.
Secondly, There is a violent death; thus many are taken away by the ſword Martial, or Civil, others caſually: The Text is true both of natural and violent death, either of them may overtake us in a moment, yet I conceive the latter is here chiefly intended, In a moment ſhall they die; that is, ſome ſudden deſtruction ſhall come upon them, they ſhall be ſurprized by an unlooked for diſaſter, and removed out of the world, while they had not a thought of their removal.
Hence Note.
Firſt, Death of any ſort, may befal all ſorts of men.
None can plead exemption or priviledge from the grave. It is appointed to men once to die; moſt die a natural death, and any man may die a violent death; who knows how he ſhall go out of this world? Chriſt told Peter, (John 21.18.) When thou ſhalt be old, thou ſhalt ſtretch forth thy hands, and another ſhall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not. This ſpake he, ſignifying by what death he ſhould glorifie God. And what kinde of death was that? The Church Hiſtory aſſureth us, 'twas a violent death. He (as his maſter Jeſus Chriſt) was nailed to a Croſs, and dyed. We come but one way into the world, but there are a thouſand wayes of going out.
Note Secondly.
Death comes ſuddenly upon many men, and may upon all men.
The whole life of the longeſt liver in this world, is but a moment, compared to eternity; and there is not any moment of our life, but (with reſpect to ſecond cauſes) we are ſubject to death in it: We alwayes in ſome ſenſe (though at ſome times more) carry our lives in our hand, and how ſoon, or by what hand they may be ſnatcht out of ours, we know not.
Now if our whole life be but a moment, and we ſubject to death every moment, how ſhould we ſtand prepared for death every moment? And how ſad is it to think, that they who may die the next moment, ſhould for dayes, and weeks, and moneths, and years, never prepare for death? Moſt are loth to think of the end of their lives, till they are nearer the end of them; yet no man knoweth how near he is to the end of his life. Many put off the thoughts of death till it cometh, yet none can put off the coming of death; they would remove the meditation of death to the fall of their leaf, to the winter, and worſt of their old age, yet they are not able to remove death one moment from the Spring and beſt of their youth.
Note, Thirdly.
Violent death, by the ſore and ſevere judgement of God, often ſweeps multitudes away in a moment.
God can thruſt whole throngs of men, yea whole Nations into their graves together; it is ſaid (Numb. 16.21.) of Corah and his companions, The earth did cover, or ſwallow them up in a moment: And the Lord commanded Moſes, to ſay unto the children of Iſrael (Exod. 33.5.) ye are a ſtiff-necked people; I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and conſume thee: As if the Lord had ſaid, I will take no long time for it, I can quickly diſpatch you; how many ſoever there are of you, I will do it in a moment. We have a like deſcription of the ſudden and quick diſpatch of men at the Lord's word of Command, (Pſal. 73.19.) How are they brought into deſolation, as in a moment, they are utterly conſumed with terrors? The final ruine of Babylon was thus propheſied (Iſa. 47.9.) Theſe two things ſhall come to thee in a moment, in one day, the loſs of children and widdowhood, they ſhall come upon thee in their perfection; Thou ſhalt utterly be deſtroyed, and periſh at once for ever. The Prophet Jeremiah (Lam. 4.6.) bewayled the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, whoſe calamity was greater then that of Sodome and Gomorrah, which God deſtroyed in a moment: Sodome and Gomorrah were great Cities, yet how ſoon conſumed! In ſome ſenſe, there is a greater evil in a lingring deſtruction, then in a ſpeedy one; ſo the Prophet aggravates death by famine, beyond death by fire; becauſe to die by famine is a lingring death. Caeſar being warned that ſome lay in wait to deſtroy him ſuddenly, ſlighted it, and ſaid, unexpected death is moſt deſireable. And that's the lot of many great men; to which ſome conceive the Pſalmiſt had reſpect, when he ſaid, (Pſal. 82.7.) Ye ſhall die li…e men, and fall like one of the Princes; that is, ſuddenly. But though in ſome ſence a ſpeedy death is more eligible then a lingring one, yet in many reſpects, to die ſuddenly, or in a moment, may be concluded a far greater judgement, then to ſee death coming by degrees, and deſtruction walking towards us ſtep by ſtep. Solomon (Prov. 1.27.) ſpeaks of ſwift deſtruction, of deſtruction coming like a whirlwind; ſwift deſtruction overtakes them who are ſlow paced to receive and obey inſtruction. Thus the Lord can deal both with perſons and with Nations; he needs not make any delays, nor take time to do it, their deſtruction ſhall come (if he will ſend it) in a day, in an hour, yea, in a moment ſhall they die, And the people ſhall be troubled at midnight.
foreign Populus conſociatio hominum.That is, the body, or generality of the people, the many ſhall be troubled; they ſhall be as men amazed, or as the Metaphor imports, they ſhall be disjoynted; Men aſſociated under due Laws of Government, are as ſo many members of a well compacted Body;foreign a verbo foreign videtur ſignificare laxationem compagum. but when broken and ſcattered, they are like a body whoſe members are diſlocated, or out of joynt, unfit for any uſe or ſervice. And as there is a laxation of the members of the body, a disjoynting of the bones, ſo there is a disjoynting of the faculties of the minde; In times of great trouble, not only is the body Politick, which conſiſts of many men, but the minde of every body, or of every ſingle man is much out of joynt. The word is applyed to thoſe great concuſſions of the world (Pſal. 18.17.) The earth ſhook and trembled, the foundations alſo of the hills were moved, and were ſhaken at the preſence of the Lord, becauſe he was wroth; which we may interpret of the Princes and Powers of the earth, who are as hills and mountains; if the Lord do but touch them in anger, they move, yea tremble. The word is applyed alſo to the waves of the Sea, (Jer. 5.22.) which roar, and toſs themſelves: we commonly ſay, as in the Text, the Sea is troubled, or 'tis a troubled Sea, a toſſing Sea. That expreſſion is alſo common among us, when we ſee a man much diſquieted, he is (we ſay) in a great toſs; even as a ſhip at Sea upon the proud waves. Thus ſaith Elihu, the people ſhall be in a toſs, they ſhall feel a ſtorm in their mindes, ſudden guſts of fear and ſorrow ſhall carry them they know not whither; or they ſhall be lifted up to heaven in vain confidences, and then fall down to hell in deſpairing thoughts, as the tempeſt at Sea is deſcribed in the 107th Pſalm. There is yet another rendring of the Text, in alluſion to Drunkards, who are overcome with wine, (Jer. 25.16.) And they ſhall drink, and be moved, and be mad; the word which we tranſlate move, is that in the Text; now we know drunkenneſs moves men, and puts all into diſorder and diſquietment: Thus the people (through the fierce anger of God, and the wine of aſtoniſhment which he gives them to drink) ſhall be moved, they ſhall reel to and fro, and ſtagger like a drunken man. Great troubles and afflictions are called in Scripture the wine of aſtoniſhment, becauſe they make many ſay and do they ſcarce know what; great troubles bereave men not only of their comforts, but of their reaſon; they do not only ſtraiten them, but aſtoniſh them. They who have drowned their wits in cups of worldly pleaſure, may ſoon have them drowned in full and overflowing cups of worldly ſorrow.
Beſides this Expoſition of the peoples being troubled with perplexity, fear, and doubt, with anxiety, and uncertainty of ſpirit what to do, I ſay, beſides this, there is another way of being troubled, upon which ſome Expoſitors ſpecially inſiſt. The people ſhall be troubled; that is, ſhall be in a tumult; they ſhall riſe up ſeditiouſly, and (as, we ſay) make a commotion, they ſhall gather together as many waters, with a roaring noiſe. Many people, are compared to many Waters; and there is ſomtimes a confluence, a great confluence or flood of them tumbling together: The Poet tells us elegantly what rude work a people make when they riſe up like a flood of troubled waters.Ac veluti magno in populo cum ſaepe coorta eſt Seditio, ſaevitque animis ignobile vulgus, Jamque faces & ſaxa volant furor arma miniſtrat. Virg. Aeneid. 1. Their rage (ſaith he) findes out weapons, one throws ſtones, another throws firebrands, till all's in a ſad combuſtion: Theſe waters, if let alone, may quickly put all into a flame. The Pſalmiſt aſcribes the quieting of the Sea, and the quieting of the people to God in one verſe; yea, I conceive the one is but the explication of the other, (Pſal. 65.7.) Which ſtilleth the noiſe of the Seas, the noiſe of their waves, and the tumult of their people. Thus ſaith Elihu, the people ſhall be in a tumult, (this ſuits with that expoſition firſt given) ready to deſtroy whomſoever they meet next, or thoſe eſpecially who never did nor meant them any other hurt but to keep the peace, or bridle their headſtrong fury.
Yet, I rather adhere to the former Interpretation, The people ſhall be troubled, that is, they ſhall be in a great conſternation of ſpirit, neither being able (which they ſeldome are) to adviſe themſelves what to do, nor fit to receive (which they ſeldome will) advice from others. And (as Elihu adds) they ſhall be thus troubled At midnight.
Or, In the half of the night, as the words may be rendred; that's a great aggravation of the judgement. The night is a time of reſt, and midnight is the time of deepeſt reſt; ſo that for the people to be in a tumult, or troubled at midnight, is to be overtaken with matter of fear, when fear ſeemed furtheſt off, or when they ſuſpected nothing to make them afraid. David ſaith of ſome, (Pſal. 3.5.) There were they in great fear, where no fear was. To fear at midnight, is to fear when uſually no fear is, that is, when people are at reſt in their beds: And ſo to ſay, the people ſhall be troubled at midnight, ſignifieth either, Firſt, the coming of trouble upon a ſecure people,Cum maximè ſecuri. upon a people who thought themſelves, and while they thought themſelves not only out of the noiſe, but reach of danger: Or ſecondly, It may ſignifie the coming of trouble upon a people altogether unfit to help themſelves; when a man is aſleep, he cannot give counſel how to prevent danger, and while he is in his bed, he is in no poſture to oppoſe it. All this may well be included in what Elihu ſaith, The people ſhall be troubled at midnight.
Hence Note. Firſt, There are National troubles as well as perſonal.
God can ſcare not only a family, or this and that particular man, but a whole people at once; he cannot only make a childe, or a woman, but a multitude, yea an Army of mighty men tremble like a childe, and faint as the weakeſt woman. A people are many, yet every man ſhall be as if he were alone, or but one in the midſt of innumerable dangers, and of a thouſand deaths. Moſes in his Song foreſaw the dread of Nations upon the report of the Lord's miraculous conduct of Iſrael through the red Sea, (Exod. 15.14, 15, 16.) The people ſhall hear, and be afraid; ſorrow ſhall take hold on the inhabitants of Paleſtina, all the inhabitants of Canaan ſhal melt away. And when Chriſt ſpeaks of thoſe dreadful Prognoſticks of his coming, he not only ſaith, There ſhall be ſignes in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars, but upon the Earth diſtreſs of Nations, with perplexity, (Luke 21.25.)
Secondly, Obſerve.
Both perſonal and publick troubles are at the command of God, as both publick and perſonal peace are.
A people as well as a perſon, may and ſhall be troubled, even at the midnight of their greateſt ſecurity, if God give the word. I make peace (ſaith the Lord, Iſa: 45.7.) and create evill; that is, the evill of trouble. There will be occaſion afterward to ſpeak further of this poynt from thoſe words (v. 29.) When he giveth quietneſs, who can give trouble, and when he hideth his face, who can behold him? Whether it be done againſt a nation, or againſt a man only; trouble of all ſorts is at the command of God; if he ſaith to ſuch or ſuch a miſchiefe, goe to a nation, it will goe; if he bid the ſword trouble them, if he bid peſtilence trouble them, if he bid famine trouble them, if he bid their owne diviſions trouble them, the people ſhall be troubled; yea, they ſhall be troubled at midnight.
Whence note, Thirdly.
Trouble takes or ſeazeth upon many when they leaſt expect it.
God can ſend trouble when no man thinkes of it. At midnight every one is in bed, all are for reſt and quiet. The Lord uſually executes his judgements upon the unwary world, upon a ſecure people (Exod: 12.29.) At midnight the Lord ſmote all the ſirſtborne in the land of Egypt, &c. And Pharoah roſe up in the night, he and all his ſervants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt. We read alſo (2 Kings 19.35.) In that night the Angel of the Lord went out and ſmote in the campe of the Aſſyrians, an hundred four-ſcore and ſive thouſand. It was not a day-battel, but a night-battel; When they were all gone into their tents, and were at reſt, when the Army was ſecure; In that night did the Lord fight them by an Angel, and made a mighty ſlaughter among them. Belſhazzar king of the Chaldeans was ſlaine in the night (Dan: 5.30.) even in that night wherein he made a feaſt to a thouſand of his Lords, and dranke wine before the thouſand (v. 1.) In that night not only of his ſecurity, but of his jollity and ſenſuality, when he had even drowned himſelfe and his great Lords with wine and belly-cheare, in that very night the City was broken up, and Belſhazzar ſlaine; Hiſtory tells us what dreadfull work was made upon the Babylonians that night. The great Judgement day is ſo deſcribed; Jeſus Chriſt will, at laſt, trouble the world at midnight; The Day of the Lord ſo cometh (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Theſ: 5.2.) as a thiefe in the night; when they ſhall ſay peace and ſafety, then ſudden deſtruction cometh upon them, &c, Chriſt himſelfe ſhadowing his coming under the parable of the ten Virgins, who all ſlumbred and ſlept, tells us (Math: 25.6) At midnight there was a cry made, Behold the Bridegroome conteth, goe ye out to meete him. Though ſome were in a better condition then others, ſome wiſe, ſome fooliſh, yet all ſlept, and it was a kind of midnight to them all. Chriſt will come, and the people ſhall be troubled at midnight, and then there will be a dreadfull Cry among the ſecure drowſie world. Therefore the Counſell of Chriſt is moſt proper (Math: 13.35.) Watch, becauſe ye know not at what houre your Maſter may come, whether at even, or at midnight, or at Cock-trowing, or in the morning. It is hard to be put to it at midnight, 'tis ſad to be in a ſleepy or ſlumbring condition when evill comes. The Goſpel ſheweth us, how much that man was troubled, when his neighbour came to borrow bread of him at midnight (Luke 11.5.7.) Trouble me not, my children are with me in bed, I cannot riſe and give thee. If it be matter of trouble to be called out of our bed to doe a courteſie for a friend at midnight, O what will it be to be called up to Judgement, or to be ſurprized with any Judgement at midnight! Therefore prepare and be ready for all changes. At midnight the people ſhall be troubled, And paſſe away.
Theſe words are a third part of the deſcription of the Judgement of God upon a people; they ſhall die, they ſhall be troubled, they ſhall paſſe away; that is, ſome of them ſhall die, all ſhall be troubled, others ſhall paſſe away. There is a three-fold notion of paſſing away.
Firſt, Some expound it thus, They ſhall be carried captive out of their own Country; This with the former two make up a perfect Judgement upon any people; Some ſhall die, or be ſlaine, all ſhall be troubled and vext, they ſhall be at their wits end, and the reſt ſhall be carried away captive.
Secondly, They ſhall paſs away; that is, they ſhall paſs into their graves; the forme of ſpeech here uſed may well beare that ſenſe, for death is a paſſing away, a paſſing out of this world (Pſal: 37.36.Tranſire intelligo, non pro migrare aliò, ſed pro abire in ſepulchrum. Merc:) Loe he paſſed away and was gone, that is, he died; And that which is as death to the heavens and the earth (their great change when ever it ſhall be) is called a paſſing away (Math: 5.18.) Till heaven and earth paſſe away, one jot or one tittle ſhall in no wiſe paſſe away from the Law till all be fullfilled; that is, the Law ſhall ſtand in force as long as the world ſtands. Thus to paſſe away is to die. But I conceive, we are to expound this third branch of the Judgement diſtinctly from the former two, and therefore for as much as we have death in the firſt words, it will not be proper to take in death here againe, or to expound paſſing away by dying. The third notion, of, they ſhall paſſe away, is, they ſhall run or flee for it, they know not whether, they ſhall flee for their lives from the danger impending over them. As ſome ſhall die, and all be troubled, ſo not a few ſhall endeavour to ſave their lives by flight. Chriſt in the Goſpel foretold the great troubles and afflictions which ſhould come upon Jeruſalem, and in them there was a ſad concurrence or meeting of theſe three Judgments in the text. For when after forty yeares the Romans invaded and ruin'd their City, many dyed & were deſtroyed by ſword and famine, all the people were troubled; Oh in what a hurry were they to ſee the Romane Eagle diſplayed before their Gates! and then they paſſed away; that is, as many as could, withdrew and got out of the danger. It is reported in hiſtory, that before the Seidge of that City, a voyce was heard in Jeruſalem, ſaying, (Migremus hinc) let us paſſe from hence, they who believed that warning, departed ſoone after; And as ſome paſſed away before the Judgement came, ſo when it was come, many were ſtriving to be gone, or to paſſe away. Therefore Chriſt admoniſhed them (Math: 24.20.) Pray that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabath day. I conceive, we are to underſtand this text diſtinctly of ſuch a paſſing away. In a moment ſhall they die, and the people ſhall be troubled at midnight, and paſſe away; they ſhall doe what they can to ſecure themſelves by out-running the danger.
Note from it, Firſt.
God hath variety of meanes to humble a ſinfull people.
Into how many wayes doe the Judgements of God divide themſelves; ſeverall perſons beare ſeverall parts; here is death to many, trouble to all, flight to ſome. That, in the Prophet, anſwers it fully (Jer: 15.1.) where the Lord proteſting that nothing (no not the interceſſion of Moſes and Samuel) ſhould take him off from his reſolve againſt that people, ſaith, Such as are for death to death, and ſuch as are for the ſword to the ſword, and ſuch as are for the famine to the famine, and ſuch as are for the captivity to the captivity. There's peſtilence, and ſword, and famine and captivity ready at the call of God to take away a provoking people.
Secondly, Note.
To paſſe away, or to be put to our flight, is a grievous Judgement.
To flee from the face of the purſuer, to run for our lives, who knows the trouble and terror of it, but they that have been in it? what a mercy is it that our dwellings are continued to us? that we abide in our places, that we neither die in a moment, are not ſurpriz'd by midnight-feares, but reſt quietly in our beds, though feares at midnight have been ready to ſurprize us. What a mercy is it, that we are not paſſing away, running, fleeing into the wilderneſſe, as the poore Churches of God have done in ſeverall ages?
So much of Judgement upon the people in that three-fold notion of it. We have here alſo Judgement upon Princes.
And the mighty ſhall be taken away without hand.
Not only the many, but the mighty ſhall feele the Judgements of God; For as 'tis ſayd in the former verſe, He accepteth not the perſons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more then the poore; The mighty and the meaneſt of men are alike to God, when they are alike in ſinning againſt God: If they doe evill alike, they ſhall ſuffer evill alike; God accepteth no mans perſon.
The mighty ſhall be taken away.
foreign fortis robuſtus excellens fortitudine; pluraliter Abirim in genere forte ſignificat.The word rendred, mighty, taken plurally, is uſed in Scripture to denote not only mighty men, but any creature that excells in might. And therefore according to the exigence of the place, it ſignifies ſometimes Angells, who being ſpirits, exceed all fleſh in might. The people of Iſrael in the wilderneſs did eat Angells food (Pſal: 78.5.) the food of the Abirims, of the mighty or ſtrong ones: And as it is applyed to Angells who exceed the ſtrongeſt men in ſtrength, ſo it is applyed to any ſort of ſtrong beaſts, to the horſe (Jer: 47.3.) to Bulls, (Iſa: 34.7. Jer: 50.11. Pſal: 22.13. Pſal: 68.31.) Thus the word riſeth above man to Angells, and falls below man to the beaſts of the earth; here 'tis applyable only to ſtrong and mighty men, of whom yet there are three ſorts.
Firſt, Some are men of a mighty arme.
Secondly, Others are mighty in Armes.
Thirdly, There are men mighty in Authority.
The firſt of theſe is a natural mighty man, he hath a mighty arme, a ſtrong body, or he excells in bodily ſtrength. The ſecond is a marſhall mighty man, a ſouldier, a man of warre. The third is the Magiſtratical mighty man, he is cloathed with power both to puniſh and reward: Poſſibly he may have no bodily might, yea, poſſibly he is no ſouldier, yet a man of ſuch power he is, that he commands whole Nations. Now take the word Mighty in any of theſe three ſenſes, and it is a truth, the mighty ſhall be taken away, the mighty in ſtrength of the Arme, the mighty in ſtrength of Armyes, the mighty in power and dignity, are by the hand of the Almighty God taken away.
They ſhall take them away (ſaith the Hebrew text) that is,foreign et amovent potentem, imperſonaliter. Piſc: ſay ſome (according to the firſt tranſlation mentioned) the people ſhall violently take away the mighty. But by an uſuall Hebraiſme we may read it Imperſonally, the mighty ſhall be taken away, concealing or leaving it to be underſtood by whom. Like that ſpeech to the rich man (Luke 12.25.) This night doe they require thy ſoule of thee, (ſo we put in the Margin) that is, (as the text hath it) this night thy ſoule ſhall be required of thee, they ſhall take thy ſoule, that is, it ſhall be taken away; ſo here they ſhall take away the mighty, that is, the mighty ſhall be taken away or removed. We may take notice of a two-fold remove or taking away.
Firſt, There is a remove out of place and power; Thus a man is taken away when his authority is taken away.
Secondly, There is a removing or taking of a man out of the world; Thus they are taken away whoſe perſons are deſtroyed, cut off, and periſh. The mighty, both wayes or either way are often taken away. The perſons of many mighty men have fallen, and many more of them have fallen from their places and powers. Here they are under a generall threatning, They ſhall be taken away. But how ſhall they be taken away? the text anſwers without hand.
It is ſomewhat ſtrange that they who are mighty, and have ſuch power in their hand, ſhould be taken away, and no hand touch them, or without hand. We uſe to ſay of a thing ſtrangely gone, or gone we know not how, It cannot be gone without hands; yet thus the Lord deales judicially with the mighty of the world; They ſhall be taken away without hand. There may be a threefold underſtanding of that expreſſion.
Firſt, Thus; The mighty ſhall be taken away without hand; that is, they ſhall have no hands to help them, or they ſhall be deſtitute of all humane helpe. Sometimes God leaves or ſtrips the mighty naked, they who have had great power, and many thouſands ſtanding up to defend them,Frequenter manus pro miniſterio, ſed frequentiſſime pro op… et auxilio ponitur, Pin: have not a hand for them, and ſo are taken away without hand, no man drawing a ſword or ſtriking a ſtroake for them.
Secondly, To doe a thing without hand, is to doe it with the ſmalleſt appearance of ſecond cauſes or inſtruments. We are ready to ſay, there muſt be a great deale of tugging to get the mighty downe, who like Oakes are ſtrongly rooted and highly growne, who looke like mountaines, which cannot be removed, yet (ſaith Elihu) the Lord can take them away without hand; that is, eaſily, without any trouble at all, little meanes or very improbable meanes being uſed to effect it. So then to doe a thing without hand, is to doe it as if we put no hand no ſtreſſe to it when we doe it. As they who move ſwiftly or lightly are ſayd to goe without ſetting a foot on the ground (Dan: 8.5.) the He-Goate came and touched not the ground, he did rather fly then goe. So to doe a thing, as if we did not put a hand to it, is to doe it with the greateſt eaſe imaginable.
Abſ que manu armatorum. Aquint.Thirdly, To doe a thing without hand, is to doe it without any viſible meanes at all, even by the immediate ſtroake or power of God. There is a hand of God in all things that are done in the world, but ſome things are done without any other hand, and are therefore moſt properly ſayd to be done without hand. Thus the Lord is able to doe the greateſt things, even to take mighty men from the earth, no hand of man appearing or joyning with him in the action.Nutu tantum dei. Merc: Now, becauſe God uſually ſets inſtruments a worke to effect his will in the world, and to bring about his counſels, therefore in what work ſoever he either quite leaves or ſeemes to leave inſtruments out, that work is ſayd to be done without hand. The ſtone which ſhall grow up to be a great mountaine, that is, the kingdome of Chriſt, is called a ſtone cut out without hands (Dan: 2.34.) that is, without humane power. The kingdome of Chriſt ſhall be ſet up ſo much by the power of God without any earthly contribution, that it ſhall confeſſedly be ſayd to be ſet up without hands. Though we ought not to neglect the coming and advancement of the kingdome of Chriſt in the world, yet we ſhould not be anxiouſly carefull about it, when we ſee little or no meanes for it, yea though we ſee great very great meanes ſet againſt it, becauſe a ſtone cut out without hands ſhall doe it.
The Apoſtle uſeth this forme of ſpeaking, both as to eternalls and ſpiritualls. Concerning the former he is expreſſe (2 Cor. 5.1.) We know that when the earthly houſe of this tabernacle is diſſolved, we have a building of God, a houſe not made with hands, eternall in the heavens; that is, a houſe of Gods own immediate making, a houſe to the making whereof man hath added nothing. The fabrick of this viſible world is a houſe made without hands, much more is heaven, and the glorious unſeene ſtate which Saints ſhall have hereafter. The houſe above, or ſtate of Glory is wholly of Gods making. And as our eternall eſtate is expreſſed by a houſe made without hands, ſo our ſpirituall eſtate is called by the ſame Apoſtle, A work done without hands (Col: 2.11.) where having aſſerted our compleatneſs in Chriſt (v. 10.) he adds, In whom alſo ye are circumciſed with the circumciſion made without hands. The external literal circumciſion was made with hands; there was an operation of man in it, the cutting off the foreskin of the fleſh, but in the ſpiritual circumciſion, man hath no hand, it is the work of God alone; as alſo that effectual faith is which alwayes accompanieth it, and is therefore called (v. 12.) the faith of the operation of God. There is a temporary faith which we may call a faith of the operation of man, but true ſaving faith is the operation of God, and may be ſayd as the ſpirituall circumciſion (which was ſignified and ſhadowed by the corporall) to be made without hands.
Now as the Scripture ſpeakes both of ſpiritualls and eternalls which are made without hands,Indicatur divinum ſupplicium, cujus nulla humana cauſa aſſignari, aut quod nulla humana vi declinari poteſt. ſo this text ſpeakes of externalls and providentialls in the ſame language, The mighty ſhall be taken away without hand, that is, without any creature-helpe or viſible humane hand; what ever is done without a viſible hand, is done by the hand of God. Elihu intimates a puniſhment upon the mighty, which (as to the effecting of it) cannot be aſſigned to any thing in man, much leſſe can the effecting of it, be hindred by man. The hand of God is moſt viſible, in doing that which no viſible hand hath done, or can undoe. They ſhall be taken away without hand.
Hence note.
The mightieſt have no might againſt God.
That cannot be avoyded by any humane power, which is done without humane power. God ſlew the firſt-borne of Egypt, and deſtroyed the Aſſyrian hoaſt without hand, he did it by his Angel, no hand appearing againſt them. The Lord ſmote Herod, and he died without hand (Acts 12.23.) Immediately (that is, preſently, as the Greeke word imports, 'tis true alſo, immediately, that is, without humane meanes, as our Engliſh word alſo imports) the Angel of the Lord ſmote him, and he was eaten of wormes, and gave up the Ghoſt. What a poore worme was that mighty man in the hand of God, when God ſlew him without hand, and commanded the wormes to eate him? Jeſus Chriſt, who is alſo the mighty God (Iſa: 9.6.) called himſelfe a worme and no man, in his humiliations for the redemption of loſt man (Pſal: 22.6.) What are the mightieſt men but wormes to God, who is ſo mighty, that if he ſay the word, wormes become their Maſters. The mighty Giants are before God but pigmy's, punyes, or children. The Prophet gives a good warning (Jer: 9.23.) Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Let him not glory in the might of his arme, Let him not glory in the might of his armes or Armies, though man have an Army of mighty men about him, yet let him not glory in them, no nor in the might of his power or authority. If any man uſeth his might againſt God, what is his might unto God? (Pſal: 58.1.) Why boaſteſt thou O mighty man, that thou canſt doe miſchiefe? If a man be mighty, and have a mind to doe miſchiefe with his might, eſpecially if he boaſteth in his might, becauſe he can doe miſchiefe with it, he is not only ſinfull, but weake and fooliſh. There is no greater morall weakneſs then to boaſt either of naturall, martiall, or civill ſtrength. Could any of the mighty men of this world ſtand before the might of God, they had ſomewhat to boaſt of. Read the word of the Lord againſt the mighty (Iſa: 2.10.) Behold the Kings and Captaines of the earth trembling before the preſence of the Lambe (Rev: 6.15.) and then judge how weake the ſtrongeſt are before the Lord? All ages are full of teaching examples, that there is no might to his who is Almighty.
Secondly, Note.
What ever God will doe he can eaſily doe it.
He can effect it with a looke, with a caſt of his eye, he can doe it with a breath of his mouth, he can doe it with a word. It is ſaid (Exod: 14.24.) God looked unto the hoſt of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and through the cloud, and troubled the hoſt of the Egyptians, and tooke off their Chariot wheeles, that they drave them heavily. To looke upon them was an eaſie thing, God did not give them a ſtroake with his hand, but only a looke with his eye, and that overthrew them.
Thirdly, Note.
God can do the greatest things alone.
He can ſubdue the mighty, though none come forth to his help againſt the mighty; they are curſed who do not help the Lord againſt the mighty, when they ſet their might againſt the Lord; (Judg. 5.23.) Curſe ye Mero…, (ſaith the angel of the Lord,) curſe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, becauſe they came not forth to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. But though it be the ſin of man not to help the Lord againſt the mighty, yet the withdrawing of their help doth not hinder the Lord in his purpoſe againſt the mighty: For, He taketh away the mighty without hands. Though men ſtir not, though angels ſhould not ſtir to his help, yet his own arm can bring either ſalvation or deſtruction. It is ſaid of the Lord (Iſa. 44.24.) He ſtretched out the heavens alone; there was none to help him to unfold that vaſt canopy of heaven, he ſtretcht out the heavens alone. As in the Creation he made all alone, ſo in Providence he can act and effect all alone. It is a great glory to God, that he hath many inſtruments to help him, many tongues to ſpeak for him, many hands to work for him; but it is a greater glory to God that he needs none to help him, none to ſpeak or work for him. In this the glory of the Lord infinitely outſhines the glory of all the mighty Kings and Princes of the earth. They have done, and can do mighty things, but not without hands, and therefore they have the hands of thouſands at command for them; 'tis not their place to put their hand to the work, 'tis enough that they give commands and orders, 'tis the duty of others to execute all their righteous commands, and fulfil their orders. But the Lord hath not only a commanding power, but an executing power too in himſelf; though no hand move, yet his affairs ſtand not ſtill. God, and all creatures put together, are no more then God alone without any creature: Many are uſeful, but none are neceſſary unto God. Take two inferences from it.
Firſt, This is matter of terror to wicked men; though they ſee no hand in the world againſt them, much leſs any able to match them, leaſt of all to check them, yea though they ſee all hands for them, yet this is no ſecurity to them, this is no aſſurance of one hours ſafety, ſeeing the Lord taketh away the mighty without hand, and he uſually doth it when they ſee not which way any hand can reach them. It is the concluſion of one of the Ancients upon this place in reference to a mighty oppreſſour; He is inviſibly pull'd down, Inviſibilitèr rapitur, qui viſibiliter rapiebat, Gregor.who did viſibly pull down; He ruined others with hands, but himſelf ſhall be ruin'd without hand; he ſaw him whom he took away, but he ſhall not ſee him who takes him away. Let them who live without fear of any hand, remember the Apoſtles admonition, (Heb. 10.31.) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God, who takes away the mighty without hand.
Secondly, This is matter of wonderful comfort, to all that fear God, and truſt upon him, whether Princes or people, whether mighty men or mean men. What though ye ſee no hand for you; yet 'tis enough if he be for you who ſaves you without hand. The protecting and ſaving power of God, is as great and as effectual as his deſtroying power is; yea, he oftner ſaves without hand, then he deſtroyes without hand. As the Kings of the earth, ſo the great King of heaven and earth, loves to deal his favours, and beſtow his rewards immediately with his own hand, but uſually afflicts and puniſheth by the hands of others. That's a moſt pregnant Scripture to this purpoſe, (Hoſ. 1.7.) where the Lord promiſeth to ſave Judah; But Judah might ſay, I am in a very low condition, and no help appears: Therefore he addeth, I will ſave them by the Lord their God; and will not ſave them by Bowe, nor by Sword, nor by Battel, nor by Horſes, nor Horſemen. Judah ſhall be ſaved, though there be no hand to ſave them. I will ſave them (ſaith the Lord) by the Lord their God. I will do it immediately. And the Lord doth not only ſay (in the affirmative) he will ſave them without hand; but he ſaith alſo (in the Negative) that he will not ſave them with hands, But I will not ſave them by Bowe, nor Sword, nor Battel, nor Horſes, nor Horſemen; there ſhall be no appearance of theſe helps, I have heretofore deſtroyed you by Sword, and Bowe, by Horſes, and Horſemen, but I will have all the honour and thanks of your ſalvation to my ſelf. Though the Lords people have neither horſes nor horſemen, though they are as helples as is imaginable, yet the Lord is able to ſave them, & he wil do it in the fitteſt ſeaſon. As this is true in reference to Princes and Nations in their publique capacity, ſo private Chriſtians may take up the comfort of it. What though great diſtreſs and affliction be nigh, and no hand to ſave you, yet the Lord can ſave without hand; if you are low, he can raiſe you, though none lend a hand to raiſe you; if poor, he can enrich you; if weak, he can ſtrengthen you, though you have no means for either: It is an everlaſting ſpring of comfort, that the Lord can do all things without hand, that he needs not be beholding to the creature, nor ſtands in need of their help to effect either threatned judgments againſt Babylon, or his promiſed mercies unto Sion.
Thus we have ſeen Elihu deſcribing the righteous, though ſevere dealings of God, both with people and Princes, who deſpiſe his counſels, and provoke his wrath: The reaſon why they fall under his wrath, is further diſcovered in the next words.