Exposition of Job 35-37, Exposition on Job · Chapter 36 · Verses 24-25

Exposition of Job 35-37 · Exposition on Job · Chapter 36 · Verses 24-25

p. 349JOB, Chap. 36. Verſ. 24, 25.

24. Remember that thou magnifie his work, which men behold.

25. Every man may ſee it, man may behold it afar off.

THeſe two verſes contain the third advice, counſel or exhortation given by Elihu to Job, ſtirring him up to give glory to God in his providential proceedings with him.

There are three things conſiderable in theſe two verſes.

Firſt, The general duty commanded, which is, to magnifie the work of God.

Secondly, We have here a ſpecial reaſon or ground of that duty; the viſibility and plainneſs, yea, more than ſo, the illuſtriouſneſs of his work. The work of God is not only ſuch as ſome men may ſee, but ſuch as every … …ay ſee, yea, behold afar off.

Thirdly, We have here an incentive to provoke to this duty, in the firſt words of the Text, Remember.

Verſ. 24. Remember that thou magnifie his work, which men behold.

To Remember, imports chiefly theſe two things.

Firſt, to call to mind what is paſt (Mat. 26.75.) Then Peter remembred the words of Christ.

Secondly, To remember, is to keep ſomewhat in mind againſt the time to come; in which ſence the Law runs (Exod. 20.8.) Remember the rest-day; that is, keep it in mind, that when-ever it cometh, or upon every return of that day, … may be in a fit poſture and preparation for it; Remember the reſt, or ſabbath day to keep it holy.

To remember in this place, is ſet (I conceive) in a double oppoſition: Firſt, To forgetfulneſs of the duty here called for; remember and do not forget it. Secondly, To the ſlight performance of the duty here called for; the magnifying of the work of God.

p. 350Remember that thou magnifie.

As if he had ſaid, Be thou daily and duely affected with it, do not put it off with a little, or a bare remembrance; the matter is weighty, conſider it fully. As if Elihu had ſaid to Job, Thou haſt much forgotten thy ſelf, and gone off from that which is thy proper work. I have heard thee much complaining of the workes of God, but thy work ſhould have been to magnifie the work of God. Though God hath caſt thee down and laid thee low, yet thy buſineſs ſhould have been to exalt the work of God; Remember, it would much better become thee to act another part than this; thou ſhouldest have acted the part of a magnifier of the work of God, not the part of a complainer gainst it. Remember that thou foreign i. e. foreign Augeas, extollas ejus opus, non accuſes ut nunc facis. Merc.Magnifie;

The root ſignifieth, to encreaſe and extol. We may conſider a twofold magnifying of the work of God. There is an inward magnifying of the work of God; and there is an outward magnifying of the work of Go….

Firſt, There is … …d magnifying of the work of God, when we think highly … it; thus did the Virgin in her ſong (Luke 1.46.) My ſoul doth magnifie the Lord. Her heart was raiſed up, and ſtretched out in high thoughts of God.

Secondly, There is an outward magnifying of the work of God. To ſpeak highly of his work is to magnify his work; to live holily and fruitfully is to magnifie his work. We cannot make any addition to the work of God, there is no ſuch magnifying of it; but we muſt ſtrive to give the works of God their full dimenſion, and not leſſen them at all. As we muſt not diminiſh the number of his works, ſo we muſt not diminiſh the juſt weight and worth of them. There is ſuch a charge of God to the Prophet about his word (Jer. 26.2.) Go tell the people all the words that I command thee to ſpeak unto them; diminiſh not a word. Deliver thy meſſage in words at length, or in the full length of thoſe words in which it was delivered unto thee. We then magnifie the wo…k of God, when we diminiſh not a tittle. As we cannot add any thing to it, ſo we muſt neither abate nor conceal any thing of it. To magnifie, is not to make the works of God great, but to declare and ſet forth the greatneſs of them; p. 351that's the magnifying here eſpecially intended. Remember that thou magnifie his works.

I ſhall not ſtay upon that other reading, Remember that thou art ignorant of his work. The ſame word which we tranſlate,Memento quod ignores opus ejus. Vulg. Hieronimus confundit foreign cum foreign quanquam foreign potius errare quam ignorare: ſignificat. Druſ. to magnifie, with the variation of a point, ſignifieth to erre; hence that tranſlation. There is a profitable ſenſe in it; for indeed the beſt knowledge which we have of the work of God may be called ignorance, and we ſaid to be ignorant of that work which we are moſt knowing in. Yet becauſe this is ſtraining of the Text, I paſs it by, and keep to our own rendring, Remember that thou magnifie His work.

What work? Here is no work ſpecified, therefore I anſwer;

Firſt, All the workes of God are here included; Magnify his work. What-ever is a work of God, what-ever hath the ſtamp and inſcription of God upon it, ſee that thou magnifie it.

Secondly, and more ſpecially, We may unde…ſtand this work of God to be the work of Creation,Hujus mundi opificium intelligo. Bold. the goodly ſtructure and fabrick of this viſible world; and indeed that's a work ſo great and magnificent, that it ought to be continually remembred and magnified.

Thirdly, Others reſtrain it more narrowly, to that part of the work of God which is eminent in the heavenly meteors, and wonderful changes in the air, together with the motions and influences of the ſtars, of which we ſhall find Elihu diſcourſing at large, like a divine Philoſopher, in the next Chapter. There are ſtrange works of God in theſe lower heavens, where thoſe meteors are born and brought forth; Remember to magnifie thoſe works.

Fourthly, I rather conceive (though ſuch works of God are afterward ſpoken of) that Elihu intends the work of Providence in both the appearances of it, as it is a white or black work, as it is for good or for evil, as it is in judgment or in mercy. A modern Interpreter pitcheth upon the former, and upon one particular of the former; as if Elihu had directly led Jobs thoughts back to the Deluge, that work of God in bringing the Flood upon the old wo…ld; and if we can but go back and honour God for his paſt works of Providence, we ſhall magnifie him for his preſent. p. 352As if Elihu had ſaid; Thou complaineſt that thou art overflowed with a deluge of afflictions; but doeſt thou remember how God deſtroyed the whole world at once in the univerſal flood? But though I think, that may be taken in among other works, yet to reſtraine it to that is a great deal too narrow for this Text. Therefore under this work of God, we may comprehend any great work of God, which is upon record, or which we have heard of, wherein he hath ſhewed his power, wiſdome, and juſtice.

Remember his work;

The work of providence. Thoſe works of providence which are afflictive, have a great place in this Text, becauſe the perſon ſpoken to was one in an afflicted condition. And I conceive Elihu directs Job not ſo much to magnifie God for the day of proſperity and Sun-ſhine which he once had, as for the day of adverſity and darkneſs, which then covered him. Remember that thou magnifie his work, Which men behold,

Which the ſons of Enoſh behold, ſaith Mr Broughton. But the word Sons is not in the Text, there 'tis only men, or weak men. The word which we tranſlate to behold, foreignhath a double ſignification, and that hath cauſed a double tranſlation: It ſignifieth, firſt, to ſing; ſecondly,De quo cecinerunt viri. Quod laudaruni juſti viri. Chald: to ſee or behold. It is tranſlated by ſeveral in the former ſenſe, Remember that thou magnifie his work, whereof men have ſang; The Chaldee Paraphraſe ſaith, For which just men have given praiſe in Pſalmes and ſongs. Beholding fully a good thing, and praiſing it, or praiſing God for it, go together, as M^r Broughtons gloſſe expreſſeth it out of Ramban. Gracious and holy men do not only ſpeak, but ſing the wonderful works of God; And, that praiſes were in ſong or verſe, both the Scriptures and many ancient Authors teſtifie. God works, and men ſing the praiſes of God for his works, as Moſes, David, and Deborah did. And we find all the Saints (Rev. 15.3.) ſinging praiſes to the Lord for the great work which he will do in bringing forth Judgement to perfection upon Babylon. Thus it is a truth, the work of God is to be ſung and ſet forth in meeter, or in verſe.

We take the other tranſlation, Which men behold; which, with reſpect to that which followeth (v: 25.) where both expreſſions p. 353refer to the eye, is, I conceive, moſt proper. Magnifie the work of God, which men behold; As if Elihu had ſaid, O Job, I adviſe thee to leave off ſearching into the ſecrets of God, and ſet thy ſelf to conſider and magnifie thoſe works of God which are plain and lye open to every mans eye.

The word rendred Behold, may note, both a tranſient, and an intenſe or fixt beholding, to look wiſhly as we ſay, to look faſtning the eye ſolicitouſly, yea, it imports, not only to behold with the eye of the body, but with the eye of the mind.

Some Interpreters put an Emphaſis upon the word men, Quae viderunt non hominos ſed viri praeſtantes, ut ſit nomen foreign. Sic alibi, in loco ubi non ſunt viri, virum te praeſta. Druſ:as noting excellent men, vertuous men, men of vertue in their qualities, and of excellency in thei… abilities; ſuch are men indeed, worthy men, worthy the name of man; as it hath been ſaid of old, Where there are no men, do thou play the man, act and ſpeak like a man. Some men have nothing but the outſide of a man. This is a good notion. For good men, holy men, men of divine excellency, are moſt quick-ſighted, and quick-ſented; Firſt, eſpying the appearances of God in any of his providences, and then making a due improvement of them. Therefo…e (ſaith Elihu) magnifie his work, which men, that is, holy and good men, behold and take notice of. David ſpeaking of the wo…ks of God in that notable place, (Pſal 92.6.) ſaith, A brutiſh man knoweth not, neither doth a fool underſtand this; that is, ſuch a one as he,foreign Non tam ex…ellentes, quam mi… et plei…s, v… omnes …mmo homines ſignificat. cannot behold the work of God. And therefore it is more than a cri iciſme to reſtraine the word men, to men of this ſort; yet it muſt be granted that the word ſignifies not only excellent men, but any ſort of men, whether wiſe or fooliſh, rich or poor, and the weake ſort of men more ſpecially than the ſtronger and more noble in any kind.

And to take the word in that univerſality, as compaſſing and comprehending all ſorts of men, even thoſe who ar… dim ſighted, blear-eyed, that is, of weakeſt underſtanding, may be a good improvement of the Text, implying, that as ſome of the wo…ks of God are o myſterious, that the wiſeſt cannot ſee the meaning of them, ſo many, very m…ny, of his wo…ks are ſo manifeſt, that common men may compaſſe them. Magnifie his works, which men behold.

The works of God are of two ſorts, viſible and inviſible.

Firſt, Such as we ſee or know by ſ ght: Thus the wo…ks of p. 354Creation, and the works of Providence, his preſent providences, are ſuch as we behold, they are viſible works.

Secondly, There are inviſible works of God, which we cannot behold, but muſt believe, and can know only by faith; ſuch are his ſpiritual works, or what he works upon or in the ſpirits of the children of men: Theſe are written in too ſmall a letter for the eye of Nature to behold; none can ſee them or behold them but by an eye of faith, or ſpiritual underſtanding. The works of regeneration and ſanctification (for which God is wonderfully to be magnified) may be ſeen or beheld in the fruits and effects of them, in thoſe they are very viſible, but they cannot be ſeen in themſelves. The paſt and future providences of God cannot now be ſeen by the eye, but by faith they may, and we ought to believe that ſuch things were wrought, and ſhall be wrought; we are to receive the teſtimony given by faithful Hiſtory, that ſuch things were done, though we never ſaw the doing of them, and we are to receive the ſure word of Prophecy that ſuch things ſhall be done, though we live not to ſee the doing of them. The work of God intended here by Elihu is a viſible work, therefore it muſt fall among his providences.

Verſ. 25. Every man may ſee it.

foreign Omnes homines in quibus eſt vel mi…a bonae mentis. Merc:That is, ſay ſome, every wiſe and underſtanding man; but rather, any man, (as was touched at the former verſe) if he be but a man of common underſtanding, if he have …ny ſpark of Reaſon left in him unquencht, if he have his eyes in his head, he may ſee it; the eye of every one who will not ſhut his eyes againſt the light, muſt needs ſee it. We ſay, Who ſo blind as they that will not ſee.

Man may behold it afar off.

The word here rendred Behold, is not the ſame which we tranſlate Behold in the former verſe, nor is it the ſame word which ſignifieth to ſee in the former part of this verſe.foreign Some make a difference between ſeeing in the former part of the verſe,foreign and Beholding in the latter. Holy and good men ſee the wo…ks of God clearly and diſtinctly,foreign they look on them with d…light and contentment; the common ſort of men only b…hold …hem, firſt, darkly, as at a diſtance; ſecondly, confuſedly and in groſſe. Man may behold it p. 355Afar off.

There is a four-fold conception about that afar off.foreign A Longe. Mont: Eminus, i. e. a formatione mundi huc uſ que R…b: Solom…th. Non plane perſpicit rationem ejus. Piſc:

Firſt, Some expound it for afar off in time. The work of God doth not weare out; that firſt and great viſible work of Creation which was from the b…ginning, yet remaineth. Ages paſs away, but the work of God doth not paſs away, though done ſome hundreds, yea thouſands o… years ago.

Secondly, Afar off, that is, imperfectly, not fully; he may have ſome diſcoveries of it, every man the weakeſt man may diſcern ſomewhat of it. Things that are high and afar off, are confuſedly ſeen, not clearly or fully diſcerned. A man that is afar off cannot be diſtinguiſhingly knowne. When a man is afar off, we may ſee him to be a man, but what manner of man he is, or who he is, we cannot diſcern; though poſſibly it may be our own father, yet being afar off we cannot know him diſtinctly. Thus to ſee afar off notes only a confuſed knowledge. That's a good ſenſe; things afar off are not diſtinctly ſeen.

Thirdly, Afar off, may be expounded of all the ſight we have on this ſide Heaven. In this world we ſee all that we ſee afar off, we have not a near intimate knowledge of things, eſpecially not of the beſt things, ſpiritual things, of all them we muſt ſay, We know but in part, and ſee thorow a glaſſe darkly, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, (1 Cor. 13.12.) Such things as are not immediate to us,E longinquo, i. e. ex poſteriori us et effecti…. Merc: we are ſaid to ſee thorow a glaſs, or as repreſented in their effects, and iſſues, or in their back parts, as God himſelf is ſeen. (Exod. 33.18, 23.) Thou ſhalt ſee my back parts: but my face ſhall not be ſeen, ſaid God to Moſes when he moved to ſee his glory.

Fourthly, This beholding afar off, may note the greatneſs of the work of God, the exceeding lightſomneſs and glo iouſneſs of it. Thoſe things that are great, may be ſeen a great way off. A high Tower is ſeen afar off. We ha…dly believe the doctrine and reports of Aſtronomers, how far off the Sun is, which every eye beholds. Though the Sun be ſo many thouſand miles diſtant, yet any man may ſee it, 'tis ſo great, ſo beau iful, ſo bright a body. Many of the works of God have ſuch a beauty, radiancy and luſter in them, that any that are not ſtark blind may ſee them afar off. Remember that thou magnifie his work, which men behold. p. 356Every man may ſee it, man may behold it afar off. From the centext of theſe two verſes, note, Firſt, We are very apt to forget our duty in giving God the glory of his works.

The memento or remember at the beginning of the verſe is no more than needs. We have bad memories for any thing that's good, eſpecially for the good word and the good works of God. We are ſo far from magnifying his work, that we often forget his work. 'Tis ſaid of Iſrael (Pſal. 106.13.) They ſoon forgat his works. If we ſoon forget the wo…ks of God, we ſhall ſooner forget to magnifie God for his work. Many remember the work of God, who do not magnifie it, nor him for it; but none can magnifie the work of God, nor God for his work, who do not remember it.

Secondly, In that the Text ſaith, Remember that thou magnifie, not only that thou ſpeak of, or declare his work., but magnifie it,

Note; We uſually have low apprehenſions of the work of God.

While we remember it, we do not magnifie it; while we ſpeak of his work, we ſeldome praiſe his work. It is ſaid of the vertuous Woman, (Prov. 31.31.) Her own works praiſe her in the Gates; that is, they like ſo many Elegant Oratours tell all that paſs by, how praiſe-worthy ſhe is. The wo…ks of God will praiſe him, whether men do or no. All thy works ſhall praiſe thee, (ſaith David, Pſal. 145.10.) What then ſhould they do for whom they are wrought? The latter part of the verſe ſhew, what they will do who know what God hath wrought for them; Thy Saints (ſaith he) ſhall bleſs thee. They who have (as moſt have) low though…s, can never give high p…aiſes of the works of God.

Thirdly, In that this counſel and exhortion is given to Job, in that this ſpur is, as it were, put to his ſides, Remember that thou magnifie,

Note; The beſt men need monitours and remembrancers to quicken them about their duty of magnifying the works of God.

The Lord, though he needeth not, yet will have us to be his p. 357remembrancers, to do our works for us, if we would have our works done; the Lord would have us by prayer to mind him of our own, and of all his peoples condition (Iſa. 62.6.) Ye that are the Lords remembrancers (ſo we put in the Margine, and in the Text) ye that make mention of the Lord, &c. The Lord will have us to be his remembrancers. And though he is ever mindful of his Covenant, yet he liketh it well to be put in mind of it. But O what need have we of a remembrancer, to put us in mind of the work of God, and to magnifie his work! We need a dayly remembrancer to put us in mind of what we ſhould do, how much more of what God hath done! We need to be minded of that which 'tis a wonder how we can forget, our latter end, or how frayle we are; how much more do we need to be minded of thoſe duties which fit us for our latter end, and lead us to thoſe enjoyments which never end!

F…urthly, Obſerve; Such is the ſinfulneſs of mans heart, and his ſluggiſhneſs, that he hardly remembers to magnifie God for thoſe works which he cannot but ſee.

Elihu urgeth Job, and with him all men, to remember that they magnifie even that work of his which men behold, and which every man may ſee. How ſlack are they in or to that great duty of magnifying God, who when they ſee, or may ſee, if they will, his mighty works, yet mind not the magnifying of him!

Fifthly, Obſerve; Some works of providence are ſo plain, that every man, that doth not wilfully ſhut his eyes, may behold them.

He is altogether ſtupid and blockiſh, that ſeeth not what all may ſee. Hence the Pſalmiſt, having ſaid, O Lord, how great are thy works, concludeth ſuch among brutes and fools, (Pſal. 92.6.) The brutiſh man knoweth not, neither doth a fool underſtand this. It was the ſaying of Plato an Heathen; That man is worthy his eyes ſhould be pulled out of his head, who doth not lift them up on high, that he may admire the wiſdome of the Creatour in the wonderfull …abrick of the world; I may adde, and in the works of providence: Are they not ſuch, that as the Prophet ſpeaks, He that runs may read them?

p. 358Sixthly, Conſider why doth Elihu thus charge it upon Job? ſurely to humble him for his ſin, in that he did not magnifie God for his works.

Hence Note; It is a great aggravation of our neglect of praiſing God for his works, or of our not magnifying the works of God, ſeeing his works are obvious to every man, even to the weaker and ruder ſort of men.

If the very blind may ſee them, how ſinfully blind are they, who ſee them not! The works of God ſhould be ſought out, (Pſal. 111.2, 4.) If they lie in corners, yet they are to be ſought out, and they are ſought out of them that have pleaſure therein. If God ſhould hide his work under ground, if God ſhould put his Candle under a buſhel (as Chriſt ſaith men do not, Mat. 5.) yet 'tis our duty to ſeek it out, and ſet it upon a Candleſtick, that all may behold it, and praiſe him for it. Now if the moſt hidden works of God muſt be ſought out, that they may be magnified, ſurely then, when the works of God ſtand forth and offer themſelves to our view and we cannot tell which way to draw our eyes from them, how great a ſin is it, not to behold them, not to give him the glory of them.

Seventhly, Obſerve; To magnifie the works of God is mans duty, yea it is a moſt neceſſary and indiſpenſible duty.

This is the poynt chiefly intended by Elihu in his preſent diſcourſe with Job; This containeth the ſum and ſubſtance of the whole Text. To magnifie the work of God is ſo neceſſary, ſo indiſpenſible a duty, that A remember is put upon it, leſt at any time it ſhould ſlip from us. The Lord knowing how great, how weighty, how comfortable, how profitable a duty it is to keep the Rest day, prefixeth this word, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, (Exod. 20.8.) I might give inſtance from ſeveral other Scriptures, importing thoſe duties which have a memento put upon them to be of great neceſſity, and that the Lord will not bear with us if we lay them by, or neglect the conſtant performance of them. To forget any duty is very ſinfull, how much more thoſe which we are ſpecially warned to remember that we do them! p. 359David was not ſatisfied in doing the duty of the text alone, but muſt aſſociate others with him in it. (Pſ. 34.3.) O let us magnifie the Lord together; that's a bleſſed conſort, the conſort of the bleſſed for ever. The whole work and reward too, of Saints in heaven is, and eternally will be, to magnify God; and they have the beginnings of that work and reward, who are ſincerely magnifying his work here on earth. God hath magnified his word (in all things) above his name (Pſal. 138.2.) and the reaſon is, becauſe his workes anſwer or are the fulfilling of his word to the praiſe of his glorious name. Now if God hath magnified his word by his workes then we muſt magnifie his workes, or him in his workes, For wherein doth God magnifie his word but in his works? He hath magnified his work by bringing his word forth in his works: Surely then if God hath magnified his word by bringing it forth in his works, then 'tis our duty to magnifie the works of God, which are the product, effect and anſwer of his word.

But ſome may ſay, how is that done? I would give anſwer to this queſtion in five things.

Firſt, Then we magnifie the work of God, when we magnifie God for his work: we cannot magnifie the mercy of God, but by magnifying the God of our mercys; We cannot magnifie his work while we neglect himſelf. we magnifie God in his work, firſt, when we aſcribe the whole efficiency of what we ſee done in the world, to him, and ſay, This is the ſinger of God, Or when we ſay, according to this or that time, What hath God wrought? (Numb. 23.23.) To magnifie the work of God is to give the whole of it to God. 'Tis the hand of God upon a work that ſets the price upon any wo…k, and makes it worthy to be magnified. As in ſome Pictures, this …ets a price upon them, to ſay they are ſuch a mans work, the work of ſuch a famous Artiſt, the work of Apelles, or of Michael Angelo. So if we would magnifie any p…ovidential work, we muſt ſay, it is the wo…k of the great God, it is he that ha…h done it; the eye of our mind muſt look directly at God in ruling and governing of the wo…ld. While we pore much upon, or ſtay our thoughts about ſecond cauſes, we cannot exalt the work of God; though we call it Gods w…rk, yet if our hearts hang about ſecond cauſes, the work cannot be exalted as his. 'Tis a depreſſion of the work of God to put any thing of man upon it. To honour the work of God is to give him the p. 360whole effect of the work. As we then magnifie God when we look to him alone, with a ſingle eye, as the end of all our works (There is nothing doth magnifie God in what we do, but our looking to God as the end of all we do; Let our work be what it will, never ſo glittering, never ſo gay and glorious in the eye of the world, yet if it be not conſigned over to God, it is a baſe and pittiful work; if any man dedicates his work to himſelf he diſhonours his work: Now (I ſay) as it magnifieth our work when we make God the end of our work) ſo that which magnifieth Gods work, is, when we look upon him, not only as having an hand in it, but as being both the beginner and ender of it. If we take or give this to the creature, that is, ſit down in this or that Inſtrument, as the means by which we have attained our end, or as the end of what we have attained, we ſpoil the work as to God, or deſpoil God of his work. Remember, this, and this only, magnifieth our work, when we with a ſingle eye look to God as the author and as the end of it. Every work we ſee done is magnified, and God in it, when we look to God as the Alpha and Omega, as the Author and Ender of it. Nor is this true only in thoſe works of God which he doth more immediately, but where men act moſt, and are very inſtrumental. Let us therefore aſcribe every work to God, and that firſt, in afflicting us; ſuch an eye Joſeph had (Gen. 45.8.) It was not you that ſent me hither, but God; that is, not ſo much you, as God (ſaith Joſeph to his brethren) I do not ſay it was you (though you were unkind brethren) it was not you that ſent me hither, but God: I look at him more than at you in that great affliction, which was brought upon me by your envy and unbrotherly unkindneſs towards me. Such an eye David had when he was under a very grievous, black, dark providence, when his ſon roſe up againſt him, and when his ſubject Shimei curſed him, even then he magnified that work of God, by aſcribing it wholly unto him (2 Sam. 16.10.) The Lord hath ſaid unto him, curſe David. He magnified God in that great affliction by looking at the hand of God alone in it, and paſſing by Shimei's, both undutifulneſs and extream malignity. He ſaid as much, while he tells us he ſaid nothing, in a like or as bad a caſe (Pſal. 39.9.) I opened not my mouth, becauſe thou di…st it. Hence that reproof in the Prophet (Iſa. 5.12.) They regard not the work of the Lord, nor conſider the operation of his hand. p. 361Secondly, Let us aſcribe every wo…k to God in exalting us; ſuch an eye had the Church to God (Pſal. 44.1, 2, 3.) Our fathers have told us, what work thou didſt in their dayes; Thou didſt drive out the heathen by thy hand, and plantedſt them, they got not the land in poſſeſſion by their own ſword, &c. but by thy right hand, and thine arm, &c. Here is no mention at all of Joſhua's achievements and famous victories in ſubduing the Canaanites, &c. All is given to God, and he alone exalted for that exalting work. That's the firſt anſwer: Then we magnifie the work of God, when we acknowledge him alone both in afflicting and exalting us.

Secondly, Then we magnifie the work of God, when we beat out, as it were, and ſift all the circumſtances of his work (as we ſay) to the bran, that ſo we may find out every perfection, every glory of it: when we do not only behold and ſee the wo…k, but when (as direction is given, Pſ. 48.) We walk about Zion, tell her towers, and conſider her pallaces, that is, when we do not look upon things only in the bulk, but make an exact ſcrutiny, or take a full view of every part. We cannot magnifie the work of God by a bare beholding of it, but by prying into every circumſtance of it, or by conſidering what excellencies and rarities are in it. As we magnifie our ſinful works (in one ſence we ſhould magnifie our ſins, that is, aggravate them, not magnifie them to applaud them, or glory in them, but to make our ſelves aſhamed of them, as (I ſay) we magnifie our ſinful works, or what we have done ſinfully, when we conſider all the circumſtances of our ſins, as committed againſt light and love, againſt mercy and goodneſs, againſt the patience and forbearance of God, againſt our own profeſſions and promiſes, againſt our experiences and priviledges, all which ſhould oblige us to holineſs, and engage us to a gracious circumſpection in all our wayes, and walkings, leſt at any time we ſhould ſin againſt God and grieve his Spirit: So we magnifie the works of God when we eye all the circumſtances of them, and conſider them as done for us when we could do nothing for our ſelves, as done for us when we muſt have periſhed and been undone, unleſs God had appeared for us; as done for us when we deſerved not the leaſt good to be done for us; as done for us when none would do any thing for us, none caring for our ſoules; as done for us when none could do any thing for us. Theſe and ſuch like p. 362circumſtantial conſiderations, exceedingly magnifie the work of God. A bare behold, a tranſient look may diſcover no great matter, but if we ſeriouſly weigh every particular, we ſhall then ſee cauſe enough to magnifie the: work of God. Eliah (1 Kings 18.43.) commanded his ſervant to go look towards the ſea, and when he went firſt, he ſaw nothing, but being commanded to go ſeven times, he at the ſeventh ſaw a little cloud riſing out of the ſea, as big as a mans hand; but at the laſt, heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. If we would look again and again, if we would look ſeven times upon the work of God, that which at firſt ſeemed nothing, or afterwards no bigger than a mans hand, or no bigger than a mans hand could effect and bring about, will at laſt be magnified to ſuch a vaſtneſs, that all muſt confeſs, the hand of God hath done it.

Thirdly, We then magnifie the works of God, when we freely ſubmit to God in them, as juſt and righteous, when we accept and take them kindly at his hand, not only when they are outward kindneſſes, but croſſes. All the great words and rhetorick we can beſtow upon the works of God will not magnifie them, unleſs we freely ſubmit to them as juſt and righteous. They that would magnifie the works of God, muſt ſay, Judgment and righteouſneſs are the habitation of his throne, while they can ſee nothing but Clouds and darkneſs round about him (Pſal. 97.2.) I (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) am in the dark about all that God is doing at this day, yet of this I am as confident as confidence it ſelf, Judgment and Righteouſneſs are the habitation of his throne; I know God doth nothing amiſs, no not in the leaſt. Thus John in the Revelation (Chap. 15.3.) ſaw them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over, his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, and they (ſaith he) ſing the Song of Moſes. &c. ſaying, great and marvelous are thy works, just and true are thy wayes. The works of God in Judgment upon Babylon, are full of juſtice, and we magnifie them by proclai…ing and crying them up as juſt; yea, the work of God in judgment upon Zion, is exceedingly magnified, when Zion ſubmits to it, and embraceth it as juſt and righteous. It was the great ſin of the houſe of Iſrael, when they ſaid (Ezek. 18 25.) The wayes of God are not equal. As if they had ſaid, are theſe the Lords equal dealings, that we his People ſhould be given up to the hand of the enemy, and ſuffer ſuch things as theſe? p. 336yea, the houſe of Iſrael muſt ſay, all the works of God, not only his exalting works, but his humbling works, are equal, juſt and righteous, for we have ſinned. This is to magnifie the work of God.

Fourthly, To magnifie the work of God, is to look upon his work what-ever it is, not only as having juſtice in it towards all men, but as good and being full of goodneſs to his People. Poſſibly it may be very hard work, yet we muſt bring our hearts to ſay it is good work, good to and for the Iſrael of God. Thus the holy man of old magnified the work of God (Pſal. 73.1.) Truly God is good to Iſrael. This he ſpake while he was bemoaning himſelf under very afflicting providences. We magnifie the afflicting works of God, when we ſubmit to them as juſt, much more when we embrace them as good. And it was very much the deſign of Elihu to bring Job off from diſputing about the evils with which God had ſo long exerciſed him, to a ready yeeldance that they were good for him, and that in all the Lord intended nothing but his good.

Fifthly, To magnifie the work of God, is to anſwer the end of it. Every work is magnified when it receiveth its end; if a work be done; yet if it have not its effect, if it bring not that about to which it was deſigned, the worker receives no honour from it, nor is the work honoured. To work in vain, is a debaſing, a leſſening of any work, not a magnifying of it. The Apoſtle was afraid to beſtow his labour in preaching the Goſpel in vain. When people ſtill continue in their blindneſs and unbelief, &c. this layeth the preaChing of the Goſpel low; but when ſouls are convinced and converted, and come flocking in, then the Goſpel is magnified, and the word of the Lord glorified, as the Apoſtle prayed it might (2 Theſ. 3.1.) Now as the word of God is magnified when it attains its end, ſo the work of God is magnified when we give him, or come up to thoſe ends for which he wrought it: But if we let God loſe the end of his work, we do what we can to debaſe his work, as if he had done it in vain. We ſay, he works like a fool that hath not propoſed an end to every wo…k he dot…; and he appears not very wiſe, at leaſt not very powerful, who a… taineth not the end or ends for which he began his work. The moſt wiſe God hath his end and aim in all his works in this world; and this is the honour we do his work, when we labour, firſt, to know, and ſecondly, to give him his end in every work.

p. 364But if any ask, What are the ends of God in his work?

I anſwer, They are very various.

Firſt, The chief end of all that God doth, is the advancement of his own Name and Glory. As he made all things for himſelf in Creation, ſo he doth all things for himſelf in Providence. That which is the ſin of man is the holineſs of God, to ſeek himſelf. It is moſt proper for God, who is the chief good, and whoſe glory is the ultimate end of all things, to ſet up himſelf in all things (Prov. 16.4.) The Lord hath made all things for himſelf, ſaith Solomon. And the Apoſtle faith as much (Rom. 11.36.) Of him and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever, Amen. All things are of him, therefore all things ſhould return unto him. If we would magnifie any work of God, we muſt be ſure to give him this end, the glory of it. Let it not ſatisfie us, that we are advanced, or get up by the works of God, unleſs we our ſelves advance his glory by them. Many advance themſelves, and are lifted up with pride, when God works for them or by them, not at all minding that which they ſhould chiefly mind, the glorifying of God in & by what he hath w ought, either for themſelves or others.

Secondly, God hath this in deſign, by all his works, to make us better. If it be a work of Judgment, it is to make us better, and then we exalt his works of Judgement, when we are bettered by them, when we are more humbled and weaned from the world by them. And as 'tis the deſign of God to make us better by his works of Judgment, ſo by all his works of mercy. The Apoſtle beſeecheth us by the mercies of God, to preſent our bodies (that is, our whole ſelves) a living ſacrifice, in all holy ſervice to himſelf (Rom. 12.1.) What will it advantage us to be bettered in our outward enjoyments, by what God works or doth for us, unleſs we learn to be better, and do his work better? that is, unleſs our hearts be more holy, and we more fruitful in every good word and work. Some will magnifie the work of God by keeping a day of thankſgiving, becauſe they are richer or greater by what God hath wrought for them, who yet are not a whit more holy or ſpiritual by it. Wo to thoſe who magnifie the work of God becauſe they think it ſhall go better with them, when themſelves are not better. Enquire therefore what luſt hath the work of God moved you to mortifie, wha… grace hath the work of God put you upon the exerciſe of: They only indeed magnifie the work of p. 365God who have ſuch workings towards God. It were better not receive a mercy, than not to be bettered by a mercy. It is not our crying up the works of God in our words, but in our works, which is the magnifying of them. It is more ſafe for us to ſay nothing of what God hath wrought for us, than to publiſh it, or make our boaſt of it, when we our ſelves do …hing worthy of it, in a way of condecency and proportion to it. 'Tis the deſign of God in giving promiſes to make us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſs in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7.1.) Much more having given us any great performances of his promiſes, doth he expect that we ſhould be clean and holy. O then what a pittiful courſe do they take, who pretending to magnifie the works of God, do ſuch things as are a defilement both to fleſh and ſpirit!

A third deſign of God in working for us, is to make us truſt him more, or, to be more in believing. 'Tis ſhewed (Pſal. 78.4.) what great things God did for the Jewiſh nation, and for their fathers; But what did God ayme at in all? we have the anſwer (v. 8.) That they might ſet their hope in him, and not forget his workes. The aim which God had in thoſe great works, was that their hope might be ſet upon him; that they might truſt in him more then ever they had done. The Lord, by the great works he doth, would gain upon our faith, or cauſe us to truſt him for the future. How diſhonorably do they carry it towards God, who believe not his word, much more they who believe not his workes, that is, who believe him not, notwithſtanding his workes, as 'tis ſaid of Iſrael (Pſ. 78.32.) For all this they ſinned ſtill; and believed not his wondrous works. The Pſalmiſt doth not mean, that they did not believe ſuch works had been done; but the meaning is, they did not truſt God who had done thoſe wo…ks. Theſe and many more dutyes the Lord teacheth us by his word, and he teacheth them alſo by his workes, as it is ſaid (v. 22.) who teacheth like him? The Lord teacheth us many excellent leſſons by his works, if we had hearts to learn them. Lay theſe things together in practiſe, and they will be the beſt, yea, they are the only way of magnifying the works of God done for us. And, if the works of God are to be magnified all theſe wayes, then they fall ſhort of this duty,

Firſt, Who only make a report of the works of God, who tell p. 366the ſtory of what he hath done, and ſo have done. As we ought to adorne the doctrine of God (Tit. 2.) ſo likewiſe the doings of God, or what God hath done, by our doings, Meer narratives about the work of God, is far below magnifying his work.

Secondly, They fail much more who extenuate and diminiſh the works of God, wh… …bſcure or eclipſe his workes. As in our confeſſions of repentance, it is a ſign of a bad heart barely to report our ſins before God, without aggravating them in their ſinfulneſs; but in confeſſion to extenuate our ſin ſheweth a very rotten and naughty heart; ſo in our confeſſions of praiſe, meerly …o report what God hath done for us, without putting an accent or a due emphaſis upon his mercies, ſhews much …oldneſs of ſpirit in the duty; but to clip and leſſen the workes of God, to hide and darken them, to abate and detract from them, ſhewes a baſe and a wicked ſpirit.

Thirdly, How do they fail in magnifying the workes of God, who do not only conceal how good they are, but bring up an ill report upon them, as thoſe ſearchers did upon the land of Canaan. Thoſe works and diſpenſations of God, which (like that land) ſlow with milk and honey, may be looked upon and cenſured by ſome, as good for nothing but to eat up and conſume thoſe that are under them.

Fourthly, They who ate impatient under any work of God, who murmur and repine at it, are far from magnifying the work of God.

Fifthly, They are far from magnifying the work of God, who think themſelves ſo wiſe that they could mend the work of God; had they the penſel in their hand they would make fairer work of it: what hudling is here? think ſome; what confuſion is here? ſay others; what ſad work is here? ſaith a third. If we had the ordering of things what an orderly wo…ld would we make, if we had the ordering of things (as God hath) we would quickly cure and remedy all theſe diſorders. Though ſuch formal ſpeeches be not uttered, yet ſuch things are ſpoken in parables, the actions of ſome tell us ſuch are their thoughts, as if they could mend the work of God, and govern the world with greater moderation than tis; though indeed we need not ſcruple to call the wiſeſt man in the world a very dotard, if he thinks ſo, or that any thing can be done more equally than God hath done it. Let all p. 367fleſh adore, let none preſume to queſtion the work of God; let God alone with his work; as he will have no controler, ſo he needs no counſeller. Remember, tis mans duty to magnifie his work, not to mend it, to ſhew how good it is, not to attempt the making of it better. And indeed as it is the higheſt poynt of preſumption, ſo of ignorance, to meddle with the mending of it. The Lord is a Rock (ſaith Moſes, Deut. 32.4.) and his work is perfect. Who but a fool, or who but by the over-working of his own folly would venture to mend that which is already, not only perfected, but perfect, were it only the work of a man, much more when it is the work of God, the only wiſe God?

And that we may be provoked humbly to magnify, and for ever deterred from that proud attempt of finding fault with, or mending the work of God, conſider theſe three things;

Firſt, Take the argument in the text, the plainneſs of the work of God, it is ſuch as may be ſeen afar off, none can pretend ignorance of it, or if they do, that's a vain covert, or excuſe; every man may ſee it, man may behold it afar off, as moſt worthy to be magnified.

Secondly, If we do not magnifie the work of God, God will leſſen his own works of mercy and favour toward us.

Thirdly, He will do no more for us if we magnifie not what he hath done. It is ſaid (Math. 13.58.) Chriſt did not many mighty works there, becauſe of their unbeleif. God will do no more mighty works for them, who refuſe or neglect to pay him a tribute of praiſe and glory for what he hath done.