Exposition of Job 35-37, Exposition on Job · Chapter 36 · Verse 26
JOB, Chap. 36. Verſ. 26.
26. Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be ſearched out.
ELihu having called upon Job to magnifie the work of God in general, proceeds to draw him to the magnifying of the ſpecial works of God in naturals: Yet before he leads him to the conſideration of the greatneſs of thoſe works, he invites him to conſider God himſelf who is the Author and Diſpoſer of them, and he invites him to conſider God is three things, all which we find laid down in this 26th verſe.
Firſt, In his Greatneſs; Behold God is great.
Secondly, In his Incomprehenſibleneſs; He is great, and we know him not.
Thirdly, In his Eternity; Neither can the number of his years be ſearched out.
Surely he is moſt worthy our conſideration who is great, and ſo great that he cannot be comprehended, and who is eternally great, whoſe years are numberleſs.
Verſ. 26. Behold God is great.
The word Behold, is here a note both of Attention and admiration; O mind, O admire the greatneſs of God. God is great. The word rendred great, properly ſignifies an encreaſing growing greatneſs; God is without all encreaſe or growth, being for ever the ſame,foreign Et multus. & magnus, multus robore. Druſ. Septuaginta legunt multus, i. e. omnibus numeris perfectus, atque omnibus perfectionibus cumilo…is. yet he may be ſaid to encreaſe, to be magnified and multiplied (as I may ſay) according to the apprehenſions which we have of him. This word bears the ſignification both of much and many. God is but one and the one-most one, yet (in this ſence) many. So the Septuagint renders it here, he hath, or is many, that is, he hath all perfections in him; the lines of all excellency and virtue, of all glory and perfection, center in God alone. Thus God is much, and God is many; the one God is many, he hath many, he hath all eminencies and excellencies bound up, boundleſly in him.
Again, God is great, in himſelf or in his being. Whatſoever is in God is God, and therefore whatſoever is in God is great. The power of God is the powerful God, and therefore his power muſt needs be great: the wiſdom o… God is the wi e God, and therefore his wiſdom moſt needs be very great; the mercy of God is the merciful God, and therefore his mercy muſt needs be very great: And thus we may p…oceed in our meditations quite through all the divine Attributes.
And as God is great in his being, ſo he is great in his working, he doth great things. The Pſalmiſt …aith, he is good, and doth good; he is alſo great, and doth great things; he is the t…ſt, the chief, and the beſt being, and his doings are ſuch as he is, he doth like himſelf. God is great, and he hath an excellent, an excelling greatneſs. Praiſe him (ſaith David, Pſal. 150.2.) according to his excellent greatneſs, or as the words may well bear, according to his muchneſs of greatneſs; for when the Scripture ſaith, God is great, this poſitive is to be taken as a ſuperlative, God is great, that is, he is greateſt, he is greater than all, ſo great that all perſons and all things are little, yea, nothing before him (Iſa. 40.15.) Behold the nations are (to him but) as the drop of the bucket, and are counted but at the ſmal dust of the ballance: behold, he taketh up the Iſles as a very little thing, they are as nothing, and they are counted to him as leſs than nothing and vanity. How great is God in compariſon of whom the greateſt things are little things, yea, the greateſt things are nothing!
Behold, God is great. From this excellent Attribute, the greatneſs of God, I have made ſeveral Inferences already, at the 12th verſe of the 33d chapter; yet I ſhall infer ſome things further here, both for our direction and conſolation.
Firſt, If God he great and greateſt, then fear him greatly. Great is the Lord (ſaid David, in his thankſgiving-ſong, 1 Chron. 16.25.) he alſo is to be feared above all gods; that is, above all the great powers on earth, and above all the imaginary powers of heaven. Idols, who are the fancied powers of heaven, are ſometimes called gods in Scripture; ſo likewiſe are Princes or Magiſtrates, who are eal powers on earth. Now, ſaith David (who was one of thoſe gods, and a great one) fear him above all gods: Why? Becauſe he is above all gods, he is higher than the higheſt and he is greater than the greateſt; therefore fear him above all gods, yea, therefore fear, or worſhip him all ye gods (Pſal. 97.7.) Many ſay with their mouthes, God is great, yea, infinitely greater than man, yet they fear men, eſpecially great men, more than God.
Secondly, If God be great, then love him greatly. Shall this great God have but little love from us? The Law of love, with reſpect to God, is expreſt two wayes in Scripture; firſt, as to the truth of it; and ſecondly, as to the meaſure or degree of it. The love which is given to God muſt be a true love, a ſincere love, yet not only ſo, but the love which is given to God muſt be the greateſt love; Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy might, and with all thy ſtrength; with all thy heart ſincerely, with all thy might and ſtrength greatly.
Thirdly, If God be great, then ſerve him greatly, or do him great ſervice. Take heed of offering the lean and the lame, the halt and the blind to this great King. A great King muſt not be put off with little ſervices with ſmall pittances of duty.
Fourthly, If God be great, then believe him greatly; let us have great faith in the great God. Jeſus Chriſt rebukes his diſciples (Mat. 8.26.) O ye of little faith; have you God to pitch your faith upon, who is great? have you his power, and his mercy, and his truth, and his faithfulneſs, all which are great, to reſt upon? and have you but a little faith? That woman (Mat. 15.28.) gave glory to God in believing, when ſhe believed greatly; and therefore Chriſt cryeth up and magnifyeth the greatneſs of her faith, O woman, great is thy faith.
Fifthly, The great God is greatly to be praiſed; he doth great things for us, therefore we muſt return great thanks to him. That alſo we have expreſly (1 Chron. 16.25.) Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praiſed. The great God muſt have great praiſes, for he doth great things. As every ſin we commi… againſt God hath a greatneſs in it upon this conſideration, becauſe he is a great God againſt whom we ſin (Take heed of the leaſt ſin, for that is great, being committed againſt the great God) ſo whatſoever duty (this of p…aiſe eſpecially) we perform to God, we ſhould ſtrive to raiſe it up to the g…eateſt, to the higheſt, becauſe the great God, the high God is concerned in it, or it is conſigned to the great, to the high God.
Sixthly, If God be great, we ought to give him great ſubmiſſion, or to ſubmit greatly to him. Great ſubmiſſion to God is the ſubſtance of all duty to God. We owe the full ſubmiſſion of our wills to the Will of God in a twofold reſpect. Firſt, to whatſoever he willeth us to do, or to his commanding will. Secondly, to whatſoever he will do with us, or to his diſp ſing Will. In theſe, and in all things, let us ſtrive to g…ea…en all the acting; of our ſouls towards God, becauſe he is great.
Secondly, If God be great, then we may infer for conſolation.
Firſt, Be not diſcouraged in prayer when you have great things to ask, when your wants are great, and your neceſſities urgent, when you muſt have great ſupplies, when ſmall matters will not ſerve your turn (In many ca…es, it is not a little help, it is not a ſmall matter which will do the thing which we ſue unto God for) now here is a mighty ground of comfort for us, if we want great things, we have a great God to go unto; and how great ſoever our wants are, they are all but ſmall to the greatneſs of that God unto whom we go (Epheſ. 3.20.) He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think; and not only above what we actually ask and think, but indeed, beyond what poſſibly we can ask or think, above what we are able to ask or think. Therefore let us never be diſcouraged in prayer, becauſe of the greatneſs of the things that we have to ask of God.
Secondly, Be not diſcouraged, though as your wants, ſo your dangers and your troubles are great. How great ſoever the danger is you would be delivered from, God is greater, to whom you come for deliverance: And therefore when a great Mountain ſtood in the way of the deliverance of the people of God (Zech. 4.7.) the Prophet ſpeaks in his language, Who art thou? O great Mountain, thou ſhalt become a Plain before Zerubbabel; that is, before the power of that God in whom Zerubbabel truſts and whoſe work Zerubbabel carries on. Hence that holy confidence (Pſal. 66.3.) Through the greatneſs of thy power, thine enemies ſhall ſubmit themſelves to thee, or, they ſhall yeild feigned obedience, as we put in the margin, which ſome render thus, through the greatneſs of thy power, thine enemies ſhall be found liars. All the readi…gs magnifie the g eatneſs of God. Through the g e…tneſs of thy power thine enemies, the enemies of thy people, ſhall …ubmit, they ſhall be found liars, t…ey ſhall yeild feigned obedience, they ſhall not be able with all their greatneſs to ſtand i… out againſt the great God. Therefore be not diſcouraged at any time at the greatneſs of danger. Though you walk through the very valley of the ſhadow of death (that's to be in the greateſt danger) yet as David did not, ſo do not you fear, no not that great danger, while the great God is with you.
Thirdly, Be not d ſcouraged though your ſins are great when you come to a…k the pardon of them. As the greatneſs of ſin puts a very great damp upon the ſpirit of man in asking pardon, ſo the greatneſs of God ſhould take off that damp. My thoughts are not your thoughts (ſaith the Lord Iſa. 55.7, 8, 9.) in this matter. There is nothing wherein God doth more exceed man than in pardoning ſin (Mic. 7.18.) If ſin be great, the mercy of God is great too, infinitely greater than the ſin of man; if ſin be great, remember we have a great high Priest (Heb. 4.14.) not only a Prieſt, but a high Prieſt, and a great high Prieſt; therefore fear not to ask the pardon, even of the greateſt ſin, in his name and for his ſake. And this is true it we reſpect either national or perſonall ſins; it may encourage us in asking pardon for nations, how great ſoever their ſins are. Moſes, when the People had greatly ſinned againſt God, had recourſe to this (Numb. 14.18, 19.) The Lord is of great mercy; pardon I beſeech thee the iniquity of this people, according to the greatneſs of thy mercy, as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now. Do thus alſo with reſpect to perſonal ſins. David made the greatneſs of his perſonal ſin an argument to go to God for mercy (Pſal. 25.11.) Pardon my ſin, O Lord, for it is great. He was ſo far from being diſheartened by the greatneſs of his ſin, to a…k the pardon of it, that (according to our reading) he had great hope of pardon, as well as ſ…w he had great need of pardon; and all becauſe he knew God was great in mercy. Or, if we read that text thus, Pardon my ſin, O Lord, though it be great, the ſenſe is much the ſame; for as the former makes the greatneſs of his ſin a reaſon provoking him to haſten unto God for pardon (as great diſeaſes haſten us in ſeeking remedies) ſo the latter ſhews that the greatneſs of ſin is no ſtop to the mercy and free grace of God in Chriſt, for the pardon of it. Chriſt in that Parable (Mat. 18.24.) gives inſtance of the greateſt debt; he tells us of one that owed his Lord ten thouſand talents, a vaſt ſum, a very vaſt ſum; a talent being, according to the loweſt computation, three hundred pounds of money; ten thouſand times three hundred pounds is a huge ſum; ſo that here was a great debt, now (ſaith the text) When the debtor had nothing to pay, he came to his Lord, or Creditor, and he forgave him all. He did not ſay, wouldeſt thou have me, or can I, forgive ſuch a debt as this? What, ten thouſand talents? He forgave it as if it had been a debt of two mites. Thus, and many other wayes we may improve this firſt Attribute of God, mentioned in the text, his greatneſs, both as to our direction in duty, and conſolatition in every extreamity. Behold God is great, And we know him not.
That's the ſecond thing. The words are plain, but the tenſe is difficult; for it may be objected, Do not we know God? Elihu ſaid but juſt now, in the very verſe before the text, Magnifie his works which men behold, every man may ſee it, man may behold it afar off? Surely if the works of God may be known and ſeen by every one, God himſelf may be known, for he is known in his works, as the Apoſtle argues (Rom. 1.20.) The things which he hath made make him known: how is this then ſaid, That God is great and we know him not? Doth not the Prophet in denouncing that dreadful curſe (Jer. 10.25.) Poure out thy wrath upon the hea…hen that know thee not, thereby intimate, that all the people of God know him? Doth not Chriſt tell us (John 17.3.) This is eternal life, to know thee the onelyonly true God. They who have eternal life, muſt have the knowledge of the true God. But all true believers have eternal life already in hope, and ſhall have it ſhortly in hand, therefore they know God. The Promiſe of the New Covenant is (Heb. 11.) They ſhall all know me from the leaſt to the greatest; that is, all my Covenant-people ſhall know me. How is it then ſaid, God is great, and we know him not? When Paul was at Athens, he ſound an Altar with that Inſcription, To the unknown God (Act. 17.23.) They worſhipped a God whom they knew not, but certainly we muſt know whom we worſhip. Ye worſhip ye know not what, was Chriſt's reproof of the Samaritans (John 4.22.) We know what we worſhip; that is, whom we worſhip.
For anſwer to this, when the text ſaith, God is great and we know him not; we may ſay, Firſt, That even heathens, the untaught, untutored, and uncatechized heathens do, or, may know God, that is, they may know him in ſome degree or other, they may, yea, they do know him (as the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 1.20.) ſo far as to leave them without excuſe; they have no plea, nor can they make any apologie for themſelves. Secondly, 'Tis certain, all believers, I mean all true believers, know God ſavingly, or ſo far as is ſufficient for their ſalvation. Every believer knows God. There is no faith in God without the knowledge of God. Thirdly, Which ſhall be the point of Obſervation from this part, as well as an anſwer to the queſtion; None know God fully, perfectly, comprehenſively.
That's Elihu's meaning when he ſaith, God is great, and we know him not; that is, we know not how great he is, or we know not the utmoſt of his greatneſs. God only knoweth himſelf fully and comprehenſively. There is no proportion between the greatneſs of God and the underſtanding of a man. The greatneſs of God is infinite, the underſtanding of a man is but finite and limited; the deepeſt underſtanding among men, yea, the underſtanding of Angels is but ſhallow, compared with God. Thus we are to underſtand this text, God is great, and we know him not. There is a greatneſs in every thing of God, tranſcending the poſſibility of any created underſtanding. This ſome give for the reaſon, why the Seraphims ſpoken of (Iſa. 6.) are ſaid with two of their wings to cover their faces, they were not able to bear the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. For, though Chriſt, in that admonition which he gave, to take heed of off…nding and deſpiſing the little ones, gives this reaſon for it. (Mat. 18.10.) For in heaven there Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heaven; though (I ſay) it be a truth, that the holy Angels, and bleſſed Saints above, do alwayes behold the face of God, yet neither Saints nor Angels, not the Saints in glory, nor the glorious Angels, can fully comprehend the greatneſs and majeſty of God; and therefore the Prophet (as was ſaid) repreſented the Angels covering their faces with their wings. We have heard of King Hiero putting the queſtion to Simonides, a Philoſopher, What God was, who deſi…ed (not being able to give a ſudden anſwer) that the King would reſpit him till next day; when next day came he deſired a ſecond, and when that came he deſired a third; and ſtill the more he ſearched, the farther he was from finding his anſwer. This is true, not only of Philoſophers, who ſee but by the dark light of Nature, but of thoſe who are enlightened divinely, or from above, they who receive much light from God, cannot comprehend the light of God; the more they ſearch into it, the more they ſee themſelves ſhort of it. The moſt we know of God is not ſo much as the leaſt part of that which we know not of him; and when we know as much of God as is knowable by man, yet it may be ſaid, as in the text, God is great, and we know him not.
Hence take three brief Corolaries or Deductions.
Firſt, If God be great and we know him not, that is, we are not able to comprehend him; then we muſt reſt ſatisfied with what God hath manifeſted of himſelf and of his will. God hath manifeſted himſelf theſe four wayes. Firſt, In his Word. Secondly, In his works of Creation and Providence. Thirdly, In his Son. Fourthly, By his Spirit. Theſe wayes God is pleaſed to manifeſt himſelf, or make himſelf known unto his People; now what knowledge of God can be gathered up in theſe wayes, what can be learned of him out of his word, out of his works, by conſidering him in his Son, and by waiting for the help of his bleſſed Spirit, we muſt labour to take in; but take heed of a bold preſſing into the ſecrets of God, or of a curious prying into the nature of God, which indeed will but dazle our eyes, and the more we think or look into it, the blinder we ſhall be.
Secondly, If God be ſo great that we know him not, Then we ought not preſumptuouſly to enquire into a reaſon of the works and wayes of God; for that which is true of God himſelf, is true of his works and of his wayes, we cannot know them in the ſence opened: Therefore the Apoſtle ſpeaking about that wonderful diſpenſation of God, the laying aſide of the Jewes and calling of the Gentiles (Rom. 11.33.) cryeth out, O the depth of the knowledge and wiſdom of God! how unſearchable are his Judgments, and his wayes paſt finding out! As God himſelf cannot be fully known, ſo neither can his wayes nor works.
Thirdly, If God cannot be fully known, neither in himſelf, nor in his works, Then take heed of murmuring or complaining of the wayes, works, and dealings of God. Will you find fault with that which you neither do, nor can fully know? how little is it of any of the works of God, that we know! how little a way do we ſee into them! let us not find fault with that thing, the perfections whereof we cannot find out; ſay not, why is it thus? why doth God let things go thus? why are his providences ordered thus? there are many ſuch queryings in the hearts of men, and ſome ſuch are expreſt by the tongues of men. But remember the Lord cannot be known in his works, therefore let us not complain of his works, but, ſitting down in ſilence, ſubmit to them; let us (as David) Be dumb becauſe God hath done it, (Pſal. 39.9.) David was ſilent, not only with reſpect to the ſoveraignty of God, who, he knew, had power and liberty to do whatſoever he pleaſed, but with reſpect to his incomprehenſibility, becauſe he knew he was not able to know or underſtand the bottome-reaſon of that which God had done. This ſome conceive, the ſpecial intendment of Elihu in this Text, as reproving Job for his many complaints, and murmurings, and diſputings about the dealings of God with him in the extremity of his ſufferings: Therefore, ſaid he, Conſider God is great, and we know him not.
Yet let none be diſcou…aged in ſeeking after the knowledge of God, becauſe 'tis told us we cannot know God; yea let no man think to excuſe himſelf in his neglect of purſuing the knowledge of God, becauſe this Text ſaith we cannot know him. Some poſſibly will ſay, If God be ſo great, that we cannot know him, then why ſhould we labour after the knowledge of God? or we hope this will excuſe us, if we do not know him, ſeeing we cannot. Take heed of ſuch reaſonings; for though God cannot be known to the utmoſt of what himſelf is, yet God may be known ſo far as is needfull for us, and that is very far. We may know God ſo far as concerns our duty to him, and our happineſs by him; we may know God ſo far as to honour him, and to enjoy him: and we muſt labour to know him perfectly, though we cannot. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of the love of God (Eph. 3.17.) would have us labour to comprehend with all Saints, the heighth, the bredth, the depth, the length, and to know the love of Chriſt that paſſeth knowledge. That the love of Chriſt paſſeth knowledge, that it exceeds our underſtanding, ſhould not diſcourage us from labouring to know it; nor will it excuſe any that ſit down idly, and do not ſtudy the knowledge of God, though he paſſeth knowledge; we muſt labour to know the greatneſs of Gods love, and the greatneſs of Gods wiſdome, and the greatneſs of Gods power, though the greatneſs of God in all theſe is greater tha… our n…rrow hearts can comprehend. Behold, God is great, and we know him not, Neither can the number of his years be ſearched out.
The Text is, Number of his years, no ſearch: that is,Numerus annorum ejus, et non eſt inveſtigatio. as we well tranſlate it, the number of his years is ſuch as cannot be ſearched, we ſay, ſearched out; it is but one word in the Hebrew, properly ſignifying, to ſearch a thing to the bottome, that we may find out the utmoſt of it. The number of Gods years cannot thus be ſearched out, we cannot find them to the bottome. Elihu ſpeaks of God after the manner of men; years properly belong to man, and the things here below of this world: the life of man, and the continuance of the creature, are meaſured by houres, and dayes, and weeks, and months, and years, as theſe are meaſured by the motion of the Heavens. But God is far above any ſuch rule or meaſure of life, or of his being, all theſe meaſures are improper unto God; there's no meaſuring him by houres, dayes, weeks, months or years, or ages. The word which we tranſlate years, ſignifieth changes. Years are changed or returned; there is a returne of the ſame time every year, Spring and Summer,Annus apud Hebraeos (foreign) ex ſua proprietate et Etyriologia nomen ha…et a mutatione, quaſi dicatur mutato… us Ab hae radice veſtes d…untur foreign, nam mu…mtur vateraſ…unt innovantur: …t vutari id…m quod veſt…i (1 Reg. 14.2.) and Autumn and Winter; thus the year changeth, and turnes about continually. God is infinitely above all theſe charges and turnings of time (Pſal. 102.25, 26, 27.) The heavens wax old, and as a veſture thou ſhalt change them, and they ſhall be changed, but thou art the ſame, and thy years fayle not. The years of God are not like the years of the world, which wear it ou…, and change it as a veſture, is changed by time; the Lord is for ever the ſame. Thus one of the Ancients gloſſeth thoſe words of the Pſalme, Thy years …ay…e not: Thy years (ſaith he) neither go nor come; thy years ſtand all together, for becauſe they ſtand, they that go are not excluded by them that come; thy years are one day, and thy day is not day by day, but to day; thy to day doth not give place to to-morrow, nor doth it ſucceed to yeſterday; thy to day is eternity, therefore thou hast begot thy co-eternal, to whom thou ſaidest, to day have I begotten thee. So then this expreſſion, Neither can the number of his years be ſearched out, is, according to our apprehenſion and underſtanding, a deſcription not only of very old age, but of eternity. We would think that man very old, the houres,Auguſtin is in Pſal. 102. v. 28. yea the minutes of whoſe life could not be ſearched out by a good. A…ethme…ici…n much more eaſily may we tell how many years the oldeſt man hath lived: What then ſhall we think of him the number of whoſe years cannot be ſearched out? this can ſpeak nothing leſs than everlaſtingneſs. And this eternity or everlaſtingneſs of God, though it be impartible, yet it hath, I may ſay, a double reſpect: Firſt, to what went before; Secondly, to what is to come. The eternity of God is ſuch as cannot be ſearched out, either as to what is paſt, or to what is to come;Aeternitas tempora omnia ſine tilla ſucc…ſſione complectit r. Aeternitas eſt vitae beatae tota ſimul et perfecta poſſeſſio. Boetius. Aetornum eſt unum eſſe, et totum ſimul eſſe, et nihil deeſſe. Greg. l. 16. Moral. c. 21. Aeternum eſt immu abile et totum impartibiliter. Dionyſ: cap. 10. de divinis Nomin: indeed unto God there is nothing paſt or to come; for eternity, properly taken, is an everlaſting Now, it is not that which paſſeth or moveth away; and therefore ſome of the Ancients elegantly deſcribe eternity, to be the perfect enjoyment of bleſſed life all at once; which becauſe it is all at once together and perfect, cannot be altered nor leſsned. In eternity that which is paſt is preſent, yea that which is to come is preſent in an eternal bleſſed life. 'Tis ſo with God, and ſo in proportion with all thoſe who are entred into eternity, whatſoever they have had is alwayes preſent with them, nor are they in the expectation of any thing to come; they enjoy all in every moment, without the want of any thing. 'Tis much more ſo with God; though years have ſucceſſion, yet the years of God have no ſucceſſion of times or things.
Further, The eternity of God, which lies under this deſcription, The Number of his years cannot be ſearched out, is not a particular attribute of God, but that which difuſeth it ſelf through all his attributes; he is eternall in all; there is no ſearching out the Number of the years of any of the perfections of God; his Wiſdome is eternal, and his Power is eternal, and his Goodneſs is eternal, and his Juſtice is eternal; there is no ſearching out the Number of the years of God in any of theſe perfections.
Hence Note; God is an eternal being;
His years come not under account, or number. God is eternal, not only without end, as created Spirits are, but without beginning, which no creature is, not can be; He is eternal, not only without end or beginning, but without ſucceſſion or mutation. Some of the Ancients tell us,—Stabiliſ que manens dat cuncta moveri. Boet: de Confol: Metro. 9. Eternity ſtands faſt, but moves all other things. The eternal God is the firſt Mover, himſelf being immoveable. If ſo, then
Firſt, All things are alwayes preſent with or before God: Things paſt, things to come are preſent with God, he were not eternal elſe. In that eternity or eternal eſtate of glory which believers ſhall at laſt arive unto, even they ſhall enjoy all at once, becauſe all their enjoyments ſhall be in God, or God ſhall be their whole enjoyment.
Secondly, God is infinitely happy and bleſſed. He hath all that ever he had, or that ever he can have, all at once, or already, nothing of his bleſſedneſs is either to come to him or gone from him; therefore he muſt needs be infinitely bleſſed. Here in this world ſome men have had a kind of bleſſedneſs, they have been rich and great, they have been in power, they have had their fill of pleaſure, but now they have it not, all is periſhed and gone and paſt away. There are others in expectation of great matters, of great riches, of great honours, of great contentments in this world, but as yet they have them not; we ſay of many, Their lands are not come into their hands, their eſtate is but yet in reverſion and expectation. Thus it is with men; ſome have had it, and it is gone, and others though they may have it, yet it is not come. But now with the Lord all is preſent, and therefore how infinitely happy is he! A man would think himſelf very happy if he could have all the contentments that ever he had ſcattered through the ſeveral dayes and years of his life gathered into one moment; it is thus with God, and thus in proportion it ſhall be with us, when we come to that bleſſed ſtate of eternity.
Thirdly, If God be eternall, if there be no ſearching out of his years, then
Time is in the diſpoſe and ordering of God. He that inhabiteth eternity, is the Lord of time. God is ſaid to inhabite eternity, (Iſa. 57.15.) that is, he is eternall, and therefore he is the diſpoſer of all times; he that made time will order time: he ordereth time as to perſons, and he orders time as to Nations, he orders times, and all the changes of times, he ordereth, not only the duration of time, but the condition of times; all is from him, whoſe yea s cannot be ſearched out. David ſaid (Pſal. 31.15.) My times are in thy hands, that is, my perſonal times in all the changes of them, troubleſome or comfortable, joyfull or ſorrowfull, are ordered at thy will, by thy power and wiſdome. And with reſpect to Nations Daniel ſaid (Chap 2.21.) He changeth times and ſeaſons. The Lord puts a new face of things upon S…t…es and Kingdomes; what changes hath not, cannot the Lord m…re among the ſons of men? The reaſon of all is, he is eternall.
Fourthly, If there be no ſearching out the number of the years of God, if he be eternall, then
How ought we to reverence and adore God! We have a Command from God to reverence thoſe who have attained many years in this world, which alaſs are very few, none at all to the years of God; the aged, the gray-headed muſt be reverenced, (Lev. 19.32.) And one reaſon of that Law may be, becauſe the aged have ſome ſhadow of Gods eternity upon them; they who have many years have ſome reſemblance of him, the number of whoſe years cannot be ſearched out; therefore God will have them reverenced. Now if the ancient are to be reverenced, how much more God himſelf, who is called (Dan. 7.9.) The ancient of dayes!
Fifthly, If God be eternall, then, we may truſt him, yea therefore we ought to truſt him, (Pſal. 74.12.) Thou art my King of old, commanding deliverances. O how did Davids confidence ariſe upon this, that God who was King of old, is King now, and will be King for ever, (Pſal. 10.16.) The Lord is King for ever and ever; the Heathen are periſhed out of his Land, that is, they ſhall ſurely periſh. God will not alwayes bear with evill men in his Land; For if becauſe God was King of all the Lands, he therefore drave the old Heathen out of Canaan, and planted his people there; doubtleſs, if they who bear the name of his people there, live ſo like the old Heathen that they may be called Heathen, he will alſo cauſe them to periſh out of his Land, and all becauſe he is King for ever and ever, and therefore can do it at one time as well as at another, and now as eaſily as at any time heretofore. Truſt in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlaſting ſtrength, (Iſa. 26.4.) David a Great Prince makes it an argument to draw off our truſt from men, from the greateſt men, from Princes, becauſe they are not for ever, (Pſal. 146.3, 4.) Trust not in Princes, nor in any Children of men; why not? many reaſons may be given why not; but the only reaſon there given is their frailty, and the conſequents of it; His breath goeth forth, &c. As if he had ſaid, Suppoſe Princes are never ſo good, and juſt, and gracious in the exerciſe of their Power, yet truſt not in them, for they die, their breath goeth forth, and then all their thoughts periſh: all the reall purpoſes which they had, as alſo the promiſes which they made for your good, die with them, and can do you no good: The number of their years may be ſearched our, and run out, their years are not for ever. Now the contrary of that which is an argument uſed by the Spirit of God to draw off our truſt from the gods here on Earth, is an argument to draw on and engage our truſt ſtrongly to the God of Heaven; His breath goeth not forth, none, not one of his thoughts ſhall periſh; therefore truſt in him.
Sixthly, If there be no ſearching out the number of the years of God, then, Be not troubled if God ſeem to ſtay and not to do the work which you expect this or that year: If God doth it not this year, he hath another year to do it in, there is no ſearching out the number of his years. We may ſay of any man if he doth not his work this year, he may be gone before the next: but if God doth not his work this year, he may do it next year, or two or ten years hence; he hath time enough, even all time before him▪ therefore the Prophet, having ſaid (Hab. 2.3.) The viſion is for an appointed time, but at the end it ſhall ſpeak and not lie, preſen…ly adds, Though it tarry, wait for it: As if he had ſaid, The Lord who hath all times and ſeaſons in his power, will do his work in the beſt time and ſeaſon, he will do what he hath promiſed, when it is moſt ſit to be done; if he doth it not at the time when we expect, yet let us wait, he is the Maſter of time. God who is eternal, cannot be ſcantied of time, The number of his years cannot be ſearched out. 'Tis a known maxime among the wiſe men of the world, Take time, and you may do any thing. What cannot God do, who knoweth all times, and can take what time he will!
Seventhly, Which followeth upon the former, God will carry on his deſignes through all the world: He will carry them through, againſt all, (Pſal. 92.8, 9.) Thou Lord art moſt high for evermore; Lo, thine enemies ſhall periſh; thine enemies who would hinder thy work, they ſhall certainly fall. Chriſt is called The firſt and the laſt; He (ſaith St John, Rev. 1.17.) laid his right hand upon me, and ſaid, fear not, I am the firſt and the last: Why ſhould he not fear? what did Chriſt offer to cure him of his fear? Chriſt doth not give him a bare diſſwaſive, Fear not, but a rational ground why he ſhould not fear. Fear will not be blown away with a breath: Our paſſions are never truly quieted nor attempered but by reaſon. Upon what ground then would Chriſt take off Johns fear, even upon this in the Text, I am the first and the last. As if he had ſaid, John why doeſt thou fear? knoweſt thou not who I am, what a Lord and Maſter thou ſerveſt? Why, John, I tell thee, I am the firſt and the laſt; and therefore thou mayeſt be ſure, I will do my work, and none ſhall lett me. John had wonderfull things in viſion; ſhall all theſe be done thought he? yea, ſaith Chriſt, Fear not, I will carry on my deſignes (all the deſignes that Chriſt had in the world were then in viſion) Eternity triumphs over all difficulties; The Eternall will ſee the laſt man born, (as we ſay) he will have the laſt word, and the laſt blow. I am the first and the last.
Laſtly, From this Conſideration of God, let us take a proſpect of our ſelves, what poor ſhort-lived ſhort-breathed Creatures we are. There is no ſearching out the number of the years of God, but we may quickly ſearch out the number of our own years; our life is but a ſpan long, (Pſal. 39.5.) yea our age is nothing before God. Did we conſider the eternity of God, what ſhould we judge of our ſpan-long life? we are ſaid to be of yeſterday. Some expreſſe man thus; He is yeſterday; as if he were not to day, but were already paſt while he is. The beſt that can be ſaid of him is this; he is but of yeſterday, and poſſibly he ſhall not have a to morrow: but the Lord is for ever and ever the ſame.
And though we are ſhort-lived as to this world, though our years may ſoon be told over, yet let us remember that God hath called us to the participation of eternity; though we have not the eternity of God, which is without beginning, yet we ſhall have an eternity from God without end; every man is everlaſting as to his ſoul. The godly ſhall be bleſſed for ever; and there is an eternal eſtate of wo and miſery to the wicked, the number of the years of their ſorrows and ſufferings, who live and die without Chriſt, cannot be ſearched out. The number of the years of the joy and bleſſedneſs, and reſt and happineſs, and tranquility of thoſe that believe, of thoſe that are faithfull, of thoſe that are godly, of thoſe that walk with and fear God, I ſay the number of the years of their joy and happineſs cannot be ſearched out neither. No man can number or tell how long-laſting the felicity of Saints ſhall be. As the number of the years of God cannot at all be ſearched out, ſo he hath given man as to his future eſtate a numberleſs number of years: And it were well if we who enjoy this life, and are dying every moment, would often conſider there is a life coming which will never die, the number of our years alſo in that ſenſe cannot be ſearched out.
The thoughts of eternity ſhould ſwallow up all our time; yet alaſs, how doth time, or the things which are but temporary, ſwallow up, in moſt men, the thoughts of eternity! What-ever we do in time, ſhould be to fit us for eternity; yet alaſs, moſt uſe their time ſo, as if they did not believe, or at leaſt hoped, there would not be, any ſuch thing as eternity. Did we but ſpend two or three minutes of time every day in the ſerious remembrance of our eternal eſtate, it would be an effectual means, to make us both holy in and contented with what-ever temporal eſtate we meet with in this world. We ſhould be earneſtly ſearching after God all our dayes, did we conſider what it imports to us, that the number of his years cannot be ſearched out.
Thus Elihu labours to draw Job to the conſideration of God himſelf, who is the Author of thoſe great providential works, both of thoſe he had ſpoken of before, the works of providence, ordering men here in civils, as alſo of thoſe works of providence in natural things, of which he comes to treat largely, both in the latter part of this Chapter, and in moſt of the next. Where we ſhall find Elihu giving us as i… were a Syſteme, or body of natural Philoſophy in his diſcourſe about the wonderfull works of God, which he is calling Job to conſider.