Exposition of Job 35-37, Exposition on Job · Chapter 35 · Verse 14
JOB, Chap. 35. Verſ. 14.
Although thou ſayeſt thou ſhalt not ſee him, yet Judgement is before him, therefore truſt thou in him.
THere is a two-fold rendring or tranſlation of this 14th verſe; Firſt, Some connecting it with the former, and taking it in a dependance upon what Elihu had laſt affirmed concerning God, He heareth not vanity, Multo minus ſi di… is, non contemplaris iſtud (exauditurus e…t judica coram eo & expecta eum. Jun:neither doth the Almighty regard it, tranſlate thus, Much leſs will he hear thee, if thou ſayeſt thou doeſt not lo…k to, or regard this; judge thy ſelf therefore before him, and waite for him. As if Elihu ſhould bring an argument from the leſs to the greater; God will not hear vanity, nor will the Almighty regard it, how much leſs will he hear thee, who ſayeſt, (upon the matter) that thou regardeſt not him, or what he ſaith and doth. That word, which in the cloſe of the 13th verſe, we render regard, is the ſame with that in this 14th verſe, rendered, ſee; as if the whole were a rebuke, or a conviction of Job for his ſtoutneſs, in not viewing and contemplating the power and prerogative of God as he ought, in laying his hand upon him; and therefore ſaith Elihu, if God will not hear thoſe that pray vainly, how much leſs will he regard thee, who ſeemeſt not to regard him? that is, not to humble thy ſelf before him as becomes thee to thy Soveraigne Lord: And thereupon Elihu gives him counſel in the cloſe of the verſe; Judge thy ſelf before him, and then waite for him, or truſt him, as we render it. Mr Broughton ſeems to ſpeak in his tranſlation much to this ſenſe, giving it thus; So, when thou ſayeſt thou wilt not mark it, judge before him, and waite for him. As God will not regard vaine prayer, ſo when thou ſayeſt to him, thou wilt not mark it, that is, attend to providences as thou oughteſt, he wil not regard thee. There is a truth in this, and the Original word may fairly bear this tranſlation; yet I ſhall not ſtay upon it; but rather take this Context as the beginning of a new argument, than as the inforcement of the former; underſtanding it ſo, the words have yet a reading different from ours.
Another modern tranſlater diſliking the former reading only in the firſt part of the verſe, gives his own, thus; In this alſo (thou haſt ſinned) Thoſe words are ſupplyed to make up the ſenſe,Etiam (in hoc pexaſti; quòd dixiſti te non contemplaturum eum; Judica (te) coram eo, & expecta eum. Piſc: as being the bringing in of a further charge againſt Job) In this alſo (thou haſt ſinned) that thou haſt ſaid, thou ſhalt not ſee him; judge therefore thy ſelf before him, and look for him. This is the matter of his new charge, Thou haſt ſaid, thou ſhalt not ſee him, this is thy ſin. And having given him this charge, Elihu gives him counſel according to this tranſlation in the cloſe of the verſe, Judge therefore thy ſelf before him, and look for him. We ſay in our tranſlation, Judgement is before him, that is, before God; this tranſlation ſaith, Judge thy ſelf before him; and the reaſon of it is becauſe ſome take the word here as a Noune,Aliqui foreign nomine exponunt, Judicium alii pro foreign verbo imperativi. modi; Judica. Merc: others as a Verb of the Imparative mood; Judge thy ſelf before him, and then look to him, or truſt in him; that is, thou haſt failed greatly, and ſinned in taking up ſuch a Concluſion as this, that thou ſhalt not ſee God, (the ſenſe of which I ſhall open when I come to our own tranſlation) therefore I adviſe thee to judge thy ſelf thoroughly, and humbly to acknowledge thy fault. This tranſlation is much inſiſted upon, and becauſe it hath a profitable ſenſe, I ſhall note two or three poynts from the latter part of the verſe, where it differs from ours, and then proceed to our own Tranſlation. Job being charged with ſin for ſaying, that he ſhould not ſee God, is here adviſed to judge himſelf, Judge thy ſelf, and look to, or truſt in him.
Hence Note; It is our duty to judge our ſelves.
And 'tis a great Goſpel duty: The Apoſtle gives it in plain words, (1 Cor. 11.31.) If we would judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be judged of the Lord. We are very apt to judge one another, but very backward to judge our ſelves. It is a great work to erect a Tribunal (as I may ſay) in our own Souls and Conſciences, to ſit in Judgement upon our ſelves; which that we may do, we muſt do theſe three things. Firſt, we muſt ſend Summons to our ſelves, we muſt cite our ſelves to our own Tribunal; for alwayes before Judgement, Summons muſt go out and be ſent to the party offending: Here we are to ſend Summons to our ſelves, that is, to call together all the powers of our ſouls to appear in this Judgement, and anſwer what is or may be alledged againſt us. And when we have Summoned our ſelves, then ſecondly, we are to examine, ſearch, and try our ſelve…, (Lam. 3.41.) Let us ſearch and try our wayes, and turn again unto the Lord. Thirdly, having tryed and examined our ſelves, before we can come to Judgement (that Judgement which is here intended) we muſt humble our ſelves under a Conviction of our own vileneſs and ſinfulneſs, whether of our nature or of our actions, whether of our ſtate or of our way; for whereas there are two parts of Judgement, Abſolution and Condemnation, we can never come to that part of Judgement, the judging of our ſelves, as perſons worthy to be condemned by the Lord for our ſins, unleſs we are firſt convinced of our ſins. Now when we have ſummoned, examined, and convicted our ſelves, then we are ready to judge our ſelves, to judge our ſelves even with the judgement of condemnation, reſpecting what we have done, yet we ſhould do it (with hopes of abſolution) acting our faith upon the free grace and mercy of God through the ſatisfaction which Jeſus Chriſt hath made for us.
Again, The ſcope of this counſel, or the reaſon why Elihu adviſeth Job to judge himſelf, was to ſhew, that he had raſhly judged of the wayes of God, becauſe he had not duly judged himſelf.
Hence Note; Self-judging, or judging our own doings, will preſerve us from raſh judging the doings and dealings of God with us.
We ſhall never think God deals harſhly, or rigorouſly with us, if we do but enter into and paſs a right judgement upon our own ſouls. As they that judge themſelves ſhall not be judged of the Lord, (1 Cor. 11.31.) ſo, they that judge themſelves will never judge the Lord; no, they will acquit and juſtifie the Lord under all his proceedings, even in his ſoreſt and ſevereſt ones. Thus did Ezra in reference to thoſe great and unparalel'd ſufferings of the Jewes in the Babylonian warr and captivity, (Chap. 9.13.) Thou our God haſt puniſhed us leſs than our iniquities deſerve. And ſo did Daniel (Chap. 9.7.) O Lord, righteouſneſs belongeth unto thee, but unto us confuſion of faces, as at this day.
Further, Elihu concluded Job very much affected with, or highly conceited of himſelf, becauſe he pleaded his own innocency or integrity ſo much, and was ſo deſirous to come to a hearing, and have his matter tryed before God; and therefore ſaith he, Judge thy ſelf.
Hence Note; Self-judging will keep us from proud or high thoughts of our ſelves, of our own wayes or works, how good ſoever they are.
Suppoſe our wayes and our works pure and good, as Jobs indeed were for the maine, (he was a man of the higheſt elevation in holineſs and of greateſt integrity) yet if we would thoroughly examine and judge our ſelves, conſider our ſhort comings in duty, our ſinnings againſt duty, and the ſins that cleave to our beſt duties, we ſhould find our very innocency to be guilty, and our righteouſneſs to be unrighteous; and ſurely ſuch a diſcovery would lay us very low in our own thoughts, and go very far towards the ſubduing of that pride of our hearts, which often ariſeth from the contemplation of our own wel-doing.
Laſtly, Conſider this counſel was given Job (according to this tranſlation) with reſpect to that which follows; Judge thy ſelf, and truſt in or wait for him.
Hence Note; We are never fit to truſt, nor to wait upon God in any of his providences, till we judge our ſelves; or, Judging of our ſelves will diſpoſe and prepare our hearts for truſting and reſting upon the power, goodneſs and mercy of God.
The more we judge and humble our ſelves, the readier ha…h God declared himſelf to help us in our extremities, (1 Pet. 5 6.) we alſo are then the readier to truſt and wait on him, both becauſe we then ſee more clearly what need we have to truſt on him for help, and may have the more aſſurance of his help, while we truſt him.
I ſhall now proceed to our own tranſlation, which fairly accommodates the ſcope of Elihu's dealing with Job in this place.
Although thou ſayest thou ſhalt not ſee him.
Elihu had reprehended two of Jobs ſayings before in this Chapter; here he reprehends a third; Although thou ſayeſt this, thou ſhalt not ſee him; although thou ſayeſt it, either ſecretly in thy heart, (the fool ſaith in his heart there is no God) or although thou ſayeſt it with thy mouth, and haſt openly declared thy deſpayre of ſeeing him. Some paſſages in the diſcourſe of Job do more than intimate and imply, that he had ſaid, he ſhould not ſee God. And we may conceive that Elihu aimeth at that paſſage ſpecially (Chap. 23.8, 9.) where Job ſeems to ſay this thing; Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hard where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himſelf on the right hand, that I cannot ſee him. Now, Elihu gives anſwer in this 14th verſe, ſhewing, that al…hough God would not give him a preſent hea…ing upon his importunate call for it, yet he might reſt aſſured, that God would do him juſtice, and therefore adviſeth him quietly to reſt upon him. Although thou ſayeſt thou ſhalt not ſee him, or canſt not ſee him, yet Judgement is before him, therefore truſt thou in him. In that 23d Chapter, Job made a ſad complaint, that though he much ſolicited and deſired to ſee God (in what ſenſe I ſhall open preſently) yet he could not be admitted, he could not find him, nor come near him; I (ſaith he) cannot perceive him, I cannot behold him, I cannot ſee him; we have all theſe words negatively expreſſed there; as here, Although thou ſayeſt thou ſhalt not ſee, (or contemplate) him.
There is a two-fold ſight of God; Firſt, immediate, or in himſelf; and thus God is ſeen only by himſelf, and of himſelf, to all others he is inviſible, No eye hath ſeen him, nor can ſee him, (1 Tim. 6.16.) The Lord told Moſes, No man can ſee my face and live; that is, no man can ſee me immediately, no man can have any ocular ſight of me, as we ſee thoſe things that are before us; God is a Spirit, and therefore inviſible. Job doth not complain, (in this ſenſe) that he could not ſee God, for he knew God was not to be ſeen, nor did he wait for any ſuch corporal view or ſight or preſence of God. Secondly, There is a mediate ſight of God, and that by a three-fold means; Firſt, in or by his Word; for that is one glaſs wherein we behold him. Secondly, there is a ſight of God in his Works, they are another glaſs wherein we ſee and behold him; and thoſe works are two fold; Firſt, the works of Creation, in them we may ſee or contemplate God all the world over, in his power, wiſdome, and goodneſs, (Rom. 1.19, 20.) Secondly, his works of providence, ordering and diſpoſing all the motions of the creatures, as himſelf pleaſeth, how much ſoever any of their motions are diſpleaſing unto him. Thus we may ſee God in his works, that is, it is ſeen by his works, not only that he is, but what he is, or that he is Eternal and Infinite, that he is Moſt Wiſe and Omnipotent, that he can do all things, or that nothing is too hard for him, he having brought all things out of nothing. There is a Third Medium or Means by which we may ſee God, and that is, His Son, our Lord Jeſus Christ, (2 Cor. 4.6.) The light of the knowledge of the Glory of God ſhineth to us in the face of Jeſus Chriſt; that is, in the perſon of Chriſt, God-Man, we may behold the glorious Grace of God unto poor ſinful loſt man. All the beams of Divine Love are collected in, and iſſue forth from the face of Jeſus Chriſt. He that would ſee how good, how gracious, how merciful the Lord is to ſinners, let him by an eye of Faith, or ſpiritual Contemplation look Chriſt in the face, and there he ſhall find the expreſſe Characters of all that Glory. By theſe Means, or mediately in all theſe wayes, God may be ſeen, and is ſeen by his People. This threefold ſight of God, is the ſight of Faith; it is by Faith that we ſee him in his Word; it is by Faith that we ſee him in his Works; it is by Faith that we ſee him in his Son. Thus we are to underſtand that of the Apoſtle concerning Moſes, (Heb. 11.27.) He endured, as ſeeing him that is inviſible.
We may alſo diſtinguiſh of this ſight of God two ways; there is a ſight of God firſt in grace, which is, though a true and real, yet an imperfect ſight, of which the Apoſtle ſpeaks (1 Cor. 13.12.) Now we ſee as in a glaſſe, darkly. Secondly, There is a ſeeing of God in glory, which is there called A ſeeing of him face to face: Of that ſight Chriſt ſpeaks (Math. 5.8.) Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God. As they now ſee him in the diſpenſations of his Grace here, ſo they ſhall ſee him in the givings forth, or manifeſtations of his Glory to them hereafter. Now when Job complaineth, or Elihu brings him in complaining, That he ſhould not ſee God, we are not to underſtand it, as if he deſpaired of ever ſeeing God in Glory, or had concluded in his own breaſt, that he ſhould never ſee him in his ways of Grace, or profeſſed that at preſent he had no ſight at all of God by faith; for, though I conceive Jobs ſight of God by faith, or in the actings of his Grace, at that time was very low and dim, yet ſome ſight he had of him by faith, enough I am ſure to preſerve and keep him from making any ſuch negative Concluſion againſt himſelf, that he ſhould not ſee God in Glory. But that which he chiefly intendeth, is,foreign Intendit oculos. Verbum viden i forenſe eſt, pro aſtare corum aliquo cum magna cauſa fiducia, …a ut non demiſſ… in terram vultu, ſed elato capite ad interroganturi reſpt…teniem que judicem oculos intrepide dirig…re q is audeat. Bold. that he feared he ſhould not come to ſee him in ſuch a day and way of tryal, as he before deſired in the 23d Chapter, (verſ. 8, 9.) or that God would never manifeſt himſelf ſo cleerly in his Providences and dealings about his caſe in this world, as might acquit him, and b…ing the matter in queſtion to a full ſtate, that all might take notice of his wronged integrity. Job was under a great Cloud at that time, and feared that God had cove…ed himſelf with a Cloud alſo, (as the Church bemoaned her ſelf, Lam. 3.44.) and therefore ſaid, I ſhall not ſee him; I ſhall not …ee him as a Judge acquitting me, and giving ſentence for me. Some conceive, that the Hebrew word rendred Seeing, refers to a perſon brought before a Judge, for the tryal of his Cau…e, and ſtanding before him, not as a guilty Malefactor, with a heavy heart, and a down-look, but as a man conſcious of his own innocency, with much honeſt boldneſſe, and well tempered confidence. The words following intimate ſuch a ſence of that word, Although thou ſayeſt, thou ſhalt not ſee him, (that is, be b…ought to tryal,) yet Judgement is before him, he will certainly try thee. This I take to be the moſt proper Explication of theſe words, Although thou ſayeſt, thou ſhalt not ſee him.
Job ſpake this as the worſt of his caſe, as that which was a greater grief and miſery to him, than all his other miſeries and griefs, that God would not ſet him in a clear light before others, or that himſelf ſhould not have a clear light from God concerning his condition.
Hence Note; The ſight of God, or Gods diſcoverie of himſelf in any dark caſe, is very ſweet to an upright and gracious ſoul.
Job had begged for this once and again, though poſſibly, as Elihu would here convince him, he was ſomething too forward in it, and did not enough reflect upon himſelf; yet as he had often deſired it, ſo doubtleſſe it was exceeding much upon his heart, that he might have a clear diſcovery from God. The Apoſtle, in ſomewhat a like caſe, in being aſperſed in his Miniſtry, ſaith, We are made manifeſt unto God, (2 Cor. 5.11.) It pleaſed him that he was manifeſt unto God: But when God is pleaſed to manifeſt himſelf unto a Soul, how pleaſing is that? When we can ſay, now we ſee God, we ſee him clearing up our way, clearing up our integrity, clearing up our ſtate, how ſatisfying is it! And as it is moſt ſweet and ſatisfying to ſee God clearing up our ſtate to our own conſciences, ſo it is exceeding ſweet to ſee him clearing up our actions to the eye of the world; as the Apoſtle ſpake in the ſame place, We are manifeſt unto God, and I truſt alſ… are made manifeſt in your conſciences. As if he had ſaid, we hope, God hath diſcovered us to you, and your conſciences do alſo atteſt with us and for us what we are. Light is ſweet (the light of the air, ſaith Solomon) and it is pleaſant to behold the Sun, the Sun in the firmament; how much more ſweet is the light of divine favour, as alſo of our own faithfulneſs, ſhining into our hearts, and upon our wayes, ſo that we are able to ſay, now we ſee the Lord graciouſly rolling away our reproach, owning us, and taking our part before and againſt all the oppoſing contradicting wo…ld!
Secondly, Note; A godly man may loſe the ſight and preſent apprehenſion of God, as owning of him, and taking care of him.
It is ſo often as to our ſpiri…ual eſtate, and it may be ſo, as to our outward ſtate; hence thoſe many complainings which we find in the Pſalmes, and thoſe many deprecations, as to the hiding of Gods face; David would faine have kept ſight of God, O how he deſired to ſee him, to behold him! yet many times he did not, neither as to the aſſurance of his ſpiritual intereſt,Saepe deus oſtendit faciem ſuam, ſed non ita ut cupitait homines, ideó que non vident ſe videre, ut ita dic…m. Coc: nor as to the comforts of his outward condition, (Pſal. 13.1.) (Pſal. 27.9.) (Pſal. 30.7.) As God ſometimes ſheweth himſelf in a kind of cloud or darkneſs, in fire and tempeſt, which is very terrible to the ſoul; ſo he at other times diſcovers himſelf only a little, or gives but a glimpſe of himſelf clearly, to ſtir up further deſi es of ſeeing him, and to make us weary of all we ſee in this world: in theſe caſes we may be ſaid not to ſee God when we ſee him. Many godly men are in ſuch a dark condition, that they think God hideth his face from them in diſpleaſu…e, when indeed he doth not, but only tryeth them, to ſee what is in them, and whether they will obey him in hope and pa…ience, and keep cloſe to him in holy walkings, even when he ſeemeth to depart from them, and withdraw his preſence.
Thirdly, Obſerve; Good men are apt ſometimes to make over-ſad concluſions againſt themſelves,
As evil men are apt to make over-good concluſions for themſelves, they doubt not but they ſhall ſee and enjoy God. O what preſumptuous thoughts have men, and what peremptory, though groundleſs, concluſions do they make for themſelves upon falſe and rotten premiſes! they will ſay, they know God, and are known of God, they ſee God, and enjoy God, when they know not the meaning, much leſs have taſted the comfort of knowing God, or of being known by him, of ſeeing God, or of enjoying him. Theſe myſterious experiences are not every man's meat, nor every man's matters, who makes title to the knowledge of God. The Apoſtle ſaith expreſly, (1 John 2.4.) He that ſaith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. And again, (Chap. 3.6.) Whoſoever ſinneth (that is, loves and lives in ſin) hath not ſeen him, neither known him. Yet how many are there, far from keeping the Commandements of God, far from a holy life, yea far from a holy ſtate, ſo far from ſuch a holy life, as of which it may be ſaid in a Goſpel ſenſe, that they ſin not, that indeed they do nothing elſe but ſin! yet theſe are apt to conclude, they ſee God, they ſee him by faith, they know him, they doubt not but he is their God. Now as many carnal men are apt to make falſe concluſions to themſelves of an intereſt in God, when there is no ſuch matter, kindling a fire, and compaſſing themſelves about with their own ſparks, as the Prophet ſpeaks, (Iſa. 50.11.) that is, with vaine conceits of their own blowing up, that all is well with them; when all that they, who do ſo, ſhall have at Gods hand, is, they ſhall lie down in ſorrow. So on the other ſide, godly men often times make ſad concluſions againſt themſelves, they ſay (as Job in the Text) they ſhall not ſee him; who though (as was ſhewed in opening the Text) he did not conclude againſt his ſight of God by grace, or that he had no ſight of him by faith, yet he had not a comfortable ſight as to his preſent enjoyment, and he doubted whether ever he ſhould in this world. Jonah made ſuch a concluſion (Chap. 2.4.) Then I ſaid, I am caſt out of thy ſight. As Hezekiah ſaid in his ſickneſs, (Iſa. 38.11.) I ſhall not ſee the Lord, even the Lord in the Land of the living; that is, I ſhall die, and ſhall no more go into the houſe of the Lord, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple, which was the one thing, even the only thing (in this life) which David deſired and reſolved to ſeek after, (Pſal. 27.4.) So many, while they live, are apt to make ſuch concluſions, they ſhall ſee God no more, they ſhall not ſee him as long as they live, they are afraid they ſhall never have comfort more, nor peace more, while they are in this world, while they are on this ſide heaven; yet whether ever they ſhall come to ſee him in heaven, is their greateſt, their ſaddeſt, their moſt heart-diſquieting and heart-breaking doubt and feare. And indeed as we cannot ſee God, untill he gives us eyes, ſo we cannot believe we ſhall ſee him, untill he gives us hearts. Many times his dealings, both as to outward terrible providences, and inward terrors, are ſo dark, that we can ſee nothing but darkneſs, nor ſay any thing but as Job is here charged to ſay, that we ſhall not ſee him. Yea, God doth often hide himſelf from his people on purpoſe to try whether they will truſt him and wait upon him under ſuch withdrawings, for ſalvation, whether temporal or eternal, (Iſal. 45.15.) Thou art a God that hidest thy ſelf, O God of Iſrael, the Saviour: Let us therefore take heed of ſaying, he will be for ever hidden, or that we ſhall never ſee, nor behold him as a Saviour; ſay not it is ſo dark with us, that as now we ſee no light, ſo our night ſhall never have a morning.
Fourthly, From theſe words, Although thou ſayeſt thou ſhalt not ſee him, Note, A good man is apt to give his heart and tongue too much liberty.
We ſhould watch our hearts, to keep out or caſt out vaine thoughts, we ſhould ſtrangle diſtruſtful and unbelieving thoughts in the very birth, that ſo our tongues may never bring them forth, nor publiſh them to the offence of others. Thou haſt ſaid, thou ſhalt not ſee him. But when our unbridled tongues have run at randome, and ſpoken what is not right, yet God will do what is right, as the next words aſſure us.
Yet Judgment is before him.
Theſe words plainly intimate, that Jobs ſcope, when he ſaid he ſhould not ſee God, was, that he ſhould not ſee him as a Judge clearing up his cauſe, or appearing to vindicate the wrong done him, and to do him right. As if Elihu had ſaid, Whatever thy opinion is concerning God, that he will never appear in thy cauſe to do thee right, yet know this (O Job) Judgement is before him, and therefore I adviſe thee, be thou better perſwaded both of his preſence with thee, and of his providence over thee. The word rendred Judgement, is that from which one of the Patriarks had his name, and it is a great elegancy, (Gen. 49.16.) Dan ſhall Judge his people. The proper name Dan, is the ſame with the Verb which follows, ſhall Judge.
When Judgement is ſaid to be before the Lord, it may be taken three wayes, (ſo we find it in the Sc ipture) Firſt, we read there of Judgement as it is oppoſed to mercy. Theſe terrible and dreadful Judgements of God are every where ſpoken of. Secondly, Judgement is oppoſed to imprudence and want of underſtanding or diſcretion; Judgement is a wiſe and clear ſight or apprehenſion of things; as we ſay ſuch a one is a Judicious man, or a man of a great Judgement. Thirdly, Judgement is oppoſed to injuſtice or to un…ighteouſneſs; thus we do judgement and juſtice. Many have a great ſtock of judgement or underſtanding, who yet will do little judgment, that is, little juſtice, they have a right underſtanding of things, yet will do little or nothing right. Here, when it is ſaid, Judgment is before him, we are to underſtand it in the two latter ſenſes; for though it be a great truth that judgment as oppoſed to mercy, is before the Lord, And he ſhall have judgement without mercy, that hath ſhewed no mercy, though (as the Apoſtle adds in the ſame place James 2.13.) Mercy rejoyceth (or glorieth) againſt Judgement; The Lord hath judgements, all manner of judgements about him, yet that notion of judgement doth not belong to this place, but the two latter. Judgement is before him; that is, he is a God of infinite underſtanding and wiſdome, he ſeeth every thing to the utmoſt, he goes to the bottome of every mans caſe, yea, to the very bottome of every mans heart; he ſees every action quite through, and every perſon: And as he knows the truth of every mans cauſe and caſe, ſo he will do every man right, according to the merit of his cauſe and caſe. Juſtice and Judgement are the habitation of his throne, while clouds and darkneſs are round about him, (Pſal. 97.2.) that is, though preſent diſpenſations are obſcure (as in Jobs caſe) yet both the procedure and dealings of God, as alſo the iſſue or determination which he gives in every matter, is juſt and righteous to all men, as well as gracious and comfortable to good and upright-hearted men. Thus, Judgement, or this judgement is alwayes before him, that is, he hath a clear ſight of it, and he is ready to do it.
Hence Note, Firſt, God hath a right and clear apprehenſion of all perſons and actions;
His underſtanding is infinite. The Lord is (as Hannah ſpake in her Thankſgiving-Song, 1 Sam. 2.3.) a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed; That is, he knoweth them exactly, to a grain, as we do the weight of thoſe things which we have laid in an even Balance. It is required of Judges (in that advice which Jethro gave to Moſes, Exod. 18.21.) That they ſhould be able men, that is, (not ſo much men of able purſes, as) of able parts, men of able judgement, and of more than common underſtanding, even ſuch as were able to look through every mans Cauſe that came before them. Such is the ability of the Lords underſtanding to the full, he is Omniſcient, He is light, and in him is no darkneſſe at all. And as in him there is no darkneſſe, ſo nothing is dark to him; the moſt intricate and knotty Caſe, the moſt ravel'd and vext Cauſe that ever was, is plain and evident before his eyes, with whom we have to do, and who hath to do with us. Judgement is before him; neither is there any Judgement before any other in compariſon of him; God hath ſo much light, that Men and Angels are to him but darkneſſe; God ſeeth ſo much, that all others may be ſaid not to ſee, or to be ſtark blind; even thoſe Judges may be called blind, who are not blinded, we may ſay they have no eyes, whoſe eyes are not put out with gifts, compared with God. How blind then are thoſe Judges, who are blinded? and whoſe eyes are put out, either by prejudice or paſſion, by hopes or fears! it cannot be, but Judgement muſt be before God, becauſe as he cleerly ſees, and fully underſtands whatſoever comes before him, ſo nothing can divert or biaſs him f…om doing every man right, according to his ſight and underſtanding. Judgement is before him.
Hence Note, Secondly, God will do right to every man, as ſure as he knows the right of every man.
There are many who know what is right, who know whoſe Cauſe is right, yet will not do right. But as ſure as God knows every mans righ…, ſo certainly he will do him right. Abraham pleaded thus with God, Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? (Gen. 18.25.) Certainly, he will do right, he cannot but do right; Judgement is before him. The Scripture is expreſs, He will reward every man (and award to every man) according to his works. Every man ſhall have as he is; for (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1 Cor. 4.6.) He ſhall bring to light the hidden things of darkneſſe, and make manifeſt the counſels of the heart; and then ſhall every man have praiſe of God; that is, every man ſhall have it, who is fit for it; every man ſhall have praiſe, who is (as we ſay) praiſe-worthy, how much ſoever he hath been diſpraiſed, ſlurr'd in his credit, unworthily dealt with, and accuſed in this world. God will not hold, or detain the truth of men in unrighteouſneſſe, though men hold both the truth of God, and the truth of men (the truth of their Cauſes) in unrighteouſneſſe. Judgement is before the Lord.
Fu…ther, That Particle which we render yet, gives us this Note.
God is never a whit the leſſe Righteous, becauſe it doth not appear to us that he is ſo.
Although thou ſayeſt, thou ſhalt not ſee him, yet Judgement is before him. The wayes of God are often ſecret, but none of them are unjuſt; Judgement is before him, even then, when we think i… is fartheſt off from him. Therefore, if we will give God the glory of govern…ng the world, and of ordering all our perſonal conditions, we muſt not meaſure him by the things we ſee, or which appear; for we cannot ſee the meaſure of his Judgement by what appears, that which appears to us is not his Judgement, ſomething elſe is his judgement, and he in the cloſe will make his judgement clear to all men, he will make it appear that judgment is his, though what his judgement is doth not appear. The miſ-apprehenſions, or miſ-conſtructions of men do not at all retard or ſtop the righteouſneſſe of God, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in another caſe (Rom. 3.3.) Shall the unbelief of man make the Faith of God (that is, the Faithfulneſſe of God) of none effect? God forbid; God will be Faithful and True, though all the world be Unbelievers and Lyars. Now, as the unbelief of man cannot make the Faithfulneſſe of God of none effect; ſo our not believing that Judgement proceeds, or our ſaying it is delayed, does not at all take off God from righteouſneſſe in doing Judgement; he is doing Judgement righteouſly, whatever apprehenſions men have of his doings. Judgement is before him; Therefore truſt thou in him.
Elihu according to the firſt reading of the former words, exhorts Job to Repentance, Judge thy ſelf; and here he exhorts him to Faith, Truſt thou in him. Judgement is before him, therefore truſt thou in him, or wait and hope in him; for ſeeing God is a Juſt and Righteous Judge, he will not neglect or ſlight the Cauſe of any of his People; therefore they have all the reaſon in the world to truſt in him, and wait upon him. It is unbelief which makes haſte, Faith is content to wait and tarry.
The Original word hath ſeveral ſignifications. Firſt,foreign a foreign Notat 1. Dolere. 2. Parturire. 3. Manere, Perſeverare. 4. Sperare. Forte per metaphoram, quia animus ſperans futur…m gaudium cum dolore parturit. Coc. More general, to grieve, or be in pain and trouble. Secondly, In ſpecial, to bring forth, or the pain of a woman in travel to bring forth; there is much pain in that travel. Thus ſome tranſlate here, Wait for him, as a woman in travel waits for deliverance. Thirdly, As it ſignifies to have pain, and to have that pain in bringing forth children, ſo to attend, to wait, to ſtay quietly, and expect. Reſt in the Lord (ſaith David, Pſal. 37.7.) and wait patiently for him. We may give the reaſon of this ſignification from that alluſion. The woman though ſhe be in pain, yet ſhe patiently bears it, becauſe ſhe hath hope a man ſhall be born into the world, (John 16.21.) A woman in that pain, hath not only patience but comfort under it, becauſe ſhe hopes a child ſhall ſhortly be born, who will recompence all her ſorrows, in bearing and bringing him forth into the world. That's the force of this word, Truſt in him. Thou art in pain, in trouble, in travel for the preſent, yet thou ſhalt have a bleſſed deliverance, thou ſhalt certainly find, that it is not in vain to truſt upon God. Thus Elihu a…viſeth Job to ſuch a patience as a woman in travel with child hath, who bears her pains comfortably, being refreſhed and ſupported with an aſſurance, and fore-ſenſe of that joy which ſhe ſhall have, being once delivered. Truſt thou in him. I have in ſome other places of this Book, met with this Point of truſting in God, Job ſaid in the 13th Chapter of this Book, (verſ. 15.) Though he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him; And therefore I ſhall not ſtay to open that general duty, or the exerciſe of that Grace, which here Elihu exhorts Job to, Truſting in, or waiting upon God. Only from the Connexion,
Note; Firſt, It is our duty to wait and truſt upon God;
And 'tis ſuch a duty as will keep us cloſe to all other duties; a mind ſtaid on God, is a mind fit to move about any good work whatſoever, which God calleth us unto.
Secondly, Put all together, Thou ſayeſt, thou ſhalt not ſee him, (thou art doubtful whether ever things will mend,) yet Judgement is before him, therefore truſt.
Hence Note; When things are not clear to us, when we have no light about what God is doing, or what he will do, yet it is our duty to truſt and wait upon God.
We muſt wait upon God, and truſt in him, though we do not ſee him, yea, though we cannot ſee him, for Judgement is before him. That of the Prophet (Iſa. 50.10.) is a clear proof of this duty, (and ſome expound this Scripture ſpecially reſpecting outward dark providences, as others of inward darkneſs, or darkneſs of ſpirit) Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voyce of his ſervants, that walketh in darkneſs, and hath no light (as Job ſaith here, I ſhall not ſee him) What ſhall a poor benighted ſoul do in that caſe? The anſwer or advice followeth) Let him truſt in the name of the Lord, and ſtay upon his God. How dark ſoever our condition is, yet it is our duty to truſt upon God; and if once we are enabled to give God the glory due to his name, in confeſſing, that Judgement is before him, we ſhall readily truſt upon him, to order all things for us, though all things ſeem out of order, even to amazement though we ſee heaven and earth, as it were, confounded, yet we ſhall readily truſt upon him, becauſe we believe, that even then Judgement is before him. How ſoon can he turn our darkneſs into light, who in the firſt Creation, when all lay together in a confuſed heap, and darkneſs over all, b…ought forth light and ſet all in order? The Lord can command light out of darkneſs, good out of evil, order out of confuſion, and he can do all this eaſily, and at an inſtant; therefore whatever the appearances of things are, let not us judge according to appearance, but hope and wait, and ſtick to what God hath promiſed. Though providences appear croſs to promiſes and propheſies, yet they never fruſtrate either. Let us alſo be ſure to ſtick to the commandements of God, for we may reſt aſſured, God will ſtick to his promiſes. To keep Commandements is our work, to keep promiſes is Gods work; though we fayle much in our work, God will not fayle at all in his work: To believe this, is the higheſt and trueſt work of faith. But if we are faithful in our work, the keeping of Commandements, we have a further evidence, that God will be faithful in his work, the keeping or fulfilling of promiſes, (a great part, the moſt ſpiritual part of Gods fulfilling promiſes, being his enabling of us to keep Commandements) and then we ſhall be able to ſay, not only in faith, but from experience, that Judgement is before him. And untill we come to this concluſion of faith in dark times, when we cannot ſee him, the ſoul never ſits down in reſt. Nothing fixes the ſoul but truſt in God; we are unquiet, yea we boyle with unquietneſs, and toſs as the angry Sea with the windes, till we truſt fully upon God, upon his wiſdome and power, upon his goodneſs and faithfulneſs, and can ſay, let him do as ſeems good in his eyes; we know he is and will be good to Iſrael, even to ſuch as are of a clean heart. When we can once ſtay our minds on God, we are quiet; but when we muſt bring God to our mind, and muſt have God go our pace, or come at our time, and work in our way, (none of which he will do, what a do ſoever we make to have it ſo) O how reſtleſs and troubled are we, even like the troubled Sea when it cannot reſt! And O how much of this reſtleſs trouble diſcovers it ſelf in the minds of many (that I ſay not the moſt of) men, and all becauſe they cannot truſt God when they do not ſee him, or becauſe when they do not ſee him (which was Jobs fayling) they ſay, they ſhall not ſee him. If matters come not to paſs according to their platforme, and model, or hit not the dates and dayes, the times and ſeaſons which they have fixt in their unſcriptural Kalender, or by a miſtake of the Scripture Kalendar, they are ready to ſay, they ſhall not ſee him, their hopes are as the giving up of the ghoſt, that is, they give all for loſt, and paſt recovery. Many truſt God (as they do ſome men) no farther than they ſee him; they are the worſt and courſeſt ſort of men, whom we truſt no otherwiſe. How diſhonourable then, how infinitely below God is ſuch a truſt? Elihu would have Job (and ſo ſhould we) truſt God, though he could not ſee him, and ſaid he ſhould not. Thou haſt ſaid, thou ſhalt not ſee him, yet truſt in him.
Laſtly, From the illative particle, therefore (that is, becauſe Judgement is before him) truſt thou in him,
Note hence; The conſideration of the Righteouſneſs and Juſtice of God, is a mighty argument to provoke us to truſt him, and wait upon him.
Truſt is not every bodyes due; ſome (as we ſpeak proverbially) are to be truſted no farther than a man can throw a Milſtone, that is, they are not to be truſted at all: Truſt (I ſay) is not every bodyes due: but to truſt God is every bodyes duty, yea and intereſt too, for he is cloathed as much with righteouſneſs and juſtice, as he is with ſtrength and power. Will you not truſt an honeſt man, will you not truſt a wiſe man? We can come to a height of confidence in man ſometimes, if we think him a man of judgement and wiſdome, of honeſty and faithfulneſs, we can truſt all we have in ſuch a mans hand; how much more ſhould we ſay to God, ſeeing Judgement is before him, therefore will we truſt in him! We have an eminent Scripture, urging this duty upon this ground, (Iſa. 30.18.) The Lord is a God of Judgement (Judgement is there taken in the ſame notion as here in the Text, he is a wiſe and a juſt God, the Lord is a God of judgement, what followeth) Bleſſed are they that wait for him. There can be nothing ſaid, more urging, more encouraging to wait and truſt on God, to do us right, then this, He is a God of Judgement, a righteous God, Judgement is before him.
Thus far of the good counſel which Elihu gave Job in this his dark and deſerted ſtate; and counſel it was worthy to be embraced with both armes, and with an open breaſt; and that Job had need of it, he ſhews in the next words, while he tells Job and us, it was not ſo with him yet, as appeared by the ſad hand of God upon him, and his own diſtemper under it.