Exposition of Job 35-37, Exposition on Job · Chapter 35 · Verses 15-16
JOB, Chap. 35. Verſ. 15, 16.
15. But now becauſe it is not ſo, he hath viſited in his anger, yet he knoweth it not in great extremity.
16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain: he multiplieth words without knowledge.
IN the cloſe of the former verſe, Elihu called upon and exhorted Job to a patient reliance, and truſt on God, Judgement is before him, therefore truſt thou in him; here in the 15th verſe he ſhews, that, the reaſon why God viſited him ſo ſorely, and yet continued his viſitation upon him, was becauſe he did not, as he ought, patiently truſt in, and rely upon him.
There are ſeveral readings of this verſe, but I ſhall only mention one, beſides our own, and having ſtayed a little about that, go on to the explication of the Text, as it lyes in order before us. Some render thus;
But know now, his anger hath viſited thee but a little, (Hebr:Nunc autem cito quod paululum te viſitavit ira ipſius, neque inquiſivit multum admodum. Merc: Scito perexiguum eſſe, quo te deus iratus plectit, niſi levitèr in te inqui ere m…luiſſet. Bez: nothing) neither hath he made any great inquiſition. The ſenſe of the verſe, according to this rendring, riſeth thus; As if Elihu had ſaid, God hath dealt with thee O Job, far better than thou haſt dealt with him, or then thou haſt cauſe to expect; he hath not laid his hand ſo heavy upon thee, as thy iniquity hath deſerved, and yet thou complaineſt much of his ſeverity; whereas indeed he hath not ſtrictly inquired into the multitude of thy ſins, which if he had done, he would certainly have brought upon thee, a greater multitude of afflictions, he would have afflicted thee much more: Thou art too well uſed to complain thus; That's the ſumme of this rendring, which the learned Authors of it make fairly out from the Original, to whom I refer the Reader, and ſhall only offer two notes from it, for inſtruction.
Firſt, The ſoreſt afflictions that fall upon ſinners in this life are little or nothing to what God might lay upon them.
There is no condition here actually ſo bad, but poſſibly it might be worſe; though the darkneſs of night be upon us, yet it may be darker with us; God can make a night ſo dark, that the former darkneſs may be called light; God can add ſo much bitterneſs to that which is ve…y bitter, ſo much weight to that burden of affliction, which is already very heavy, that the former bitter may be called ſweet, and that former weight of affliction, light. Are any poo…, ſick, or pained, God can make them poorer, ſicker, and ſo encreaſe their paine, that former poverty, ſickneſs, paine, may go for riches, health, and eaſe. And as preſent ſufferings of one kind or other, are but little to what they may be, ſo they are but little to what we have deſerved they ſhould be: The leaſt mercy is more than we deſerve, and the greateſt affliction is leſs than we deſerve.Et nunc quia nihil eſt quod viſitavit ira ejus. Druſ: He hath viſited thee little or nothing, (ſo the word is) ſaith Elihu, according to this reading of the Text. The Lord hath not only not viſited thee too much, O Job, but he may be ſaid, not to have viſited thee at all, or the All of thy viſita…ion is nothing to that which the Lord could have brought upon thee. David gives a general aſſertion near this concerning the dealings of the Lord, in his angry diſpenſations, (Pſal. 103.10.) He hath not dealt with us after our ſins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; that is, our ſins and our iniquities might have born out the Juſtice of God in laying heavier evils and troubles upon us, than yet he hath done. Sinners never have their full puniſhment till they come to hell. As the ſweeteſt joyes and ſtrongeſt conſolations which the godly find and feel on earth, are only taſts and firſt-fruits of that they ſhall have in heaven; ſo all the ſorrows and ſufferings of the wicked in this world, are but taſts, light touches and beginnings of ſorrow, compared with the pains and ſorrows of the next world, where ſinners ſhall be payd their wages in full.
Ʋtrum que viſitandi & recenſendi vel cognoſcendi verbum in hoc loco judicis vel magiſtratis in peccatores animedverſionem inquiſitionem punitioni conjunctum importat. Bold:Secondly, From the latter part of the verſe thus tranſlated, Neither hath he made any great inquiſition; that is, he hath not taken ſtrict knowledge of thy ſins, though a multitude, though even paſt number; though there be abundance of them, and they abounding in ſinfulneſs, yet he hath not made any great inquiſition after them;
Hence Note; The Lord doth not ſeverely mark the ſins of his people, no not the multitude nor magnitude of their ſins, to puniſh them.
(Pſal. 130.3.) If thou Lord ſhouldeſt mark iniquity, implying that the Lord doth not mark (in the ſenſe here intended) if thou ſhouldeſt mark iniquity) O Lord, who ſhall ſtand? The word in that Pſalm rendred to mark, notes, firſt, to watch, or to obſerve with exacteſt diligence,foreign and is therefore in the Noun rendred a watch Tower, upon which a man is placed to take obſervation of all things that are done, and of all perſons that paſſe by, or approach and come neer. A Watch-man placed upon a high-Tower, is bound induſtriouſly and critically to obſerve all Paſſengers, and paſſages, all that his eye can reach: So ſaith the Text, If thou ſhouldeſt mark as a Watch-man, and eye with rigour every thing that paſſeth from us, Who could ſtand? That is, make good his Cauſe in the day of his judgement and tryal before thee? Secondly, The word ſignifieth to keep in mind, to lay up, to have, as it were, a ſtore and ſtock, a memorial or record, of ſuch and ſuch things by us. In that notion it is ſaid (Gen. 37.11.) Joſephs Brethren envied him, but his Father obſerved the ſaying; he marked what Joſeph ſpake about his Dreams, he laid it up, and did not let it paſſe away as a D…eam, or as a viſion of the night: Thus in the Pſalm, If the Lord ſhould mark iniquity, if he ſhould treaſure up our ſins in his memory, and keep them by him, who were able to ſtand when accounted with? The Lord in a way of grace, ſeeth as if he ſaw not, and winks at us oftentimes when we do amiſs, as he is ſaid to have done at thoſe times, the times of ignorance, when not only many things, but even every thing was done amiſs, and out of order, in the dark Gentile world, before the approach of Goſpel light, (Acts 17.30.) And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but new commandeth all men every where to repent. That is, the Lord took little notice of thoſe untaught times, in compariſon of that ſtrict notice which he will take of theſe times; concerning which, he gave command to his Apoſtles, Go and teach all Nations; and yet the ſtricteſt notice which he takes of our ſins in theſe times, is but little to what he might.
So much from that Tranſlation of the Text; our own runs thus.
Verſ. 15. But now becauſe it is not ſo, he hath viſited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity.
We muſt expound this Verſe in Connexion with the latter part of the former.
But now becauſe it is not ſo.
What is not ſo? what is miſſing? what is wanting? What had Job done amiſs? or what had he miſt to do? Elihu ſeems to anſwer, he hath miſt the doing of that duty to which he was moved in the cloſe of the fore-going Verſe, expreſſed in thoſe words, Truſt thou in him, or wait upon him: But now becauſe it is not ſo; that is, Becauſe thou doſt not put forth ſuch acts of holy confidence, and patient waiting upon God as thou oughteſt, and as I admoniſhed thee to do, therefore God is engaged, and even compelled to treat thee thus roughly and ſeverely, He hath viſited in his anger. As if he had ſaid, Though thou haſt profeſſed a truſt in God, yet thou doſt not truſt in him fully, as becomes thee, yea, thou ſeemeſt ſometimes (as a man forlorn) to caſt up thy hopes; therefore, becauſe thou doſt not truſt in him, becauſe it is not ſo as I have exhorted and directed thee, the Lord hath viſited in anger. Mr. Braughton renders, But now for miſſing, his anger doth viſit. For miſſing; that is, for miſſing of duty, or for not acting up to duty, for not truſting fully in the Lord, the Lord hath viſited thee in his anger. This ſenſe is obvious and commodious according to our reading. But now becauſe it is not ſo, Homo tentatur et in examen vocatur ut probetur ejus ſpes et patientia; quandoquidem igitur illa non extat, invaſit ira ejus, qua odit, et amolitur peccat m, etiam in iis ques diligit, et ſalv…s vult maxime. Coc.He hath viſited in his anger, or ſtrictly, his anger hath viſited;
That is, God hath heavily afflicted thee. God is far from all paſſion and perturbation of mind, only he is ſaid to be angry, or to viſit in his anger, when he doth that which anger produceth among men; when he caſts down and puniſheth, when he lays his hand ſorely upon the Creature, then he is ſaid to be angry, then His anger hath viſited. The word notes quick breathing in the Noſtrils; anger appears, or vents it ſelf there; as it is ſaid of Paul, when Saul (Acts 9.1.) And Saul yet breathing out threatnings, and ſlaughter againſt the Diſciples of the Lord, went unto the High Prieſt. You might ſee anger, as it were foam, yea flame out of his mouth,foreign Ira ejus viſitavit. and evaporate at his noſtrils. Thus ſaith Elihu, Becauſe it is not ſo, his anger Hath viſited.
To viſit, is properly to go to, and ſee any perſon whom we reſpect and love; thus we viſit friends in civility and courteſie. Secondly, To viſit is an act of pity and mercy; and thus we viſit the ſick, the widdow, and the fatherleſſe (James 1.27.) Pure Religion, and undefiled before God, and the Father, is to viſit the fatherleſſe and widows in their affliction; that is, to go to them in pity, either for the ſupply of their wants by our purſe, or for the comforting of their hearts by our counſel. Thirdly, We viſit in care, as well as in kindneſſe, that is, when we go to our Families or Flocks, or places of charge, whereſoever they are, and ſee that, or whether, all things are well and right with them, or well, and rightly done towards them, according to the rules that ſuch perſons under our charge ought to act, and live by: Thus in Colledges and Hoſpitals, there is a viſitation of care, to make enquiry of perſons in truſt, about perſons and things under their truſt.
To the Point in hand; there is a twofold viſitation of God.
Firſt, He viſits in love and mercy, (Ruth. 1.6.) Then ſhe (that is Naomi) aroſe with her Daughter in Law, that ſhe might return from the Countrey of Moab, for ſhe had heard in the Countrey of Moab, how that the Lord had viſited his people in giving them bread. That is, God had ſhewed them kindneſſe and mercy in relieving them from that devouring famine. Again, (Gen. 21.6.) And the Lord viſited Sarah, as he had ſaid; that is, he gave her the promiſed mercy of a Son. Once more, (Luke 1.68.) Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, for he hath viſited, and redeemed his People; and that's a bleſſed viſitation indeed, which brings redemption. Thus the Scripture often ſpeaks of Gods viſitation in mercy.
Secondly, There is a viſitation of God in anger, wrath and judgement. The Law ſaith (Exod. 20.4, 5.) Thou ſhalt not make to thy ſelf any graven Image, &c. Thou ſhalt not bow down thy ſelf to them, nor ſerve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, viſiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me: That is puniſhing the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, theſe Children continuing in their Fathers ways, to do ſinfully; ſuch Children duplicate page duplicate page as take up the evil examples, or tread in the bad ſteps of their fore-Fathers, ſhall ſuffer for it. The Prophet at once upbraided the impudent Jews, and threatned them in this Language, (Jer. 6.15.) Were they aſhamed when they had committed abominations? nay, they were not aſhamed, neither could they bluſh; therefore they ſhall fall among them that fall at the time that I viſit them, they ſhall be caſt down, ſaith the Lord. Again, (Iſa. 26.14.) Therefore haſt thou viſi…ed and deſtroyed them. There is a viſitation for deſtruction, that's a ſad viſitation. In this ſenſe we read of a time of viſitation (Jer. 8.12. Jer. 10.15.) We read of days of viſitation, (Hoſea 9.7.) The dayes of viſitation are come, the dayes of recompence are come. We read alſo of a year of viſitation, (Jer. 23.12.) For I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their viſitation, ſaith the Lord. As alſo (Chap. 11.23.) I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their viſitation. This is the viſitation here ſpoken of; it is a time, a day, a year of ſore viſitation with thee, O Job. Becauſe it is not ſo, he hath viſited in his anger.
Hence Note, Firſt, God expects the work of Faith and Patience, when his afflicting hand is upon us.
Faith hath much work to do at all times, but moſt in times of affliction. There is alſo a uſe of two ſorts of patience in our beſt dayes; the patience of labouring in Gods work, and the patience of waiting for the reward of our work, after all our labours: But in ſad dayes the Lord expects we ſhould exerciſe both patience in ſuffering, and in waiting for deliverance out of all our ſufferings; then 'tis that both Faith and Patience, truſting and waiting muſt have their perfect work.
Secondly Note; When the Lord doth not find or ſee, as he expects, the work of Faith and Patience in a time of affliction, he will afflict more and more until he finds or works it.
This is it which Elihu ſaith in the Text, Becauſe it is not ſo, he hath viſited in his anger. Job was ſorely afflicted before, but now he is viſited in anger, becauſe he did not manifeſt ſuch truſt in God as he expected in that condition. As when the wicked repent not of their ſins under the puniſhing hand of God, he will puniſh them more and more, even ſeven times more for their ſins, (Levit. 26.41.) So when good men act not their Graces, believe not, truſt not under the afflicting hand of God, he uſually afflicts them more and more, gives them ſoarer ſtripes, and layeth yet heavier burdens on them. When God miſſeth what he lock'd for, we may quickly feel what we looked not for. Mr. Braughtons Tranſlation ſpeaks the Point fully, But now for miſſing, his anger doth viſit. Man ſeldome miſſeth t…ouble from God, when God miſſeth duty from man; and 'tis a me cy that he doth not: 'tis mans mercy when God minds him of his deficiencies in duty, though by a ſmart viſiting rod. Thus the Lord ſpake of Davids Seed, (and 'tis to be underſtood of all the Seed of Chriſt, whom David typed, Pſal. 89.) If his children forſake my Law, (v. 30, 31.) Then (verſ. 32.) will I viſit their tranſgreſſions with the Rod, &c. How true this charge of Elihu was, as to Jobs omiſſion of duty, I ſhall not ſtay to enquire; only this we know, Job had profeſſed truſt in God, yet becauſe it was mingled with ſo much complaint, with ſo many unbelieving expoſtulations, Elihu might ſay the Lord miſſed the patience, truſt and confidence, which he expected from Job. Doubtleſſe, more of all theſe ſhould have appeared in him, and they ſhould have appeared more in that time of affliction. There are two things which God looketh for, and aims at in the time of our affliction; firſt, the mortifying of corruptions, that they wo…k no more, at leaſt no more ſo ſtrongly as they have done; ſecondly, The ſtirring up, and acting of our Graces, that they may be more wo…king, and work more ſtrongly than ever they have done. Where the Lord ſees not theſe effects of affliction, that our ſins grow leſſe, and our graces more, that we complain leſſe, and truſt or believe more, we are like to be afflicted more, and he will diſcover his anger more. Becauſe it is not ſo, he hath viſited in his anger. And thence
Note, Thirdly; Diſtruſt or impatience under the affl…cting hand of God, or our not truſting God in our worſt condition patiently, is a very provoking ſin.
We provoke the Lord to viſit us in his anger, when we do not truſt in his mercy. Our not truſting God muſt needs provoke him to anger; for when we do not truſt him, we queſtion him; diſtruſt or unbelief queſtions all that God is, and all that God hath promiſed, it queſtions his Truth, and his Faithfulneſſe, his Power, his Mercy, and his Goodneſſe; all theſe, which are the glory of God, and in all which the ſons of men ought to glorifie him, theſe are all queſtioned and darkned, when we put not forth acts of truſt and reliance upon God, in times of greateſt affliction and extremity. Is it not then a provoking ſin, I ſay not to with-draw truſt from God, and give it to an arm of fleſh, but not to put out freſh and full acts of truſt upon God, let our affliction or extremity be what it will! The Children of Iſrael were in great extremity at the Red Sea, a mighty Army purſuing them at the heels to deſtroy them, and mighty waters being before them, ready to ſwallow them up; in theſe ſtraits (whileſt they ſhould have done their utmoſt to get, and aſſure God to be their Friend) the Pſalmiſt tells us, They provoked him, (Pſal. 106, 7.) But wherein lay their provocation? that Scripture ſaith, They remembred not the multitude of his mercies: The former mercies of the Lord did not ſtrengthen their truſt in preſent troubles; that was one provocation. And as former mercies did not ſtrengthen their truſt, ſo the preſent trouble drew out their diſtruſt, as another Scripture aſſures, reporting their behaviour in it (Exod. 14.11.) And they ſaid to Moſes, Becauſe there were no Graves in Egypt, haſt thou taken us away to dye in the Wilderneſſe? Wherefore haſt thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? What were theſe fearful fore-caſts, theſe amazing bodements of an unavoidable (as they apprehended) ruine, but the overflowings of unbelief, or diſtruſt in God; and this was another provocation. Former mercies are forgotten, yea eaten up by unbelief, as the ſeaven lean Kine in Pharaohs dream, eat up the fat ones, and preſent difficulties are aggravated by unbelief, as if all the power of God could not remove and overcome them. And will not the Lord (think you) viſit in anger for ſuch a ſin as this?
Again, As Elihu doth not ſay barely, he hath viſited, but he hath viſited in his anger, or his anger hath viſited, ſo conſider, who was it that was thus viſited in anger? It was Job, a Godly man, a man perfect and upright.
Hence note, Fourthly; God viſits or afflicts, even his own people, his elect, and choiceſt ſervants, with fatherly anger, when they diſpleaſe and provoke him.
We find the Scripture ſpeaking expreſly of the anger of God towards the beſt of his ſervants, even towards a Moſes, (as himſelf made confeſſion, Deuter. 1.37.) when they diſpleaſe him; Alſo the Lord was angry with me for your ſakes, ſaying, thou alſo ſhalt not go in thither. Moſes was a moſt meek man, the meekeſt man upon the face of the earth, nor was he an inferior in any other grace, yet the Lord was angry wi h him, and angry with him upon that ſpecial occaſion, his unbeliefe, (Numb. 20.12.) And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes and Aaron, becauſe ye believe me not, to ſanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Iſrael, therefore &c. We read of the Lords anger breaking out againſt Aaron for another ſin, (Numb. 12.9.) The anger of the Lord was kindled againſt them, that is, againſt Aaron and Miriam, becauſe they had ſpoken againſt Moſes, (verſ. 1.8.) Aaron was the High Prieſt, and as he was high in office, ſo eminent in grace; and doubtleſs Miriam was a very gracious woman, yet the Lord was not only angry with them, but exceeding angry; his anger waxed hot againſt them and kindled, when they forgot their duty to Moſes, and remembred not their diſtance with reverence. Solomon in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple, ſpeaks of the people of God collectively; If they ſin againſt thee, and thou be angry with them. The Lord is not only angry with the world, but angry with his Church, not only angry with Babylon, but with Jeruſalem. And as Solomon ſpake that of the whole Nation of the Jewes, ſuppoſing they might fall under the Lords anger all together as a body; ſo he did experience it ſadly in his own perſon, (1 Kings 9.11.) And the Lord was angry with Solomon, becauſe his heart was turned from the Lord God of Iſrael, which had appeared unto him tw…ce. Wiſe Solomon departed from God through an evil heart of unbelief and vanity, after the Lord had come and appeared to him more than once in grace and ſavour; and the bitter effects or fruits of that departure, appeared to him ſhortly after, the Lord (ſaith that Scripture) was angry with Solomon; and the ſequel of his Hiſtory tells us, there went out very hot diſpleaſure againſt him. As theſe Scriptures are a proof of the Lords anger kindling againſt his people when they ſin; ſo we find the Church repreſented praiſing the Lord for quenching the fire of his ange…, (Iſa. 12.1.) And in that day thou ſhalt ſay, O Lord, I will praiſe thee: though thou waſt angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comforteſt me. When we turn from God, his anger is turned againſt us, and when we turn to God, his anger is turned away from us. When the Lord is angry, what can comfort us, but the turning away of his anger? And by the very act of turning away his anger, he comforts us, though all the world be angry with us.
But ſome may ſay, How doth the Lord, who is ſaid to love his people with an everlaſting love, viſit them in anger? To clear that, we may diſtinguiſh of anger.
Firſt, There is correcting anger: Secondly, there is conſuming or deſtroying anger. Deſtroying anger is inconſiſtent with eve…laſting love, but not correcting anger: correcting anger may be very grievous, therefore the Prophet deprecates it, (Jer. 10.24.) Correct me, O Lord, in Judgement, not in thy anger. The Lord doth often exerciſe (that is as often as there is cauſe, and we give him cauſe too often to exerciſe) a ſmart and ſevere anger towards his own people; but his conſuming and deſtroying anger is the lot and portion of the wicked; If his anger be kindled but a little (namely againſt his enemies) bleſſed are they that truſt in him; bleſſed are they that believe, when that anger of the Lord breaks forth againſt unbelievers. Or we may ſtate it thus;
Firſt, God is angry with ſinful perſons; thus he is angry with the world, or with wicked men.
Secondly, God is angry with perſons for ſinning, (there is a great difference between theſe two; anger with ſinful perſons, and anger with perſons for their ſin, or for ſinning) and thus he is angry with his own people, even with the godly when they ſin, though not for every ſin.
Further, We may diſtinguiſh of anger thus; There is anger mixed with a deſire of taking revenge upon thoſe that we are ang…y with, a revengeful anger: thus the Lord is angry only with the wicked. Of this anger Moſes ſpeaks, having deſcribed a preſumptuous ſinner, who believes not only without a word, but againſt the word, who when he heareth the word of the curſe, bleſſeth himſelf in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenneſs unto thirſt; then the anger of the Lord and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoak againſt that man, &c. (Deut. 29.19, 20.) Read more of this revengeful anger of the Lord, (Deut. 32.22, 41, 42.) Secondly, there is anger with a deſire to reforme, and reclaime thoſe that we are angry with: Thus a loving and indulgent father is angry with his child, when he hath committed a fault; he is angry, not with an anger of deſire to revenge, but with an anger of deſire to reforme. And thus the Lord is angry with his own people, with his choiceſt ſervants, and deareſt children, when they forget their duty and play the wantons.
Laſtly, We may diſtinguiſh of anger thus; There is Firſt, a temporary anger: As there is a temporary faith in hypocrites, ſo (we may ſay) there is a temporary anger in God againſt the faithful when offending; that is, he is angry with them for a while, for a ſeaſon: Sing unto the Lord, O ye Saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holineſs, (ſaith David, Pſal. 30.4.) But why doth he call them to ſinging? we have the reaſon of it given at the 5th verſe, For his anger endureth but a moment; he ſpeaks there of the Lords anger againſt his Saints and peculiar people: while they indeed have cauſe to mourn for provoking the Lord to anger, they may alſo ſing, both becauſe his anger endureth but for a moment, that is, becauſe (if that be all) it endureth not at all, (a moment is of no endurance) as alſo becauſe in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Once more, hear the Prophets report of the Lords anger, (Micah 7.18.) Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his heritage; he retaineth not his anger for ever, becauſe he delighteth in mercy. God do…h not retain his anger for ever; that is, not long; yea, that not for ever, is but a little while, a moment, and that but a ſmall moment, as the Prophet Iſaiah ſpake, (Chap. 54.7.) As if he had ſaid, The Lords anger is not retained ſo long, as if it ſhould be alwayes retained; his anger towards you is ſoon blown over, and gone, upon the matter (like a moment) as ſoon as come. Such is the anger which God diſcovers towards his own people.
Secondly, There is an anger for ever, an abiding wrath, a fire of anger which never goeth out, nor can be put out, which is kindled in the breaſt of God againſt ungodly men, and againſt them only as living and dying without repentance, in their ungodlineſs. Job a godly man, was viſited in the former, not in this latter anger.
Yet for the fuller anſwer to this query, as it concerns Jobs caſe, I conceive Elihu ſpeaks with the higheſt and hardeſt towards him. For though it be a truth, th…t the Lord diſcovers, as was ſhewed before, a fatherly anger towards his children when he chaſteneth them for their ſin, yet he chaſteneth them more, or rather, in love than in anger; As whom he loves, he rebukes and chaſtens, (Rev. 3.19.) ſo he chaſtens and rebukes them in love. And as for Job, whom God dearly loved, it is cleare from the firſt and ſecond Chapters of this Book, that God afflicted him not for any ſpecial ſin, or way of ſinning, but for his tryal, and to ſet him up as a great pattern of patience to all ſucceeding generations. Or we may ſay that God afflicted Job, not becauſe of any provocation which he had given him, but at Satans inſtance and provocation, (Chap. 2.3.) All that can be ſaid for Elihu's help in ſaying that God viſited him in anger, is only this, That though Job had not provoked the Lord to viſit him in anger when he began to viſit him, yet ſome impatient and over-bold ſpeeches of his, or that liberty of ſpeech which he took in expoſtulating and almoſt conteſting with God about his afflictions, might cauſe him to viſit him in ſuch anger as hath been ſet forth in anſwer to the query. And now becauſe it is not ſo, becauſe the Lord miſſeth thoſe acts of grace, truſt and patience, which thy caſe calleth thee to the exerciſe of, He hath viſited in his anger; and what followeth?
Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity.
Et non advertit ad auctum valde. i. e, Nihil diſcrevit (ſc: deus) qued non viſitaret, etiamſi ea re viſitatus magis dolerer. Nam neceſſe erat viſitatum ita tangi ut ſentiret: quod fieri non poterat, ſi non & plera que & chariſſima quó que bona adimerentur. Coc:Elihu ſeems to have ſpoken this turning himſelf to the company, and complaining to them of Jobs inſenſibleneſs, Yet he knoweth not, &c.
Some refer this clauſe of the verſe to God alſo, He hath viſited in his anger, and taketh no notice of the great increaſe, or of that which is greatly increaſed; that is, God hath ſpared nothing from his viſitation, although the party viſited were never ſo much grieved or damnified in the loſs and ſpoyle of his all. There was a neceſſity (ſaith this Author) that he who was viſited ſhould be ſo toucht as to be ſenſible of the ſtroake; which could not be, unleſs the greateſt of his encreaſe, and thoſe things which were moſt dear to him were taken away from him, or he were ſtript naked and bereaved of them.
Our tranſlation refers theſe words to the perſon viſited, as if he, though reduced to the greateſt extremities, yet was not ſenſible of it, or took no notice of what he ſuffered, or was done to him; Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity. Who knoweth not? the Antecedent to he is Job, according to this tranſlation; becauſe he knoweth not. But what did not Job know? Firſt, He knew not the dealings of God with him, to ſubmit to them as he ſhould. Secondly, He knew not that there was ſuch a miſs or deficiency in the acting of his graces, he perceived not how weak a ſoul he had in that weak body; his truſt, his faith, did not act, and yet he knew it not, or took no notice of his fayling in thoſe duties. Thirdly, He hath viſited in his anger, yet he knoweth it not, that is, he knoweth not the anger of God, who viſiteth him. To know may be taken three wayes.
Firſt, For the bare notion or apprehenſion of a thing; thus certainly Job did know that he was viſited, for he ſpake often and enough of it.
Secondly, To know, is to conſider, to lay a thing to heart, (Iſa. 1.3.) My people doth not know, Iſrael doth not conſider, the latter part is exegetical, and expounds the former, My people doth not know, that is, doth not conſider. So (Hoſ. 2.8.) She did not know that I gave her corn, &c. (Pſal. 90.11.) Who knoweth the power of thy anger? that is, who conſiders it? who weighes what the anger of the Lord is? we have ſweet thoughts, about the mercy, and love, and goodneſs of God, yet 'tis little, very little of any of theſe that we know. The love of God, which we delight to know, paſſeth knowledge, (Eph. 3.19.) But for the anger of God, which is ſo dreadful, we ſeldome ſet our ſelves to the ſtudy of it; none can know it comprehenſively, and few ſeek or labour to know it induſtriouſly, conſiderately.
Thirdly, To know, is to be under a due ſenſe of what we know: We may know a thing, and conſider it, yet not have a feeling of it. I conceive we are to underſtand the word know here, in theſe two latter ſenſes; He knoweth it not; that is, he doth not conſider, nor hath he a due ſenſe, either of the defect of his own graces, that his faith acts not as it ought, that his truſt performes not its part as it ſhould; nor doth he know the anger of God in this viſitation; that is, he knoweth not, nor conſidereth, the ſcope and meaning of God in this angry diſpenſation. Yet he knoweth it not In great extremity.
foreign eſt foreign Multitudo, multum paſſim o…currit in Targ: Interdum in Hebraiſmo. Merc.The word ſignifieth any kind of encreaſe (Mal. 4.2.) They ſhall go forth, and grow up as the Calves of the Stall. So 'tis uſed (Jer. 50.11.) Becauſe ye are grown fat, we put in the Margin, big or corpulent. (Lev. 13.5.) If the Plague (of Leproſie he means) encreaſe, grow great, and ſpread it ſelf, then &c. Jobs affliction was a great one at firſt, and it grew greater afterwards: He was in great extremity, or in extremities; of what? in great extremity, Firſt, of loſs and poverty in his Eſtate; Secondly, of pain and torment in his Body; Thirdly, of grief and anguiſh in his Soul: In all theſe he ſuffered, and ſuffered extreamly, or in great extremity. Mr. Broughton renders, Becauſe Job knoweth not this great plenty, namely, of ſorrows, which compaſs him about.
This was the cenſure of Elihu upon Job, and Job had given Elihu too much ground for this cenſure. Though Jobs Faith and truſt were ſtrongly at work ſomtimes, yet they did not alwayes continue their work in the ſame degree or ſtrength: and while he often complained in his extremity, that God dealt with him as with an enemy, he did not well conſider what that anger of God was, in which he viſited him, during the time of that great extremity: Y… he knoweth it not in great extremity.
As this not knowing is referred to his weakneſs in acting his Graces; now, it is not ſo, yet he knoweth it not;
Note; A godly man is not alwayes ſenſible of his defects and failings in grace.
As ſome have little or no Grace, who yet conceit they have much (Rev. 3.17.) Thou ſayeſt, I am rich, and encreaſed in goods, and have need of nothing, and knoweſt not that thou art wretched and miſerable, and poor, and naked. So others who have grace, yea, much grace in the habit (as Job had) may be very inſenſible how little it acts, yea they may ſuppoſe it acts much, when the actings of it are intermitted or extreamly ſuppreſſed by paſſion and corruption: They may think their Faith ſtrong, or that they truſt fully in God, they may think themſelves patient and humble under the hand of God, and yet be greatly defective in the working of all theſe Graces; I mean not ſuch a deficiency only, as is common to all believers (the beſt come ſhort in the exerciſe of grace) but ſome great deficiency may be, and yet the ſoul not ſenſible of it. As ſome are over-ſenſible of their failings, complaining that they have no Faith, no Patience, when they not only have Faith and Patience, as to their Being, but as to their working alſo, and poſſibly, working well. (It is a different work of the Spirit, to act and ſtir up Grace in us, and to diſcover to us the actings and ſtirrings of Grace) Now as ſome godly men act Grace, and know it not, ſo in others that are godly Grace acts not, and they know it not; Faith is down, and they know it not; they can bear little or nothing patiently, yet they take no notice of it. Thus the words of Elihu concerning Job, he knoweth it not, referr to the former part of the verſe, It is not ſo; that is, his Graces act not, yet he takes no notice of it, but thinks Faith and Patience, with other Graces, work well enough.
Secondly, As not knowing refers to the viſitation of God, He hath viſited him in his anger, and he knoweth it not (yea, though) in great extremity, though he have a very hard time of it.
Hence Note, Firſt, A good man may not only be viſited, but extreamly viſited by the hand of God;
He may be under many extremities at once; extreamly viſited in Body, extreamly in Mind, extreamly in his Relations, extreamly in his Name, ext…amly in all his worldly concernments. As there is no outward evil, for the matter, ſo none for the degree, but a good man may be in it. Let us be moderate in judging thoſe, who are in the extreameſt extreamities of ſuffering.
Secondly, Note; Some good men, or good men ſomtimes under very great afflictions, are not ſenſible of the hand of the Lord upon them.
As a good man may receive many mercies, and yet not obſerve (at preſent) how, or from whom he receives them, ſo he may be under angry viſitations or diſpenſations in great extremity, and not mind the dealing of God with him in it, nor what he intendeth by it; yea, he may complain of the burthen, and cry out under the preſſure, yet not know it at that time for his own good, for his humbling or purging. The Prophet ſaith concerning Ephraim, (Hoſ. 7.9.) Strangers have devoured his ſtrength, and he knoweth it not: That is, Enemies have ſwallowed up, or taken away that wealth, thoſe riches, they have ſubdued thoſe Armies, thoſe Forces, which he looked upon, and boaſted of, as his ſtreng…h; they have broken him quite with Warrs & Invaſions, yet Ephraim knew it not: and not only ſo, but as it followeth, Yea, Gray hairs are here and there upon him; that is, he hath many Symptomes or Signs or ruine and deſtruction, yet he knoweth it not. Grief of heart for great changes in our Eſtate, change the hair; many grow gray with ſorrow. So that, when 'tis ſaid gray hairs are upon him, 'tis an alluſion taken from the Body Natural to the Body Politick; for as when the natural Body of a man hath gray hairs appearing, or (as Solomon allegorizeth, Eccl. 12.5.) when the Almond Tree flouriſheth, it is an argument that old Age and infirmities are coming upon him (Gray hairs tell us that Death and the Grave are not farr off, they ſignifie ſome decay of nature.) Now as the natural Body hath its gray hairs, ſo a Politick Body, the body of a State hath its gray hairs too; that is, ſomthing may come upon a State, which ſheweth that it is declining and waxing old, that it is ready to break, and go to the Grave. I ſhall not ſtay to enquire what are the gray hairs of a Nation; I only bring that Scripture, to prove that many are inſenſible of the hand of God; he viſiteth in his anger, yet man, poſſibly a good man, knoweth it not, as Ephraim knew not of his gray hairs.
But did not Ephraim know his affliction? or did not Job know his? what is it to know, or who may be ſaid to know an affliction?
I anſwer, they only know their afflictions, or that God is viſiting in his anger,
Firſt, who labour to find out the cauſe of Gods viſitation. If we feel the afflicting hand of God upon us, and enquire not, whence is this? why is it ſo? what hath moved or provoked the Lord to this manner of proceeding with us? If, I ſay, we make not ſuch enquiries, we are viſited in anger, and know it not. And therefore in that caſe, the Prophet Jeremy exhorts the afflicted, captivated Church of the Jewes in Babylon, to ſearch and try their wayes, (Lam. 3.41.) that is, to conſider why it was ſo with them, what was the cauſe of their captivity. Till we ſit down and make diligent ſearch, why we are viſited, why any affliction or calamity is upon our Perſons and Families, or upon the Kingdomes and Nations reſpectively where we live, we know neither the day of our viſitation, nor what our viſitation is. Then only we know Gods viſitation, when we are ſtudying the cauſes of it;Scire eſt per cauſas ſcire. To know a thing is to know it in the cauſes of it.
Secondly, They may be ſaid to know the viſitation of the Lord, that are ſtudying, as the cauſe which they have given, ſo the ends and purpoſes which God hath in viſiting them; for how much ſoever we find and ſee the cauſes of an affliction, yet till our hearts are drawn out to anſwer the ends of it, we do not truly know it.
But you will ſay, what are the uſual ends which the Lord hath in afflicting his people?
I anſwer, Firſt, to turn them from ſin; Secondly, to unglew and wean them from the world; Thirdly, that they may live nearer to, or more with him; Fourthly, that they may live more unto him, or (wch takes in both the latter ends) that they may enjoy him more while they live, & honour him more with their lives. Now (I ſay) till we are upon this kind of ſtudy, both of the cauſes of our viſitation, and the ends of it, & beg that we may both remove thoſe cauſes, & comply with or anſwer thoſe ends, we may be ſaid not to know the viſitation of the Lord, though it be, and we are, in great extremity. And if this be to know the viſitation of God, ſurely many are periſhing and ſinking under the hand of his viſitation, w… yet know it not. How many are there, who neither endeavour to ſearch out the cauſes, nor to fulfil the ends for which the Lord viſiteth them in his anger! I conceive this aſſertion, or ſuppoſition at leaſt of Elihu's concerning Job, both as to his not truſting God in his affliction, and not knowing his viſitation, was, though in part true, and occaſion'd on Jobs part, yet over-harſh and ſevere: nor was the inference which he made from it in the next verſe, leſs ſevere and harſh.
Verſ. 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain, he multiplyeth words without knowledge.
Here's the concluſion of Elihu's third Diſcourſe with Job: Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain.
Some connect this verſe with the former, according to the firſt reading of it, before mentioned, that giving a reaſon of this; But now his anger (or he in anger) hath viſited thee but a little, or nothing, &c. Therefore thou, O Job, openeſt thy mouth in vain. As if he had ſaid, Becauſe the anger of God hath not puniſhed Job ſharply enough, nor in proportion to the multitude and greatneſs of his ſins, therefore he ſpeaks thus boldly and raſhly.
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain.
To open the mouth is a Pariphraſis of ſpeaking; As if he had ſaid, therefore Job ſpeaks in vain. To ſpeak in vain, or to uſe vain words, is to ſpeak to little or no purpoſe, as I have had occaſion to ſhew upon other places of this Book (Chap. 15.2. Chap. 16.3.) and therefore ſhall not ſtay upon it here. Job was no vain ſpeaker, he uſed to ſpeak words of weight, words of ſoberneſs and truth, yet was overborn by paſſion, though not to ſpeak vain words in the matter, yet to ſpeak or open his mouth in vain.
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain. Conſider the Inference, therefore, that is, Firſt, Becauſe he doth not humble himſelf in a patient dependance upon God; Secondly, becauſe he doth not, as he ought, duly take notice of the purpoſe of God in viſiting him; Thirdly, becauſe he ſeems more ſolicitous and zealous in defending his own right and credit, than the honour and righte…uſneſs of God: for all theſe Reaſons he openeth his mouth in vain, that is, he loſeth his labour, in all this diſcourſe, and might (as we ſpeak proverbially) have ſaved his breath to cool his broth: Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain. Taking the Charge which Elihu brought againſt Job in the former verſe, to be well grounded and true, we may Note, All our complaints to, and debates with God, as alſo all our Apologies for our ſelves in affliction, are fruitleſs and ſucceſleſs, till we give Glory to God, and anſwer his purpoſes, in laying his hand upon us.
Gratio vana ſenſus at que ſapientiae inops, tantum ſonitu verborum & querimoniarum clamoſa.Unleſs our hearts bow to God, he will not bow his ear to us. We only fill the air with words, we are but ſounding braſs and tinkling Cimbals in all we ſay to God, unleſs we do what God ſaith. Elihu ſuppoſing J…bs ſpirit yet unſubdued or not wrought and brought into a right frame under his affliction, might well ſay, he openeth his mouth in vaine; and as it followeth to the ſame effect in the cloſe of this verſe and Chapter, He multiplieth words without knowledge.
Here is another hard cenſure, upon this good, this holy, and wiſe man Job. Some Expoſiters fall heavy upon Elihu, as charging Job too far; he ſpake (ſay they) many things that were right, but not rightly; he ſpake many things that were true, but he did not ſpeak truly in fixing them upon Job; he ſpake all uprightly, but ſomewhat too rigorouſly: And indeed, if he had charged him ſo far, as to ſay, he had no knowledge at all, and had not opened his mouth at all to purpoſe, he had charged him beyond both truth and modeſty. But Elihu, who was ſet up by God for this very end to humble Job, had ground to tell him, that as to ſome things, he had both opened his mouth in vaine, and multiplied words without knowledge; that is, he had ſpoken many words which ſeemed not to proceed from any ſound or well-grounded knowledge; and I may give a four-fold ground of it.
Firſt, Becauſe he had not ſufficiently attended and magnified the Soveraignty of God, in laying thoſe afflictions upon him.
Secondly, Becauſe he had not, as he ought, ſate down quietly under the hand of God; but often called to know the cauſe, and that God would plainly tell him the reaſon, or give him an account why he ſuffered: Whereas he ſhould have remembred, that as many of the judgements of God are unſearchable, and his wayes paſt finding out by man, ſo he hath reſerved ſome of them as ſecrets in his own breaſt, and will no more give any man an account of them, than any man ought to deſire an account of them.
Thirdly, Becauſe he had not more conſidered his ſin, or had not been ſo much in conſidering the greatneſs of his ſin, as he had been in ſetting forth the greatneſs of his integrity. For though it were true which Job ſpake, that his way was upright, and though God had given teſtimony to his uprightneſs and integrity in all his wayes, yet he ſhould not have inſiſted ſo much upon that poynt, which had ſo much affinity with ſelf-boaſting, though he intended it only for ſelf clearing, or for the righting of himſelf. It had been more becoming him to have been aggravating his ſin, than ſetting forth his righteouſneſs; this was the poynt that Elihu ſtruck at, that he had juſtified himſelf too much, and judged himſelf too little. Yea Job was convinced of this at laſt, Once have I ſpoken, but I will ſpeak no more, that is, of my own integrity, or righteouſneſs.
Fourthly, He may be ſaid to have multiplied words without knowledge, becauſe he had ſpoken ſo much in the aggravation of his afflictions: 'Tis true, his afflictions were very great; yet Elihu cenſures him deſervedly, becauſe he took too much notice of them, complaining often and often, how heavy the hand of God was upon him, yea that God was an enemy to him; whereas he ſhould rather have lookt upon the viſitation of God, as light and eaſie,Inſcritam objicit quod pugnantia, ſaliem non ſatis inter ſe cohaerentia conjunaeit. Merl: or (at leaſt) as but little comparatively, to what the Lord was able to lay upon him, or what his ſin might juſtifie God in laying upon him. Elihu having obſerved Job often and long ſtriking upon that ſtring, hightning his ſufferings and troubles, had reaſon enough not only to call him off from it, but to check him for it. And therefore let us remember and be admoniſhed, that in all our afflictions we ſhould not ſo much ſet forth the greatneſs of our ſuffering, as the greatneſs of the mercy of God; we ſhould look upon little mercies as great, (it ſhews an excellent ſpirit, when we heighten and greaten the mercy and goodneſs of God, even in little things) but we ſhould ſpeak of, and look upon our greateſt chaſtenings and afflictions as light, and little. Job fayled ſomewhat in all theſe things, and in ſome of them his faylings were great; and upon ſome of, if not upon all theſe grounds, I judge Elihu gave this judgement upon Job; He openeth his mouth in vaine, and multiplieth words without knowledge.
Job alſo yeilded himſelf thus faulty at laſt (Chap. 42.3.) Who is he (there he ſpeaks of himſelf in a third perſon, Who is he) that hideth counſel without knowledge; therefore have I uttered that I underſtood not, things too wonderfull for me, which I knew not.
I ſhall cloſe my thoughts upon this Chapter, with minding the Reader: Firſt, of Elihu his candedneſs …owards Job, beyond what he found from his other friends; for Elihu chargeth Job here, only with vanity and inadvertency, not with any premeditated wickedneſs or blaſphemy, as Eliphaz had done, (Chap. 22.13, 14.) Secondly, let me mind the Reader, of that liberty and plainneſs of ſpeech which Elihu uſed towards Job, in telling him of, and cenſuring him for his faylings; as alſo of that patience, meekneſs, and equanimity, with which Job heard, received, and bare his ſharpeſt cenſures, not replying one word in paſſion, nor ſo much as pleading the leaſt excuſe for his former paſſionateneſs, but taking all in good part, and, doubtleſs, improving all for his ſpirituall profit.