Exposition of Job 35-37, Exposition on Job · Chapter 36 · Verses 15-17
JOB, Chap. 36. Verſ. 15, 16, 17.
15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ear in oppreſſion.
16. Even ſo would he have removed thee out of the ſtrait into a broad place, where there is no ſtraitneſs, and that which ſhould be ſet on thy table, ſhould be full of fatneſs.
17. But thou haſt fulfilled the judgement of the wicked: judgement and juſtice take hold on thee.
ELihu having ſhewed how terrible God will be, how dreadfully he will deal with ſubtile hypocrites; The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath; proceeds in this context to do two things further.
Firſt, that he might raiſe ſome hope in Job, if he did it laſt humble himſelf, he repeats the gracious dealings of God with humble and upright-hearted ones at the 15th verſe; I ſay he repeats it, becauſe he had ſpoken of it before (verſ. 6, 7.) and this is a very uſeful and profitable repetition, by which Job is doubly admoniſhed to raiſe himſelf from his deſpair of a better condition; foraſmuch as God doth not afflict with a purpoſe to deſtroy, but that he may heal and help the afflicted. The greateſt deſign of God in chaſtening us ſhould be alwayes remembred, that he intends only our good, eſpecially to make us thereby better or more partakers of his holineſs.
Secondly, he makes application of the whole doctrine to Job; and that two wayes; Firſt, by way of conſolation, aſſuring him he had been delivered in caſe he had humbled himſelf duly & deeply before the Lord (v. 16.) Even ſo would he have removed thee out of the ſtrait into a large place, &c. Secondly, he applies it by way of conviction, that as yet ſurely he was unhumbled, becauſe ſtill under the afflicting hand of God, verſ. 17. But thou haſt fulfilled the judgement of the wicked, judgement and juſtice take hold on thee. So much concerning the ſtate of theſe three verſes in general; I ſhall now go on to open them in order.
Verſe 15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction,foreign Traxit, exiraoeit, detr…xit, in piet extraxit ex aerumu…, miſeria, ericulo. or he pulls the poor out of affliction;
That is the ſenſe of the word, and the work of God. We find the word uſed to ſignifie the pulling or drawing off of the ſhoo, (Deut. 25.19.) As the ſhoo is tied or buckled to the foot, and muſt be looſed before it can with any eaſe be drawn off;Chalatz and lachatz two contraries, ſave and undoe, are ſweetly uſed …y Elihu in this verſe. Brough. ſo affl…ctions are tyed to us, till the Lord unlooſeth and draweth them off from us, or us, from them. To draw out of trouble, or to draw us out of trouble, is deliverance. David expreſſeth himſelf by that word (Pſal. 6.4.) Return, O Lord, deliver (or draw) my ſoul (that is me) out of the enemies hand, or out of the trouble which compaſſeth me about, and is ready, like deep waters, to ſwallow me up. He delivereth The poor in his affliction.foreign Eſt vox conjugata, pauperum a paupertate. miſerum a miſeria. Pined.
Who are meant by the poor, hath been ſhewed before, I ſhall not ſtay upon it here, only conſider, there are poor as to their outward ſtate, and poor as to their inward ſtate, that is, firſt, poor in ſpirit, which is a bleſſed poverty; and ſecondly, poor in ſpirituals, which is a miſerable poverty. The two former ſorts of poor eſpecially, when joyned in one, are here intended; He delivereth the poor in his affliction, or, in his poverty.
There is a great elegancy in the Hebrew text; 'tis a word of the ſame root which ſignifieth the poor who are delivered, and the affliction in which or out of which he or they are delivered. We may tranſlate the text thus; he delivereth the poor in his poverty; that is, when he is in his poverty or affliction, the Lord delivere…h him out of his poverty, or affliction; if poverty be his affliction, o… whatſoever affliction comes under the name of poverty,Hic ב redditur per foreign de, ex. the Lord delivereth him out of it. I have upon other paſſages of this book ſpoken of this deliverance, yet ſhall touch it here again, becauſe we ought always to remember it; we are often in affliction, often in trouble, and therefore we have need of…en to be put in mind, and continually to bear in mind, that God is a deliverer, the deliverer of his people from, or out of afflictions; He delivereth the poor in his affliction.
Hence Note, Deliverance is the work of God.
As …he poor cannot deliver themſelves in affliction, ſo neither can the rich deliver the poor by his riches, nor the ſtrong by his power, nor the wiſe man by his wiſdom, craft or pollicy. The Lord often uſeth the help of man, creature help, in delivering the poor out of affl…ctions; yet the whole effect is here, and every where in Scripture attributed to God, He delivereth the poor. Deliverance of any ſo…t is of God, yet more eſpecially ſome ſort of deliverances are; as Nebuchadnezzar confeſſed (Dan. 3.29.) who, wh…n thoſe three Worthies were delivered out of the fiery furnace, ma…e a decree, that every People, Nation and Language which ſpake any thing amiſs, againſt the God of Shadrach, Meſhach a…d Abednego, ſhould be cut in pieces, &c. and he did it upon this ground, becauſe (ſaith he) there is no other God that can deliver after this ſort. He had an opinion that his god could deliver, but he appropriated the glory of that deliverance to their God; there is no god can deliver after this ſort; no god but the God of Shadrach, Meſhach and Abednego can check and ſtop the rage of fire, and b ing out thoſe unburnt, who are caſt into the burning. That's the firſt thing, Deliverance is of the Lord.
Secondly, He delivereth the poor.
Note; The loweſt and meaneſt are the objects of deliverance.
When it's worſt with us, then uſually God cometh in. He will be ſeen in the Mount, and provide at a pinch; he loves to do for us when we can do nothing for our ſelve. Take the poor in any notion, but eſpecially for ſuch as being deſtitute of all help and means of deliverance, are alſo poor in ſpi it, not truſting to any help or humane arm, theſe, theſe are the perſons whom the Lord delights to deliver; and herefore God is ſo often ſpoken of in Scriptu e, as eſpouſing the cauſe and quarrel of the Widow and the Fatherleſs.
Thirdly, From the manner of expreſſion, He delivereth the poor in affliction,
Note; They who are not delivered from affliction, may yet be delivered in affliction.
God doth not alwayes deliver his People from affliction (either not ſuffering affliction to fall upon them, or preſently bringing them out of affliction) but he is engaged (by promiſe) to deliver them in affliction; and this he doth ſometimes by checking the affliction, that it ſhall not hurt them; ſometimes by enabling them to bear, yea, to conquer the affliction, how much ſoever it hurts them. He delivered thoſe in the third of Daniel, in the fiery fu… nace, by checking the fire that it ſhould not hurt them; and Daniel in the Lions den, by checking the hungry Lyons that they did not devour him. He delivered Job, and David, and Jeremie, and the Apoſtles, and all the Martyrs, who loved not their lives to the death for the teſtimony of Jeſus, by cauſing them to glory in, and triumph over all their tribulations. He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppreſſion.
What's meant by opening the ear, was ſhewed at the 10th verſe of this Chapter, and at the 16th verſe of the thirty third; Yet conſider ſomewhat in the words anew.
And openeth their ear. The Hebrew copulative particle, which we render, and, is often in that language uſed to denote a ſeaſon, or ſpecial time, and then it is rendred by when; thus here he delivereth the poor in affliction, when he hath opened their ears, by or in oppreſſion. Thus alſo (Pſal. 139.16.) Thine eyes did ſee my ſubſtance, yet being imperfect, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were faſhioned, when as yet there was none of them. The Hebrew is, and not one in them; as if he had ſaid, God had a full Idea or platform of Davids b dy before it was framed; ſo here, he delivereth the poor in affliction, and openeth, or when he hath opened their ears in oppreſſion; that is, taught them effectually to make a good uſe of their afflictions. We may alſo render it, after; ſo the copulative (Vau) is expounded (Lev. 17.15. Jer. 10.13.) Thus here;Faciet eum intelligere quod pro peccatis punitur. Aquin He delivereth the poor in afflion after he hath opened their ears; that is, after he hath made them underſtand that ſin hath cauſed their ſufferings, and hath alſo made them obedient and ready to receive counſel from him, as that phraſe of opening the ear hath been opened. He openeth, or when or after he hath opened their ears foreign a radic… foreign coarcta…it, preſſit, co… preſſit, vim intulit praepoſito, in ſaepo valet, per.in oppreſſion, or by oppreſſion,
The word notes, extream oppreſſion; we read it (Num. 22.25.) in the ſtory of Balaam, where 'tis ſaid, his Aſſe cruſhed (or preſſed, or oppreſſed) his foot againſt the wall, while he was going to curſe the people of Iſrael, that ſo Balak might oppreſſe them. This word is uſed alſo Judg. 4.3. 1 Sam. 10.18. and by it Eliſha ſhewed how he would have Jehorams meſſenger handled (2 Kings 6.32.) Oppreſſion takes faſt hold. The Lord takes faſt hold of ſinners by oppreſſion, and will not let them go till he hath opened their ears; but as ſoon as he hath opened their ears in or by their oppreſſions, then (out of hand) he delivereth them in, if not out of their afflictions. From the connection of this with the former part of the verſe,
Obſerve; The evil of oppreſſion or trouble is preparatory to, or a uſual meanes to fit us for our receiving of good.
He delivereth them in affliction, when he hath opened their ears in or by oppreſſion. When once the ſoul by hearing the cry of the oppreſſor is made obedient to the call of God, then God comes and workes deliverance. Good men, while free from evil, are oftentimes like the wilde aſs deſcribed in the 39th chapter of this book, ſuch as will not hear nor regard the crying of the driver, though he be not an exactor, (as the word there ſignifies and we put in the Margine) but a fair and gentle driver. Few hear when ſpoken to, till they feel as well as hear; and therefore the Lo…d firſt ſends them into trouble, that they may hear, and having by that meanes opened their eares to hea…, he b…ings them out of trouble. When we are truly humbled by affliction, we are near deliverance from affliction. The plaiſter muſt be kept on till the wound be healed. The Lord will not leave off ſcourging or correcting his people till he hath brought them to ſuch a poſt…re, that they are fit for mercy. The Lord helps and heals thoſe who ſubmit; and if they whom he hath bound with the cords of affliction, call humbly for releaſe and relief, he will not forſake them, but reſtore them in due time to their former felicity; He delivereth the poor in affliction, when he hath opened their eares in or by oppreſſion.
Elihu having laid down this general Doctrine, makes Application of it in the two verſes following; Verſ. 16. Even ſo would he have removed thee out of the ſtrait into a broad place.
Thus Elihu proceeds from the general Theſis or aſſertion of Gods deliverance, to the Hypotheſis, accommodating the Doctrine to Jobs Caſe and Perſon, Even ſo he would have removed thee, &c.
This 16th verſe contains the firſt part of the Application made to Job, where Elihu informs him what the iſſue would undoubtedly have been, if he had ſubmitted (which he did not) as he ought, to the afflicting hand of God, and had not (which he did and ought not) filled his mouth and the eare of God with bitter complaints, nor ſtood ſo ſtifflly upon his own defence and vindication. This Elihu doth by a double alluſion.
Firſt, to the bringing of a man out of cloſe priſon into a ſtate of freedom, or into an open air. This he gives us in the former part of the verſe, even ſo would he have removed thee out of the ſtrait into a broad place.
Secondly, he doth it by alluding to the furniſhing of a mans table with ſtore, not only of wholſome but of delicious meates, who before fared very hardly. This he doth in the cloſe of the verſe, and that which ſhould be ſet on thy table, ſhould be full of fatneſs. As if he had ſaid, if thou had'ſt harkened to the voyce of God, thou ſhould'ſt have had both liberty, and plenty, had'ſt thou been bettered by thy troubles, it had been better for thee, and much better with thee; thou hadſt been enlarged fully, thou hadſt been ſupplyed abundantly with all manner of good things deſirable, even to the utmoſt of thy deſires: that's the general ſcope of this verſe; more particularly.
Even ſo would he have removed thee out of a ſtrait into a broad place. Some read the verſe with a retro-reſpect, or as looking back to the time paſt; as if Elihu had bid Job remember his former experiences, whether God heretofore dealt not bountifully with him. To this ſenſe (beſides others) Mr. Broughton tranſlates, which hath turned thee from diſtreſſes mouth, Sic etiam averterat to ab ore anguſtiae in latitudinem, cui non fuberat preſſura & ferculum menſae tuae plenum erat pinguedine. Jun.to largeneſs, where is no ſtraitneſs, and that which was laid upon thy table was full of fatneſs: and he gives the gloſs upon his own tranſlation thus; God once made thee wealthy, and would again; thou haſt had experience how good a maſter, and how liberal the Lord is to thoſe that ſerve him, thou thy ſelf didſt enjoy proſperity a long time farre from all trouble, or touch of affliction. Thus, (I ſay) ſome refer the words to the time paſt; but I rather keep to our own tranſlation, which expreſſeth the original text, as an aſſurance of what Job ſhould have had, and might have expected in time, had he complied as he ought, with the purpoſe of God in his afflictions.
Even ſo would he have removed thee out of a ſtrait into a broad place. As if he had ſaid, God who uſeth and loveth to deliver the poor out of affliction, foreign eſt proprie incitare, fere ad malum, a radice foreignwould alſo have delivered thee out of thy affl…ction had'ſt thou been humbled under thy affliction, had'ſt thou fallen down before him, hadſt thou ſubmitted the matter to him, and not diſputed it with him as thou haſt done, hadst thou confeſſed his juſtice, and not accuſed it or complained about it, even ſo would he have removed thee, &c. The word which we tranſlate to remove, ſignifieth alſo
To move or to perſwade; becauſe he that perſwades another,Ex eadem radi…e variae loctiones & interpretationes pullularant. Pined. moveth or removeth him from his opinion or intendment, or from what his practiſe was before, and brings him to be or do ſomwhat that he did not, or was not, before. To be perſwaded is to be inwardly moved, to be moved in mind: And therefore they who perſwade or entice others to evil, are ſaid to turn them from the Lord, and to thruſt them out of the way which the Lord commandeth them to walk in (Deut. 13.5.) To perſwade in any degree, is to move (Joſh. 15.18.) and ſome perſwade ſo ſtrongly, that they make in others great removes.
Further, It ſignifies to deceive, as will appear if you compare Text and Margin; 2 Kings 18.32. and thoſe Texts, 2 Chron. 32.11, 15. all concerning one matter. He that is deceived, is uſually deceived by perſwaſion, and is drawn away by ſome enticements.
Now, becauſe he that perſwadeth or deceiveth another, endeavoureth to turn or remove him from what he holdeth or intendeth, to the contrary, therefore (as we render) this word ſignifies alſo to remove, to bring from one place to another, or from one ſtate to another. He would have removed, or tranſlated thee Out of a ſtreight into a broad place.
Here are two ſorts of places, a ſtreight, and a broad place: What a ſtreight place, properly taken, is, all know. The Heb ew is, He would have removed thee out of the mouth of the ſtreight. foreign Anguſtia et adverſarius. Hinc Septuaginta reddunt, foreign.The Septuagint render, He would have removed thee out of the mouth of the enemy. An enemy puts us to ſtreights; and th…refore the ſame word ſignifies a ſtreight and an enemy: he would have removed thee out of a ſtreight place; the hand of an enemy is ſo. But mo…e generally, by the ſtreight place, we are to underſtand any kind of tribulation or trouble whatſoever. Troubles of any ſort are juſtly called ſtreights, for they incloſe and impriſon us, they abridge us of our liberty, they ty us ſhort up, where we can ſcarce ſtir or breath. A man in trouble, is a man in ſtreights. Some expound theſe words allegorically, taking the mouth of the ſtreight for Hells mouth; they that deſcend thither, are indeed in everlaſting ſtreigh…s; for, though Tophet be deep and large, as the Prophet ſpeaks (Iſa. 30.33.) yet all that are there, are in ſtreights. Hell is la ge to take in, but ſtreight to let out,Gehenna eſt ampla ad recipiendum, et anguſta ad emitten…um. ſo ſtreight, that it will not let one out for ever. Others expound it tropologically, or with reſpect to manners; he would have delivered thee out of the mouth of the ſtreight, that is, from the power of thy ſins and corruptions, for they indeed are ſtreights; and though we eaſily fall into them, yet we hardly get ou…,De put…o peccati et pr…vae conſuctudinis, cu… ingreſſus facilis exi…us pr… angu…tu…. Gregor. or free of them again. But we need not take up, either Allegories, or Tropologies; the words are plain. That which Elihu here inten…s by ſtreights, is great trouble, deep miſery, into which a man being caſt, knows neither how to ſubſiſt, nor how to eſcape: Ye… out of that ſtreight place he promiſeth deliverance; He would have removed thee out of a ſtreight O… …ng ſli… e…t ingeas … la…itas, abyſſu… m…rum, in quam de…erſus homo, n… que ſubſiſtere, n… que emergere poteſt.Into a broad place;
That is, to liberty and proſperity, which are in Scripture compared to a broad place, where a man hath room enough. Thou haſt known my Soul in adverſity (ſai h David, Pſal. 31.7, 8.) and haſt not ſhut me up in the hand of the enemy; thou haſt ſet my feet in a large Room, that is, in a proſpe…ous condition. Thus Elihu here promiſeth on Gods behalf, He would have removed thee out of a ſtreight, into a large place, Where no ſtreightneſs is;
Sp…tium latum eſt, …mo la…iſſimum, ubi n…lla anguſtia eſt.That's a broad place indeed. No ſtreightneſs implyeth greateſt enlargement, or enlargment to the uttermoſt, not only of need, but deſire. A broad place, where there is no ſtreightneſs, is full lib…rty, or fill of liberty. A man may be in a very good, in a very free condition, and yet have ſome ſtreights. To be in ſo good a condition, as to have no ſtreights at all, is the top and perfection of freedom. And ſurely, The full attainment of ſuch an enlargedneſs, is the reward of the next life, not the enjoyment of this life. The way of the wicked,V…t impi…rum eſt lata anguſtiſſim…e; via juſto am eſt anguſta latiſſime, et definit in latitudinem jucund ſſimam. in this life, is moſt ſtreightly broad; the way of the righteous, in this life, is broadly ſtreight, and endeth in a broadneſs of everlaſting bleſſedneſs. God at laſt will remove all his out of a ſtreight, into a broad place, where there is no ſtreightneſs. Hence,
Firſt, See, the Author of our deliverance is again here rememb…ed, He would have removed &c. As before, he delivereth the poor in affl…ctions, ſo here again, He would have removed thee out of a ſtreight, into a broad place. As all our mercies are of the Lord, ſo let us acknowledge him in all.
Secondly, From the Alluſion, Note; Troubles are ſtreights.
He is in a ſtreight, that knows not what to do; thus 'tis often with us in our troubles. It was ſo with good Jehoſhaphat (2 Chro. 20 12.) when a mighty Enemy came up againſt him, Lord (ſaid he) we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee; he was in a ſtreight, what to do here on earth, but he had a b oad place to look to, even to heaven, to the Lord of heaven and earth, our eyes are towards thee. As if he had ſaid, Lord we are in a ſtreight, but thou art never in ſtreights; Lord counſel us what to do, Lord help us to do it. The afflicted, many a time, know not what to do, and many times, they cannot do what they know; they know this thing would do them good, but they cannot do it, they know, that might be helpfull to them, but they cannot reach it.
He is in a ſtreight that doubts what good to chuſe, much more is he in a ſtreight who ſeeth that what-ever he chuſeth, he muſt chuſe ſome evil. Paul was in the former ſtreight, and David in the latter: Paul was in a ſtreight, it was a trouble to him, being doubtfull, which good to chuſe, (Phil. 1.23.) I am in a ſtreight betwixt two; betwixt what two? betwixt two very good things, namely, living here in doing good, and going to heaven to receive his reward; he was in a ſtreight whether to live here to do more work, or to go to heaven to receive the reward of his work. 'Tis ſome trouble, but a bleſſed trouble, when we are in a doubt which good to chuſe. But they are in very great trouble, who are in ſuch a ſtreight, that whatſoever they chuſe, they muſt chuſe evil: That was Davids ſtreight, (2 Sam. 24.14.) the Lord gave him a choyce, and a very ſad one, of three evils, either of famine, or of peſtilence, or of flying and falling before his Enemies; hereupon David ſaid, I am in a great ſtreight; ſomewhat he muſt chuſe, and what-ever he choſe, it was evil, that is, penal evil; but ſeeing it was ſo, and could not be otherwiſe, (e malis minimum) he would chuſe the leaſt, he choſe to fall into the hand of God, rather than into the hands of men. Into ſuch kind of ſtreights are the people of God ſometimes caſt, they have ſomewhat before them to chuſe, but what-ever they chuſe, it is very hard, and troubleſome; troubleſome to ſtay, and troubleſome to go, troubleſome to abide by it, and troubleſome to flie from it, every way it is a trouble; and how many of the precious people of God have been brought into theſe troubles! Only this is their comfort as well as their duty, that though they may be in ſuch ſtreights as neceſſitate them to chuſe a leſs good, or a penal evil, yet as God will not, ſo man cannot bring them into any ſuch ſtreights as neceſſitate them to chuſe a moral or ſinful evil. Troubles are ſtreights. He would have removed thee out of a ſtreight into a broad place.
Hence Note, Thirdly; What-ever ſtreights we are in, God is able to inlarge us.
The hand of the Lord is not ſhortned that it cannot ſave, (Iſa. 59.1.) There is no ſtreight ſo ſtrict, but the Lord can open it, and remove us out of it, or it from us. When the Children of Iſrael were in that great ſtreight, having the Sea before them, and Pharaoh with his Hoſt behind them, the Lo…d removed them out of that ſtreight, and brought them into a large place. There are a thouſand inſtances and experiences of this. David ſaith, (Pſal. 130.1.) Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord: The depth there, and ſtreight here, are the ſame under ſeveral Alluſions. David cryed out of the depth of miſery: when he was at the bottome of the pi…, he cryed unto God, and was delivered. We can be in no depth, but the power and mercy of God can reach a hand to us, and draw us out; we can be in no ſtreight, but the power of God can, and his love will make roome for us, that we may eſcape.Dum deus velit miſereriquia bonus e…t, & poſſit quia o… nipotens eſt: …pſe contra ſ… di…inae pietat…s januam claudit, qui deum ſibi aut non velle aut non poſſe miſereri credit. Auguſt: S…r: 88. de Temp: Seeing then (as one of the Ancients ſpeaks fully to this poynt) God will help becauſe he is ſo merciful, and can becauſe he is ſ… powerful, that man ſhuts the doore of hope againſt himſelf, who thinks, or through unbelief fears, that either God will not or cannot help him. And therefore when at any time we are in a ſtreight, let the greatneſs of our ſtreights, be the exerciſe of our faith, not a diſcouragement to it. Some make their ſtreights a ſtop to their faith, they cannot believe they ſhall be delivered out of great ſtreights; but the greatneſs of our ſtreights, ſhould quicken, not deaden our faith, it ſhould encreaſe our faith, not weaken it; and ſo it will, if we conſider who it is that undertakes to remove his people out of their ſtreights; it is the great God; and the more their ſtreights are, the greater their difficulties are, the greater is his glory in removing any of them into a large place. 'Tis ſaid in the Pſalm, The Lord makes a way for his anger; he doth do ſo ſometimes, he makes a broad way for his anger; yet remember he makes a way for his love and mercy too, that his great power may be ſeen in opening our greateſt ſtreights.
Fourthly, Whereas, 'tis not only ſaid, He would remove thee into a large place, but, into a large place, where there is no ſtreightneſs.
Obſerve; God can bring his afflicted people perfectly out of ſtreights, and ſet them out of the reach of danger.
O…r comforts in this world are uſually mixed with ſorrows, our enlargements with ſtreights; yet …he Lord is able to give us ſorrowleſs comforts, and ſuch enla…gements as ſhall not have the leaſt ſhadow of a ſt eight in them. As Jeſus Ch…iſt ſaveth us to the uttermoſt of ſoul ſtreights, o… we are ſaved through Chriſt to the uttermoſt of our ſins, that is, of our guilt and danger of condemnation by ſin; ſo he can ſave us alſo to the uttermoſt of outward troubles, he can give a perfect temporal ſalvation, ſuch a ſalvation as ſhall have nothing of feare or danger in this life: Elihu ſpeaks of ſuch a ſalvation. The Lord can ſave us to the uttermoſt of preſent perils, and ſet us beyond the reach of peril, even in ſuch a place, where there ſhall be no feare, no ſuſpicion of annoyance. 'Tis ſaid (Pro. 10.22.) The bleſſing of the Lord maketh rich, and he giveth no ſorrow with it. The Lord makes ſome men rich, or gives them a great eſtate, yet they find ſorrow enough with it; but the Lord, through his bleſſing, can give riches, and add no ſorrow with it, put no gravell in our bread, nor gall in our cup, but all ſhall be ſweet to us; that's bringing us into a large place, where there is no preſent ſtreightneſs, no, nor appearing cauſe to feare any. Thus the Nations are brought in rejoycing at the fall of Babylon, (Iſa. 14.7, 8.) The whole earth is at reſt, and is quiet, they break forth into ſinging, yea the fir-trees rejoyce at thee, and the Cedars of Lebanon, ſaying, ſince thou art laid down, no feller is come up againſt us. Poſitio vel requies. Heb: a radice foreign quod eſt requieſcere Metonymia adjuncti. Piſc. Eſt abſtract…m pro concreto, …oſitio & requies, pro i…s quae ſ per menſam deponuntur a ſerculariis; Quemadmodum jumenta vocantur, ſervitus hominum, quia hominibus ſerviunt. Bold: Vicinae ſunt radices foreign quievit … foreign poſuit; quod enim ponitur in aliquo loco, ponitur ut requieſcat. Merc:The Lord will work full deliverance for his people by Babylons fall; when that falls, Sion ſhall not feare the coming of any more fellers, Chriſt will then give his faithfull people ſuch enlargement as ſhall know no ſtreights.
This is the firſt alluſion; He would have removed thee out of the ſtreight into o broad place, where there is no ſtreightneſs; it followeth, And that which ſhould be ſet on thy Table, ſhould be full of fatneſs.
Here's the ſecond mercy. As if he had ſaid, The Lord would not have given thee a bare deliverance out of evil, but thou ſhould'ſt bave received abundance of good; thou ſhouldſt not only have roome enough, but comfort enough; That which ſhould be ſet on thy Table, ſhould be full of fatneſs.
Some render, That which reſteth, or abideth on thy Table; that is, thy meat, and thy drink, thy wine, and thy oyle, that which thou feedeſt upon, ſhould be of the beſt and moſt nouriſhing, not bare commons, not ordinary fare, but Full of fatneſs.
Fatneſs is put in Scripture to expreſs the beſt of things; if often ſignifieth the beſt of ſpiritual things, (Pſal. 36.8.) They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſs of thy houſe. The houſe of God is the Church of God, and, God keeps a good houſe, there are fat things, and they who worſhip and wait upon him, they ſhall have abundance of them, their full ſatisfaction: the fatneſs of Gods houſe, is the riches of Grace, the beſt of Goſpel-Ordinances and promiſes, the beſt of Goſpel-comforts and mercies, theſe are the fatneſs of the houſe of God; theſe are the things which the Apoſtle intended while he told the Gentiles, (Rom. 11.17.) That they were partakers of the rest and fatneſs of the Olive tree. Thus alſo ſpake the Prophet, (Iſa. 25.6.) In this mountain ſhall the Lord of Hoſts make a feaſt of fat things: what, of ſuch fat things as the Epicures of the world ſurfet upon, Sheep, and Oxen, &c? no; the feaſt of fat things which the Lord will make to his people is of ſpiritual things, they ſhall have much of Chriſt, much of grace here, and an aſſurance of glory for hereafter; This is the feaſt of fat things. And though the Lord give to any of his ſervants the bread of adverſity, and the water of affliction; though the fig-tree ſhould not bloſſome to them, though they ſhould have neither Sheep in the fold, nor Calves in the ſhall, yet they may daily ſit at this feaſt of fat things, and be filled with joy in the Lord, (Hab. 3.17, &c.)
And as fatneſs is uſed in Scripture to expreſs the beſt of ſpiritual things, ſo fatneſs expreſſeth the beſt of natural and outward good things, (Pſal. 65.11.) Thou crowneſt the year with thy goodneſs, and thy paths drop fatneſs; that is, plenty, and plenty of the beſt things, which grow out of the earth by the bleſſing and benigne influences of Heaven. I conceive ſpiritual good things, the beſt of them, are alſo ſhadowed under thoſe expreſſions of Temporal.
Further, Elihu doth not only ſay, That which ſhall be ſet upon thy Table ſhall be fat, Lautiſſimè ſuaviſſimé que vives.but, full of fatneſs; which implyeth thus much. Thou ſhalt have whatſoever may make thy life comfortable, and happy; for as by bread, our dayly bread, we are to underſtand all the neceſſaries of this life (though bread be the meaneſt …a…t of our ſuſtenance, yet it it is called the ſtaff of life, becauſe the m…ſt neceſſary part of it) ſo by fatneſs, we are to underſtand all things delicate and delicious; and thoſe things which are moſt delicate and delicious, are ſaid to be full of fatneſs.
Hence Note; Firſt, God, who delivereth his people from trouble, or out of ſtreights, can alſo fill and furniſh them with comforts.
The mercy of God doth not only take away evil, and ſo leave us, it doth not only bring us out of our ſtreights, and there ſet us down; but mercy proceeds to the beſtowing of good upon us. As we in obedience ſhould not put off the Lord with abſtaining from evil, but ought to do good, even abundance of good, and not only bring forth good, but much good fruit; that's our duty; ſo the Lords mercy ſtayeth not in delivering us from evil, but beſtoweth good things, the beſt things upon us, and them in abundance.
Secondly, In that thoſe good things are expreſt by fatneſs, o… by being full of fatneſs,
Note; The Lord thinks nothing too good for his good people.
When once a people, or a perſon are accepted of God, he … no coſt, nor thinks any thing too coſtly for them, the moſt … ous things in the world are not too good for them, (Pſal. … He would have fed them alſo with the fineſt of the wheat, a honey out of the rocks ſhould I have ſatisfied thee. I would no… … fed them with wheat only, that's good, but with the fineſt whe… … that's the beſt; we put in the Margin, with the fat of wheat; they ſhould not have had the bran, but the flowre and the fineſt of the flowre! they ſhould have had not only honey, but honey out of the Rock, which, as Naturaliſts obſerve, is the beſt and pureſt honey. Surely God cannot think any thing of this world too good for his people, who ha…h not thought the next world too good for them; Certainly God cannot think any of theſe outward enjoyments too good for his people, who hath not thought his Son too good for his people: that's the Apoſtles argument, (Rom 8.32.) He that ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how ſhall he not with him alſo freely give us all things? even the beſt of outward good things, when he ſeeth it good for us.
In this ſee the difference of the ſpirit of the world, and of God, to his people. The world thinks nothing bad enough for thoſe that are the choyceſt ſervants of God, they are ſorry to ſee that they have any thing that is good; that they have a morſel of bread, or a penny in their purſes, is thought too much for them by the world: And if any trouble befall them, it… good enough for them, will the World ſay. The World thinks any thing too good for the choyceſt ſervants of God, how much more the choyceſt things! But God hath other thoughts towards them, he thinks nothing too good for them, they ſhall be filled with fatneſs.
Thirdly, In that Elihu makes promiſe of theſe outward things, to the choyce ſervants of God, whoſe ears are open to attend unto him;
Note; Even outward mercies, and a full Portion of outward mercies, fall ſomtimes to the ſhare of the faithful ſervants of God in this World.
Though ſuch are not of this World, much leſs are ſervants to the World, yet God can make the wo…ld ſerve them with its beſt, and give them a full portion of the World, though the World be not their portion. The ſervants of God would not take all the World, if it were offered them, for their portion, no not a thouſand Worlds, conſidering what a periſhing thing this World is, and that at beſt it is but a finite thing; I ſay, a ſervant of God would not take all the World, at the hand of God, for his portion, though he is thankful for any thing, for a little of it, and unworthy of any, the leaſt, part of it. Howbeit, many times God gives a large portion of this World to his people, and that which he ſets upon their Table, that is, outward good, is full of fatneſs. Indeed ſome of the choyce ſervants of God have been afraid when they have ſeen much of the World come in, leaſt God ſhould put them off with ſuch wo…ldly things; when their Table hath been full of fatneſs and dainties, when they have had Houſes and Lands, Gold and Silver plenty, they have been troubled, leaſt God ſhould ſay to them, There is your All. It is ſaid of Luther, when he had a conſiderable preſent ſent him from a great P…ince (the Duke of Saxony, as I remember) this came upon his heart, I hope God will not put me off with theſe things, with gifts from Princes; I ſhall be hungry as long as I live, if I have nothing to feed upon but what is of the World, and poor as long as I live, if I have no other treaſure, but what is earthly; & thereupon proteſted he would not be ſatisfied with the beſt things of this World, though content with any thing. Thus, I ſay, God deals bountifully, with a liberal hand, to ſome of his people eſpecially. This was made good in the former, or Old Teſtament times, when the promiſes went more upon externals (as hath been ſhewed) whereas now they go more upon ſpiritual and heavenly things; yet there wants not examples of Gods dealing bountifully in outwa…ds with his faithful ſervants under the Goſpel, he hath cauſed that which was ſet upon their Table, to be full of fatneſs.
This is the firſt part of the Application, wherein Elihu acquaints Job what God would have done for him, if he had carried it humbly (as he ſhould) under his afflicting hand, he had been out of his fetters and bonds before that time, and ſet in a large place, he had not fed ſo long upon aſhes, his Table had been full of fatneſs.
As in this verſe Elihu applyed the matter to Job, by ſhewing him how it ſhould have fared with him, or how graciouſly and bountifully God would have dealt with him, if he had humbled himſelf, as he ought, and been duly affected with the afflicting hand then upon him, ſo in the following verſe, he applyeth the Doctrine to him, by telling him, that the reaſon why he was at the preſent in ſuch an afflicted condition, was, becauſe he had not ſo humbled himſelf in his affliction.
Verſ. 17. But thou haſt fulfilled the Judgment of the wicked, therefore Judgment and Juſtice take hold on thee.
This is a home Application indeed, he ſpeaks to his face, Thou haſt done it, thou haſt fulfilled the Judgment of the wicked; which is, as a home, ſo a very hard and heavy charge. Take a twofold Interpretation of it.
Firſt, Some expound it (I think not rightly) of Jobs ill carriage in the time of his proſperity; as if Elihu had reflected upon that: Thou haſt heretofore fulfilled the Judgment of the wicked, and that, Firſt, by a general ill courſe of life. As Chriſt ſaith to the Phariſees (Math. 23.32.) Fill ye up the meaſure of your fathers; ſome conceive Elihu ſpeaking to Job in that ſence, Thou haſt filled up the meaſure of the wicked, following them in their evil wayes.…ium impii imple viſti, q.d. Optimi et inc…rrupti judicis Offi…io deſuiſti, impii munus et partes obiiſti. Cajet. Sed receptiſſima vocis Originalis ſententia eſt Judicium, eſt non Officium. Pined. Secondly, That in his Magiſtratical capacity, or that being a Magiſtrate, he had fulfilled the Judgment of the wicked; that is, what wicked men, and their bad Cauſes wanted of weight and t uth, of righteouſneſs and goodneſs, that he filled up by favour, by accepting their perſons, and giving countenance to their wickedneſs. Some charge him thus directly, Thou haſt done the part or Office of an unjuſt Judg; when thou hadſt power in thy hand, thou waſt defective, ſhort, or wanting, in diſcharging the Duty of an upright Judge, but didſt the work of a corrupt Judge (corrupting Judgment) to the full; therefore now Juſtice and Judgment take hold of thee. But (as I ſaid before) this is not a right Expoſition of the Text; for Elihu never charged Job with a ſinful courſe of life in former times, or before his affliction (as his friends had done) though he cha…ged him with much ſin in his carriage under his afflictions; and it may be conceived, that Job heard Elihu more patiently and equally than he heard his friends, becauſe Elihu dealt more equally and candidly with him, than his F…iends did; he did not lay it upon him, as if in the foregoing part of his life he had traded in wickedneſs; but only reproved him for his boldneſs, in dealing with, and appealing ſo often unto God, in his ſoars and ſickneſs; or, becauſe his ſpirit was not broken enough, notwithſtanding thoſe ſore breakings and ſickneſſes, with which he was afflicted. So then, Elihu in ſaying this, intended not that Job had fulfilled the Judgment of the wicked, either by a wicked converſation, or by perverting Juſtice in favour of the wicked: Such a charge had been utterly inconſiſtent with the Teſtimony which God gave of him in the firſt Chapter of this Book.
Therefore Secondly, Thou haſt fulfilled the judgement of the wicked, may be underſtood, firſt, that Job had gone near, in his behaviour under his affliction, to do even almoſt as Satan boaſted, and preſumed to God he would do, in the ſecond Chapter, that if God did but lay his hand home or cloſer upon him, and touch his bone and his fleſh, then (ſaid Satan) he will curſe thee to thy face. Now, though Job did never, in the height, fulfill this wicked opinion or judgement of the Devil concerning him, yet by his often complainings of, and murmurings about the ſevere dealings of God with him, and his not pittying him in his diſtreſs, he verged upon it, he came ſomewhat towards, and much too near the fulfilling of that judgement of the wicked one; and Elihu might ſay, Thou haſt fulfilled the judgement of the wicked, thou haſt done (in a degree or ſhew) as the Devil ſaid thou wouldſt, if the hand of God were heavy upon thy body.
Secondly, Theſe words, Thou haſt fulfilled the judgement of the wicked, may have this meaning, Thou haſt rendred thy ſelf guilty of, or obnoxious to, that judgement which God uſeth to pronounce and execute upon wicked men.
Thirdly, Thou haſt fulfilled the judgment of the wicked; that is, thou under the hand of God haſt carried thy ſelf as wicked men uſually do, thou haſt imitated them in a great meaſure.More impiorum cauſam tuam agiſti impaticuter contra deum murmurando. Sanct. What do wicked men when the hand of God is upon them? they rage and murmur, they toyl themſelves and are full of the fury of the Lord, as a wild Bull in a net; thou ſeemeſt to have fulfilled this judgment of the wicked, for thou haſt been ſo far from humbling thy ſelf, as thou oughteſt, that thou haſt ſtood it out and ſtouted it with God, and deſired a day of hearing; Haſt thou not in all this fulfilled the judgment of the wicked? In the 34th chapter of this book at the 8th verſe, Elihu told Job, that he had gone in company with the wicked, that is, that he had taken the ſame courſe with the wicked, and as they uſe to do in the day of their calamity. And that's the meaning of Elihu's charge here, Thou haſt fulfilled the judgement of the wicked, that is, thou haſt carried thy ſelf too too like wicked men in the day of thy trouble. Thus Job is here cenſured, not ſtrictly, as if he had done like wicked men, but becauſe he did not ſuffer ſo patiently as became a good man; this was in him a fulfilling of the judgment of the wicked.
Hence note; Not to ſubmit heartily, and humble our ſelves freely, when the affl…cting hand of God is upon us, is to do very ſinfully, even like the wicked.
I ſhall not ſtay upon this, having ſpoken of the extream ſinfulneſs of murmuring and impatience under the hand of God heretofore.
Secondly, Note; If we give way to any corruption, or paſſion, it will quickly carry us a very great way in ſin, and from our duty.
They that are good in their ſtate, may ſometimes in their acts, (as Job here) fulfil the judgment of the wicked. As hypocrites fulfil, in appearance, the judgment of the upright, that is, do like upright men; ſo the up…ight may, in appearance, do like hypocrites, and then they alſo fulfil the judgement of the wicked. Job ſaid to his wife, in the ſecond chapter, Thou ſpeakeſt like a fooliſh woman; and now Elihu tells him, thou haſt ſpoken and done as a w…cked man.
Note, Thirdly; They who do like the wicked, muſt not think much if they be numbred with the wicked, and involved in the ſame outward evils and judgments which uſually fall upon wicked men.
Though we may not judge ſuch a mans eternal eſtate like that of the wicked, yet as to this or that act, we may (without breach of charity) number him among the wicked, and he may quickly feel the ſame ſmart which the wicked feel. They that are godly ſhould act like godly men, and not do any thing that repreſents the luſts or practiſes, the judgement or converſation of the ungodly; left it be ſaid (in one ſence or other) of them, as here Elihu of Job, you alſo have fulfilled the judgement of the wicked.
Therefore judgment and juſtice take hold of thee.
As if he had ſaid, I told thee before, if thou had'ſt humbled thy ſelf, thou ſhouldeſt have had a large place, and full table, ſtore of mercies and favours; but now judgment and juſtice take hold of thee. foreignHere are two words which ſometimes are uſed diſtinctly, but here they ſignifie the ſame thing, or the one is but an explanation of the other. Juſtice and Judgment; ſome take juſtice for the habit, and judgment for the act, exerciſe or decree; as if he had ſaid, Juſtice hath ſent forth Judgment upon thee, and now both take hold of thee; God hath no…ed thy ſin in thy ſad condition. Yet the original doth not determine it upon Jobs perſon expreſly, it doth not ſay, Juſtice and Judgment take hold of thee, but Juſtice and Judgment take hold; we ſupply they take hold of thee, for that's it which Elihu intends; Juſtice and Judgment take hold of thee, O J…b, nor will they let thee go. We find the word ſo uſed in ſeveral places, (Prov. 3.18.) Wiſdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her. And as the believers cloſing with and hold-faſt upon Chriſt is expreſſed by this word, ſo alſo is the hold which ſin takes of an unbeliever (Prov. 5.22.) His own iniquities ſhall take the wicked himſelf, and he ſhall be holden with the cords of his ſin. Judgment and Justice take hold of thee.
Hence Note; Firſt, God will not indulge ſin in any, no not in his own ſervants.
If a Job do like wicked men, he ſhall ſmart like the wicked. Though God will not caſt any of his ſervants to hell for ever, yet they may be caſt into a temporary hell. The Lord told David as much, in caſe his Children ſhould diſobey him, and break covenant with him, though he would not caſt them off, yet they ſhould pay dearly for it; He would viſit their tranſgreſſions with a r…d, and their iniquities with ſtripes, (Pſal. 89.32.) The Hiſtory of Davids children makes good that Propheſie, and ſo hath the dealings of God with believers in all ages, who are the ſeed, the children of David myſtical, that is, of Chriſt, whom and whoſe ſpiritual children the Spirit of God chiefly pointed at in that Pſalm. They that do like evil men, ſhall ſuffer like evil men. Juſtice and Judgment properly and ſtrictly take hold of the wicked and diſobedient only, as the Apoſtle ſaith (1 Tim. 1.9.) The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawleſs and diſobedient, &c. Yet when they that are righteous are found doing like the lawleſs and diſobedient, the Law, that is Juſtice and Judgment will take hold of them.Tygurina legit int…anſitive; Cauſa & judicium retinebunt, i. e. ſuſtent bunt vigorem ſuum quamdiu impius fueris.
Again, Some read the words intranſitively, Juſtice and Judgment ſhall hold, or hold on ſtill, that is, they will hold on their courſe or way in puniſhing, as long as thou hold'ſt on thy courſe or way in ſinning.
Hence note; So long as any man lives in any ſinful way, he ſhall find Juſtice and Judgement taking hold of him. Juſtice will not leave ſinners till they have left their ſins.
Again, Juſtice and Judgment take hold of thee, that is, they hold thee faſt.
Hence note; There's no getting out of the hand of divine Justice.
Men oftentimes get out of the hand of man's justice, they can break priſon, they can file off their fetters and cast their cords from them; but none can break Gods priſon, none can get out of the hands of divine Juſtice. As Juſtice and Judgement ſhall take hold of, attach and arreſt ſinners, ſo they will hold them faſt, they cannot make an eſcape, nor can any reſcue them till God ſignes a warrant for their releaſe. We cannot hinder God in the exerciſe or execution of Juſtice, nor turn him aſide from his purpoſe, either by our power or pollicies. God can eaſily hinder men of their purpoſes, and can undo what-ever they have done, but none can make the Juſtice and Judgment of God let go their hold. Therefore let us take heed, while we hold ſin and iniquity, nothing can deliver us from the hand, or hold off the ſin-chaſtning and avenging hand of God. However men fail, the Juſtice and Judgment of God are everlaſting; they hold on their courſe ſtill though men do not. Though we could pluck the Sun out of the firmament, yet not Juſtice out of the hand of God. We can neither put God beſides his rule, nor force him from his purpoſe. Theſe are the two great Prerogatives of God, he hath firſt a righteouſneſs which cannot be perverted; ſecondly, a Juſtice which cannot be interrupted.