Exposition of Job 38-42, Commentary on Job · Chapter 41 · Verse 1-11

Exposition of Job 38-42 · Commentary on Job · Chapter 41 · Verse 1-11

p. 655JOB, Chap. 41. Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

1. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou letteſt down?

2. Canſt thou put a hook into his noſe? or bore his jaw thorow with a thorn?

3. Will he make many ſupplications unto thee? will he ſpeak ſoft words unto thee?

4. Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a ſervant for ever?

5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? wilt thou binde him for thy maidens?

6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him? ſhall they part him among the merchants?

7. Canſt thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fiſh-ſpears?

8. Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battel: do no more.

9. Behold, the hope of him is in vain: ſhall not one be caſt down even at the ſight of him?

10. None is ſo fierce that dare ſtir him up: who then is able to ſtand before me?

11. Who hath prevented me, that I ſhould repay him? whatſoever is under the whole heaven, is mine.

THis whole Chapter gives us a large diſcourſe, concerning the greateſt, the largeſt living creature that God made in this viſible world, the Leviathan. The whole Chapter may be divided into two general parts;

Firſt, A Narration.

Secondly, A Concluſion.

p. 658In the Narrative part, Leviathan is deſcribed four wayes.

Firſt, By the bigneſs and vaſtneſs of his body, which is implyed in the firſt and ſecond verſes; he is a creature ſo big and bulky, that there is no holding him with a cord or line; he is too big, too boiſterous for an Angler to deal with. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou letteſt down? &c. (verſ. 1, 2.)

Secondly, This Leviathan is deſcribed by the ſtoutneſs and untractableneſs of his ſpirit; there is no bringing him to any ſubmiſſion, to any ſervice or compliance. Will he make many ſupplications unto thee? will he ſpeak ſoft words unto thee? will he make a covenant with thee? &c. (verſ. 3, 4, 5.)

Thirdly, He is deſcribed by the difficulty and danger, if not impoſſibility of taking or catching him; he will hardly be taken any way, no, not by the moſt forcible wayes, to make either meat or merchandize of him. Shall the companions make a banquet of him? ſhall they part him among the merchants? Canſt thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fiſh-ſpears? &c. (verſ. 6, 7, 8, 9. and in the former part of the 10th verſe.) Thus far Leviathan is deſcribed in his greatneſs, in his ſtoutneſs, in the difficulty and danger of catching him, if he can be catched at all.

Now, the Lord having proceeded thus far in the deſcription of, or doctrine about Leviathan, he makes Uſe and Application of all that he had ſaid, before he comes to the fourth particular; and this Application or Uſe which the Holy Ghoſt makes of his deſcription thus far given, conſiſts in two things.

Firſt, Hence the Lord infers his own irreſiſtibleneſs, and the utter inability of any creature to contend with him (in the cloſe of the 10th verſe) Who then is able to ſtand before me? If none can ſtand before this creature, can any ſtand before the Creator! That's the firſt Inference.

Secondly, The Lord makes a further Inference from it concerning his own ſelf-ſufficiency, or abſolute independency upon any creature, either for councel what to do, or for aſſiſtance in doing it. Thus much is clearly affirmed in that queſtion, at the beginning of the 11th verſe, Who hath prevented me, that I ſhould repay him. As if the Lord had ſaid, Let the man come forth that hath contributed any thing to me, in any of my works, or that hath p. 659given any help in the doing them, and he ſhall be well rewarded for his pains. Both theſe Inferences or Uſes, the Lord confirms by a grand Aſſertion or Maxime, in the cloſe of the 11th verſe; Whatſoever is under the whole Heaven, is mine. If all be mine, then who can ſtand before me? If all be mine, then who hath prevented me, that I ſhould repay him? This is the Application, theſe the Uſes, which the Lord himſelf makes of the doctrine laid down about this creature, the Leviathan: Theſe Uſes cloſe the third part of the deſcription of Leviathan. The fourth part of his deſcription, contains many particulars concerning his parts, power, and proportion, as alſo the wonderful effects of his power, all which are ſet down in higheſt ſtrains of divine rhetorick, from the 11th verſe to the end of the 32.

The ſecond part of the Chapter I call the concluſion, and it flows naturally from the whole foregoing diſcourſe, in the two laſt verſes of it; Ʋpon earth there is not his like (the Lord ſaid concerning Behemoth, He is the chief of the wayes of God, that is, upon earth; and here he ſaith of Leviathan, Ʋpon earth there is not his like, no, not Behemoth himſelf) he is made without fear, he beholdeth all high things, he is a King over all the children of pride. Thus far concerning the ſtate and parts of the whole Chapter, in which the Lord hath this general ſcope, even to humble Job yet more. As if he had ſaid, That thou, O Job, maiſt ſee and be convinced of thy preſumption in pleading with me; look upon Leviathan, conſider whether thou art able to deal with him; if not, how canſt thou deal with me who made him, and can both maſter and deſtroy him when I will? Thus the Lord makes his triumph over creatures mightier in outward force than man, to the intent all men may know, they ſhall certainly fall, and be utterly confounded, if they lift up themſelves againſt God. All which will appear further, in opening the deſcription of this Leviathan.

Verſ. 1. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with an hook?

For the clearing of theſe words, and towards the clearing of all that follows, I ſhall ſhew, Firſt, the ſignification of this word Leviathan, or what it imports. Secondly, what kind of creature this Leviathan is, or is conceived to be.

p. 658foreign Additus, adjunctus.The word Leviathan is derived from an Hebrew root, which ſignifies added to, or joyned together. When Leah had brought forth a third ſon to Jacob, ſhe called his name (from this word) Levi, and ſaid, Now my Husband will be joyned to me, becauſe I have born him three ſons (Gen. 29.34.) And it is ſuppoſed, that this creature is ſo called upon a double reſpect.

Firſt, Becauſe of the faſt-joyning or cloſure of his ſcales (verſ. 15, 16, 17.)

Secondly, Becauſe he is ſo great of body, that he appears as if many bodies were joyned and knit together in his.

And becauſe the Hebrew word for a Dragon is Thannin, ſome have conceived, that the laſt ſyllable in Leviathan is a contract of that, and added to Levijath, as implying, that in one Leviathan many Dragons were conjoyned. But I rather adhere to that learned Author, who takes Leviathan to be a ſimple, not a compound word, and ſaith, That the laſt ſyllable than, belongs to the form of the Nown,Leviathan ſinuoſum eſt animal & in pluros ſpiras volubile. Bochart. as in Nehuſhtan, &c. And he finds the root of the word Leviathan, neither in the Hebrew, nor in the Syriack, but in the Arabick language, where it ſignifies, to wind, plight or fold together, fitly intimating the crooked winding poſtures and motions of that animal called Leviathan.

But, what is this Leviathan?

Firſt, Moſt of the Ancients, both Greek and Latine, turn this Scripture wholly into an Allegory, expounding, as Behemoth before, ſo here Leviathan, wholly of the old enemy of mankind, the Devil. 'Tis true, that many things here ſpoken of Leviathan, are applicable to the Devil; but to bring all to that ſenſe, is doubtleſs a forcing or ſtraining of the Text. Others, who proſecute the Allegory, apply it to bad Princes, who having great power, uſe it for the oppreſſion and vexation of thoſe that are under their dominion. Nor can it be denyed, that the King of Babylon was intended by the Prophet, under the word Leviathan (Iſa. 27.1, 2.) as Pharoah King of Egypt is expreſly called Tannin, or) a Sea-Dragon, Ezek. 29.3. and Chap. 32.2.

Hebraei grandiores omnes piſces, ſc. cetacei generis hac voce ſignificari putant. Merl.Secondly, Several of the Jewiſh Writers expound Leviathan, not of any particular ſpecies, or ſort of fiſhes; but in general, of all great fiſhes.

Thirdly, The moſt general, and hitherto moſt received opinion, concludes Leviathan to be among all fiſhes, the Whale in particular.

p. 659Fourthly, Beza of the former age, and in this, Bochartus, confidently aſſert, that Leviathan is the Crocodile. The general reaſon given for it by them, is, becauſe what is here ſpoken of Leviathan, is not every way ſutable nor agreeable to the Whale; and they who expound Leviathan by the Whale, are as confident that ſeveral things here affirmed of Leviathan, are not agreeable to the Crocodile.

What my own apprehenſions are in this matter of difference, whether the Whale or the Crocodile be intended by Leviathan, I have already declared, at the fifteenth verſ. of the fortieth Chapter, where the Lord begins to preſent Behemoth, purpoſing alſo in the ſame continued ſpeech to preſent Leviathan to the conſideration of Job, in the livelieſt colours, and higheſt expreſſions of divine eloquence, for his yet fuller conviction and humiliation. There (I ſay) the Reader may find my thoughts about this matter; yet in opening the Text, I ſhall touch at moſt of thoſe particulars which the learned Bochartus takes notice of, either as more clearly, or as only applicable to the Crocodile; leaving the Reader (as was there ſaid) at his liberty to dete… mine his own thoughts, where he ſees moſt reaſon and faireſt probability. For it muſt be confeſſed, that there are no ſmall difficulties in making out the common and hitherto moſt received opinion, that Leviathan is the Whale, as will appear in our paſſage through this Chapter; and therefore I dare not be very poſitive, much leſs tenacious in it. For though it be an unqueſtionable truth, and to be received, and to be as the matter of an hiſtorical faith, becauſe God hath ſaid it, that there is a living creature in the compaſs of nature, exactly anſwering every particular in the following deſcription of the Leviathan, yet it is queſtionable what that creature is; and to ſay, the Crocodile is meant by Leviathan, or the Whale is meant by Leviathan, is only matter of opinion, and the judgment of man.

Verſ. 1. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan?

Our Tranſlators ſay in the Margin, a Whale, or a Whirle-pool.foreign Sept. The Septuagint render, Canſt thou draw out the Dragon? As if by way of eminence, Leviathan were the chiefeſt and greateſt among all that are or may be called Dragons. And ſay ſome, the word Leviathan is the ſame with Thannin, which in the Hebrew p. 662ſignifies a Dragon. Inſomuch that theſe two words, Thannin and Laviathan, are taken in Scripture promiſcuouſly (Pſal. 74.13, 14.) Thou breakeſt the heads (Thanninim) of the Dragons in the waters (we put Whales in the Margin, Arias renders the Text ſo) then followeth in the next verſe, Thou breakeſt the heads of Leviathan in pieces, &c. meaning in both verſes Pharaoh and his Captains, who purſued Iſrael, not only to, but into the Red-ſea, and were drowned. Thus alſo theſe two words are uſed (Iſa. 27.1.) where, Leviathan, the piercing (or croſſing the ſea like a bar) Serpent, even Leviathan the crooked Serpent, whom the Lord will puniſh with his ſore, and great, and long ſword, as 'tis ſaid in the former part of the verſe, is the ſame with the dragon that is in the ſea, whom he will ſlay, as 'tis ſaid in the latter part of the verſe. Some of the Jewiſh Writers diſtinguiſh theſe two only in growth or greatneſs, defining Leviathan to be a great Thannin or Dragon. But as the word Thannin doth ſo ſignifie a Dragon, that yet it is often applied to ſignifie Whales and Sea-beaſts, becauſe they in ſome ſort reſemble the form and flectuation of Dragons; thus 'tis ſaid (Gen. 1.21.) that on the fifth day God created great (Thanninim) Whales. Now (I ſay) as in Scripture the word Thannin is rendred Whale, ſo Whales and ſuch like great fiſhes are in Scripture expreſſed by the word Leviathan. And in one place (poſſibly in more) nothing elſe can be underſtood by the word Leviathan, but the Whale or fiſhes of the Cetacean or Whale kind. The Pſalmiſt being wrapt into an admiration of the works of God, or rather of God in his works, ſpeaks thus (Pſal. 104.24, 25, 26.) O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wiſdom haſt thou made them them all: The earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide ſea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both ſmall and great beaſts: There go the ſhips, there is that Leviathan, whom thou haſt made to play therein. Now though it be granted, that in ſome places of Scripture, o…her animals, and for inſtance, the Crocodile of Nilus, may be underſtood by Leviathan, yet in this place of the Pſalm the Crocodile cannot be underſtood: For the Leviathan there ſpoken of, abides in the great and wide ſea, where the ſhips generally go. Now though Nilus may be called a Sea, as Lakes and great Rivers ſometimes are in Scripture, yet it cannot be called the great and wide ſea; 'tis at moſt but a ſmall and a narrow ſea, and therefore p. 663we find the river of Egypt, that is, Nilus and the great ſea, diſtinctly and diſtinguiſhingly mentioned (Joſh. 15.47.) So then it appears that the Whale is ſomewhere meant by Leviathan. And foraſmuch as there is an Emphaſis put upon the Leviathan ſpoken of in the Pſalm, he being there called That Leviathan; as if it had been ſaid, though there are other Leviathans, ſuch as are Dragons, Crocodiles, in other great waters, yet the chief and great Leviathan of all, is an inhabitant of the great and wide ſea: Now ſeeing the Leviathan, deſcribed in Job, hath ſuch characters given of him, as plainly ſhew that he is the chief Leviathan, it may, with fair probability, be ſuppoſed, that he is the Leviathan ſpoken of in the Pſalm; and if ſo, then the Leviathan in Job cannot be the Croco…ile, for the Crocodile is not an inhabitant of the great and wide ſea.Facetae & ironicae ſunt interregationes, quae habentur quinque primis verſibus. foreign pro foreign interrogativum rectè ſuppletur ex collatione proximè ſequentium. Piſc. Let that be conſidered as to the negative: and what the whole Text in Job holds out for the affirmative, I ſhall leave it to conſideration, as I paſs through the ſeveral parts of i….

Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with a hook?

The firſt thing conſiderable in Leviathan, is the greatneſs and vaſtneſs of his body, which (as was ſaid) is plainly intended in theſe words, Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? or his tongue w…th a cord which thou letteſt down? As if the Lord had ſaid, Thou canſt draw up ſome great fiſhes with a hook and line; and if it ſhould be told thee, there is a fiſh ſo big that no man with hook and line is able to draw him out of the water, thou wouldſt ſay, that muſt needs be a huge fiſh; now ſuch a one at leaſt, is Leviathan. This the Lord would convince Job of, in putting this queſtion, Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? Thou canſt not; Leviathan is too heavy for thy draught. The interrogation is a negation; Canſt thou? thou canſt not draw out Leviathan with all thy ſtrength; if thou hadſt the ſtrength often men, thou couldſt not draw him out? Little fiſhes, yea, very great fiſhes may be drawn out, but Leviathan cannot, he will break all thy tackling.

Further, Canſt than draw out Leviathan with a hook and line? No, nor with a cart-rope. As if we ſhould ſay to a man, canſt thou knock down an Oxe with a fillip of thy finger? No, nor with the force of thy fiſt.

And as this queſtion, Canſt thou? &c. implyes that man cannot, ſo it ſeems to intimate, that God can as eaſily take up this huge p. 662Leviathan, as any man can draw up a ſmall, even the ſmalleſt fiſh with hook and line, or play with it in the water. As he that made Behemoth, can make his ſword approach unto him (Chap. 40.19.) ſo he that made Leviathan, hath a hook to draw him out with. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan with an hook?

Or his tongue with a cord which thou letteſt down?

If the fiſh bite, the hook takes him by the tongue or jaws. The Hebrew word is, Canſt thou take him with a cord which thou drowneſt? That which is let down deep or far into the water, may be ſaid to be drowned in the water. Unleſs the line or cord of the angle, ſink deep into, or be drowned in the water, the hook is uſeleſs; and therefore the Angler hath a lead faſtned upon his line to make it ſink deep, as well as a cork or quil to keep it from ſinking too deep. Canſt thou draw out his tongue with a cord, which thou drowneſt or letteſt down?

Ʋnum hoc animal terreſtre linguae uſu caret. Plin. l. 8. c. 25.The mention of the tongue in this latter part of the verſe is made uſe of by ſome, as an argument to prove that Leviathan cannot be the Crocodile, who, as Naturaliſts write of him, hath no tongue: his mouth is wide, but tongue-leſs. To this objection, Beza gives one, and Bochartus adds a ſecond anſwer. The former ſaith, it is not ſtrictly affirmed in the Text, that Leviathan hath a tongue; 'tis only denied, that he hath a tongue in which a hook or cord may be faſtned. The latter ſaith, that the Crocodile is not altogether tongue-leſs, but only (as we ſpeak in another ſenſe) tongue-tied: He hath a tongue, but 'tis an immoveable one, cleaving faſt to his lower jaw. And this Bochartus confirms by ſo many unqueſtionable authorities, as may eaſily remove this objection from weakning his aſſertion. Canſt thou draw out his tongue with a cord?

Verſ. 2. Canſt thou put an hook into his noſe, or bore his jaw thorow with a thorn?

Conſtringeſnè inſerto junco, ut piſcator minutos piſces? Jun.Some expound this verſe only as a further illuſtration of the former, in reference to the taking of this fiſh. But, rather, it is an alluſion to the cuſtome of fiſher-men, who when they have taken fiſh, put a thorne through their noſe, and hang them up to be ſeen, or for ſale. The word tranſlated an hook, ſignifies properly a pond or ſtanding water (Pſal. 114.8.) and then a bull-ruſh, p. 663becauſe bull-ruſhes grow in ſtanding waters or by pond-banks. We take it metaphoricaly for a hook, becauſe a hook is like a bull-ruſh with its head hanging down (Iſa. 58.5.) Is this a faſt that I have choſen? a day for a man to bow down his head as a bull-ruſh?

Further, to put a hook into the noſe, ſignifies theſe two things in Scripture. Firſt, To repreſs the rage or wrath of man. And Secondly, to divert or turn him aſide from his purpoſe (2 Kings 19.28. Ezek. 19.4.) And ſo in this place, the ſignificancy of the phraſe may be thus conceived, Canſt thou, O Job, abate the fury, or ſtop the courſe of Leviathan? Canſt thou put a hook into his noſe?

Or bore his jaw thorow with a thorn?

And ſo carry him away with thee. Some underſtand it as an alluſion to the ringing of a Bear or Swine. Canſt thou over-power him, and boring his noſe, put a ring into it, as into the ſnout of a Swine or Bear, and ſo lead or carry him whither thou pleaſeſt, as a beaſt which thou haſt tamed and brought to hand?

Theſe two verſes have the ſame tendency, both ſetting forth the greatneſs of Leviathan, as to the weight and bulk of his body. Canſt thou draw out Leviathan? canſt thou put an hook into his noſe? &c.

Hence, Note; The Lord is to be admired and magnified in, and for the greatneſs and vaſtneſs of any Creature.

There are two things about which the Lord is to be magnified in his creatures.

Firſt, In their qualities. There are ſome little, very little creatures, in whoſe qualities the Lord is greatly to be magnified. The Piſmire, a poor little thing, little bigger than a pins-head, hath an admirable wit and fore-caſt. The Crane, the Turtle, the Swallow, are but ſmall creatures; yet they obſerve or underſtand their times, much better than many men, and are not only to be imitated by men in that quality, but to be admired for it.

Secondly, Other creatures are to be admired for their quantity or bigneſs, and of this ſort Leviathan is chief. The reports of p. 664the Ancients concerning the bigneſs of Leviathan,C…t…s 600. pedum longitudinis, & 360. latitudinis in flumen Arabiae intraſſe tradit Plinius l. 32 c. 1. Muſculus piſcis dux c…torum oculorum vice fungitur. Plin. l. 8. c. 2. are almoſt beyond belief. One reports their bodies as big as four acres of ground; that they appear like mountains or ſmall iſlands in the ſea; that ſome being meaſured, have been found ſix hundred foot in length, and three hundred and ſixty in breadth: And that, leaſt they ſhould come in ſhallow waters, or be ſoundred by coming too near any ſhoar, they have always a little fiſh, called Muſculus, for their guide or leader, which is to them inſtead of eyes. Late Navigators, and they who make it their buſineſs to follow the Whale-fiſhing, have ſeen Whales of very vaſt dimenſions, and that ſometimes they endanger the overthrow of conſiderable ſhips; which argues their extraordinary ſtrength and greatneſs.

Heathens have ſaid, that though it cannot be denied, but there are many wonderful creatures to be ſeen upon the land, yet the ſea is the great ſtore-houſe of wonders: And we may give it in theſe three things.

Firſt, It is wonderful, that in the ſea there are ſuch various kinds of fiſhes. It is not imaginable how many ſorts of fiſh the ſea affords. I once heard a very learned Gentleman, and a great Traveller, ſay, that being abroad upon publick ſervice, and entertaining the Ambaſſador of another State at his table, the feaſt was wholly of fiſh, and the fiſh were only ſhell-fiſh variouſly cookt, every diſh having the ſhells laid about the verg of it, the fiſh being taken out; yet the Ambaſſador could not give a name to any one of them, having never ſeen their like in any part of the world where he had been. Now if a wiſe knowing man, alſo great a feaſt, could not give a name to any one ſhell-fiſh before him, what variety of kinds is there in the ſea, take all together!

Secondly, 'Tis wonderful to conſider, the huge multitude which is of every kind of fiſh in the ſea. The kinds are exceeding many, and there are innumerable of every kind.

Thirdly, That is wonderful, which I am now upon, the vaſtneſs, the greatneſs of ſome kinds. Not only is Leviathan, but ſeveral other fiſhes of the Sea, bigger than any beaſt upon the land. Let us conſider the greatneſs of the creatures, to lead us into the conſideration of the greatneſs of God. How great, how mighty is that God, who hath made ſuch great, ſuch mighty creatures!

p. 665Secondly, From theſe words, Canſt thou draw up Leviathan with a hook?

Note; Great things cannot be done ordinarily with ſmall means.

A hook and a line may ſerve the turn, to draw up any ſmall and ſome great fiſhes, but they will not ſerve turn to draw up a Leviathan. There muſt be a proportion between the inſtrument and the work, elſe nothing can be done in a natural way. As we need not call for a beetle to kill a fly; we may do that with a touch of the finger: in which ſenſe David ſpake (1 Sam. 24.14.) Againſt whom is the King of Iſrael come forth? againſt a dead dog or a flea▪ As if he had ſaid, I wonder thou ſhould'ſt raiſe an army againſt me, who have ſo little ſtrength, and intend thee no hurt, had I ſtrength (as I have had opportunity) to do it. Now (I ſay) as we need not uſe great means to effect little things, ſo we muſt uſe great means to do great things, and we ſhould uſe means proportionable for the doing of every thing. You cannot batter down a ſtone wall, or a ſtrong tower with paper-ſhot, nor with a pot-gun, no, you muſt plant cannon for that ſervice.

Again, when this Scripture ſaith, Canſt thou draw out Leviathan? The emphaſis (as was ſhewed before in opening the words) lieth in the word thou. As if the Lord had ſaid, thou canst not, but I can.

Hence, note; The Lord is able to do the greateſt things by ſmalleſt means.

Leviathan to God is but as any little fiſh to us, which is taken with a hook and line. To take up Leviathan, to do the greateſt thing, is as eaſie to God, as the leaſt to man. As the power of God ſupplyeth all the weakneſs of the creature to do any thing, ſo it ſurpaſſeth all that ſtrength and greatneſs of the creature, which may ſeem to hinder him from doing any thing with it or upon it. He (ſaith the Apoſtle, Phil. 3.21.) ſhall change our vile body, that it may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body▪ (how ſhall he do this?) according to the working of his mighty power, whereby he is able to ſubdue all things to himſelf. The Lord can, doubtleſs, ſubdue Leviathan to himſelf by the working of that mighty power, which ſubdueth all things to himſelf. And it is much p. 666more eaſie for Chriſt to ſubdue any Leviathan, than to change our vile body into the likeneſs of his own glorious body. For, as Jeſus Chriſt was (once) declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the ſpirit of holineſs, by the reſurrection (that is, his own reſurrection) from the dead; ſo he will again declare himſelf to be the Son of God with power, according to the ſpirit of power, by our reſurrection from the dead. He that can draw our duſt out of the grave with a word, can ſoon draw Leviathan out of the deepeſt gulf in the Sea by his hook and cord.

This may comfort thoſe, and ſtrengthen their faith, who at any time ſee Leviathans ready to ſwallow them up, as the Whale did Jonah. As the Lord prepared that great fiſh to ſwallow up Jonah (Jonah 1.17.) ſo he commanded that great fiſh to deliver him back ſafe again; or, as that Scripture ſaith, (Chap. 2.10.) He ſpake to the fiſh, and he vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Both were acts of great power, and teach us, that the Lord hath a ſoveraign commanding power over all, even the greateſt creatures.

The Lord hath a hook for Leviathan. He had hooks for Pharaoh, The great Dragon in the midſt of his Rivers (Ezek. 29.3, 4.) And of him the Lord commanded the ſame Prophet to ſpeak in a like notion (Ezek. 32.2.) Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh, and ſay to him, thou art like a young Lion of the Nations, and thou art as a Whale in the Seas, and thou cameſt forth with thy Rivers, and troubledſt the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their Rivers; therefore I will ſpread out my net over thee, and they ſhall bring thee up in my net. I have a net for thee, ſaith this Chapter; I have hooks for thee, ſaith that other. The Prophet Iſaiah, to engage the Lord to do ſome great thing for his Church, minded him of what he had formerly and anciently done for Iſrael (Iſa. 51.9.) Awake, awake, put on ſtrength, O arm of the Lord, awake as in the ancient dayes, as in the generations of old; art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon? This Rahab was Egypt, and the Dragon was Pharoah, as Interpreters generally agree. The Pſalmiſt reports the dealings of God with Pharoah and Egypt, in language nearer that of the Text (Pſal. 74.13, 14.) Thou breakeſt the heads of the Dragons in the waters, thou breakeſt the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gaveſt him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderneſs; that is, the remembrance of that mercy, and of p. 667the mighty power of God in deſtroying Pharoah and his Egyptian Hoſt, who purſued them after their departure from Egypt, to the red Sea, was to be food for their faith in all the dangers and hardſhips w^ch they were like to meet with in their travels, through the howling wilderneſs to the Land of promiſe. Take one Scripture-inſtance more (2 Kin. 19.28.) Sennacherib was a Leviathan, he came up againſt Hezekiah to deſtroy him and his people, which provoked the Lord to ſpeak thus of him, Becauſe thy rage againſt me is come into my ears, therefore I will put my hook into thy noſe, and my bridle in thy lips, and turn thee back by the way thou cameſt. Thus far of the firſt thing in the deſcription of Leviathan, his greatneſs.

The ſecond part of his deſcription, ſheweth the ſtoutneſs and ſtubbornneſs of his ſpirit, he will not comply, he will not yield, he will not any way ſubmit. This is laid down in the 3d, 4th, and 5th verſes.

Verſ. 3. Will he make many ſupplications to thee?

The word in the Hebrew, properly ſignifies deprecation, Precamur bona deprecamur tantum mala.which is prayer for the turning away of evil; when evil is near, then we deprecate it. Will he do this? not he: He will not petition thee, he ſcorns to petition thee, or to cry for quarter.

But, it may be ſaid, can fiſhes pray or make ſupplications? to do ſo, is at leaſt the work of rational creatures. I anſwer,Per Proſopopoeian tribuit ei orationem. theſe words are to be underſtood by that figure Proſopopoeia, frequently uſed in Scripture, when acts of Reaſon are attributed to irrational, yea, to ſenſeleſs and lifeleſs creatures. The very hills and valleys, the Seas and waters praiſe God by a figure; and here by a like figure, Leviathan will not make ſupplications unto man; which ſhews the ſtoutneſs of his ſpirit. As ſome priſoners taken in war, ſcorn to ask their lives; ſo if Leviathan were taken with a hook, he would make no ſupplications, nor beg your favour, ſo ſtout is he; his heart is too great, his ſtomack too big for any kind of ſubmiſſion. Will he make many ſupplications unto thee? no, he will make none at all. This is further expreſſed in the latter part of the verſe.

Will he ſpeak ſoft words to thee?foreign pro foreign ſc. foreign mollibus vel blandis v…rbis aut ſermonibus. Piſc.

Mr. Broughton renders, or Will he ſpeak to thee tenderly? Will he flatter or humour thee, that he may get looſe or be freed from thee. When the Gibeonites (Joſh. 9.9.) were afraid they ſhould be taken and deſtroyed, they came and begged peace, they ſpake ſoft words. There are words of two ſorts.

p. 668Some are very hard words; and hard words wound like hard blows. And (though no blows are given) The Lord will come to execute judgement upon the ungodly, for all their hard ſpeeches, (Jude, verſ. 15.) Many ſpeak words as hard as ſtones, they throw hard words at the heads and about the ears of others, hard words of threatning, and hard words of reviling; for theſe the Lord will judge the ungodly, as well as for their ungodly deeds.

Now, as there are hard words, ſo ſoft words. What are they? Soft words are words of intreaty, words of meekneſs, words of love, words of ſubmiſſion; theſe are ſoft words. Will Leviathan make ſupplications? or, Will he ſpeak ſoft words? Again, ſoft words are often flattering words, which are therefore compared by the Prophet (Ezek. 13.18.) To pillows ſowed under the arm-holes. Will Leviathan flatter himſelf into thy favour? will he lie down like a Spaniel, and fawn upon thee? no, he is too high-ſpirited to bow, too ſtiff to ſtoop, he will ſpeak no ſoft words. A ſoft anſwer (ſaith Solomon, Prov. 15.1.) turneth away ſtrife. 'Tis good when a queſtion is put to us, to give a ſoft anſwe…: And if when we have hard words ſpoken to us, we return hard anſwers, they will quickly ſtir up ſtrife. Solomon hath a ſtrange expreſſion (Prov. 15.15.) A ſoft tongue breaketh the bones. The tongue naturally, is a ſoft, fleſhy, ſpungy member of the body; yet there is nothing hath more hardneſs, I may ſay more bones in it than the tongue; but 'tis the ſoft tongue which breaketh the bones, not the bones of the body, but of the mind: and the meaning is this, If the ſpirit of a man be as ſtiff as the bones of his body againſt you, yet if you ſpeak ſoft words, you may break him, and bring him to your deſire; whereas, if you be high and ſtiff, if you give hard for hard, it turns to an exaſperation. It were no great loſs, if they could ſpeak no more than Leviathan, who like Leviathan, know not how to ſpeak ſoft words. And uſually, they who are freeſt to ſpeak ſoft words of flattery, are furtheſt from ſpeaking ſoft words of love or charity, of gentleneſs and true ingenuity. 'Tis good, and our wiſdom in two caſes, to ſpeak ſoft words in truth, even to thoſe who are none of the beſt.

Firſt, To avoid hard dealing, from thoſe who have us in their power: and they who are afraid of hard dealing, will ſure enough ſpeak ſoft words; whereas a man that cares not how hardly others deal with him, cares not to ſpeak ſoft words.

p. 669Secondly, 'Tis wiſdom to ſpeak ſoft words, when we are in expectation or under hope of receiving benefit or good from any,Loqui mollia inferioris eſt. in the power of whoſe hand it is to do us good. They have reaſon to give good words, who would receive any good. Thus ſome ſpeak ſoft words to divert evil, others ſpeak ſoft words that they may obtain good. As for Leviathan, he is here repreſented in the pride of his heart, as neither fearing any hurt you can do him, nor deſiring you ſhould do him any good; and therefore, Will he ſpeak ſoft words to thee? no, not he.

Hence obſerve; The ſtrong and mighty will not make ſupplications, nor uſe entreaties.

They who think they have enough in themſelves, will not make ſupplication to God himſelf, they will not entreat his favour, nor ſpeak ſoft words to him. There are many ſuch proud ſtout-hearted Leviathans in the likeneſs of men (Jer. 10.25.) Pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy name. There are whole families that will not make ſupplications to God. What are theſe? a company of Leviathans, that think they have enough of their own, and live in a ſelf-ſtrength, or in a ſelf-ſufficiency, as if they were not beholding to God for any thing they have, nor deſired to have any thing of him. The Lord ſpeaks of a generation of men, who ſhame the counſel of the poor, becauſe the Lord is his refuge (Pſal. 14.6.) that is, becauſe they in all their wants, dangers and diſtreſſes, had recourſe to God by prayer, as their only refuge. Of what ſpirit thoſe men were, who ſhamed or were aſhamed of this counſel and courſe of the poor, he tells us at the 4th verſe of that Pſalm; They eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon God. We (thought they) have enough of our own, ſtrength enough of our own, we are Leviathans, we need not be beholding to God. It is an argument of a wicked, ſtout, high mind, not to make ſupplications (Prov. 18.23.) The poor uſeth entreaties, or, the poor ſpeaketh ſupplications. They that are poor in outward things, will ſpeak very humbly to thoſe above them; and if we know our own ſpiritual poverty, that we are weak, empty creatures, even nothing-creatures, if we are poor in ſpirit, we will be uſing many entreaties to get in with God, and to move him to have mercy upon us. None but humble p. 670ones, and ſuch as ſee their wants and dangers, that they are hardly beſtead in this world, or are convinced that all the good and great things they have, yea, that the greateſt things they can have in this world, can ſtand them in no ſtead without God, will ſpeak ſoft words of ſupplication unto God. Leviathan never thinks himſelf in danger or in want, and therefore he ſcorns all the world; and in this he is an emblem of all carnal worldly men. And as Leviathan will make no ſupplications, nor ſpeak ſoft words, ſo Verſ. 4. Will he make a Covenant with thee?

Some who think themſelves too high to make ſupplications to others, may yet poſſibly make a covenant with them. But, Will Leviathan make a covenant with thee? he will not. The word which we tranſlate a Covenant, ſignifies two things. Firſt, to chuſe, becauſe a Covenant is to be made by choice perſons, and upon choice tearms.An ſcindet vel ſecabit? Heb. foedus factum erat, adhibita ſectione vituli. Secondly, it ſignifies to eat, becauſe they were wont to feaſt when covenants were made. The Hebrew is, Will he ſtrike or cut a covenant with thee. The reaſon of that, was, becauſe they were wont to divide a beaſt, and paſs between the parts of it at the making of a Covenant (Jer. 34.18.) They did cut the calf in twain, and paſſed between the parts thereof. Will Leviathan cut a Covenant with thee? As he will not ſpeak thee fair, nor endeavour to ſoften thy heart towards him, by ſpeaking ſoft words to thee, were he in thy power, ſo he will never enter covenant with thee, to become thy ſure friend, much leſs thy faithful ſervant; as it followeth in the Text.

Wilt thou take him for thy ſervant for ever?

Many are Covenant-ſervants for a time, ſome for ever. Theſe four things follow in order. Firſt, Some for fear make ſupplications. Secondly, They ſpeak ſoft words. Thirdly, They makes covenant or promiſe. Fourthly, They offer their ſervice to thoſe in whoſe hand they are. But Leviathan will do none of theſe, from firſt to laſt. Wilt thou take him for thy ſervant for ever? If thou wilt, he will not. Suppoſe thou hadſt taken Leviathan with a hook, and hadſt him faſt in thy power with a cord, will he be thy ſervant as long as he lives? King Benhadad being taken in war, ſent to King Ahab, and ſubmitted to him as a ſervant, that he p. 671might have his life (1 Kings 20.32.)Qui jure belli occidi potuit, non duram ſubit conditionem, ſi paratam mortem cum longa ſervitute commutat. Sanct. Thy ſervant Benhadad ſaith, I pray thee let me live. But this Leviathan is ſo ſtout, that he will not ask his life of any man, nor will he ſerve any for an hour, much leſs for ever.

Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for thy ſervant for ever?

That is, will he become thy ſervant by covenant, or thy covenant-ſervant? Covenants bind ſervants to duty. There are two things in a ſervants covenant. Firſt, it obligeth him to work. Secondly, it aſſureth him of a reward. Gods covenant with us aſſures us of mercy, I will be to you a God, I will pardon your ſins, I will do you good; and then it requires duty, You ſhall be to me a people, you ſhall walk humbly and uprightly before me, you ſhall ſerve me for ever. Wilt thou take Leviathan to ſerve thee For ever?

But are any ſervants, or ſhall any (except God himſelf) be ſerved, for ever? why then ſaith the Lord, Wilt thou take him for thy ſervant for ever? Some are taken ſervants only for a year, ſome for ſeven years, others for life. They who are ſervants for life, are and may be called our ſervants for ever: ſo that when the Lord ſaith, Wilt thou take him for thy ſervant for ever? the meaning is, will he be thy ſervant as long as he liveth? And indeed the life of a beaſt may well be called his for ever; foraſmuch as he hath no life after this life, nor being after death. The word rendred for ever, comes from a root in the Hebrew, which ſignifieth to hide, or to be hidden, becauſe Eternity, which is for ever in ſtrict ſenſe, is altogether hidden and without end: and if for ever be taken only for a long time, indefinitely, that's a hidden thing too; who knows when a long time will end, if no end be aſſigned to it? The life of man is his for ever in this world; for how ſhort ſoever it is, no man knows the end of it, and ſo to him it is a hidden thing. In this ſenſe alſo the life of a beaſt is a hidden thing as to the natural end of it, and ſo his for ever. Wilt thou take him to be thy ſervant for ever? or, Will he be thy everlaſting ſervant?

p. 672Hence note; All the creatures were made for mans ſervice, and were once his ſervants.

And therefore when creatures will not ſerve us, eſpecially when they riſe againſt us, we ſhould remember, as our fall in Adam, ſo our own failings in the ſervice of God. The unſerviceableneſs of the creature to us, is a fruit and an effect of our unſerviceableneſs and diſobedience to God. That word of God (Gen. 1.28.) which I may call the charter of mans Lordſhip over the creature, reached Leviathan himſelf; And God bleſſed them, and God ſaid, be fruitful, and multiply and repleniſh the earth, and ſubdue it, and have dominion over the fiſh of the Sea, &c. that includes dominion over the Leviathan. The Apoſtle James alſo (Chap. 3.7.) ſpeaks of mans dominion over the fiſh of the Sea, Every kind of beaſts, and of birds, and of ſerpents, and of things in the Sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. Man was originally inveſted with a power, to tame, not only things on earth, but things in the Sea, even the mighty Leviathan. And when the Lord after the flood reſtored the world, and renewed mans charter, he put in this among the reſt of his grants, the ſubjection of the fiſh of the Sea (Gen. 9.1, 2.) And God bleſſed Noah and his ſons, and ſaid, be fruitful and multiply, and repleniſh the earth; and the fear of you, and the dread of you ſhall be upon every beaſt of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fiſhes of the Sea; into your hand they are delivered: The very fiſh of the Sea ſhall fear and reverence you. But as we quite forfeited the priviledge of the firſt charter by the firſt general fall, ſo our after perſonal falls have doubtleſs much abated the priviledges of this renewed charter. When we break commandements, we weaken our intereſt in, and loſe the benefit of promiſes and priviledges. Man by falling from the commands of God, loſt his command of the creatures; 1. Imperium ſui. 2. Imperium ſuum.or, man by ſin, loſt, Firſt, the command of himſelf, and then his command over the creatures. Sin hinders our preſent enjoyments, and will, unleſs repented of by us, and pardoned by God, cut us off from our future hopes. We ſhould behold and bewail it, as a part of that great curſe fallen upon us by the ſin of Adam, and our own perſonal ſins, that many creatures p. 673refuſe to ſerve us. Will Leviathan (ſaith God to Job) make a covenant with thee? will he be thy ſervant for ever? That's the fourth particular mentioned in the third and fourth verſes, wherein the unſubmiſſiveneſs and ſtiffneſs of this Leviathan is ſet forth; he will not make ſupplications, he will not ſpeak ſoft words, neither will he be thy covenant-ſervant for ever. And as he is not for mans work, ſo not for his ſport.

Verſ. 5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Or, as Mr. Broughton renders this latter clauſe, Wilt thou tye him for thy young girles? This verſe holds out a further evidence of the ſtoutneſs of Leviathan. Some creatures, though they will not work, yet they will play and make you ſport; but Leviathan is ſo ſtout, that he will neither do you any work, nor make you any ſport.

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?

The word ſignifies any ſmall bird, eſpecially a Sparrow, with which children uſe to play. Leviathan will not play with man; nor is he to be made a play, or to be ſported with. When the Philiſtines had put out Sampſons eyes (who was once as terrible to them as a Leviathan) they called for him to make them ſport; and the Text ſaith (Judg. 16.25.) He made them ſport, though they quickly found he was not a man to be ſported with. We ſay proverbially, 'Tis ill jeſting with edge-tools; I may ſay, 'Tis ill ſporting with Leviathan. The vulgar Latine tranſlation ſaith,Numquid illudes ei ficut avi. Vulg. Wilt thou cozen or enſnare him as a bird? Canſt thou entangle him as a little bird with lime-twigs? or entice him into thy net, and then make ſport with him? Leviathan is a great player, and very game-ſome; but he will not play at any game with us, nor can we play at any game with him, but Hazzard. That he is very gameſom when and where he pleaſeth, the Pſalmiſt tells us, ſpeaking of the great and wide Sea (Pſal. 104.26.) There go the Ships, there is that Leviathan, whom thou haſt made to play therein. He is made for play, not for work; but where doth he play? Leviathan will play in the Sea, but he will not play at Land. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?

p. 674Wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Or for thy maid-ſervants? or for thy litle maiden daughters? Young maidens or girles delight in birds, and if they get one tyed by a ſtring, they play with it. Thus we ſee Leviathan will have no dealing with us, neither in earneſt nor in jeſt, neither at work nor play, he will neither ſerve us, nor ſport with us. Wilt thou play with him? &c. Some creatures are made for play, for ſport, others for work and ſervice; yet here is one (and there are more of that temper) ſo fierce, ſo ſtout, that he will be brought to neither; he will not ſerve you, as 'tis ſaid in the former verſe; he will not play with you, nor dare you play with him. In this latter verſe, Leviathan is ſomewhat like that untoward and froward generation, of whom Chriſt ſpake (Mat. 11.16.) To whom ſhall I liken this generation? they are like to children fitting in the market-place, and calling unto their fellows, & ſaying, we have piped unto you, & ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. So we may ſay of this Leviathan, if you mourn to him, he will not lament; if you pipe to him, he will not dance. A proud untractable ſpirit will not comply nor bow either way; he will neither weep nor rejoyce with you, faſt nor feaſt with you, work nor play with you.

Thus we have had the deſcription of Leviathan; Firſt, by the greatneſs of his body (verſ. 1, 2.) Secondly, by the ſtoutneſs of his ſpirit (verſ. 3, 4, 5.) The five verſes following, ſhew the great difficulty or extream danger of taking, or of catching him, which is the third part of his deſcription.

Verſ. 6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him? ſhall they part him among the merchants? &c.

Fiſhermen uſe to go out in companies; and having ſped well in fiſhing, they firſt eat part themſelves, and make merry as at a banquet; the remainder they ſend to market, or ſell to Merchants for profit: They ſhall do neither with Leviathan, for they cannot take him. 'Tis a vain thing to talk of dividing the Bears skin, before we have taken the Bear.

p. 675Shall the companions make a banquet of him?

That is, either, Firſt, Shall they eat him, ſhall he be the matter of the banquet, the chief diſh at the feaſt? Or, Secondly, Shall they rejoyce and make merry, becauſe they have catcht Leviathan, and gotten ſuch a prize. Underſtanding the words in this latter ſenſe, Leviathan being caught, is the occaſion, not the matter of the banquet. As if it had been ſaid, Fiſher-men, or their ſocieties, ſhall never have cauſe to rejoyce and triumph at the captivity of Leviathan, nor ſay they, have gotten him into their hands or cuſtody, to lade their veſſels, and fill their ware-houſes, to vend him out again, and fill their purſes, as it followeth in this verſe.

Shall they part him among the Merchants?

The word rendred Merchants, Causnaeorum nomen in Scriptura paſſio… pro Mercatoribus uſurpatur; quòd ea gens negatiationi & mercimoniis addicta fuerit, ob maris viciniam. Merc.is according to the Hebrew Canaanites. Merchants were ſo called, becauſe there was much Merchandiſe uſed by and among the Canaanites, their country lying near the Sea. Shall thy companions make a banquet of him? &c.

Hence note, Firſt; That which is got by hard and perilous labour, makes the labourers merry when they have got it.

The Text ſeems to ſay; If they could but get Leviathan into their hands, what feaſting would there be, or there would be great feaſting! He that by diligent ſearch finds that bleſſed treaſure in the field, of which Chriſt ſpake in the Parable (Mat. 13.44.) he (I ſay) for joy of it, ſells all that he hath and buyeth that field. And as they, who have found Chriſt, that treaſure, have cauſe to rejoyce with great joy: So when any good is found, or gained by hard labour, 'tis matter of joy.

But is banqueting and feaſting all that Fiſher-men aime at, when they labour and venture ſo hard to catch Leviathan? ſurely no, they aime at profit more than at pleaſure, it is to ſell off what they get to the Merchants.

Hence note; Profit puts men upon hard and perilous labours.

What almoſt will not men do? whither will they not venture p. 676for profit? gain ſweetens labour; and the hope of a market the hardneſs of the undertaking.

Shall they part him among the Merchants?

Hence we may note; Merchandiſe is of very antient uſe.

Merchants have been of old buying and ſelling, conveighing by Land, tranſporting by ſea, the commodities of one country to another; as it turns to the riches, ſo to the honour, and manifold advantages of mankind. Only let Merchants be wiſe to trade heaven-ward, as well as earth-ward; and be careful they make not ſhipwrack of a good conſcience, while their ſhips and goods eſcape it. Let them often remember the Apoſtles admonition (1 Cor. 7.29, 30.) The time is ſhort; let them that buy, be as if they poſſeſſed not; and they that uſe this world, as not abuſing it; for the faſhion of this world paſſeth away. Be not unwiſe Merchants, ſuch as mind not the true treaſure, the right pearl of price.

The Lord having in this ſixth verſe intimated, how hard a task, and how hazardous it is to take Leviathan, ſpeaks it expreſsly in the next.

Verſ. 7. Canſt thou fill his skin with barbed Irons, or his head with fiſh-ſpears?

Barbed irons and fiſh-ſpears are inſtruments in uſe at this day for the taking of Whales, and ſuch like Sea-monſters. Now, ſaith the Lord, though thou canſt not draw up Leviathan with hook and line, yet poſſibly thou thinkeſt, he may be conquered with barbed Irons and ſpears. The word here rendred barbed Irons ſignifies thorns, becauſe ſuch irons are ſharp like thornes. The skin of a well-grown Whale is extream tough, and not eaſily penetrated; ſo that the Lord might well ſay, Canſt thou fill his skin with barbed Irons? or his head with fiſh-ſpears? Yet, I conceive, theſe queſtions do not import an utter impoſſibility, but the extream difficulty of taking the Leviathan, what animal ſoever it is. The learned Bochartus takes theſe words, as much favouring his opinion for the Crocodile; For (ſaith he) they who write about the manner of catching the Whale, teſtifie that he is overcome with p. 677ſhowers of barbed Irons, caſt or poured upon him by the Sea-men that compaſſe him about; but as for the Crocodile, his skin is altogether impenitrable. But I ſhall defer any further diſcourſe about this point, which is the chief proof againſt the Whale, till I come to the 15th verſe, and thoſe which follow, in a deſcription of the ſcales of Leviathan. And from the preſent words, Canſt thou fill his skin with barbed Irons? &c. I ſhall only

Note; That which is very hardly done, may be ſpoken of as if it could not be done at all.

As becauſe it is a hard thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, Chriſt ſaith, 'tis eaſier for a Camel to paſs through a needles eye: At which word, his Diſciples being amazed, cryed out, Who then can be ſaved? Thus the Prophet ſpake, to ſhew the extream difficulty of reclaiming an accuſtomed ſinner (Jer. 13.23.) Can the Ethiopian change his skin? then may he that is accuſtomed to do evil, learn to do good. It is not altogether impoſſible for one that is accuſtomed to do evil to learn to do good (through the grace of God he may repent) but, becauſe it is a very difficult thing, therefore the Scripture ſpeaks of it as if it were an impoſſible thing, even as impoſſible as for an Ethiopian to change his hue, or the blackneſs of his skin, which no labour, nothing but a miracle can do.

The difficulty of dealing with this Leviathan, is yet more plainly expreſſed in the next words.

Verſ. 8. Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle: do no more.

Thoſe words, lay thy hand upon him, may be taken three ways.Demulce eum & experire utrum ea potiti poteris. Jun.

Firſt, Lay thy hand upon him gently, or to ſtroke him. As if it had been ſaid ſaid. When thou canſt not take him by force with barbed Irons and fiſh-ſpears, then lay thy hand upon him tenderly and friendly, try thy utmoſt skill (as before thy utmoſt ſtrength) whether thou canſt take him by fair means, by ſoothing or tickling him (as ſome fiſhes are taken) about the gills.

Secondly, (To which interpretation I rather adhere, than to the former. (This conceſſion, lay thine hand on him, carrieth a ſenſe p. 678of hoſtility; as if it had been ſaid, as we often ſay in ſuch caſes, Touch him if thou dareſt; thou hadst as good have let him alone, thou hadst as good eat thy nails as meddle with him; uſe the leaſt violence to him at thy peril be it, he will quickly make thee repent thy raſhneſs, and thou wilt have little mind to fight it out with him.

Thirdly, Lay thine hand upon him, may be taken in this general ſenſe; improve the utmoſt of thy skill and ſtrength, of thy force and fraud, do thy beſt every way, yet thou ſhalt not be able to take him.

Remember the battle, or (as Mr. Broughton renders) look for war.

Si tam audax furis ut ferire ipſum ſuſtinueris, cogita illum pugnaturum, & ſi potes fuge, neque iteres ictum. Coc.Conſider what will come of it, if thou layeſt thy hand upon hm; for doubtleſs, he will be upon thy back preſently. Therefore, Do no more.

Some render it as a threat, If thou ſhalt do more, he will quickly diſpatch thee, or thou wilt have little mind to meddle any more with him. We read it, as an admonition, do no more; that is,Non erit tibi poſthac de praelio cogitandum. …tum enim erit de te ſimul ac manum immiſeris. Merc. Ictus piſcator ſ…pit. Adag. forbear. Some put both theſe latter branches of the verſe together, thus, Thou ſhalt no more remember the battle; that is, there will be an end of thee, thou wilt have done fighting with him or any other, if thou beginneſt to fight with Leviathan. The clear ſenſe of the whole, to me, is this: If thou put thine hand upon him, if thou meddlest to take him either by force or craft, if thou doſt ingage any way with him, thou wilt be forc'd to remember the battle, thou wilt find thou haſt cauſe to remember it as long as thou liveſt; if thou layeſt, or ſhalt lay thy hand upon him, thou wilt think of the battle, that thou haſt made a raſh adventure, nor wilt thou venture ſo again, thy own harms will make thee wiſer, and thy ſad experience (the Miſtreſs of fools) will teach thee to take heed. Now according to this reading, and the ſenſe given of it, the Imperative is put for the Future, which (as the Learned tell us) is uſual in Scripture, and the conditional term If is underſtood and placed at the beginning of the ſentence, which is familiar in the Hebrew tongue: And ſo inſtead of, lay thy hand on him, &c. (as we render) the words run thus, If thou ſhalt lay thy hand on p. 679him, thou wilt remember the battle, and do no more. This is a clear ſenſe, and ſo likewiſe is that other, which bids him do it at his peril; lay thine hand upon him if thou wilt, adventure to take him if thou darest; but remember the battle, conſider what will come of it, and do no more I adviſe thee. Thus it ſeems to be ſuch a conceſſion as Solomon gives the young man (Eccleſ. 11.9.) Rejoyce O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy own heart, and in the ſight of thine eyes; but (what follows?) know, for all theſe things God will bring thee to judgment. So here the Lord ſeems to ſay, Go, lay thy hand on him, go, take Leviathan if thou canſt; but remember the battle, remember Leviathan is a terrible creature, and therefore I adviſe thee to do no more, or to have no more to do with him, venture no further, he is a perillous beaſt.

Thus the Lord might ſay to Job; Thou haſt been very buſie to call for an account from me, and to be dealing with me; but art thou able to deal with Leviathan? conſider then how thou canſt deal with me; therefore ſit down quietly, take heed of the leaſt thought that my ways towards thee want the leaſt grain of juſtice, or that they are wanting of mercy and loving kindneſs; contend no longer, ſtrive no more with me, who have more ſtrength than ten thouſand Leviathans; and with whom to contend, 'tis ten thouſand times more dangerous, than with Leviathan. Remember the battle, do no more.

Hence note;

Firſt, It is good to remember the iſſues of actions before we act.

Lay thy hand upon him; but conſider what will come of it, what it may coſt thee: As in that great buſineſs of our receiving Chriſt in the Goſpel, put your hand to the plow, put your hand to the profeſſion of the Goſpel; but pray remember the battle: you may come to a great battle, you may have to deal with proud Leviathans, before you have made good your good profeſſion. This was Chriſts councel (Luk. 14.28, 33.) to all his Diſciples, Which of you intending to build a Tower, ſitteth not down firſt, and counteth the coſt? &c. Or what King going to make war with another King, ſitteth not down firſt, and conſulteth? &c. whether he can maintain the war, he remembers the battle; ſo, &c. The believing Jews (Heb. 10.34.) endured a groat fight of affliction after they were illuminated, and had received the Lord Jeſus p. 680Chriſt. There are two things which we ſhould be very much in remembering. Firſt, Our duty (Eccleſ. 12.1.) Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Secondly, Our danger; or, take both together, what danger duty may engage us in; elſe when danger comes we ſhall ſoon forſake our duty. Many take up a profeſſion of Chriſt, who never thought of the danger, of the tryals, afflictions and temptations, which might befall them for his ſake; they remembred not the battle, and ſo have either preſently been overcome and fallen in it, or have unworthily forſaken their colours, and run from it.

Secondly, Note; It is beſt not to do, or forbear to do that which we cannot but ſee (if we have our eyes in our heads) will be dangerous to us in the doing.

We are not always to forbear the doing of thoſe things that will be dangerous to our outward man (for ſo the beſt things may be) but thoſe things that will be dangerous to our bodies and ſouls too, we muſt always for bear to do; in all ſuch caſes it is our duty to remember the battle, and do no more. Will any wiſe man engage in danger which can produce no profit? There are ſome things which we are to do, and do again, though our danger be never ſo great, yea, though we loſe our lives in doing them: But there are many things we may not do if we fore-ſee danger. The Apoſtle Paul (Acts 27.9, 10.) being at ſea, ſaid I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only to the lading of the ſhip, but to our lives alſo; therefore he tells them (ver. 21.) Sirs, ye ſhould have harkened to me, and not have looſed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loſs; that had been their wiſdom, when they were warned of the danger, not to have gone on. When there is danger to our bodies only, and we ſee no benefit that may countervail the danger, 'tis folly to proceed. I may urge this point ſpecially in caſe of ſin: Take heed of doing any thing that is evil; remember the battle that ſin will bring you to. Sin will bring you to a terrible battle, to ſuch a battle as no man can ſtand in or eſcape. Sin brings to a battle infinitely more dangerous than that with Leviathan. Sin provokes God to battle; and when God is angry, we may more ſafely contend with ten thouſand Leviathans, than with him. When you p. 681are tempted to put your hand to ſin, O remember the battle, remember the battle. Thou (poſſibly) wilt have a ſore battle in thy own conſcience, and that's a dreadful Leviathan; but that's not all, remember the battle with God, who is greater than conſcience; you muſt come to judgment, remember the battle of that day, or that day of Battle, with impenitent and hardned ſinners, and ſin no more; give it over, as you love your lives, as you love your precious ſouls, and the everlaſting peace or welfare of them. You cannot ſin without a great deal of danger, even the danger of eternal wrath and death.

Thus I have touched at ſome things from this third part of the deſcription of Leviathan. He hath hitherto been ſet before us: Firſt, In the huge bulk and bigneſs of his body. Secondly, In the ſtoutneſs of his ſpirit; he will neither make ſupplications, nor enter covenant; he will neither ſerve you, nor ſport with you; both which, Behemoth, the Elephant, will do. Thirdly, In the difficulty and danger of taking him; So much danger is in it, that if you lay your hand on him, it were beſt to remember the battle, and do no more. Yet the Lord ſpeaks more concerning the danger of medling with Leviathan, in the ninth verſe throughout, and in the former part of the tenth.

Verſ. 9. Behold, the hope of him is in vain.

As if the Lord had ſaid, if none of theſe means can take Leviathan, then the hope of him that goes about to take him is loſt and fruſtrate; if by theſe means he cannot be taken, then there is no means to take him, for he cannot be taken by any means. The hope Of him.

That is, of him that goes about to catch Leviathan. In order of ſpeech it ſhould have been ſaid, thy hope will b… in vain, Dicendum ſucrat ſpes tua, ſed in genere dicere voli erit, &c. Merc.for God was ſpeaking before to Job; yet he doth not ſay thy hope, but the hope of him, that is, the hope of any man will be in vain: as if he had ſaid, not only ſhalt thou labour in vain, to graple with this ſea-monſter Leviathan, but all men elſe, whoſoever they are, that attempt or go about to take him. The hope of him is p. 682In vain.

foreign Mantitas reipſa vel verbis.The Hebrew is, the hope of him lyeth. It is uſual both in the Hebrew and Latine tongue, when our hopes and endeavours fail, or are fruſtrate, to ſay, they lye, or deceive us; and the reaſon is, becauſe ſuch a man promiſed himſelf great things, and had confident expectations, without ſucceſs. Thus 'tis ſaid. (Hab. 3.17.) Although the labour of the Olive ſhall fail, we put in the Margin, lye. The Husband-man having beſtowed much labour upon the Olive, and looking for much fruit, may be deceived, and ſo all that labour beſtowed in dreſſing and looking to the Olive-tree failing and being loſt, the labour of the Olive (or the pains taken about the Olive-tree) is ſaid to lye. The hope of him ſhall be in vain, or lye.

Our hope is ſaid to be in vain three ways.

Firſt, When we hope for much, and get but little, according …o that of the Prophet, convincing the Jews of their neglect in building the Temple (Hag. 1.9.) Ye looked for much, and behold it came to little; ye hoped for a plentiful harveſt, ye thought to have had a great crop, but it went very cloſe together; ye looked for cart-loads, but had ſcarcely handfuls: So ſome expound, or give the meaning of that Propheſie (Iſa. 49. 4th and 6th compared) It is a Propheſie of Chriſt; at the 4th verſe Chriſt ſaith, I have laboured in vain, I have ſpent my ſtrength for nought, and in vain. Why did Chriſt ſay he had laboured in vain? He tells us the reaſon at the 6th verſe; And he ſaid, that is, the Lord ſaid to him, It is a light thing that thou ſhouldeſt be my ſervant to raiſe up the Tribes of Jacob, and to reſtore the preſerved of Iſrael; I will alſo give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayſt be my ſalvation unto the end of the earth. Chriſt looked upon his labour as labour in vain, if he had died to redeem the Jews only, and therefore, ſaith God, I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayſt be my ſalvation to the end of the earth; and then, I hope, thou wilt not think thy labour in vain. Now when the Lord had granted Jeſus Chriſt, that he ſhould not only be ſalvation to the Jews, but alſo to the ends of the earth, or to the Gentiles; he no longer ſaid, I have laboured in vain, but thought himſelf well rewarded for all his coſt and pains, for all that he did or ſuffered, to bring about and effect the ſalvation of man. Hope is in vain when we have, and get but little, expecting much.

p. 683Secondly, Hope it much more in vain, when we hope for much, and get nothing at all. As Peter ſaid to Chriſt (Luke 5.5.) We have toyled all night, and have taken nothing. That's like fiſhing for Leviathan; ſuch hope is utterly in vain. Such a vain hope the Church ſpake of (Jerem. 8.15.) We looked for peace (looking is an act of hope) and no good came, no good at all; that hope is vain, when we look for peace, and no good, no benefit comes. And thus the Lord ſpake of his ſmiting in vain, (Jerem. 2.30.) In vain have I ſmitten your Children. Why in vain? they have received no correction, that is, they were never a whit the better for it, they were not amended by it. When God ſpends his rods upon us, and we neither ceaſe to do evil, nor learn to do good, then he correcteth us in vain. And when he ſends his word, and we receive no good by it, no inſtruction by it, then his word is in vain. To waſh an Aethiopian, is the embleam of labour in vain, becauſe, how much ſoever you waſh him, he is not at all the whiter, nor is any change wrought in his complexion.

Thirdly, Hope is yet more in vain, when we look for good, and get hurt inſtead of good. The Prophet complained (Jerem. 8.15.) not only thus, We look for peace, and no good came; but (as it follows) for a time of health, and behold, trouble. But what was the time of health which they looked for, or what was the health which they looked for at that time? There is a two-fold health, a health of the body natural, and a health of the body politick, which conſiſts in proſperity and peace; for this health they looked, but behold trouble. So (Jer. 14.19.) We looked for peace; and there was no good; and for a time of healing, and behold trouble. Thus the Lords Vineyard, that is, the Church of the Jews diſappointed the Lords expectation (Iſa. 5.5.) when, while he looked for grapes, it brought forth wild grapes, that is, as 'tis explained (ver. 7.) Oppreſſion inſtead of judgment, and inſtead of righteouſneſs a cry. This was the quite contrary; and this is the worſt way of having our hope in vain. It is ſaid (Job 27.8.) What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his ſoul? Suppoſe a hypocrite hath gained much in this world, yea, ſuppoſe he hath got or gained all the world, yet what is his hope when God taketh away his ſoul? then he will not only find no God, but much trouble, pain, and anguiſh, and wrath, and hell for evermore upon him. When Chriſt ſaith (Mat. 16.26.) What is a p. 684man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? His meaning is not only this, that he ſhall have no profit at all, but he ſhall be utterly undone and broke for ever. How vain then is the hope of that man, yea, how vain a man is that, who hopes for profit or gain, in doing that which endangers the loſs of his ſoul, much more that by which his ſoul is abſolutely and for ever loſt.

Thus hope is in vain; Firſt, when we hope for much, and get little; Secondly, when we hope for much, and get nothing; Thirdly, when we hope for good, and get hurt. Now, in theſe two latter ſenſes we are to take the meaning of God here. A man may hope by uſe of means to catch Leviathan, yet he gets nothing, yea, probably loſeth much, or gets much hurt. Behold, the h…pe of him is in vain.

Hence note, Firſt; It is hope of gain that uſually puts men upon action.

The Lord ſuppoſeth that they who undertake the taking of Leviathan, hope to gain much by taking him. 'Tis hope of attaining, that encourageth to doing. No man would be ſtirring, much leſs beſtir himſelf about any buſineſs, were it not for hope of getting. And as it is hope of attaining that puts upon doing, ſo it is hope of attaining that puts us upon ſuffering. Who would ſuffer for Jeſus Chriſt, if he had not a hope of attaining ſomewhat better than he can loſe by his ſufferings? therefore Jeſus Chriſt hath ſet that hope before us. To ſuffer rightly for Jeſus Chriſt, is ſo honourable, that we ſhould ſuffer willingly, though we get nothing by it: yet he hath ſet a reward before us, a crown, by his Croſs; he hath aſſured us all our loſſes, even our loſs of life for his ſake, ſhall turn to our gain and profit. Hope of attaining is the motive to every undertaking. No wiſe man will meddle with doing that, which is either impoſſible to be done, or altogether unprofitable when it is done. Were it not for hope, the heart would faint. Firſt, in labouring. Secondly, in ſuffering. Thirdly, in waiting. Hope is like a Helmet upon the head, when we are in danger of blows (2 Theſ. 5.8.) and like an Anchor, both ſure and ſtedfaſt, when we are in ſtorms (Heb. 6.19.)

Secondly, The Lord having ſaid before, Remember the battel, and do no more, adds, The hope of him is in vain.

p. 685Hence note; It is a vain thing to go about that, which we ſee no ground of hope to have ſucceſs in, to do good upon, or to get any good by.

As the Apoſtle exhorts us, To be ſtedfaſt and unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, foraſmuch as we know (true believers do know, and all men ſhould know) that our labour is not in vain in the Lord; ſo we have ground enough to dehort all men from thoſe works, which we know, or may know, will be in vain. And if ſo,

Then, Firſt, How vain a thing is it for any man to ſin? Is there any thing to be gotten by ſin? I may well ſay to ſinners, as the Lord ſaith to Job, in the latter end of the 8th verſe, Do no more, ſin no more; your hope is in vain that think to gain by ſin, that hope to make your ſelves rich, great or happy, by ſin; Do no more, your hope is in vain. The Apoſtle puts the queſtion (Rom. 6.21.) What fruit had you then in thoſe things, whereof ye are now aſhamed? Have you got any benefit by them? have you got any thing worth the getting? All that is gained by ſin, will turn to loſs at laſt. Samuel charged the Iſraelites upon this account (1 Sam. 12.21.) Turn ye not aſide (that is, do not ſin, do not turn from the Law of the Lord, do not depart from God, why?) for then ſhould you go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. If you turn aſide from the wayes of God, to by-wayes; from the truths of God, to error; from the true worſhip of God, to idolatry; and from communion with God, to creature-comforts and contentments; you go after vain things which cannot profit. To be vain, and to be unprofitable, are the ſame thing. Take heed of ſin, for you cannot make any profit of it, you cannot raiſe any true revenue out of it, you will one time or other be aſhamed (as the Prophet ſpeaks) of all thoſe revenues; your hope that way is vain.

Secondly, Then how vain a thing is it to oppoſe the Church of God! Why? becauſe there is no ground of hope for ſucceſs in that attempt. The world hath been upon it all along, but they could never effect nor accompliſh what they have imagined; they have done all, but proſper in it; they never had their end, which is the end or total deſtruction of the Church. Pharaoh would oppoſe and vex Iſrael, the Church of God, and keep them low; but p. 686he could not attain his end, for the more he oppreſſed them, the more they multiplied; therefore all ſuch are ſaid to imagine a vain thing (Pſal. 2.1, 2.) Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? the Kings of the earth ſet themſelves, and the Rulers take counſel together, againſt the Lord and againſt his anointed, but all in vain. Nothing leſs came of it, than what they imagined, or their imaginations came to nothing, yea, brought them to nothing. I (ſaith the Lord, Zach. 12.3.) will make Jeruſalem a burdenſome ſtone for all people; all that burden themſelves with it, ſhall be cut in pieces. If any meddle with Jeruſalem, they will find they lift at a very heavy ſtone, and that they meddle not with their match; they ſhall ſurely be not only overmatcht, but overthrown at length, who do ſo. The Church is founded upon a rock, and the gates of hell ſhall not prevail againſt it (Mat. 16.18.) that is, neither the counſels nor confederacies, neither the power nor the policy of men or devils, ſhall be able to prevail againſt it. The Hiſtory of the Church, ſaith of Diocleſian a cruel perſecuter, that for very vexation he gave up the Government of the Empire, becauſe he ſaw he could not ſuppreſs Chriſtianity by all his machinations againſt the Chriſtians. And doubtleſs they in the Goſpel (John 12.19.) were not a little troub…ed, when they ſaid among themſelves, Perceive ye how we prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him.

Thirdly, Note; The loſs of hope, or hope loſt, is the greateſt loſs.

When God would ſhew mans worſt condition, he ſaith, His hope is in vain; he doth not ſay, his labour is in vain, but, his hope is in vain; that pincheth moſt of all, and that's it which will pinch Hypocrites moſt at laſt, who were in hope of injoying God; but not only their labour, but their hope ſhall be in vain: when they come big with expectation, and ſay, Lord, Lord, we have done thus and thus; when, as the fooliſh Virgins, they ſhall knock boldly, and cry earneſtly, Lord, Lord, open to us, the anſwer given them will be only this, I know you not; that is, I know you not for mine, as you preſumed your ſelves to be, even while you walked (not as mine, in wiſdom, but) in your own folly. This loſs of hope will grieve more than the loſs of Heaven. As Chriſt told the Phariſees, You ſhall weep, and gnaſh your teeth, when you p. 687ſee Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you your ſelves thruſt out. You thought that you ſhould be ſaved above all men; but ſaith Chriſt, you ſhall be thruſt out, and loſe your hopes. This the Lord ſpeaks, to ſhew the worſt of their condition, who attempt to take Leviathan, Their hope ſhall be in vain.

In the latter part of the verſe, the Lord gives us a farther account, why their hope is in vain.

Shall not a man be caſt down at the ſight of him?

Is there any hope of taking him, at whoſe very ſight a man ſhall certainly be caſt down? There is a twofold caſting down.

Firſt, a caſting down by outward violence, when a man is thruſt down (as we ſpeak) by head and ſhoulders. Thus David caſt down Goliah, by a ſling and a ſtone.

Secondly, There is a caſting down by inward trouble; as we uſually ſay, ſuch a man is mightily caſt down. Trouble of ſpirit, heart-vexation, and fear, caſt down many before any hand toucheth them. Chriſt ſpeaking of Capernaum, ſaith (Luke 10.15.) And thou Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, ſhalt be thruſt down to hell. As if he had ſaid, thou haſt been high in thy expectations, and highly priviledged in thy enjoyments, having had the Goſpel preached to thee; but thou ſhalt not only fall down, but thou ſhalt be thruſt down into hell, with a kind of violence. When the Lord in the Text ſaith, Shall not one be caſt down? we are to underſtand it of a caſting down by the ſtrong impreſſion of aſtoniſhment and fear, of dread and trouble, ſeizing upon the mans ſpirit who comes near Leviathan, and therefore it followeth, Shall not one be caſt down At the ſight of him?

A man ſhall no ſooner ſee him, but he ſhall ſink; and if ſo, then how little hope hath any one to grapple with him, and to take him? There is ſmall hope of overcoming this Leviathan, when a man at his ſight, or as far off as he can ſee him, is ſo afraid of him as to be caſt down with fear. The very ſight of a Whale is a terror to Mariners and Sea-men, they are afraid their Ship may be overturn'd and ſpoyled by him.

p. 688Some read the words thus; Will he be caſt down even at the ſight of him? and they give this meaning of it. Will the Leviathan be caſt down at the ſight of a man, when he cometh prepared to take him? Thou thinkeſt Leviathan a poor ſpirited fiſh; or that he will be afraid of thy looks, or to ſee thee, as other fiſhes are, who when they ſee or apprehend a man near, ſcuttle away, as we ſay; but thou wilt find Leviathan is a fiſh that will not be afraid at the ſight of thee. This is a good ſenſe, but I conceive that before given more ſutable; that the ſight of Leviathan, or a Leviathan, as ſoon as ſeen, is ſo terrible, that a man will be ſtricken with fear as ſoon as he ſeeth him, Shall not one be caſt down at the ſight of him?

Hence note, Firſt; The ſight of the eye worketh much upon the heart.

The Lord ſaith not, Shall not one be caſt down by the force of him, but, at the very ſight of him. The eye hath a mighty operation upon the inward man, yea, upon the whole man; the eye hath a mighty force upon the heart as to three things.

Firſt, It hath a mighty force upon the heart as to joy. If we ſee a perſon that we have a great deal of love for, how do we rejoyce preſently at the ſight of him! 'Tis true alſo of things. It is ſaid of Jacob (Gen. 45.27.) When he ſaw the wagons which Joſeph had ſent to carry him, his ſpirit revived; it put a new life into him, to ſee that which gave him much aſſurance, that he ſhould ſee a perſon that was the deſire of his eyes, his beloved ſon Joſeph; it revived the old man, and made him even young again. And as a pleaſing ſight made old Jacob, as it were, begin to live again; ſo old Simeon rejoyced ſo much at the ſight of Chriſt, that he had done with living, or had enough of it, and therefore ſaid, Now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have ſeen thy ſalvation; that is, he had ſeen Chriſt with the eye of his body, and he had a ſight of Chriſt by the eye of his faith; this ſight lifted him above all things ſeen. A ſenſitive ſight of good, doth very much chear, refreſh, and rejoyce the heart, much more an intellectual ſight; how much doth the ſight of faith refreſh the ſoul, and cauſe us to rejoyce! It is ſaid of believers, They rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and glorious, at the ſight which p. 689they have of Chriſt by faith (…. 1.8.) Whom having not ſeen, ye love; in whom, though now you ſee him not, yet believing, ye rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and full of glory. Whom having not ſeen, that is, with bodily eyes; and, in whom, though you ſee him not, that is, ſenſitively, yet believing: What is believing? it is the ſight of the ſoul. Faith gives the ſoul a view of Chriſt in all his excellency and glory, in his love and in his lovelineſs, in his righteouſneſs and holineſs: faith gets a view of Chriſt in all his beauty; and beholding him, we rejoyce with joy unſpeakable. If the ſight of the bodily eye cauſeth the ſoul to rejoyce, how much more the ſight of the eye of faith! the eye of either fixed upon deſirable objects, affects the heart with joy.

Secondly, The ſight of the eye fixt upon ſorrowful objects, affects the heart with ſorrow (Lam. 3.51.) Mine eye affects my heart, ſaid lamenting Jeremiah; that is, ſeeing the calamities that are upon my people, I cannot but weep and mourn. Chriſt ſaith of the yet blinded and hardned Jews, They ſhall look on me whom they have pierced, and they ſhall mourn (Zach. 12.10.) They ſhall ſhed tears of true repentance, when they ſhall ſee him with an eye of ſence, joyned with an eye of faith, whoſe blood they ſhed. Some of them ſaw him once with an eye of ſenſe, without an eye of faith, and then they ſhed his blood; but when they ſhall ſee him with both, or only with an eye of faith, they ſhall mourn for ſhedding it. When good Nehemiah heard in what a ruinous condition the City Jeruſalem was, he ſate down, and wept, and imourned certain dayes (Neh. 1.4.) his ear affected his heart, how much more would his eye, had he been a ſpectator (as afterwards he was) of thoſe ruines!

Thirdly, The ſight of the eye affects the heart with fear. There are ſome ſights very dreadful; ſo ſaith the Text and Point, Shall not one be caſt down at the ſight of him? This leads to a ſecond Note, which is this: The Lord hath put a terribleneſs upon ſome creatures, with reſpect to man.

Man is a terror to ſome creatures; yet others are a terror, or very terrible to man. Let us conſider, and uſefully remember this, for it is a fruit of ſin. What is the reaſon we are caſt down at the ſight of any creature? we may thank our ſins for it; all p. 690our troubleſom paſſions came in a… …hat door. Why is man afraid or ſeized with a kind of horror, at the ſight of a Toad or Serpent? of a Bear or Lion looſe? How comes it to paſs, that man, whom God made Lord over all the creatures, doth fear any, eſpecially ſo many of them? Is not this a conſequent, yea, an effect of ſin? When God made the Covenant with Noah (Gen. 9.2.) God bleſſed him and his ſons, and ſaid unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and repleniſh the earth: and the fear of you, and the dread of you, ſhall be upon every beaſt of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fiſhes of the Sea; the fear and dread of you ſhall be upon them. 'Tis of the Lord that any of the creatures are afraid and ſtand in awe of us; we have deſerved, that the very Sheep and Dove ſhould be a terror to us. 'Tis of the Lord that the fear and dread of us is upon any creature, and 'tis from our ſin that any creature is a fear and dread to us: It is a mercy that ſo many creatures are afraid of us; that any of the creatures ſtand in fear of us, is a fruit of the goodneſs of God; and that we are afraid of any creature, is a fruit of our ſin. Let us make a good uſe of this word, Shall not one be afraid at the ſight of him?

And hence we may infer; If the ſight of ſome creatures aſtoniſh us, how will the ſight of God, of an angry God aſtoniſh us!

All the dread and terribleneſs that is in a Lion, or Bear, or Dragon, what is it to what is in God? With God is terrible Majeſty. The terribleneſs of the moſt terrible deadly creature, yea, of death, the King of terrors, is but a ſcare-crow to the terribleneſs of God; and it is God who hath planted terror in any creature, in man eſpecially. What is the reaſon why Kings and inferiour Magiſtrates are ſo terrible to evil men? is it not becauſe God hath planted ſuch a terribleneſs in them, or hath cloathed them (with his own garment) terrible majeſty towards evil doers? (Rom. 13.3, 4.) Now I ſay, if ſome creatures are ſo terrible, that a man is caſt down at the ſight of them, then how terrible is God! The Apoſtle John (Rev. 6.15, 16, 17.) repreſents a world of wicked ones, or all the wicked of the world, caſt down at the ſight of Jeſus Chriſt; The Kings of the earth, & the great men, & the rich men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, p. 691and every free-man, hid themſelves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and ſaid to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that ſitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who ſhall be able to ſtand? Some are caſt down at the ſight of Leviathan, but all the unbelieving world ſhall be caſt down at the ſight of Chriſt; all the unbelieving Kings, Princes, and Potentates of the world ſhall be caſt down before Chriſt; O how dreadful will he be to them! and therefore (I would conclude with that) let us be caſt down at the ſight of ſin, which hath cauſed the ſight of the creature, and of God alſo, to be ſo dreadful to us. God had never been terrible to us, had it not been for ſin; nor had the ſight of any creature been terrible to us, had we not ſinned. When Adam had ſinned, then God was terrible to him, then preſently he hid himſelf. O therefore be caſt down at the ſight of ſin, which hath made both God and many creatures a terror, a caſting down to us. How terrible this creature Leviathan is to man, appears further, by what the Lord ſaith next.

Verſ. 10. None is ſo fierce that dare ſtir him up: who then is able to ſtand before me?

The former part of this verſe, carrieth on the matter of the whole former verſe, None is ſo fierce that dare ſtir him up; that is, Leviathan is a creature ſo fierce, ſo cruel, that none, how fierce ſoever, dare provoke him, no, nor awaken him. The words may be taken two wayes.

Firſt, None dare ſtir him up when he is aſleep.foreign crudelis, ſaevus, fevox, immiſericors.

Secondly, No man dares challenge or provoke him when he is awake. The word rendred fierce, properly ſignifies cruel, becauſe cruelty makes men fierce, or becauſe fierce men are uſually very cruel. None is ſo fierce as to ſtir him up.

Hence note, Firſt; There is no wiſdom in provoking an enemy that is too ſtrong for us.

Wiſe men, though bold, and poſſibly cruel too, yet when attempts are exceeding dangerous, will not venture. Phyſicians will not ſtir ſome humours in the body, for it would be like ſtirring of a fierce Lion that is aſleep; they dare not provoke them, p. 692but do all they can to attemper and allay them; to ſtir ſuch a humour were to ſtir Leviathan. He hath more raſhneſs than courage, who meddles with more than his match, or (as ſome ſay) conjures up a ſpirit, that he cannot lay again.

Secondly, Saith the Lord, none is ſo fierce or cruel that dare ſtir him up. He means not cruel to Leviathan, but to himſelf; none is ſo cruel to himſelf, as to go about to ſtir up Leviathan, becauſe there is ſo much danger in that attempt.

Whence, Obſerve; They who run themſelves upon great dangers unadviſedly are cruel to themſelves.

They are their own enemies, and the greateſt enemies to themſelves. How cruel then are ſinners to their own ſouls, who are ſo fierce as daily to ſtir up Leviathan! (Prov. 6.32.) Whoſoever committeth adultery with a woman hath no underſtanding; he that doth it deſtroyeth his own ſoul; ſurely then he is cruel to his own ſoul: he ſeems to be very kind to his harlot, but he is very unkind, yea, cruel to himſelf (Pro. 8.36.) He that ſinneth againſt me (ſaith Wiſdom) wrongeth his own ſoul: all they that hate me, love death. 'Tis Chriſt that ſpeaks thus, he that ſinneth againſt me, wrongeth his own ſoul, he is cruel to himſelf. Many, when they ſin, do it to pleaſe themſelves: O what a good turn do they hope to do themſelves, when they venture upon unlawful pleaſures or profits; But he that doth ſo, hateth me (ſaith Chriſt) and he that hateth me, loves death. How cruel is that man to his own life, that is in love with death; yet ſo in truth are they who love any ſin, by ſining. You may (as was toucht before) ſtir up and awaken a ſleeppy conſcience, and conſcience may be more terrible than Leviathan; yea, by ſin, you may awaken and ſtir up the ſleeping vengeance of God, who is more than a thouſand Leviathans, and conſciences. Once more remember, that poſſibly, by not ſtirring up your ſelves to take hold of God, you may ſtir up God to be angry with you, as 'tis ſaid (Iſa. 64.6, 7.) Our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. What follows? And (or for) there is none that calleth upon thy name, that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold of thee. Which words, as I apprehend, may be taken two ways. Firſt, As ſhewing their ſluggiſhneſs, that though their iniquities, that is, the puniſhment of their iniquities, carried them p. 693away, or they were carried …way as a puniſhment of their iniquities, yet they did not ſtir up themſelves to call upon the name of God, nor to take hold of him. Secondly, As ſhewing the reaſon, why their iniquities carried them away, even, becauſe they did not ſtir up themſelves to take hold of God. Their not ſtirring up themſelves to take hold of God, ſtirred up God againſt them. If we do not ſtir up our ſelves, eſpecially, when at any time we are compaſſed about with ſins and dangers, or with dangers procured and brought upon us by our ſins, as with Leviathans, we may ſtir up God againſt us as a Leviathan. And therefore let us take heed, leſt we be found fierce and cruel againſt our own ſouls, by ſinning againſt God, or by not ſtirring up our ſelves to take hold of God; ſuch neglects are full of provocations.

Hitherto we have had inſtruction concerning this Leviathan, how great, how ſtout, how fierce and cruel he is: now the Lord makes application. He hath been di…courſing about a huge tremendous Sea-monſter; but what is all this for? Surely, for very great uſe: And the Lord maketh uſe of it two ways.

Firſt, In this verſe, to ſhew his own irreſiſtibleneſs. If none can ſtand before Leviathan, then who can ſtand before me?

Secondly, In the (11th verſe) to ſhew his own independency, that he hath no need of any creature: Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him? And all this the Lord makes good by that great aſſertion, for whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine; this great Leviathan is mine to do what I will with him. This is the ſum of that two-fold Application, which the Lord makes from the hitherto deſcription of L…viathan; the firſt part whereof is expreſſed in the latter part of the 10th verſe.

Who then is able to ſtand before me?

As is the Lord had ſaid, no man is able to ſtand before me. If this creature, Leviathan, be ſo terrible, that no man is able to ſtand before him? then, who can ſtand before me? for all the ſtrength and courage that Leviathan hath, I have given him, and 'tis nothing to what I have; 'tis not ſo much to me as a drop of the bucket, or a duſt of the ballance, to the whole world. Can none ſtand before Leviathan? Who then can ſtand before me?

One Tranſlation ſaith, Can you reſiſt before my look? Quis raſiſtere potent vultu meo? Scult.As God had ſaid before, one ſhall be caſt down at the ſight of him, namely, p. 694of Leviathan; ſo here, Can any man ſtand before me, or at the ſight of me? Is any man able to abide my look, the majeſty of my eye? Surely no. The ſence is much the ſame with that of our reading, Who then is able to ſtand before me?

Hence, Obſerve; Our inability to ſtand before mighty creatures, ſhould mind us of our utter inability to ſtand before the Almighty God.

This is the moſt proper uſe that ever was made of a doctrine. The Lord made a promiſe (and it was a very wonderful promiſe which the Lord made) to Joſhua (Joſh. 1.5.) There ſhall not any man be able to ſtand before thee all the days of thy life. What a promiſe was here to a man! Joſhua was indeed one of the worthieſt warriers that ever was upon the earth, and may well be reckoned, not only one of, but the cheif or moſt worthy, among the nine Worthies of the world, ſeing no man could ſtand before him, nor ſhould, in way of oppoſition, all the days of his life. Now if the Lord promiſed ſuch a power unto Joſhua, and made it good, that none ſhould be able to ſtand before him all the days of his life; then who among the children of men ſhall be able to ſtand before God? The Prophet Malachy ſpeaking of Chriſts coming (Chap. 3.1.) ſaith, Behold he ſhall ſuddenly come into his Temple, even the Meſſenger of the Covenant. But what follows? (ver. 2.) Who may abide the day of his coming? If there was ſuch a terribleneſs in Chriſts coming in the fleſh, as to the ſpiritual power and effects of it, that the Prophet ſaith, Who may abide the day of his coming? O then, who ſhall be able to ſtand before Chriſt, when he ſhall come in glory to judge the earth? If they could not abide the day of his coming, when he came with refiners fire, and fullers ſope, how will they be able to ſtand before him, when he cometh with conſuming fire! No man can ſtand before God, in any of theſe four ways.

Firſt, In his own wiſdom, to plead it out with God. If we plead with God, our wiſdom will be found fooliſhneſs, and we our ſelves ſhall be confounded as fools. The Lord (ſaith Job, Chap. 12.17.) maketh the Judges fools. Judges are uſually full of wiſdom, yet God maketh even them fools. God in ſtrict ſenſe maketh none, nor would he have any made Judges, but the wiſe; yet he himſelf can make the wiſeſt of them fools. And if ſo, p. 695then there is no ſtanding before God in our own wiſdom.

Secondly, There is no ſtanding before God in our own ſtrength or power. Our ſtrength is but weakneſs, yea, rottenn…ſs to his, as the Prophet ſpeaks (Iſa. 5.24.) Their root ſhall be rottenneſs, and there bloſſome ſhall go up as the duſt. Thus it is with all fleſh; if they ſtand in their own ſtrength, their root (which is their ſtrength) ſhall be as rottenneſs, and their bloſſome (which is their beauty) ſhall go up as the duſt.

Thirdly, There is no ſtanding before God in our own righteouſneſs, to be acquitted, accepted, and juſtified. There are many deficiencies and flaw… in our righteouſneſs, therefore we cannot ſtand before God in it; there is much unrighteouſneſs in our righteouſneſs, therefore we cannot ſtand before God in it; and how righteous (if I may ſo ſpeak) ſoever our righteouſneſs is, or may be, yet we cannot ſtand before God in it, becauſe he hath appointed another righteouſneſs, or the righteouſneſs of another, even the righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, for us, to ſtand before him in.

So then, if we would ſtand before God, all theſe muſt be laid down; we muſt lay down our own wiſdom, we muſt become fools, that we may be wiſe; we muſt lay down our own ſtrength, we muſt become weak, that we may be ſtrong; and we muſt lay down our own righteouſneſs, and look upon our ſelves as guilty creatures, as condemned perſons, as caſt and loſt, in our ſelves: we muſt have nothing, but the wiſdom, and ſtrength, and righteouſneſs of God to ſtand before God in, that is, we muſt ſtand before God by faith: God is not terrible to ſuch, they may ſtand before God; the pooreſt ſinner may ſtand before God in the wiſdom, and ſtrength, and righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt. Thus we may anſwer the queſtion; Who can ſtand before me? ſaith God: I can ſtand before thee, ſaith a believer; I can ſtand before thee with boldneſs, being quit of ſelf-wiſdom, ſtrength and righteouſneſs, and looking to Chriſt Jeſus for all.

How ſweet, how gracious, and how delightful is the preſence of God to an humble believing ſoul, to a broken-hearted ſinner! The Lord ſaith, I will dwell with ſuch a one; he ſhall not only come and ſtand before me, but I will come and ſit down with him, I will take up my abode in an humble ſoul, in an empty ſoul. Who is able to ſtand before me? (ſaith God) None can in their own wiſdom, p. 696ſtrength or righteouſneſs, but in Chriſt we may. From hence we may more than conclude,

Fourthly, That there is no ſtanding before God in our ſins. God is terrible to ſinners, that is, to thoſe who continue in the love and practice of their ſins: God is of purer eyes, than to behold and approve evil. David having ſpoken of thoſe (Pſal. 1.1.) that ſtand in the way of ſinners, ſaith (at the 5th ver.) there is a ſtanding for them in the Judgment. They that ſtand in the way of ſinners, cannot ſtand at the Judgment-ſeat of God. Job ſaid (Chap. 13.16.) A hypocrite ſhall not come before him, that is, he ſhall not come with acceptance before God. Though hypocrites will thruſt themſelves into the preſence of God, yet they ſhall not come before him; though now an hypocrite may come before God in any outward performance, yet not with any acceptance: and to be ſure he ſhall not come before God in glory; and if he ſhall not come before him, how can he ſtand before him? The Lord will even blow him away. Only they that fall down before God are able to ſtand before him. We muſt fall down before God, in a ſence of our own vileneſs and wretchedneſs, and then we ſhall be able to ſtand before him, and to behold his pleaſed face by an eye of faith: A ſtout ſinner ſhall never ſtand before him. It is ſaid (Zech. 3.1.) Joſhua ſtood before the Angel of the Lord. He had much ado to keep his ſtanding; why? becauſe the Devil ſtood there to reſiſt him, and pointed to his filthy garments: but the Angel pleaded with the Lord, to take away his filthy garments; and when they were taken away, then he was able to ſtand before God. It is ſaid (Zech. 4.14.) which is conceived to be meant of Joſhua and Zerubbabel) Theſe are the two anointed ones, which ſtand before the Lord of the whole earth. And as they in the type, ſo all that are Olive-branches, that have the pure oil of the Spirit, may and ſhall ſtand before God. We become Olive-branches in Chriſt, having the oil, or the graces of the Spirit, ſent down into our hearts, according to the promiſe. Holy and humble ſouls, Olive-branches, they that are full of the grace and Spirit of our Lord Jeſus, ſhall ſtand before God; but as for man himſelf, that is, man in himſelf, in his own wiſdom, ſtrength or righteouſneſs, above all, in his ſins and unrighteouſneſs, can never ſtand before God. If he cannot ſtand before Leviathan? how can he ſtand before the Lord? This is a great Goſpel truth p. 697given in by himſelf, while he is treating of this ſea-monſter. There is no ſtanding before God in our ſelves; there is no ſtanding before God without a Mediator; and there is no Mediator but Jeſus Chriſt, who is both God and Man, or God-man, for man to ſtand before God in.

Thus much of the firſt uſe or inference, which the Lord makes from all that he had ſaid of Leviathan. The ſecond inference followeth in the next verſe.

Verſ. 11. Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him?

As in the former verſe the Lord gave us inſtruction concerning his own all-ſufficiency and irreſiſtible power, Who can ſtand before me? So in this, he inſtructs us concerning his own abſolute independency, Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him? Both which parts of the Application, the Lords ſhuts up with an Aſſertion of his univerſal ſoveraignty and lordſhip over all creatures, in the cloſe of this 11th verſe, Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him?

Maſter Broughton renders, Who gave me any thing firſt, foreign quis preceſſit me?that I may pay him again. Theſe words the Apoſtle Paul plainly alludes to (ſome conceive he quotes them) in the 35th verſe of the 11th Chapter of his Epiſtle to the Romans, Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counſeller? or who hath firſt given to him? and it ſhall be recompenſed unto him again. So ſaith Saint Paul; and here the Lord himſelf ſaith, Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him? as much as to ſay, Who hath firſt given to me? and it ſhall be recompenſed unto him again.

Who hath prevented me?

The Lord ſeems in theſe words,Quis oſtendit mihi viam in cretione totius mundi? Vatebl. to make proclamation all the world over, to enquire among Angels and Men, who it is, or whether there be any one that can come forth and ſay, he hath prevented him.

To prevent, is to be aforehand with another in courteſie or kindneſs, in help or aſſiſtance. God prevents man in all theſe, but no man hath prevented God in any one of them. We may give a three-fold interpretation of this divine challenge.

Firſt, Who hath prevented me, or who was afore-hand with me in the work of Creation? who helpt me to make Leviathan? p. 698you ſee what a piece of work he is, how vaſt, how dreadful a creature he is: who helped me? or who gave me any help in the forming, or creating of him? Several expound this queſtion of the Lords independency in the work of creation; none began to him, none directed him how to create, none counſelled him what to create. The Apoſtle uſeth that word, Who hath been his counſeller? No man hath been the Lords counſeller, nor did he need any counſel, in or about any of his works. And as none were his counſellers to give him advice, ſo none were, his helpers to give him any aſſiſtance, to bring the work about; no hand hath been put to it, but his own; no hand was at it, nor in it, but his own. I am he (ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 54.24.) that maketh all things, that ſtretcheth forth the heavens alone, that ſpreadeth abroad the earth by my ſelf; I have done all alone, all by my ſelf, the Angels did not help me. As God made the Angels without help, ſo he uſed not the help of Angels in making any thing elſe.

Secondly, Who hath prevented me, in governing and diſpoſing the affairs of the world? I have had no counſel hitherto for that: And ſhall any now take upon them to teach me the art of government.

Thirdly, In general, Who hath prevented me? that is, who hath done me any good office? who contributed the leaſt benefit to me? to whom am I beholding for the leaſt mite?

That I ſhould repay him.

foreign à verbo foreignThat is, that I ſhould be engaged to repay him. The word which we render to repay, ſignifies properly to make peace; becauſe when debts are paid, and what is due diſcharged, then all is quiet, there is no matter of difference remaining. As if the Lord had ſaid, If any one can produce any bill, or bond, or make proof, that I ſtand indebted to him, I am ready to ſatisfie him, and to diſcharge all my obligations. Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him?

Hence note, Firſt; God will not be in any mans debt.

If any can make it good, that they have prevented him, that they have given him counſel or aſſiſtance in his works of creation and providence, or that they have done him the leaſt courteſie, they ſhall receive to the full worth and value of it. What we do p. 699in way of duty to the Lord, he is ready to reward us for it; we ſhall not loſe our labour, though God be no gainer by it: And though it be through his grace, ſtrength and aſſiſtance, that we do any good, yet we ſhall be rewarded as if we had done it alone. Surely, then God would not be in our debt, if we could do any thing alone, or that did in it ſelf oblige him.

Secondly, Note; God is afore-hand with us, not we with him.

The Lord prevents us, we do not prevent him: That's it which the Lord would then have Job, and now us to underſtand, by this queſtion, Who hath prevented me? even that himſelf hath prevented us all, and in all, by his grace and goodneſs, in any good we have received or done. David waited for this preventing grace (Pſal. 59.10.) The God of my mercy ſhall prevent me, he ſhall let me ſee my deſire upon mine enemies; he ſhall prevent, not only my endeavours, but even my deſires and wiſhes. Yet what in this Pſalm he profeſſed an aſſurance of, in another Pſalm (to ſhew that our aſſurance of mercy muſt not give a ſtop to duty) he puts into a prayer (Pſal. 79.8.) O remember not againſt us former iniquities, let thy tender mercies ſpeedily prevent us, for we are brought very low. The Lord hath preventing mercies for his people, in their low eſtate. Though we do not prevent the Lord, though we are not before-hand with him by our preparations and prayers, by our repentings and reformings in our low eſtate, yet he hath mercies ready and prepared for us; yea, though we come forth to meet the Lord (as we are adviſed, Amos 4.12.) humbling our ſelves before him, in prayers and tears, yet this doth not prevent the Lord, but he prevents us by his grace and favour, helping us to mourn and pray. And as the Lord alwayes prevents us by helping us to pray, ſo he ſometimes prevents us with an anſwer to our prayers, before he helps us to pray (Iſa. 65.24.) It ſhall come to paſs, that before they call I will anſwer, and while they are yet ſpeaking, I will hear; that is, they ſhall have an anſwer to their prayers, before they have made their prayers: ſo that, when we have made many prayers, and have been long in prayer, much faſting and humbling our ſelves, yet mercy prevents us. Mercy comes uſually, before we are well fitted for mercy, alwayes before we have merited or deſerved it.

p. 700But ſaith not David (Pſal. 88.13.) Ʋnto thee have I cryed, O Lord, and in the morning ſhall my prayer prevent thee. Here David ſeemed to be afore-hand with God. Who hath prevented me? ſaith God; yet David ſaid, My prayer ſhall prevent thee. The meaning is only this, That David would pray very early and very earneſtly, or that David would watch unto prayer, and ſo, if poſſible, even prevent God; not that his prayers did indeed prevent God, but he was reſolved to ſet ſo hard to, and ſit ſo cloſe at the duty of prayer, that if ſuch a thing could be, he would even prevent him, he would, as we may ſay, take God before he was awake, as the Pſalmiſt ſpake elſewhere, Ariſe, O God, why ſleepeſt thou? Their prayer may be ſaid to prevent God, who pray early and earneſtly, according to that of David (Pſal. 5.3.) My voice ſhalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. And again (Pſal. 119.140.) Mine eyes prevent the night watches. He was at it very early, he ſought the Lord very diligently. That's all we are to underſtand by ſuch expreſſions; for the Lord is then afore-hand with us in mercies, when we are moſt early and moſt inſtant in our duties. The Lord, who is the beginning and the end, and who knows the end of all things from the beginning, often gives us our end, or what we aimed at in prayer, before we begin.

Thirdly, Note; God is ſelf-ſufficient, he can do his whole work alone.

Take it in the inſtance of the Text, he needs no help to create Leviathan, nor needs he the help of any creature to deſtroy Leviathan; what he made without help, he can (as I may ſay) unmake make without help. The Lord, who is all-ſufficient to do any work, or bring what he pleaſeth to paſs for us, is alſo ſelf-ſufficient, or able to do any work, or what he pleaſeth, for himſelf, that is, to pleaſe himſelf. It is a great honour to God that he can command what he will, and whom he will, to help him in any of his works; but it is a far greater honour to the great God, that he needs not any help to do or bring about any of his works. When the Apoſtle had ſaid, Who hath given to him? and it ſhall be recompenced unto him again? (Rom. 11.35.) He preſently gives this reaſon (which is the point in hand) ver. 36.) p. 701For of him are all things; that is, he is the ſole efficient of all things, all things are from him, as from the firſt principle or mover; and he orders all things (as it followeth in the ſame verſe) through him are all things. Deus eſt omnè modo omnium rerum cauſa. 1. Cauſa efficiens foreign 2. Cauſa adminiſtrans foreign. 3. Cauſa finalis foreign, ad quem omnia quaſi in circulum redeunt.As of him are all things in their conſtitution, ſo through him are all things in their diſpenſation. We have the work of creation in the firſt part of the verſe, Of him are all things, and the work of providence in the latter, Through him are all things; that is, he diſpenceth and diſpoſeth all things. And thus ſpake the ſame Apoſtle to the great Philoſophers at Athens (Acts 17.28.) In him we live, and move, and have our being. As if it had been ſaid, Of him are all things, and through him are all things; and therefore, to him are all things. All creatures turn about, as in a circle, to their Creator; all things end in him, or he is the end of all, as all things began in him, and by him.

This truth is a ſpring of comfort and conſolation to all the faithful; or, from this general head many ſtreams flow, which may both inſtruct and comfort the City of God. From hence we may learn, or be inſtructed,

Firſt, Creatures, one or other, men or Angels, cannot merit any thing at the hand of God. Man gives God nothing, but what he firſt receives from him; for, who hath prevented him? therefore there's no merit, preventing-mercy excludes and ſhuts it out of doors.

Secondly, which followeth upon that, God is debtor to no creature; he oweth us nothing, we owe him all.Deus factus eſt debitor non aliquid à nobis accipiendo, ſed quod ei placuit promitiendo. Aug. de verb. Dom. Ser. 16. foreign, Nihil aliud eſt quam foreign, Deus enim propriè non retribuit ſed tribuit. Who hath prevented me? ſaith God. If we have any thing, we have it from him, but he hath nothing from us; therefore we are in his books, he is not at all in ours. All that God is indebted to us, is by his promiſes, which proceed freely from himſelf; we receive no good upon the worthineſs of what we have done, but becauſe he hath aſſured us we ſhall receive good if we do good, ſo and ſo, or are ſuch and ſuch. God gives us much, but retributes us nothing; all his rewards are free gifts, or pure alms.

Thirdly, God can do no creature any wrong. Man hath no right to any thing he hath inherent in, or, ariſing from himſelf; nor hath man obliged God at all to give him any thing: therefore he can do man no wrong, how little ſoever he gives him, or how much ſoever he takes from him. So that, if any man ſhall ſay, he will not p. 702contend with me by right, but by might, and ſhall complain that ſomething is taken from him which he would not, or not given him which he would; what right hath any man to plead with God upon, who hath no right to any thing, but by the gift of God?

Fourthly, Then the grace of God to man, is altogether free. Many expound this Scripture, as denying the fore-ſight of mans works, or worthineſs of his faith, or perſeverance in grace, as to the grace of Election. God did not elect us, becauſe he foreſaw any worthineſs in us,Nemo ut divina illum ſubſequatur gratia prius aliquid contulit Deo; ſi ergo & electi praeveniente ſe gratia ſequuntur & reprobi juxta quod merentur accipiunt, & de miſerecordia inveniunt electi quod laudent, & de juſtitia non habent reprobi quod accuſent. Bene igitur dicitur quis ante dedit. Greg. nor will he ſave us upon the deſert of any thing done by us. The foundation-ſtone of Election, and the topſtone of Salvation, are laid in free grace.

Fifthly, We have no reaſon to be diſcouraged, what deficiency ſoever we ſee in the creature, as to any thing we deſire God ſhould do for us, foraſmuch as none have prevented God, either with counſel or aſſiſtance in any of thoſe great things which he hath already done, either for our ſelves or others. What cannot he do for us alone, who made Heaven and Earth alone! The Lord can begin and finiſh, how and when he pleaſeth: He is a rock, and his work is perfect. As in ſpirituals, he is the Author and finiſher of our faith, (Heb. 12.2.) ſo in temporals, he is the Author and finiſher of all our comforts, deliverances and ſalvations. When we have no help at all in our ſelves, nor in any creature, there is enough to be had in God (Hoſea 14.3.) With thee the fatherleſs find mercy; that is, they find mercy with thee (and if mercy, then help) who are as helpleſs as a fatherleſs child, they eſpecially who look upon themſelves as fatherleſs, what help and ſtrength, what fathers or friends ſoever they have in this world, if God be not their help and ſtrength, their friend and father. When we are convinced that only God can help us, when we have other helps, then God alone will help us, though we have no other helpers; as he promiſed Judah (Hoſea 1.7.) I will have mercy upon the houſe of Judah, and will ſave them by the Lord their God, and will not ſave them by bow, nor by ſword, nor by battel, by horſes nor by horſe-men. As if the Lord had ſaid, I will do all for Judah my ſelf alone, though I could have others to do it by. It is ſeldome that God hath (as School-men ſpeak) an immediate attingence upon any effect (he commonly uſeth inſtruments) yet he ſometimes hath, and hath as often as himſelf pleaſeth. As our mercies are alwayes of grace only, ſo ſometimes they are wrought out by the power of God only: p. 703And what power ſoever is ſeen working at them, 'tis his power that doth the work; his wheel is in every wheel.

Sixthly, What cauſe have we to magnifie the free grace and mighty power of God. He is able to do for us, though all oppoſe him; and he is willing to do for us, though none, nor we our ſelves prevent him. Such is the power of God, that he can overcome all oppoſition in others, againſt what he hath a mind to do for us; and ſuch is the freeneſs of his grace, that it over-paſſeth, or rather paſſeth by all thoſe indiſpoſitions in us, which might cauſe him to forbear doing, or have no mind to do, any thing for us.

Seventhly, If none have prevented the Lord, if all the good we have, and all that we ſhall have, floweth freely to us, then we ſhould be very thankful to God for every good we have received, & very full of purpoſes to praiſe him for whatever we ſhall further receive. This Inference the Apoſtle makes in the laſt words of (Rom. 11.) Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen. Let us never be found ſacrificing to our own net, nor burning incenſe to our own drag, as if by them our portion (in ſpirituals or temporals) were fat, and our meat plenteous. Let us put praiſe far from our ſelves, and ſay with the Pſalmiſt, Not unto us, not unto us, but to thy name, O Lord, be praiſe and glory.

Laſtly, Let us be very humble. The Lord puts this queſtion to Job to humble him; & it was ſhewed in the beginning of the Chapter, that the deſign of God in preſenting this vaſt creature Leviathan to the view or conſideration of Job, was to humble him: for ſeeing the Lord hath made all things, and can do all things of himſelf, and doth them for himſelf, let us lye in the duſt before him, let us take heed of pride, high thoughts, and boaſting words, in any thing we have, and are; let us ſay (as the Apoſtle, Rom. 3.27.) Where is boaſting? where is pride? he anſwers, It is excluded. But by what Law? why cannot boaſting come in? is it kept out by the Law of works, by any thing that we have done? No, boaſting would never be ſhut out, if we could do any thing of our ſelves; therefore, ſaith he, this comes to paſs by the Law of faith, by caſting our ſelves wholly upon God, both as to our juſtification and ſalvation. That God doth all things of himſelf, ſhould render us nothing in our ſelves. Who hath prevented me that I ſhould repay him?

p. 704The Lord having made theſe uſes of what he had ſaid concerning Leviathan, proceeds to a general aſſertion (as was ſaid) in the cloſe of this 11th verſe.

Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

Poſſum illi amplam mercedem ſi velim reddereddere, cum omnia quae ſub coelo uſpi… gentium ſunt, mea ſint, meum eſt aurum.Theſe words are interpreted by ſeveral of the Jewiſh writers, in connexion with what went before, thus: Who hath prevented me, and I will repay him? As if the Lord had ſaid, Do not think that I have not enough by me to repay you, for your counſel and aſſiſtance, if you dare ſay, I have had any from you; for, Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine. That's a good ſenſe, ſhewing the Lords ſufficiency to make good his offer. Some make great promiſes of what they will do, when they have not wherewithal to do it. Yet rather,

Secondly, We may expound this aſſertion, as carrying on the former Argument, or further to prove that no man can prevent the Lord, ſeeing all is his already. Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine (ſaith he) The creatures are all mine, I challenge all, I lay claim to all; whether therefore I give to one, or take from another, no man hath reaſon to queſtion me, or to ask of me a reaſon, why I did or do ſo; for, all is my own. And when the Lord ſaith, Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine, his mean-is, not only that all under heaven, but that heaven it ſelf, and all that is in heaven, is his alſo. The Lords Eſtate or Right, is not confined to the things which are under the heaven. So that, when he ſaith, Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is mine, he ſaith in effect, all is mine. Thus Moſes expoundeth this aſſertion (Deut. 10.14.) Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens is the Lords thy God, the earth alſo, with all that therein is. The reaſon why the Lord ſpeaks here only of this eſtate under heaven, is becauſe he was diſcourſing with Job of this inferiour world, and the furniture of it; and it was enough for him to underſtand, as to the preſent debate, that all under heaven was the Lords: but in truth, not only is the Earth, the Sea, the Air, with all their fulneſs and furniture, the Lords, but the Heaven, and the Heaven of Heavens, is the Lords, with all their beauty and glory.

p. 705Hence note; The Lord is the great proprietour of all things in this world.

Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is the Lords, or all is the Lords. Firſt, by creation, he hath given all things their being. Secondly, all is the Lords by preſervation, he keepeth all things in their being; Jeſus Chriſt upholds all things by the word of his power (Heb. 1.3.) that is, by his powerful word. The ſame commanding word which gave all things their being in the beginning, hath hitherto preſerved their being, and will to the end. And not only ſo, but, Thirdly, all things are his in poſſeſſion, the Lord hath all in his hand: In whoſe hand ſoever the things of the world are, they are all in the Lords hand. As Abraham ſaid, in his Treaty with the King of Sodom (Gen. 14.22.) I have lift up my hands to the moſt high God, the poſſeſſor of heaven and of earth (Pſal. 24.1.) The earth is the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein; that is, they are all at his diſpoſe. And again, The world is mine, and the fulneſs thereof, ſaith the Lord himſelf (Pſal. 50.12.) and therefore, if I were hungry, that is, if I needed any thing, I would not tell thee, that is, complain to thee, or go a begging to thee, who art but a beggar; I can help my ſelf, and take what and where I will. There is a fourth title, by which all things under heaven are the Lords, even by Redemption. The Lord hath reſtored the whole world to a kind of new life, by the death of his Son; Jeſus Chriſt is the Saviour of all men, eſpecially of them which believe (1 Tim. 4.10.) All have ſome benefit by redemption; and ſo, whatſoever is under the whole heaven, the whole Syſtome of heaven and earth, is the Lords by redemption; though the ſpecialty of redemption be theirs only, and intended to them only who believe; who as they have a peculiar portion (a Benjamins Meſs) in the grace of redemption, ſo the Lord calleth them his peculiars (Exod. 19.5.) Ye ſhall be a peculiar treaſure unto me, above all people, for all the earth is mine. And they are called the Lords portion (Deut. 32.9.) The Lords portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

Thus, as all under the whole heaven is the Lords, ſo all is his by a fourfold title, by the titles of creation and ſuſtentation, and poſſeſſion and redemption. All things viſible and inviſible have been created, are ſuſtained and poſſeſſed by him as their great p. 706Lord; and all things viſible have been redeemed by him from preſent periſhing, and a world of them in this world, that they ſhould never periſh, but have everlaſting life, John 3.16.

From this general Aſſertion, That whatſoever is under the whole heaven is the Lords, take theſe following Inferences.

Firſt, Then the Devil is a lyar, a great lyar; for (Mat. 4.) in his laſt aſſault againſt Chriſt, he boaſted that he would give him all the Kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them, whereas the truth is, he hath not a ſhoe latchet at his diſpoſe: While the Devil ſaith, all is mine, the truth is, nothing is his but a lye, of that he is the father. As he hath not given a being to the leaſt worm; ſo he cannot diſpoſe of the leaſt worm, he is not worth a ſtraw, for all is the Lords.

Secondly, Hence we learn, That there is a lying ſpirit in moſt of the children of men, even in all them who look upon any thing they have as their own. There is a ſenſe in which we have a right to, and a propriety in what we have, and may call it ours; but that ſpirit which moves in moſt of the children of men, is a lying ſpirit, when they ſay, this and that is their own. David (Pſal. 12.4.) brings in the wicked, ſaying, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? What, have not we, who have ſo many Lordſhips, the Lordſhip of our ſelves, the Lordſhip of that little piece of our ſelves, our lips? But were not their lips their own? not, in the ſenſe they ſpake it, as if they were accountable to none for them; for their next word was, Who is Lord over us? Thus moſt do, they look upon their lips, and all the members of their body as their own; but what ſaith the Apoſtle (1 Cor. 6.20.) Glorifie God in your body, and in your ſpirit, which are Gods. And (verſ. 19.) Ye are not your own. Your body is not your own, but it is the Lords; then much leſs are the things that you have your own; your Land is not your own, nor your cattel your own; the beaſts of the earth are not your own, nor the fiſhes of the Sea your own; nor is a hair of your head your own, nor a pin upon your ſleeve: they are all the Lords. Is it not then a lying ſpirit which poſſeſſeth very many among the children of men, who look upon themſelves, and what they have, as their own? Their houſes and lands are their own, their gold and ſilver are their own; who is Lord over them or theirs? O let ſuch remember, that themſelves, their houſes and lands, their gold and p. 707ſilver are the Lords, and that the Lord ſaith expreſsly, The ſilver is mine, and the gold is mine (Hag. 2.8.)

Thirdly, If all be the Lords, then the Lord is able to ſupply the wants of all who wait upon him, and to ſupply them plentifully. The Lord ſupplieth the wants of all creatures. The Lord keepeth a great houſe he feedeth all that he hath made, he provideth food for Leviathan, he ſatisfieth every living thing (Pſal. 145, 16.) and (Pſal. 115.16.) The heaven, even the heavens are the Lords, but the earth hath he given to the children of men; that is, whatſoever of the earth the children of men, that is, men in common, or mankind, have, the Lord hath given it to them; and ſeing his own children have need of it, ſurely he will not deny it them. The Lord (I ſay) hath given the earth to the children of men; and if the Lord hath beſtowed the earth on men, as men, then much more hath he the earth to beſtow upon his own children. Chriſt in his Sermon upon the mount (Mat. 6.32.) aſſureth them of it, Your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of theſe things. Food and cloathing is in your fathers hand, your father is rich, he is rich indeed, and therefore he can ſupply your wants. If children do but remember, that their father hath ſuch and ſuch lands and houſes, they think they ſhall be well provided for; how much more may a godly man ſay, my father hath a great deal of land, the whole earth is his, and therefore I ſhall be provided for? The Apoſtle improves this poſition twice (1 Cor. 10.) Firſt, to mak… uſe of our liberty, in eating whatſoever is fold in the ſhambles, asking no queſtion for conſcience ſake; for (ſaith he) the earth is the Lords, and the fullneſs thereof (verſ. 26.) He makes uſe of it, Secondly, to perſwade us not to abuſe our liberty (ver. 28.) But if any man ſay unto you, this is offered in ſacrifice unto idols, eat not for his ſake that ſhewed it (do not offend him) and for conſcience ſake (do not offend thy ſelf) The earth is the Lords, and the fullneſs thereof. As if he had ſaid, why ſhouldſt thou trouble thy ſelf or others, by eating ſuch meat? ſeing there is enough to be had without running ſuch a hazard, and thou mayſt take thy choice all the world over, for the earth is the Lords.

Fourthly, This grand Aſſertion carrieth in it great encouragement, to be much in the Lords work: Why? becauſe he is able to give us a good reward. We ſhall not need to fear any loſs of labour in doing what we do for him, he can recompence us fully, p. 709for all is his under the whole heaven; he is able to pay us well for any ſervice we do him. Saul wondered why the Benjamites followed David (what's the matter? ſaid he, 1 Sam. 22.7.) Hear ye Benjamites, will the Son of Jeſſe give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you Captains of thouſands, and Captains of hundreds? Can the Son of Jeſs do theſe things for you? It is a wonder that any ſhould ſerve him, that hath nothing to beſtow upon them; but who can wonder that the people of God ſhould ſerve him, and ſtick cloſe to his ſervice, while they do but remember that he hath fields and vineyards, the ſilver and the gold, together with all the great offices and preferments, that he hath in his hand. This was the Motive which the Apoſtle uſed to edge his Exhortation (1 Cor. 15.5, 8.) Be ye ſtedfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know, that your labour ſhall not be in vain in the Lord. He ſaith as much (1 Tim. 4.8.) Godlineſs is profitable unto all things, having the promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Godlineſs hath the promiſe of a comfortable portion in this life, as well as of a full one in the life to come.

Fifthly, Fear not to loſe for Chriſt. Do not fear to loſe any thing under heaven for Chriſt, for whatſoever is under the whole heaven is Chriſts; he is able to make up all again. We need not wonder at that promiſe which is made by Chriſt, He that ſuffers loſs of any thing for my name ſake, ſhall receive a hundred-fold, now in this time (Mark. 10.36.) Not only dot… the Lord promiſe a hundred fold, in ſweet inward contentments in this time, to them who loſe for him; but he is able to ſupply a hundred fold, even in this life, of the things of this life: and as he is able, ſo he will ſurely fulfill it, according to that promiſe, when he ſees it fit to give, or us fit to receive ſuch enjoyments. O, ſaith one, I may loſe my lands, and I my trade, ſaith another, and I my liberty ſaith a third. As many fear and fly from ſuffering, becauſe of the puniſhment of ſenſe, ſo not a few, becauſe of the puniſhment of loſs; they are in danger of loſing all, and they are not willing to loſe any thing for Chriſt. Now, I may anſwer all, who upon that account, fear of loſs, refuſe to ſuffer for Chriſt, as the Prophet did that King of Judah (2 Chron. 25.9.) who, when he had word brought him from the Lord, that he muſt let go the Army of Iſrael, that he had hired againſt the Edomites, preſently objected, But what p. 708ſhall I do for the hundred talents of ſilver, that I have given to the Army? The man of God anſwered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this: Do thou obey the Lords command, and do not trouble thy ſelf about the hundred talents, the Lord is able to give thee more than this. This hath been the queſtion of many, when called to ſuffer, What ſhall we do for the hundred talents? what ſhall we do for our worldly ſubſtance, and ſubſiſtence? what ſhall we do for a lively-hood? I may ſay as the Prophet then did, the Lord is able to give you abundantly more than what you loſe for him.

Sixthly, As we ſhould not fear to loſe for the Lord's ſake, ſo let us not forbear to give for the Lords ſake. Some are afraid to give for the Lords ſake, to ſupply the neceſſities of their brethren; but remember, what you give to the poor, you lend to the Lord, and to ſuch a Lord as hath all things under the whole heaven for his. If we give, the Lord is able to repay us. The Apoſtle makes uſe of this very argument (Phil. 4.18.19.) I have all, and abound, I am full, having received of Epaphroditus, the things which were ſent from you, an odour of a ſweet ſmell, a ſacrifice acceptable, well pleaſing to God. What follows? But my God ſhall ſupply all your needs, according to his riches in glory by Chriſt Jeſus. Do not think you ſhall want, becauſe of the ſupply you give to my wants; no, my God ſhall ſupply your wants or needs, according to his riches in glory, that is, according to his rich and glorious grace. There is no need to be ſupplied in the glory of the next life; but there is a glory in rich grace which readily and plentifully ſupplieth all our needs in this life.

Seventhly, If all under the whole heaven be the Lords? then all places are the Lords. This is comfort to thoſe, who are at any time Gods out-caſts; he can ſay to any place, as he did to Moab (Iſa. 16.4.) Let mine out-caſts dwell with thee, &c. All countries are the Lords, he can make room for his in any part of the world, for all the world is his. The Lord provided a place for the Church (Rev. 12.6, 14.) when ſhe was caſt out, The Church fled into the wilderneſs, where ſhe had a place prepared of God. The wilderneſs was her troubleſome condition, but the Lord provided a place for her then and there. The Lord can command a place for his any where; if not in one country, yet in another, becauſe all the countries and kingdoms under heaven are his demean; p. 710he is Lord over all, bleſſed for evermore. Whatſoever is under the whole heaven is his, both in his poſſeſſion, and at his diſpoſition.

Eighthly, If all that is under the whole heaven be the Lords? then go to God for all (Phil. 4.5.) Let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand; he is at hand as a Judge to right you, and he is at hand as a Father to provide for you; therefore be careful in nothing, but let your requeſt be made known unto God by prayer and ſupplication. If you would have any thing of the earth, you muſt go to God for it, as well as for heaven it ſelf.

Ninthly, If all things under the whole heaven be the Lords? then whatever good things you have under the whole heaven, acknowledge the Lord as the Donor and Giver of them all (1 Chron. 29.14.) When David, together with the Princes and People of Iſrael, had offered ſo freely towards the building of the Temple, he ſaid, Lord, who am I, and what is my people? that we ſhould be able to offer ſo willingly after this ſort, for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. He acknowledged the Lord as the giver of all, that himſelf and his people had given to the Lord.

Tenthly, Is all the Lords? then, uſe all as the Lords, and not as your own. Remember you are but Stewards; God hath a title paramount to all you have: do not uſe what is yours as your own, but as the Lords; you are but Stewards of the things you have in this world. The Lord rebuked Iſrael (Hoſ. 2.8, 9.) for uſeing their riches, their corn and wine, otherwiſe than he had appointed; they did not uſe them as Stewards, they uſed all as Lords, not as the Lords: They thought it was their gold, and their ſilver, and their wine, and their oil, their wool, their flax, and they beſtowed all upon an idol, and prepared all for Baal. See what the Lord ſaith in the next verſe, Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the ſeaſon thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax. All theſe are mine, and you uſe them as your own, and beſtow them upon Baal. Thus men beſtow their gold and ſilver upon their luſts, upon their pride and intemperance, upon their revenge and uncleanneſs, yea, to adorn their idols; take heed of applying your poſſeſſions to wrong uſes. God is the Lord of all, and he will have an account p. 711of Lords, as they have of their Stewards, what they have done with all, for they are but Stewards.

In the Eleventh place, Then the Lord may give and take of all that is under heaven, when he pleaſeth, and how he pleaſeth, to whom he pleaſeth, and from whom he pleaſeth. May not he do what he will with his own? (Mat. 20.15.) If he gives to one, he giveth but his own; and if he takes from another, he taketh but his own; if he gives another much, and you but a little, you muſt be quiet and ſubmit, he giveth but his own. If he give much of this worlds good to evil men? if he adorn and beautifie them with all outward bleſſings, who hath any thing to ſay againſt it? what though men, meaſuring things by their own reaſon, ſee no reaſon, yet let them know what he beſtoweth, is of his own, not of any mans poſſeſſion; and if he beſtow great things upon the unworthy, he doth no wrong to thoſe that are worthy, much leſs to thoſe who are as unworthy as they: The benefits he beſtows upon any are no wrong to others. Upon this ground the Lord commanded the Nations quietly to ſubmit to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon (Jer. 27.4, 5, 6.) Thus ſhall ye ſay to your Maſters (The Word was given by Jeremiah from the Lord to the Meſſengers of ſeveral Princes) I have made the earth, the man, and the beast that are upon the ground, by my out-ſtretched arm, and by my great power, and have given it unto whomſoever it ſeems meet unto me. And now I have given all theſe lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, &c. And the beaſts of the field have I alſo given to ſerve him: and all Nations ſhall ſerve him, &c. Thus if the Lord gives, he giveth his own, and if he takes all away from any, it is but his own; thus Job quieted his ſpirit at firſt, The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken, bleſſed be the name of the Lord.

In the Twelfth place, If all be the Lords under the whole heaven, then, be ſure you pay your Land-lord your rent. Shall we live in the Lords houſe, and uſe the Lords land, and not pay him his rent? let us pay the Lord his rent, for we are all Tennants and Tennants at Will. Pay him his rent; you will ſay, what is that? It is the rent of praiſe and obedience; the Lord hath a ſervice due to him for all.

In the Thirteenth place, Let all the godly rejoyce. All that is under the whole heaven is Gods, it is in the hand of their friend p. 712and father; all their enemies are in the hand of the Lord, their tongues are the Lords, and their power is the Lords, and all they have is in the hand of the Lord; and therefore no wonder if David concluded (Pſal. 144.15.) Happy are the people that are in ſuch a caſe, yea, happy is that people whoſe God is the Lord, for they have him, who is Lord of all, of all under the whole heaven.

Laſtly, If all be the Lords under the whole heaven, then, let us above all things labour to aſſure an interest in the Lord. To be able to ſay the Lord is our God, is the ſureſt way to a worldly eſtate; if we have him who hath all, we have all; as one ſaid, If God be mine, then all is mine. 'Tis the happineſs of all the people of God, that God is theirs; This God is our God, we have waited for him. The Lord, who is our God, is the God of ſalvation. Believers appropriate God to themſelves; they do not ſtand talking of gold and of ſilver, of houſes and lands, but, ſay they, God is our God. Keep cloſe to God in Chriſt, and he will keep you. You cannot but have enough, when you have God, who hath all things under heaven, yea, and all things in heaven.