Exposition of Job 38-42, Commentary on Job · Chapter 38 · Verse 22-23
JOB, Chap. 38. Verſ. 22, 23.
22. Haſt thou entred into the treaſures of the ſnow? Or hast thou ſeen the treaſures of the hail,
23. Which I have reſerved against the time of trouble, against the day of battel and war?
JOB was laſt queſtioned about the habitation and interchanges of light and darkneſs: Here the Lord queſtions him about thoſe two Meteors, the Snow, the Hail. As if he had ſaid; Poſſibly thou wilt confeſs thou knoweſt not how to anſwer the former queſtion, but perhaps, thou art better skill'd in and acquainted with the matter which I ſhall next propoſe; well then, I ask again, Verſ. 22. Haſt thou entred into the treaſures of the ſnow, &c.
There is a two-fold entring into any place.
Firſt, In body.
Secondly, In mind.
The body of Job, nor of any man, never entred into the treaſures here ſpoken of; nor could Jobs mind, nor the mind of any man enter fully into them, that is, comprehend how vaſt, how great they are. We had this phraſe, Haſt thou entred? at the 16th verſe of this Chapter. There the queſtion was put about his entring into the ſprings of the ſea, here about his entring into The treaſures or store-houſes of the ſnow.
foreign Theſaurus Aſpotheca, promptuarium.The word imports any place or repoſitory where ſtores of any kind are laid up and kept for uſe. The Poet calleth Bee-hives, the Treaſuries of honey; and ſo may Cellars be called, the Treaſuries of Wine and Oil, &c. The Clouds are the Treaſuries, which contain the ſtores or treaſures of Snow and Hail. Thoſe places out of which God is ſaid either to bring good for the uſe and comfort of man, or evil for his hurt and puniſhment, are uſually in Scripture expreſſed by this Word. Thus ſpake Moſes, encouraging the people of Iſrael to obedience (Deut. 28.12.) The Lord ſhall open unto thee his good treaſure, the heaven to give thee rain unto thy land in his ſeaſon, &c. And God hath his juſt and righteous treaſures of wrath, even as men heap up and have their evil and unrighteous treaſures of ſin (Deut. 32.34. Rom. 2.5.) Thus the Apoſtle James tells ungodly rich men (chap. 5.3.) Ye have heaped treaſure together for the laſt days. Which may be underſtood of their getting their treaſures of riches ſo unrighteouſly in their days, as would prove a heaping together of wrath againſt themſelves in the laſt days or day of the laſt Judgement.
Treaſures of good or evil imply three things:
Firſt, The ſecrecy of what is laid up.
Secondly, The ſafety of it, or that it is ſurely laid up.
Thirdly, That there is ſtore or great quantities of it laid up. A little is not a treaſure. The ſnow may well be called a treaſure in all theſe reſpects; for 'tis ſecretly laid up, no man can ſee it; and 'tis ſafely laid up, none can reach or take it away; there are alſo vaſt quantities or great abundance of it. Haſt thou entred into the treaſures of the ſnow?
As if the Lord had ſaid, Thou O Job, haſt often ſeen the ſnow fall, and thou mayeſt eaſily perceive that it falls out of the clouds; but haſt thou aſcended, or can any aſcend unto thoſe airy regions, where ſnow is generated and laid up, as in a treaſure? If not, ſurely then no man can aſcend to heaven, and there ſearch out or diſcover the myſteries and ſecrets of Wiſdom and Juſtice in my works here below, unleſs by the wings of faith and the light of a ſpiritual understanding, which ſits down ſatisfied in this concluſion, that all is wiſely and juſtly done, which God doth, whether in heaven or earth. To bring Job to this acknowledgment, was the deſign and purpoſe of God (as hath been toucht before) in all the queſtions propounded to him in this and the next Chapter.
Haſt thou entred into the treaſures of the ſnow?
What the ſnow is, the nature and the wonders of it, was ſpoken of and ſhewed, at the ſixth verſe of the 37th Chapter.
All that I ſhall further add for the opening of this queſtion, is, that when God ſpeaks here of the treaſures of ſnow, we are not to underſtand it, as if he had great heaps of ſnow formally amaſſed up together in any place of the air, as men lay up treaſures of money or corn, or of any other uſeful matter; but the words are an elegant Metaphor, the meaning onelyonly this, God hath abundance of ſnow ready at his will and diſpoſe, at his call and command, whenſoever or whereſoever he is pleaſed to make uſe of it; for 'tis as eaſie with God at any time to draw out and powre down abundance of ſnow, as if he had infinite ſtore of it kept alwayes by him. He no ſooner ſpeaks the word, but the face of the earth is covered, and its boſomes filled with ſilver ſhowers. Haſt thou entred into the treaſures of the ſnow?
Or haſt thou ſeen the treaſures of the hail?
Theſe treaſures of hail are of the ſame nature with thoſe of ſnow, and ſo to be underſtood as the former; but there is a difference in the form of ſnow and hail, though not in the matter out of which ſnow and hail are formed. Hail (ſay Naturaliſts) is a hot vapour, drawn up to the middle region of the air, whence falling, it is frozen in paſſage into leſſer or greater ſtones or grains of ice. Theſe hail-ſtones are ſometimes powred down ſo great in quantity, and often in ſuch great quantities, that it may well be ſaid, there are treaſures of them. And when the Lord puts this queſtion to Job, Haſt thou ſeen the treaſures of the hail? he ſeems to allude to thoſe who inſpect the publick treaſure of any Kingdom or Common-wealth, receiving in and iſſuing out the revenues of it, as occaſion requires, and as they are required. As if the Lord had ſaid, Haſt thou, O Job, like ſome great Lord Treaſurer, taken a view of theſe ſtores? I know thou wilt confeſs thou haſt not ſeen them with thy bodily eyes; I know alſo thou haſt not reacht them clearly with the eye of thy mind or underſtanding; even thoſe treaſures are greater than thou canſt imagin. All that which thou haſt any way ſeen, is leſs than the leaſt part of that which thou haſt not ſeen. Haſt thou ſeen the treaſures of the hail?
From both the parts of the verſe, Note, Firſt; God hath ſtore of ſnow and hail.
Treaſures are not made up with a little. Chriſt ſaith (Mat. 12.35.) A good man hath a good treaſure in his heart, and an evil man an evil treaſure there; becauſe the one bringeth forth good things, and the other evil things out of his heart; there both good and evil perſons keep their ſtore of good and evil things, and there good men ſhould have, and evil men alwayes have a great deal in ſtore. For this reaſon alſo God is ſaid to bring the wind out of his treaſures (Pſal. 135.7.) He hath much wind and mighty winds at his diſpoſe. God who hath made all things by his Word or Will, can have as much of every thing as he will.
Secondly, Note; God hath ſnow and hail ready for his ſervice.
He hath them as in a Store-houſe or Treaſury. Pharaoh built Treaſure Cities (Exod. 1.11.) or places of receit, in which he kept either his publick treaſure of Gold and Silver, or his Artillery and Ammunition for War, or great quantities of Corn and Grain againſt a time of need. Chriſt ſaith, Every ſcribe which is inſtructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven, is like unto a man that is an Houſholder, which bringeth forth out of his treaſure things both new and old (Matth. 13.52.) that is, he is not to ſeek, he hath them in a readineſs for uſe, and ſo is himſelf ready to every good word and work, when any have uſe of him for good. We may be ſure God is never to ſeek, nor (as we ſay) out of ſorts, for any kind of means or inſtruments to carry on his ſervice, and to effect any purpoſe of his, whether in wrath againſt the wicked, or in favour of ſuch as fear him.
Again, In that the Lord ſaith, Haſt thou entred, &c. Haſt thou ſeen, &c.
Note, Thirdly; No man knoweth, nor can any man conceive, what treaſures and ſtores, what abundance either of good or evil, of wrath or love God hath.
(Pſal. 90.11.) Who knoweth the power of thine anger? I may ſay alſo, who knoweth the power of thy love? that is, it is not known, no nor knowable, what powers God can put forth either in anger or love. Eye hath not ſeen (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 2.9.) nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And as the preparations of God for them that love him, ſo his preparations againſt them that hate him, are ſuch as no man hath ſo much as ſeen, much leſs entred into. If the treaſures of ſnow and hail exceed our conceptions, what do the treaſures of fire and brimſtone in the bottomleſs pit? what is the pile of fire and much wood in Tophet, which the breath of the Lord, like a ſtream of brimſtone kindleth? (Iſa. 30.33.)
But ſome may ſay, why hath the Lord ſuch vaſt treaſures of ſnow and hail? what are they good for, or to what uſe do they ſerve? What the uſe or uſefulneſs of the ſnow is, as well as the nature of it, was ſhewed in ſome particulars at the ſixth verſe of the 37th Chapter. Here God himſelf declares what uſe he hath of ſnow and hail, or what ſervice he puts them to, in the next words.
Verſ. 23. Which I have reſerved againſt the time of trouble, againſt the day of battel and war.
As God hath made nothing in vain, ſo he doth not reſerve or lay up any thing in vain. The Lord is a God of knowledge (1 Sam. 2.3.) by him, as our actions, ſo his own are weighed. This verſe ſhews one uſe or end of his reſerving ſtores of ſnow and hail, and that an extraordinary one. The ordinary uſe of ſnow and hail is for ſome good or benefit to men indifferently, as the Sun ſhines and the rain falls, whether good or bad. The uſe here ſpoken of is onelyonly for the hurt and puniſhment of bad men. Some reſtrain the antecedent of this relative which, in the beginning of the verſe, to the hail onelyonly, becauſe no mention is made (ſay they) in Scripture of any hurt done by ſnow; but of hurt done by hail we read more than once there.…undi calamitas grando. Yet as ancient hiſtories ſo later experiences have reported, that both men and beaſts have been, not onelyonly covered, but ſmothered with ſnow, and overwhelmed by floods and great inundations, cauſed by the ſudden melting of it. Therefore I conceive, we may take the word, which, referring unto both.
Which I have reſerved, &c.
There are other rendrings of the Hebrew Word by us rendred reſerved, all which may center in the ſame ſenſe.
Firſt, The Vulgar Latine ſaith, Which I have prepared.
Secondly, The Septuagint, Which I have ſtored up, or which are ſtored up.
Thirdly, others thus, Which I have prohibited or ſtayed, foreign Per ſin ſiniſtrum prohibere ſignificat. Merc.retained, detained, or with-held; ſo the word is uſed (Gen. 20.6.) I alſo with-held thee from ſinning againſt me, ſaid God to Abimelech. Such things as we prepare and ſtore up for ſome ſpecial uſe we detain, ſtop or with-hold from all other uſes, till our occaſions call for that. Thus we may ſay here, the Lord having as it were ſtored up ſnow and hail in his great Magazin or Arcinal, he there detains and reſerves them for the uſes he hath appointed them unto, that is, as it followeth in the Text, Againſt the time of trouble.
The Word in the Hebrew here tranſlated time, foreign Tempus opportunum occaſio.notes a ſpecial ſeaſon of time, that which we commonly call opportunity, rather than time in general, or as it is a ſpace of ſo many hours, days or years. David (Pſal. 9.9.) calls God a refuge in time of trouble; that is, the Lord marks and hits the fitteſt time to come in and help his out of trouble. Thus, as they who reſerve things, do it till a ſeaſon of uſing them preſents it ſelf; ſo God reſerves the ſnow and h…il till he hath a ſeaſon, an opportunity to uſe them, what that is, himſelf (as was ſaid) expreſſeth in the Text, it is The time of trouble, or of ſtraits.
When trouble comes, ſtraits come,foreign Ad tempus arctum vel Anguguſtiae. and great troubles reduce us to great ſtraits, and compel us to ſay as that good King Jehoſaphat did (2 Chron. 20.) We know not what to do. The Septuagint render, The time of the enemies, that is, when I am reſolved to puniſh or deſtroy my enemies. The word ſignifies both trouble and an enemy,foreign, in tempus hoſtis. Sept. and both may well be comprehended under one word, ſeeing no trouble is more troubleſome, nor can put us to greater ſtraits than the appearance of a powerful enemy; which was Jehoſaphats caſe, when in a time of trouble he cried out, We know not what to do. And this notion of the word, as taken for an enemy, falls in clearly with the latter clauſe of the verſe.
Againſt the day of battel and war.
As if the Lord had ſaid, When my enemies come forth againſt me, theſe are the Weapons, this the Ammunition, which I at any time can, and often do make uſe of in the day of battel and war. foreign Praeliuci.The word rendred battel, ſignifies to a…proach becauſe in a day of battel, enemies or oppoſites approach one to another,foreign à radice foreign Veſci. and charge each other. The word rendred war, ſprings from a root ſignifying to eat, becauſe the ſword of war is a great eater, and devours the bodies of men. Now when God breaks forth in anger againſt obſtinate ſinners, his enemies, and brings any ſore and deſtroying judgement upon them, he is ſaid to have war with them, or to make war againſt them: Who would ſet the briars and thorns in battel againſt me, ſaith the Lord (Iſa. 27.4.)
So then, Both the time of trouble and the day of battel and war ſpoken of in this Text, are the time and day of the Lords wrath and vengeance declared againſt his implacable and incorrigible enemies: Snow and hail are treaſured up and reſerved againſt this time of trouble, againſt this day of battel and war.
Hence Note, Firſt; God hath a check upon all creatures.
He reſerves or ſtops them as, and as long as himſelf pleaſeth. He can prohibit ſnow and hail and command them not to come. As they will ſurely come at any time, if he commands them to come, ſo if he commands them not to come till ſuch or ſuch a time, they will not come till then. The ſoveraignty of God is abſolute over the creature. When Nebuchadnezzars underſtanding returned to him, then he praiſed and honoured him that liveth for ever (Dan. 4.34.) whoſe dominion is an everlaſting dominion, and confeſſed (verſ. 35.) that he doth according to his will in the army of heaven; that is, the Angels, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, as alſo the Meteors, Snow and Hail, &c. all, or any of theſe, are the army of heaven, an army raiſed in the heavens; in this army God doth according to his Will, as well as among the inhabitants of the earth.
Secondly, Obſerve, God is very patient, he doth not preſently take vengeance, nor bring trouble, though he be alwayes provided for it, and able to do it.
As he retaineth not his anger for ever, ſo he reſtraineth it long, becauſe he delighteth in mercy (Mic. 7.18.) As mercy moves the Lord ſpeedily to receive repenting ſinners into fav…ur, ſo it prevails with him to be very ſlow in ſending judgements upon thoſe that are impenitent. The Lord reſerved or kept back the waters of the flood a hundred and twenty years from drowning the Old World; though, as they provoked and even dared him to do it every day by their preſumptuous ſinnings againſt his warnings, ſo he was able to do it any hour or moment of the day.
Thirdly Note, Trouble hath its time or ſeaſon.
There is a time for every purpoſe under the Sun (Eccl. 3.1.) Men have times for their purpoſes, and ſo hath God (much more) for his; he hath his times for quietneſs and times for trouble. And as ſin is the cauſe and ſourſe of all trouble, ſo when ſin is ripe, trouble is ready. When men have filled up the meaſure of their ſin, then God pouts down trouble upon them, or makes it a time of trouble, that they may taſte and ſee, and be convinced how evil and how bitter a thing it is to ſin againſt the Lord. The Amorites were full of iniquity, when God ſpake to Abraham (Gen. 15.16.) but their iniquity was not full, and therefore their time of trouble, the time when their Land ſpewed them out to make room for the Children of Iſrael, was not till a long time after.
Fourthly Note; Times of trouble are ſpecially known to, and appointed by God.
As he reſerves his ſtores of vengeance for thoſe times, ſo he knows thoſe times. Wiſe Princes reſerve ſtores againſt that evil time of war, &c. yet when that evil time will be they know not: but to God all times are known. David ſaid (Pſal. 31.15.) My times are in thy hand, that is, my times of peace and trouble, of joy and ſorrow, are at thy diſpoſe; thou cutteſt out my times, not onelyonly as to the length or ſhortneſs of them, but as to the form and condition of them. Now if the Lord diſpoſeth and ordereth our times, what they ſhall be, whether troublous or proſperous, then he muſt needs know what times will be times of trouble.
Fifthly Note; Preſent impunity is no aſſurance of future indemnity to ſinners.
Judgement is but reſerved, and the inſtruments of it, ſnow and hail, &c. kept up for a while. Prodigals and ſpend-thrifts may boaſt, but the date of the bond will come out, and then an arreſt comes. Let ſinners remember, the inſtruments of divine vengeance are only reſerved, they are not broken nor caſt away; and whoſoever are found in ſin, their ſin (that is the puniſhment of their ſin) ſooner or later will find them out (Numb. 32.23.) As God ſometimes defers to give out mercy to his faithful people, but never denies it them; ſo he often defers the trouble of the wicked, but never (they continuing to do wickedly) acquits them from it. The Apoſtle Peter propheſying of falſe teachers, who ſhall bring in damnable hereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and ſhall bring upon themſelves ſwift deſtruction (2 Pet. 2.1.) ſaith of them alſo (v. 3.) Whoſe judgement now of a long time lingreth not, and their damnation ſlumbreth not. Though all ſeems to be well with them at preſent, and h…th been ſo a long time, yet their miſery is certain; it neither lingers nor ſlumbers, as to the Lords time, though it may ſeem to have done both, in theirs. The wicked, how long ſoever they eſcape judgement, are not preſerved from it, but onelyonly reſerved to it, as followeth in the fourth and ninth verſe of that Chapter. As the fallen angels are reſerved in everlaſting chains of darkneſs, (that is, in chains that will hold them faſt enough for ever) unto the Judgement of the Great Day, or to the Great Day of Judgement: Which intimates two things concerning the fallen Angels.
Firſt, That their torments are not yet at the greateſt, nor their ſufferings at the higheſt.
Secondly, That their puniſhment is unavoidable, for they can never break nor file off thoſe chains. (As I ſay the fallen Angels are ſaid to be reſerved to judgement in chains of darkneſs, at the ſixth verſe of the Epiſtle of Jude; ſo at the 13th verſe of the ſame Epiſtle it is ſaid that to ſeducers and falſe teachers (who cauſe many to fall) The blackneſs of dareneſs is reſerved for ever; they have it not, but 'tis reſerved for them. Their preſent impunity is no aſſurance of their future indemnity.
From the latter part of the verſe, where the time of trouble is called, The day of battel and war,
Obſerve, Firſt; Obſtinate and impenitent ſinners make war (in a manner) with God himſelf.
Though they ſend not a Herald formally to defie him, yet a reſolved progreſs in ſin (let God ſay what he will, and do what he will) is a real defiance of him, or a bidding him do his worſt.Gigantes foreign dicti. It was ſaid of the old Giants (men of great ſtature) They were fighters againſt the Gods. We may ſay, men of all ſtatures, even dwarfs and pigmies for bodily ſtature, raiſe war againſt the great God by preſumptuous ſinning. Did not men make a war upon God by doing evil, God would never make war upon them, by ſending evil. Men are vain when they fall into ſin, but they are worſe than vanity, when they ſtand out in ſinning. Who (ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 27.4.) would ſet briars and thorns againſt me in battel (none but a mad-man will) I would go thorow, or (as the Margin hath it) march againſt them, I would burn them together. Can briars and thorns abide contending with God, who is a conſuming fire? If God ſend forth an army of his meaneſt and moſt contemptible ſouldiers, flies from the air, lice from the earth, even a mighty Pharaoh muſt call for a treaty, and beg a parly. If he command ſnow and hail, much more lightning and thunder out of the clouds to fight againſt his enemies, how ſoon are they overwhelmed and confounded! 'Tis beſt therefore never to begin this war, and the next beſt is, ſpeedily to ſue for peace.
Secondly, Obſerve; A day of battel and war is eminently a time of trouble.
There may be trouble where there is no war, but where war is, there cannot but be trouble. War or the ſword, is not onelyonly one of thoſe four ſore judgements, but the firſt of the four, with which God threatned Jeruſalem, to the cutting off or utter deſtruction of man and beaſt (Ezek. 14.8.) Every battel of the warrier is with c…nfuſed noiſe, and garments rolled in bloud (Iſa. 9.5.) Confuſed noiſes are the muſick of a battel, and bloody garments the bravery of it; then prize peace, pray for peace, That (as the Apoſtle directs, 2 Theſſ. 3.16.) The Lord of Peace himſelf would give us peace alwayes by all means. For though that may be doubted and queried, which ſome have fully aſſerted, That the moſt unequal peace is to be preferred before the juſteſt war; yet the juſteſt war may bring, though peace and honour at laſt, yet in the mean time innumerable troubles and evils with it.
Thirdly, Note; God can make any creature hurtful and afflictive to us.
Snow is of great uſe, and ſerves much to advance the fruttfulneſs of the earth, and is joyned with rain in that effect, (Iſa. 55.10.) As the rain cometh down, and the ſnow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, &c. (by the concurrent bleſſing of God) So, &c. Snow as well as rain is a bleſſing to the earth, not an affliction; yea ſnow is uſed by ſome as a delicacy to cool their drink in hot Countries and ſeaſons; which uſe of it was firſt found out by that monſter of men Nero, ſaith Pliny, who thus declaims and p…oteſts againſt his intemperance;Heu prodigia ventris! …li nivem illi glaciem potant, paenaſque montium in voluptatem gulae vertunt. Plin. l. 19. c. 4. l. 31. c. 3. O the prodigies of luxury! ſome drink ſnow, others ice, and ſo turn the puniſhments of the mountains (ſo he calls ſnow and ice as to preſent ſenſe) into their own pleaſure, or to ſerve their voluptuouſneſs. Now though the ſnow, according to Gods appointment be profitable to the earth, and is uſed by ſome men to ſerve their pleaſures and pleaſe their ſenſual appetite, yet God can make a ſcourge of it, if he pleaſeth, and deſtroy both our profits and pleaſures by it. He can afflict us, not onelyonly with ſtrong and ſtormy winds, not onelyonly with dreadful thunder and lightning, but with ſnow, which is ſoft as wool, and hail-ſtones, which uſually children ſport and play with. He hath deſtroyed ſinners not onelyonly by lions and bears, and ſuch like ravenous beaſts, but with frogs and mice, with lice and locuſts, as was toucht before. There are two things which ſhew the mighty power of God in the Creature.
Firſt, That he can make the moſt devouring and deſtructive creatures harmleſs and hurtleſs to us. Thus he ſtopt the fiery furnace from ſo much as cinging a hair, or impreſſing the leaſt ſmell of burning upon thoſe three worthies (Dan. 3.27.) He alſo ſhut the mouths of thoſe hungry Lions, not onelyonly from tearing and totally devouring, but from touching Daniel to hurt him (chap. 6.22.)
Secondly, That he can make the moſt harmleſs and hurtleſs creatures to hurt us. How powerful is God, who can cruſh the ſtrongeſt man on earth by the weakeſt of his creatures! There was much of God in it, that ſome of his people of old, through faith, out of weakneſs were made ſtrong, waxed valiant (being 'tis like before, of a fearful ſpirit) in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens (Heb. 11.33, 34.) And is there not much of God in it, when any ſort of creatures weak, and inconſiderable in themſelves, are armed by him to conflict with and get the victory over his ſtrongeſt and proudeſt enemies!
Fourthly, Note; God can make a time of trouble terrible.
He hath a reſerve of ſnow and hail in his treaſury againſt the time of trouble, againſt the day of battel and war. As God can make a day of trouble comfortable to his ſervants; he can be a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempeſt; as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the ſhadow of a great rock in a weary land (Iſa. 32.2.) All which metaphors ſignifie one and the ſame thing, that Chriſt will be comfortable to his people either immediately or by proviſion of means in the moſt troubleſome times, there intended by wind and tempeſt, by a dry place and a weary land. And that he had been all this to his in ſuch a day, the ſame prophet aſſures us (chap. 25.4.) Thou haſt been a ſtrength to the poor, a ſtrength to the needy in his diſtreſs, a refuge from the ſtorm, a ſhadow from the heat, when the blaſt of the terrible ones is as a ſtorm againſt the wall. The Hiſtory of the taking of Jeruſalem by the Babylonians, ſet down by Jeremy, tells us, that he was fully heard and anſwered, when he p…ayed (chap. 17.17.) Be not thou a terror to me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. Jeremy found the Lord very favourable to him, and giving him favour in the eyes of the enemy, when that evil day, the day of battel and war came upon Jeruſalem. Thus ſometimes God ſtayeth his rough wind in the day of the Eaſt-wind (Iſa. 27.8.) that is, he forbeareth to ſhew himſelf rough, harſh or grievous to his people, when great troubles are otherwiſe upon them, noted by the Eaſt-wind, which naturally is a blaſting, bluſtring, and boiſterous wind; and therefore a day of great trouble is elegantly expreſſed or called, a day of the Eaſt-wind. When the Pſalmiſt had deſcribed the fained humiliations of the people of Iſrael in the Wilderneſs, which he calls their flattering God with their lips, and lying unto him with their tongues; This was enough to provoke God to make their day of trouble terrible to them, yet (ſaith that Scripture) He being full of compaſſion, forgave their iniquity, and deſtroyed them not; yea many a time turned he his anger away, and did not ſtir up all his wrath (Pſal. 78.38.) Though they all ſtirred him to wrath, yet he did not ſtir up all his wrath (when it was worſt with them) that would have made it a terrible day indeed. This is the Lords way with his people in an evil day.
But when it is a day of battel and war with the wicked world, or with the wicked of the world, he opens his treaſures of wrath, and will let them ſee and feel what ſtores of ſnow and hail he hath reſerved againſt that time. And hence it is, that ſuch are repreſented in the day of the Lord, going into the clifts of the rocks and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majeſty, when he ariſeth to ſhake terribly the earth (Iſa. 3.21.)
Laſtly, Note; Snow and hail are Gods weapons and artillery, with which he ſometimes fights againſt ſinful man.
The Lord of Hoſts hath ſuch inſtruments of war in his Armory, as no Prince can produce nor make uſe of, either to offend his enemies, or to defend himſelf. An ancient Poet ſaid of Theodoſius the Emperour,Onimium dilecte dei, cui militat aether. Et conjurati veniunt ad claſſi…a venti. Claudian. Euſeb. Eccl. Hiſtor. l. 5. c. 5. O thou greatly beloved of God, for whom the heavens ſight, and at the ſound of whoſe trumpets the winds, the confederate winds, preſent their ſervice and aſſiſtance. The Thundering Legion in the Army of Aurelius the Emperour, is famous in the Church Hiſtory, and hath been mentioned before, upon other paſſages of this Book, together with the occaſion of that honourable Title beſtowed upon them in that age. The Scriptures give frequent inſtances of the Lords avenging himſelf upon his and his peoples enemies, by ſtorms of hail. This was one of the ten grievous plagues which God ſent upon Pharaoh and the Land of Egypt (Exod. 9.17, 18.) As yet exalteſt thou thy ſelf againſt my people, that thou wilt not let them go; behold, to morrow about this time I will cauſe it to rain a very grievous hail, ſuch as hath not been in Egypt ſince the foundation thereof, and until now. It was with hail-ſtones that God fought againſt and diſcomfited the Army of five confederate Kings in the days of Joſhua (Joſh. 10.11.) The Lord cast great ſtones from heaven upon them, and they died, they were more which died with the hail ſtones, than they whom the children of Iſrael ſlew with the ſword. There are two things ſingular and extraordinary, if not miraculous in this paſſage of providence: Firſt, The magnitude and weight of theſe hail-ſtones, together with the violence of their motion was ſuch, that like bullets diſcharged from Canon or great Ordnance, they ſlew them out-right or dead on the place, upon whom they fell. Secondly, That the Iſraelites, being in purſuit of theſe Canaanites, and doubtleſs mixed with them (as in a barrel, where they come to handy ſtroaks, it muſt needs be) that yet none of them were hurt by the hail ſtones, but the Canaanites onelyonly. God, who, …o ſhew his goodneſs, cauſeth his Sun to ſhine and his rain to fall indifferently upon the good and upon the bad, knows how, that he may ſhew his Juſtice, to cauſe his hail to fall diſtinctly upon the bad, and not upon the good. Deborah ſaith in her ſong (Judg. 5.20.) The ſtars in their courſes fought againſt Siſera. Joſeph. lib. 3. Antiquit. Judaicarum. c. 6.It is reported by Joſephus, deſcribing this battel, that as ſoon as the armies joyned battel, God ſent a violent ſhower of hail, which (ſay ſome) being naturally cauſed by the influences of the ſtars or heavenly bodies, the ſtars may be ſaid to have fought in their courſes, like ſouldiers drawn up in battalia againſt Siſera and his army. And thus by great thunder the Lord diſcomfited the hoſt of the Philiſtins in the days of Samuel, (1 Sam. 7.10.) The prophet gives out ſeveral threatnings under the notion of hail (Iſa. 28.17. chap. 30.30.) and ſo doth that laſt propheſie (Rev. 16.21.) And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every ſtone about the weight of a talent. All which places, though not taken literally and properly, but metaphorically and ſymbolically for great and ſore judgements of one kind or other, yet are a clear proof that proper hail ſtones have ſometimes been the inſtruments of Gods ſoreſt revenge upon his hardned enemies.
So then, ſometimes God doth, as it were, pitch his Military Tent or R…yal Pavilion in the Air, there he ſeems to muſter his Army, to bring forth his weapons, and from thence to confound his foes. God uſeth the clouds both as his ſhield to protect his people (Exod. 14.19.) and as his bow to ſhoot at and wound the wicked.— Armamentaria Coeli. Juven. Satyr. 16. From thence (Pſal. 11.6.) He rains upon the wicked, ſnares, fire and brimſtone, and an horrible tempeſt: this ſhall be the portion of their cup; That is, they ſhall have nothing elſe in their cup to drink but this, and of this they ſhall drink deep, even the very dregs, and wring them out (Pſal. 75.8.) A heathen Poet called the Clouds the Armories or Arcenals of Heaven; and the Scripture, both in this Text of Job, and in ſeveral other places, beſides thoſe which have been mentioned, ſheweth what Ammunition, what inſtruments of the Lords fierce anger and fiery indignation are ſtored, laid up, or reſerved there againſt the time of trouble, againſt the day of battel and war with the rebellious world.
Now, Foraſmuch as ſnow and hail, &c. are at once the Lords Hoſt and his Arms, by which he fights againſt the wicked, we may take notice of theſe five following inferences for the help of our meditations about this matter, and to make all that hath been already held forth from theſe two verſes, more profitable to us.
Firſt, God needeth not borrow help from man on earth, when he would be avenged on his enemies.
If he doth but ſpeak the word and declare his will, it is enough; The heavens, the clouds of heaven will b…ing him Armies and Arms without number. He that covers the earth a foot deep with ſnow, can cover all (as we ſay) over head and ears with it. He that powres down ſhowres of hail, no bigger than a peaſe, can ſend it of a talent weight, as 'tis expreſſed, (Rev. 16.21.) God cannot want Armies at any time, for his day of battel and war, who can make any thing ſerve him effectively as an Army; and therefore they who being in diſtreſs ſee no more help in man, than David, when he ſaid (Pſal. 142.4.) I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me (how well ſoever I was known to him) refuge failed me, there was no man that cared for my ſoul; that is, that regarded what became of me: I was left at ſix and ſevens, to ſink or ſwim, to ſhift for my ſelf as well as I could: they, I ſay, who are thus diſtreſſed, having an intereſt in God, need not deſpair nor deſpond, ſeeing the Lord can charge or preſs any creature for our aid and help, yea can help us without the aid of any creature.
Secondly, Take heed of provoking God, who hath ſ…ch Armes and Armies alwayes at command.
'Tis dangerous medling wi…h a prepared enemy. God can never be ſu…priſed not taken unprovided. As the wicked bend their bow, and make ready their arrow upon the ſtring, that they may privily ſhoot at the upright in heart (Pſal. 11.2.) So the Lord hath his bow alwayes bent, and his arrow made ready upon the ſtring, openly to ſhoot at the falſe in heart. Though it be uſually long before he takes revenge, yet 'tis not becauſe he is unready and cannot, but becauſe patient, and will not take it ſooner. He is alwayes able to avenge himſelf, not onelyonly ſpeedily, but preſently. As he will do what he hath ſpoken, ſo he can do what he will with a word ſpeaking.
Thirdly, Would we not fear ſnow or hail, or any miſſive weapon of heaven, then let us get God to be our friend, in whoſe hand, and at whoſe command they are.
No creature moves but by direction from God; and ſurely he will never direct them to the hurt, though often to the affliction and correction of thoſe whom he loves. As ſuch are in league with the ſtones of the field, and the beaſts of the field are at peace with them; ſo alſo are the ſtars of heaven, and all the meteors (ſnow and hail, &c.) in the air.
Fourthly, God will charge them with hardneſs of heart and impenitency, who humble not themſelves when he fights againſt them with theſe weapons.
Every judiciary ſhower of hail, though it break not our heads, yet it ſhould break our hearts. That hail which doth any hurt to the works of our hands, ſhould work good upon our hearts. And therefore the Lord complained when his hail-ſtones left no more ſign or impreſſion upon his peoples hearts than they did upon a rock or ſtone (Hag. 2.17.) I ſmote you with blaſting and with mildew, and with hail, in all your labours, yet ye turned not to me, ſaith the Lord. This Scripture teacheth us two uſeful leſſons,
Firſt, When God ſmites any thing that is ours, or belongs to us, he ſmites us. If our fields or gardens be ſmitten, we are ſmitten.
Secondly, God expects we ſhould, and even wonders, if we do not turn upon ſuch ſmitings. He looks upon them as hardned ſinners, who melt not by every afflictive fall of hail from heaven. They are even reſolved to be bad, who mind not being good or better, when evils fall upon either them or theirs.
Fifthly, Haſten to make peace with God, when he gives ſigns and alarums of war.
God had no ſooner ſaid to Iſrael (Amos 4.12.) Therefore, (that is, becauſe thou haſt not taken the alarum by former judgement, therefore) thus will I do unto thee, O Iſrael (that is, I will bring ſome ſorer judgement upon thee than any of thoſe already brought) but he adds, and becauſe I will do this unto thee (unleſs prevented by ſpeedy repentance) prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael. As if God had ſaid, Conſider (as Chriſt adviſeth on another occaſion, Luke 14.31.) whether thou art able with thy ten thouſand to meet me with my twenty thouſand (all the power of man is not onelyonly leſs by half, as ten thouſand to twenty thouſand, but indeed nothing at all to the power of God) and if not, as I know thou art not, then I counſel thee, while I onelyonly tell thee I will do thus unto thee, but am yet a great way off (poſſibly) from coming to do it, prepare to meet me, ſend an Embaſſage of prayers and tears, and deſire conditions of peace. It will be too late to call for a compoſition, or to think of a treaty, when the trumpets have ſounded, and the battel is joyned. If we get not (through Chriſt) our peace made before the day of battel and war in this world, I mean before temporal judgements a…e actually come upon us, and have taken hold of us, we may ſmart ſoundly before we have our peace, and pay dearly for it, before we have it: But if we prepare not to meet God, and get our peace made through Chriſt, before the day of battel and war in the next world, I mean before Death and the Eternal Judgement come upon us, we ſhall not onelyonly ſmart ſoundly and pay dearly for that wretched neglect of our ſeaſon, but muſt periſh for ever, under an impoſſibility of having our peace made. The Day of Gods battel and war with the wicked in the next world, is Eternity. Here in this world God ſaith to the worſt of ſinners, to him that is but briars and thorns (Iſa. 27.5.) Let him take hold of my ſtrength (that is, of my Grace, or of my Son, which are my ſtrength to ſave ſinners) that he may make peace with me, and (I aſſure him his aſſay ſhall not be in vain) he ſhall make peace with me: I am no inexorable God, yea, I am eaſie to be intreated, if treated with, when, and in whom, and in ſuch a way as I have offered my ſelf to ſinners, to be treated with for peace. But if any think to make peace with God in any other way than faith and repentance, by any other perſon than Chriſt Jeſus, at any other time than the time of this life, we muſt receive another Goſpel, before we can give them any (aſſurance ſhall I ſay, or) the leaſt ſhadow of a hope that they ſhall do ſo.