Exposition of Job 38-42, Commentary on Job · Chapter 40 · Verse 10-14

Exposition of Job 38-42 · Commentary on Job · Chapter 40 · Verse 10-14

p. 565JOB, Chap. 40. Verſ. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

10. Deck thy ſelf now with majeſty and excellency, and array thy ſelf with glory and beauty.

11. Caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abaſe him.

12. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low: and tread down the wicked in their place.

13. Hide them in the duſt together, and bind their faces in ſecret.

14. Then will I alſo confeſs unto thee, that thine own right hand can ſave thee.

IN the former verſe the Lord having queſtioned Job concerning his power (haſt thou an arm like God? canſt thou thunder with a voice like him?) ſeems now to put him to the uſe of his power. If thou haſt ſuch an arm as I, and canſt thunder with ſuch a voice as I? then come on, Deck thy ſelf with majeſty and excellency, &c. As if he had thus ſpoken to Job, I who have ſuch an arm, I who thunder with ſuch a voice, can quickly de…k my ſelf with ſuch majeſty and excellency, I can quickly caſt abroad ſuch rage and wrath, as will abaſe and utterly break all the proud ones of the earth, and deſtroy the wicked: Job, canſt thou do this? canſt thou deck thy ſelf with ſuch majeſty? canſt thou caſt abroad ſuch a rage of thy wrath, as will abaſe and bring down the proud, and deſtroy the wicked? if thou canſt do it, let me ſee thee do it.

So then, as in the former verſe, we had a compariſon between Jobs power and the power of God, by way of interrogation, Haſt thou an arm like God? ſo here God doth the ſame thing with Job, by an ironical injunction, juſſion or command; Deck p. 566thy ſelf with majeſty; let us ſee what a man thou art, put thy ſelf into thy faireſt dreſs, and moſt tremendous appearance.

There are two things in this context, in which Job is called to ſhew himſelf like God, if he could.

Firſt, In the majeſty and excellency, in the glory and beauty of his perſon (ver. 10.) Deck thy ſelf with majeſty, &c.

Secondly, In the mighty effects of his anger and diſpleaſure, (ver. 11.) Caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath, &c. And this the Lord bids him do; Firſt, More particularly, In abaſing the proud. Secondly, More generally, In deſtroying all the wicked of the earth. (ver. 12, 13.) Now in caſe Job could approve himſelf thus powerful, and appear like God, either in the majeſty of his perſon, or in the mightineſs of his diſpleaſure againſt proud and wicked men, then ſaith the Lord (ver. 14.) I will confeſs unto thee, that thine own right hand can ſave thee, that is, I will yield thee the cauſe, I will acknowledge that thou, who canſt thus bring down the pride of men in the height of their iniquity, art alſo able to help thy ſelf out of all thy miſery; yea, that thou art able to contend with me, who often have done, and ſtill can do theſe great things with eaſe, with the turning of my hand, with a word of my mouth; yea, then I will confeſs that thou art as I am, that thou art God as I am: But alas poor worm, thou canſt do none of theſe things, therefore humble thy ſelf and be quiet under mine afflicting hand. This ſeems to be the general ſcope of the holy Ghoſt in theſe five verſes, even yet further to convince Job, that he had not an arm like God, nor could thunder with a voice like him, foraſmuch as he could not put forth ſuch acts, nor ſhew ſuch effects of power as God both had and could put forth and ſhew in the face of all the world.

Verſ. 10. Deck thy ſelf now with majeſty, &c.

Deck, or adorn thy ſelf (the word ſignifieth to adorn, to put on ornaments) make as fair a ſhew of thy ſelf as thou canſt. The Apoſtle (Gal. 6.12.) ſpeaks of ſome, who deſired to make a fair ſhew in the fleſh. The Lord bids Job make as fair a ſhew of himſelf as he could in fleſh; Deck Thy ſelf

Let thy majeſty proceed from thy ſelf. Thus it is with God; p. 567he needs no hand to adorn and deck him, to apparel him, or put on his robes, as the Kings and Princes of the earth need; others deck them, others adorn them and put on their robes; but the Lord decks himſelf. Now ſaith the Lord to Job, Deck thy ſelf as I do, With majeſty and excellency.

Kings and Princes are decked with majeſty and excellency at all times, a majeſtick excellency is inherent in their eſtate; and when they ſhew themſelves in ſtate, or ſhew their ſtate, they put on their Crowns and Robes. Thus ſaith the Lord to Job, Put on majeſty and excellency. Both words ſignifie highneſs, exaltation; and are often uſed to ſignifie pride, becauſe they that are high and exalted, are uſually proud, and are alwayes under a temptation to be proud of their highneſs and greatneſs. And theſe words which here in the abſtract we tranſlate majeſty and excellency, are rendred in the concrete, proud (verſ. 11, 12.) Behold every one that is proud (verſ. 11.) Look upon every one that is proud (verſ. 12.)foreign

Majeſty is proper to Kings, and therefore we ſpeak to them in that language, Your Majeſty.

Excellency belongs to perſons of great dignity; we ſay to Princes and great Commanders, Your Excellency, becauſe they excel and exceed others in honour and power. Moſes ſpake ſo of God (Exod. 15.7.) In the greatneſs of thy Excellency, thou haſt overthrown them that roſe up againſt thee. In the greatneſs of thy Excellency, or in the greatneſs of thy lifting up and exaltation; the word notes both Gods high magnificence (Pſal. 68.35.) and mans pride or haughtineſs (Pſal. 10.2.) The wicked in his pride (or haughtineſs of ſpirit) perſecutes the poor. Deck thy ſelf with Majeſty as a King, and with Excellency as a Prince; put on thy Emperial robes, and thy Princely garments. Yea, further, Array thy ſelf with glory and beauty.Dicimus etiam nidui dedecore vel ignominia; nam quare ornamur vel dedecoramur ea elegantèr nidu… dicimur. Diu…

Here are two other ornamental expreſſions, Glory and Beauty. Glory is man in his beſt array, or mans beſt array; yea, Glory is God in his beſt array, or Gods beſt array. The perfect happineſs of man in heaven is called glory; mans beſt ſuit, is his ſuit of glory. p. 568Grace,Gloria eſt clara cum laude notitia. Ambroſ. foreign Notat ſpendorem & claritatem, quae efficere poteſt aſſenſum & confeſſionem apud ſpectatores ad gloriam ipſius, quòd omnia …gat foreign. Deus non habet circundatum decorem, quaſi ſuperadditum ejus eſſentiae; Sed ipſa eſſentia ejus decor eſt. Aquin. which is our beſt ſuit on earth, is ſometimes called glory (2 Cor. 3.18.) We are changed from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord; that is, f…om grace to grace. Mans firſt change is from ſin to grace, his ſecond is from grace to grace, or from one degree of grace to another. Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace perfected. Now, as glory is mans beſt ſuit, ſo glory is, as I may ſay, Gods beſt ſuit. He is, as the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5.10.) ſo the God of all glory; for all glory is to be given unto him, and his glory will he not give to any other. The glory of God is twofold. Firſt, Eſſential and internal, for ever unchangeably abiding in himſelf; indeed the very Eſſence of God is glory. Of this we read (Exod. 33.18.) I will make all my goodneſs paſs before thee, I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will ſhew mercy to whom I will ſhew mercy; this kind of glory I will ſhew thee, but thou canſt not ſee my face and live, that is, my eſſential glory.

Secondly, There is a providential or external glory of God; the manifeſtations of God in his greatneſs, goodneſs and power, are his glory. Thus 'tis ſaid at the dedication of Solomons Temple (1 King. 8.11.) The glory of the Lord filled the houſe of the Lord; that is, there was a glorious and wonderful manifeſtation of the preſence of the Lord in his houſe. Whatever God manifeſts of himſelf, whether his power, or his goodneſs, or his mercy, or his grace, or his patience, or his juſtice, is his glory. The Lord often arrayeth himſelf with theſe glories; that is, he declares both by his word and by his works, that he is powerful, good, merciful, gracious, patient and juſt towards the children of men. The Scripture calleth God the glory of his people (Pſal. 106.20.) that is, it is the glory of any people, or that which they ſhould glory in, that God is known to them, or that they are owned by God. But the idolatrizing Jews changed their glory into the ſimilitude of an Ox that eateth graſs; that is, they changed God, who was their glory, and in whom they ſhould have gloried, into the form of an in-glorious beaſt, while they either worſhipped the image of a beaſt, or their God in that image.

And it is conſiderable, that the Apoſtle (Rom. 1.23.) at leaſt alluding to (as the reference in our Bible intimates) if not quoting that place laſt mentioned in the Pſalm, whilſt he ſpeaks of the p. 569idolatrous Gentiles, doth not ſay (as there) They changed their glory, &c. for the true God was not the glory of the Gentiles in thoſe dayes, they owned him not as their only God (having many Idol gods) nor did he own them as his people; and therefore the Apoſtle did not, nor could he in truth ſay of the Gentiles, They changed their glory, &c. But thus he ſaith, They changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beaſts, and creeping things. The Gentiles did not change the incorruptible God, their glory into an image, but they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image, &c. And in that reſpect the idolatry of the Jews (a people knowing the true God, yea, and glorying in him) was worſe than the idolatry of the Gentiles, who knew him not, nor ever gloried in him, nor accounted him their glory. But to the point in hand. As that is Gods glory which manifeſts his glory,

So in general, any thing which maketh man ſhine forth commendably or honourably to others, or gives him a preheminence above many others (as neer relation to God ſpecially doth) may be called his glory. Whatſoever is beſt in us, or to us, is our glory. The ſoul of man is his glory, becauſe it is his beſt part. The body is a poor thing to the ſoul; the body is but a ſhell, the ſoul is the kernel; the body is but the ſheath (as the Chaldee calls it, Deut. 7.15.) the ſoul is the ſword, though uſually we take more pains for the body than for the ſoul, as if we prized it more. When Jacob ſaid (Gen. 49.6.) O my ſoul, come thou not into their ſecret; unto their aſſembly, mine honour, be not thou united; he meant (ſome ſay) the ſame thing by his ſoul, and by his honour or glory, becauſe the ſoul is the moſt glorious and honourable part in man, and that which men ſhould be moſt careful of. Thus likewiſe the tongue of man is called his glory (Pſal. 57.8.) Awake my glory, that is, my tongue. The tongue being that organ or inſtrument whereby the wiſdom and prudence of man is held forth, and he made glorious in the world, 'tis therefore called his glory. The tongue of man is alſo called his glory, becauſe with that he giveth glory to God by praiſing him, and confeſſing his name, together with his truth, unto ſalvation. And as glory is the beſt of man, ſo of any other creature (1 Cor. 15.61.) There is one glory of the Sun, and another of the Moon, and another glory of the Stars; for one Star p. 570differs from another Star in glory; that is, there is one excellency, u…e, or operation in this Star, and another in that: Or, One Star differs from another Star in glory; that is, their light, influences & effects differ, ſome being more, others leſs operative upon ſublunary bodies. When the Lord ſaid to Job, Array thy ſelf with glory, his meaning is, ſhew thy beſt; and he means the ſame, when he adds, Array thy ſelf (with beauty.)

foreignBeauty is the natural ornament of the body, of the face or countenance eſpecially. Theſe two words, glory and beauty, are often joyned together in Scripture (Pſal. 21.5. Pſal. 45.3.) where we render them honour and majeſty. We may thus diſtinguiſh between them, taking the one for that which appears outwardly, in veſtures and geſtures, in actions and works; and the other as importing that rev…ence & veneration which is given to ſuch,Verba originalia fero ſunt ſynonima. as appear in that ſplendor and dignity, or which their ſplendor and dignity ſtirs up in others: But we need not ſtand to diſtinguiſh them, the words being often uſed promiſcuouſly. And here the Lord is pleaſed to imploy many words to the ſame purpoſe, to ſhew what great ſtate he had need be in that contends with him: As if he had ſaid, O Job, although thou didſt not ſit upon a dunghil, or wert not bound to thy bed by the cords of thy affliction, but didſt ſit upon a Kingly throne, ſhining in robes of royalty, couldſt thou in all thoſe ornaments equal thy ſelf to me, in majeſty and excellency, in glory and beauty? Deck thy ſelf with majeſty and excellency, &c.

Hence note, Firſt; God himſelf is full of Majeſty, of Excellency, of Glory, and of Beauty.

I put them all together in one Obſervation, becauſe the tendency of them all is one. The Scripture often ſets forth the Lord thus adorned, thus decked (Pſal. 93.1.) The Lord reigneth, he is cloathed with majeſty, he is cloathed with ſtrength, wherewith he hath girded himſelf. Again (Pſal. 69.6.) Honour and majeſty are before him, ſtrength & beauty are in his ſanctuary (Pſal. 104.1.) Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul; O Lord, my God, thou art very great, thou art cloathed with honour and majeſty. This cloathing, this array, which the Lord called Job to put on, is properly his own; and though God will not give his glory to another, yet p. 571here he bids Job take his glory, and ſhew himſelf in it to the utmoſt if he could. Many have affected or invaded Gods glory, but none could ever attain or reach it. God calls man really to partake of glory with him, but man cannot take his glory upon him and be man. The humane nature of Chriſt could never have received nor born that glory, but as united to, and ſubſiſting in the perſon of the Son of God, according to that prayer of his (John 17.5.)

More diſtinctly; If God be thus cloathed, Then

Firſt, We ſhould tremble before him. Majeſty is dreadful. The majeſty of Kings, who in nature are but men, is very dreadful; how much more the majeſty of God, who is King of Kings, the King immortal, and reigns for ever. We have this trembling three times repeated, with reſpect to the majeſty of God (Iſa. 2.10, 19, 21.) where the mightieſt and greateſt of the world, called there high Mountains and ſtrong Towers, Oaks and Cedars, are ſaid to go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majeſty, when he ariſeth to ſhake terribly the earth. And though the people of God have great cauſe to rejoyce at his majeſty, as 'tis propheſied they ſhall (Iſa. 24.14.) They ſhall lift up their voices, they ſhall ſing for the majeſty of the Lord (nothing cauſeth the hearts of the righteous to rejoyce, more than the majeſty of God) yet they ought to rejoyce, and ſo they do, with trembling (Pſal. 2.11.) or with a holy awe of God impreſſed upon their hearts; for the majeſty of God is a very dreadful, tremendous, awful majeſty. And the more we have truly taſted the goodneſs and mercy of God, the more ſhall we tremble at his majeſty; yea, the Lord will have his majeſty not only taken notice of, but trembled at; and therefore he reproves thoſe (Iſa. 26.10.) who would not behold his majeſty. The majeſty of the Lord, like himſelf, cannot be ſeen or beheld in it ſelf, yet it ſheweth it ſelf many wayes, though few behold it, or tremble at it; and the reaſon why they tremble not at it, is, becauſe they do not, or rather (as the Prophet there ſpeaks) will not behold it, no, not when it ſhines in the plaineſt demonſtrations, whether of wrath againſt wicked men, or of love and mercy to the godly, as clearly as the Sun at noon day.

Secondly, As we ſhould tremble at the majeſty of the Lord, ſo admire his excellency; they that excel others, eſpecially they p. 572who excel all others in any kind, are much admired. The Lord is cloathed with excellency, how then ſhould we admire him! and ſay, Who is a God like unto thee? This God is our God.

Thirdly, Seeing the Lord is cloathed with glory, we ſhould glorifie him; and that, Firſt, in his eſſential glory, Secondly, in the glory of his acts and operations. We ſhould glorifie him for the greatneſs of his power, eſpecially for the greatneſs of his grace, becauſe the grace and mercy of God are his glory; as the Apoſtle ſpake in that prayer (Eph. 3.16.) That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory (that is, of his grace and favour towards you) to be ſtrengthned with might by his Spirit, in the inner man. And as the grace and goodneſs of God is his glory, ſo alſo is his holineſs (Exod. 15.11.) Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holineſs? Let us glorifie God, in and for all his glories, in and for the glory of his power, mercy, grace and holineſs.

Fourthly, God is arrayed with beauty. Beauty is a taking thing; then how ſhould our ſouls delight in the Lord! We delight in things that are beautiful, we love beauty; how ſhould this draw forth our love, our affections to God! All the beauty of the world is but a blot, 'tis darkneſs, and a ſtained thing, in compariſon of the Lords beauty, the beauty of his holineſs; and therefore if we have a love to beauty, let us love the Lord, who is arrayed with beauty, even with the perfection of beauty.

Laſtly, In general; Seeing the Lord is deckt with majeſty and excellency, arrayed with glory and beauty, let us continually aſcribe all theſe to God. What God is, and hath ſhewed himſelf to be, we ſhould ſhew forth (1 Chron. 29.11.) Thine, O Lord (ſaith David) is the greatneſs, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majeſty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is thine. David aſcribed all to God there, as alſo (Pſal. 145.10.) All thy works praiſe thee, O Lord, and thy Saints ſhall bleſs thee; they ſhall ſpeak of the glory of thy Kingdom, and talk of thy power, to make known to the ſons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majeſty of his Kingdom: thy Kingdom is an everlaſting Kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. Thus Saints are to blazon the name of God, and to make his praiſe glorious. The Apoſtle Jude concludes his Epiſtle with this Doxology; To the only wiſe God our Saviour (that is, Jeſus Chriſt) be glory, and p. 573majeſty, and dominion, and power, now and ever, Amen.

Further, to remember the majeſty and excellency of God, may and ſhould be,

Firſt, an incouragement to ſerve him. Who would not ſerve a Prince, who is decked with majeſty and excellency, who is arrayed with glory and beauty? who would not ſerve ſuch a King as this? How ambitious are men to ſerve thoſe who are deckt with worldly majeſty and excellency? ſhall not we have a holy ambition to ſerve the Lord, who is thus decked and arrayed!

Secondly, This may exceedingly hearten and embolden us againſt all the danger we may meet with in the Lords ſervice. If we encounter with hardſhips and hazards in Gods work, let us remember, he that is cloathed with majeſty and excellency, &c. can protect us in his ſervice, and reward us for it; we can loſe nothing by him, though we ſhould loſe all for him, life and all.

Thirdly, This ſhould fill our ſouls with reverential thoughts of God continually. Did we know the Lord in theſe divine diſcoveries of himſelf, in his majeſty and excellency, in his glory and beauty, how would our hearts be filled with high thoughts of him! we would neither ſpeak nor think of God, but with a gracious awe upon our ſpirits.

Fourthly, This ſhould provoke us in all holy duties to do our beſt. The Lord reproved the Jews (Mal. 1.8.) when they brought him a poor lean ſacrifice; Offer it now unto thy Governour, will he be pleaſed with thee, or accept thy perſon? Shall we put off God, who is full of majeſty and excellency, of glory and beauty, with poor, weak and ſickly ſervices, ſuch as our Governours, men in high place & power will not accept from our hands, but turn back with diſdain upon our hands. The worſhip and ſervice of God conſiſts not in a bodily exerciſe, nor in any outward beauty; he is a ſpirit, and must be worſhipped in ſpirit and in truth; that is, in truth of heart, and according to the truth of his word, which the Apoſtle calls the ſimplicity that is in Christ (2 Cor. 11.3.) The glory and beauty of God is ſpiritual, and the beauty that he muſt be ſerved with, is, above all, the inward beauty of faith and love, and holy fear in our hearts.

Fifthly, If God be thus deckt with majeſty, &c. This may aſſure us in praying to him and calling upon him, that we ſhall p. 574not ſeek him in vain: It is worth the while to attend ſuch a God, and pour out our hearts before him. We may ſafely depend upon God for all, ſeeing majeſty and excellency are his. The Lords prayer by which we are to form, or unto which we ſhould conform all our prayers concludes with this, thine is the kingdom, power and glory; all is thine, and therefore we have great encouragement to ask all of thee. Men can give to thoſe that ask them, according to the extent of their power. There is a confluence or comprehenſion of all power in the majeſty, excellency, and glory of God, and therefore he can give whatſoever we ask.

Now, as, that God is thus deckt and arrayed with majeſty and excellency, is implied in this Text; ſo 'tis alſo implied, that he hath thus deckt himſelf, while he ſaith to Job, Deck thy ſelf with majeſty and excellency.

Hence obſerve, Secondly; The majeſty and excellency, the glory and beauty of God, are all of and from himſelf.

He is the fountain as of his own being, ſo of the majeſty and excellency, of the glory and beauty of his being; he decks and arrays himſelf, he is not decked by others. Moraliſts ſay, honour is not or reſides not in him that is honoured, but in him that honoureth; yet here honour is ſeated in him that is honoured. We honour God, and give glory to him, but we cannot add any honour to him, all is originally in himſelf; he is the beginning without beginning of his own majeſty. And as Gods majeſty is his own, ſo of his own putting on; he borroweth nothing from the creature, nor needs he any creature to deck him. He is not what others will make him or have him to be, but what he is, he is of and from himſelf.

Thirdly, Obſerve; The majeſty and glory of the greateſt among men, is the gift of God.

Deck thy ſelf with majeſty, ſaith God to Job; but Job could not deck himſelf; he could not p…t a clothing of majeſty, and excellency, of glory and beauty upon himſelf. All that man hath is received from God, and is but a ray from his unconceiveable p. 575light. As all our ſpiritual a…ray, deckings and ornaments, are put on us by God (Ezek. 16.10, 11.) I cloathed thee with broidered work, I covered thee with ſilk, I decked thee alſo with ornaments, I put a jewel on thy forehead, &c. So all civil ornaments are put on man by God. I girded thee (ſaid God of Cyrus, Iſa. 45.5.) though thou haſt not known me; that is, I gave thee all thy power and greatneſs, thy honour and dignity, though thou tookeſt no notice of me in doing it, nor that I did it. Thus it is ſaid of Solomon (1 Chron. 29.25.) The Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the ſight of all Iſrael, and beſtowed upon him ſuch royal majeſty, as had not been on any king before him in Iſrael. And thus ſpake Daniel to Belſhazzar, concerning his father Nebuchadnezar (Dan. 5.19.) And for the majeſty that he (that is, God) gave him, all Nations, People and Languages, trembled and feared before him. All the majeſty and excellency, all the glory and beauty of the greateſt Monarchs, is derived from God.

Fourthly, Obſerve; The majeſty and excellency, the glory and beauty of man, is nothing to Gods.

Chriſt ſaith (Mat. 6.29.) Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of theſe. Solomon was a King in the greateſt majeſty and excellency, glory and beauty of any that ever was in the world; yet ſaith Chriſt, he was not decked like one of theſe Lillies: then how far ſhort did his glory fall of the glory of God! how doth all the glory of the world vaniſh and diſappear at the appearance of the glory of God, even as the luſtre of the moon & ſtars doth at the riſing of the thrice illuſtrious Sun! And as mans glory is nothing to Gods, while it laſts or endures, ſo it is nothing to his in the laſtingneſs and duration of it. Dominion and majeſty are Gods, and ſhall be aſcribed to God everlaſtingly. It is ſaid of Ahaſuerus (Eſther 1.4.) that he ſhewed the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honour of his excellent Majeſty many days, even a hundred and fourſcore days; but the Lord ſheweth his excellent Majeſty for ever and ever, for it abides for ever: and if ſo, what is the majeſty of man compared with the Lords (Iſa. 40.6.) All fleſh is graſs, and the goodlineſs of it, as the flower of the field. The majeſty and excellency, the glory and beauty of man, is but the goodlineſs of fleſh, or the beſt of a fleſhly, earthly p. 576ſtate; and what is that, but the goodlineſs of a fading flower, or of the graſs that is cut down and withers, yea, which ſometimes withers before it is cut down, as David ſaith (Pſal. 129.6, 7.) the graſs doth upon the houſe tops, which withereth afore it groweth up; wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth ſheaves his boſome.

Fourthly, note; The way to lay the creature low, is to conſider the Majeſty of God.

Why doth the Lord call Job to deck himſelf with humane majeſty and excellency? was it not to bring him to a due conſideration of his own divine majeſty and excellency? Job muſt compare himſelf with God in his glory, that he might fall down convinced, that himſelf had no glory.

Thus the Lord ſhewed Job his own meanneſs and exility, by bidding him imitate the divine Majeſty and excellency.

Secondly, The Lord calls him further, to imitate him, if he could, in the mighty effects of his power or in his powerful works, againſt proud and wicked men.

Verſ. 11. Caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath.

As if he had ſaid, let me ſee now what a man thou art, or rather, what a God thou art, when thou art enflamed with anger.

Caſt abroad.

That is, furiouſly diſperſe and ſcatter thy rage or rages. The word ſignifies a ſcattering after breaking to pieces (Pſal. 2.9.) As a Potters veſſel,foreign notat confractionem cum diſperſione. foreign indignatio à tranſeundo, vel quod citò tranſeat. Ira furor brevis eſt. when it is broken, is ſcattered abroad, ſo ſaith the Lord, ſcatter abroad the (rage) of thy wrath; the Hebrew word is, The paſſing of thy wrath. Rage makes a ſpeedy paſſage, it hath a ſwift motion, and do thou caſt it abroad while 'tis ſtirring and in motion, let it not cool, caſt it abroad hot. The word notes a violent hurrying along, Scatter abroad the rage Of thy wrath.

Or as the Hebrew hath it, of thy noſtrils. Raging appears by breathing, or in the quick ſtirring of the noſtrils when we breath; but why would the Lord have Job ſhew his rage? The anſwers is, do it to the deſtruction of the proud.

p. 577Behold every one that is proud and abaſe him.

Go, look upon proud ones in thine anger, deal with them as they deſerve. The word implies more than bare beholding.

There is a twofold beholding of things or perſons.

Firſt, With favour, delight and pleaſure (Pſal. 33.18. and 34.15.) In both places the Lord is repreſented, beholding or caſting an eye upon his people, with grace and favour, for their good and comfort.

Secondly, There is a beholding with anger and diſpleaſure; that is the meaning here: behold every one that is proud, behold them all, not only to take notice of them who they are, but behold them as I do, in wrath and anger, Behold Every one that is proud.

Be they few or many, great or ſmall, ſhew thy ſelf againſt every one that is proud, and Abaſe him.

Every proud man is as a mountain. Go, ſhew thy ſelf like me, behold thoſe that are as mountains among men, and make them valleys, abaſe them; that's the Lords work, and the meaning of his word here; as if he had ſaid, I have a power, that though proud ones are as great mountains, yet I can make them as valleys. The Lord ſpeaks this again at the beginning of the Verſ. 12. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low.

Here is an elegant repetition of the ſame thing, almoſt in the ſame words, meerly to inforce the matter look on every one that is proud, bend thy brows, look frowningly upon him, as if thou wouldſt look him thorough.

And bring him low.

The Septuagint ſay, quench him. foreign. Superbum extingue. Sept.The proud man is all in a flame; now ſaith God, behold this proud man and quench him, extinguiſh him, put him out. Thus the Lord calls Job to expreſs his diſpleaſure in theſe effects againſt proud men, that he might appear in wrath like him: As if the Lord had ſaid, I behold p. 578the proud man, and I abaſe him; I look upon the proud man, and bring him low, now let me ſee you do ſo too. Canſt thou with a look only abate their pride, and bring down the pomp of man?

Caſt abroad the rage of thy wrath.

Hence note, Firſt; There is wrath in God.

God knoweth how to caſt forth his wrath as well as to ſend forth his love,Habet ira Domini ſuam energiam nunquam egreditur vana. or ſhed it abroad (as the Apoſtles word is, Rom. 5.5.) in the hearts of his juſtified ones, by the holy Ghoſt, which is given unto them. The wrath of God (ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, Rom. 1.18.) is revealed from heaven againſt all ungodlineſs and unrighteouſneſs of men, who hold the truth in unrighteouſneſs. The wrath of God is ſuch as we can neither, Firſt, withſtand, nor, Secondly, avoid; there's, no out-running, no making an eſcape from it, but only by Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore the Apoſtle gives that glory to him alone (1 Theſſ. 1.10.) Even Jeſus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. There is a wrath to come, which God will ſcatter over all this ſinful wicked world; bleſſed are they that are delivered from it. Yea, not only is there wrath in God, but a fierceneſs of wrath, terrible wrath, ſuch as will cauſe the wicked (as was ſaid before) to run into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majeſty, when he ariſeth to ſhake terribly the earth (Iſa. 2.19.) Let us mind this wrath and the fierceneſs of it; and let us bleſs the Lord, who hath ſent Jeſus Chriſt …o deliver us from this wrath, and from the fierceneſs of it. When wrath ſhall be caſt abroad upon the wicked world, that it falls not upon the godly, is the fruit of higheſt and freeſt love. And though they ſip of the cup, yet that they drink not the dregs of it is rich mercy (Pſal. 75.98.) In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red, it is full of mixture, and he powreth out the ſame (in this powring out (poſſibly) a godly man may drink ſomewhat of it, eſpecially in a time of common calamity) but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth ſhall wring them out and drink them. It is of the Lords mercy, and becauſe his compaſſions fail not, that we are delivered from the fierceneſs of his wrath, and from drinking the very dregs of the cup of his diſpleaſure.

Conſider further, upon whom this wrath will be exerciſed, Caſt p. 579forth the rage of thy wrath, behold every one that is proud, and abaſe him: This the Lord bids Job do, to ſhew what himſelf uſually doth.

Hence note, Firſt; The Lord takes ſpecial notice of proud perſons.

He beholds them, he locks upon them. As it is ſaid Saul (1 Sam. 18.9.) He eyed David from that day forward, that is (which was his great ſin) he caſt a revengeful envious eye upon him: Thus when the holy God ſeeth wicked men g…ow lofty and proud, he eyeth and beholdeth them from that very day, with an eye of juſt revenge, or with a purpoſe to break them and be revenged on them. God beholds them, as I may ſay, with an evil eye, that is, with an intent to bring evil upon them. He (ſaith David, Pſal. 138.6.) knoweth the proud afar off. As it is ſaid of the Father of the humbled Prodigal in the Parable, (Luke 15.) When he was yet a great way off, his father ſaw him, and had compaſſion. So God quickly ſpies out a proud man, even a great way off, and hath indignation againſt him; or, as we may rather expound the Pſalm, He knoweth the proud afar off; that is, a proud man ſhall never come near him, he will not admit him into his preſence, much leſs into his imbraces. To be known afar off, is to be far from the favourable or reſpectful knowledge of God; yea, to thoſe whom the Lord knows afar off in this world, he will ſay in the next, I never knew you, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity (Mat. 7.23.)

Secondly, Note; God is able to, and will caſt down proud men.

That which he would have Job do, he himſelf (as was ſaid) uſually doth; He beholdeth the proud, and abaſeth them, he layeth them low. Nebuchadnezzar, that proud Monarch, was brought to that confeſſion (Dan. 4.37.) Now I Nebuchadnezzar praiſe, and honour, and extol the King of Heaven, all whoſe works are true, and his ways judgment, and thoſe that walk in pride he is able to abaſe. If men will be proud and lofty, the Lord both knoweth very well how, and is able very eaſily to bring them down. And as he knows how, and is able to deal with proud men, ſo he deſires and delights to deal with them, above all ſorts of ſinners; his greateſt conteſts are with the proud (Iſa. 2.12, 13, 14.) The day of p. 580the Lord of Hoſts ſhall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up (in his own conceit eſpecially) and he ſhall be brought low, and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the Oaks of Baſhan, and upon all the high mountains, &c. What meaneth the Prophet by theſe? is the Lord angry with trees and mountains? Theſe are but the ſhadows of great and proud men; the day of the Lord ſhall be upon every one of them, and his hand will be heavy upon them in that day. Proud men look upon themſelves much above others; but as God is above them, ſo he loves to ſhew himſelf ahove them, eſpecially when they ſhew out their pride. As Jethroe ſaid to Moſes (Exod. 18.9, 11.) Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. God ſheweth himſelf above all, when he acts above proud men, and acts them down in their proudeſt actings.

And as the Lord delights to bring proud men down; ſo he will certainly do it, he is reſolved upon it, He looketh upon every one that is proud to abaſe him. The Angels that fell were proud, they kept not their firſt eſtate, but left their habitation, they did not like the ſtate wherein God had placed them; and therefo e God caſt them down, and he hath reſerved them in everlaſting chains under darkneſs unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6.) When man in Paradiſe began to be proud and would be more than God made him (God made him above all earthly creatures, but he would be as God, as his Creator; he would be, as it were, the founder of his own happineſs; pride and unbelief at once took hold of him and led him to his ſin-fall, and) then followed his fall, his judgment-fall; God caſt him down, God abaſed him, and not only that proud man, but man-kind for his pride; they being in him, his pride was theirs. And to this day God hath all along ſet his face againſt all proud men, and the pride of all men, (James 4.6.) God reſiſteth the proud. The proud contend with God, they, as it were, wage war with God, and therefore God will wage war and contend with them, he reſiſteth the proud (Prov. 3.34.) Surely he ſcorneth the ſcorner, but he giveth grace to the lowly. The Lord hath two great works to do in the world. The firſt is, to lift up and exalt the humble. The ſecond is, to humble and pull down the proud. Theſe two are the p. 581daily products of divine providence. And the Lord is ſo much an enemy to pride, that if he ſee it in any of his own ſervants, he will abaſe them and lay them low for it; as we ſee in the caſe of that good King Hezekiah, His heart being lifted up (not in thankfulneſs, nor in zeal for the ways and things of God, as once it was, but in pride) there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jeruſalem (2 Chron. 32.35.) The Lord will not bear it, when his own bear or behave themſelves proudly (Prov. 29.23.) A mans pride (any mans pride) ſhall bring him low; that is, he ſhall be brought low for his pride, or his pride will bring him into ſuch extravagant wayes as will be a means to bring him low.

Thirdly, Note; God can eaſily abaſe and caſt down proud ones.

If any ask, how eaſily can he do it? I anſwer, He can do it with a look; Look upon every one that is proud, and bring him low, ſaith God to Job, ſhew thy ſelf like me in this, I can do it as eaſily as look upon him. God by a caſt of his eye can caſt down all proud men; as the Lord can help his people with a look. David deſired no more for his portion, but that God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him (Pſal. 4.6.) that is, that God would look upon him favourably: And that prayer is made three times (Pſal. 80 4, 7, 19.) Cauſe thy face to ſhine upon us, and (we have enough) we ſhall be ſaved, we ſhall be delivered, we ſhall be protected. A good look from God is all good to man. God with a good look can ſave us; and if God withdraw his eye from any, and will not look upon them, if he turn his back upon them, or hide his face from them, his favour is withdrawn, and they are helpleſs. Now as God can ſave his people with a ſmiling look, ſo he can deſtroy his enemies with a frowning one. His look is as powerful and effectual to deſtroy, as it is to ſave; though to look ſavingly be much more the delight of God (if I may ſo ſpeak) than to look deſtroyingly. It is ſaid, God looked through the pillar of fire and the cloud, upon the Hoſts of Pharoah, and troubled them, and took off the chariot wheels (Exod. 14.24.) Surely God abaſeth the proud men of the world eaſily, when he doth it with a look. He indeed (as the holy Virgin ſpake in her ſong, Luke 1.51, 52.) Sheweth ſtrength with his arm (or the ſtrength of his arm) when he ſcattereth the proud in the imaginations p. 582of their hearts, and puts down the mighty from their ſeats, and exalteth them of low degree; yet all this the Lord can do with a look from heaven, The habitation of his Holineſs, and of his Glory. Now,

If the Lord deal thus with proud men, take theſe inferences from it.

Firſt, Hath God ſuch an evil eye upon proud men, will he caſt them down? will he certainly do it? and can he eaſily do it? Then woe to proud men; 'tis the word of the Prophet (Iſa. 28.1.) Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim; that is, to thoſe who crown themſelves with pride, and make that their glory and their honour which will p…ove their ſhame and downfal: and theſe the Prophet calls the drunkards of Ephraim (I conceive) he means not thoſe that drink themſelves drunk with wine, but thoſe that are drunk with their own preſumptions, with the pride of their ſpirits, or, as many alſo are, with vain hopes and expectations. We have vain confidents and expectants ſo expreſſed (Nahum. 1.10.) While they are folded together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they ſhall be devoured as ſtubble fully dry; that is, while they are drunken with pride and ſelf-confidence to carry all before them, while they are thus folded together like thorns, in their plots and contrivements, while they are drunken with falſe hopes, they ſhall be devoured as ſtubble fully dry; that is, they ſhall be utterly conſumed and devoured.

Secondly, If there be ſuch a woe to proud ones, if the Lord hath ſuch a bad eye upon them, and is able to lay them low, and will certainly do it, and can eaſily do it, we had need conſider who are the proud ones. Pride is an evil weed, yet it groweth many times in the beſt ſoyl, even in a good heart; and it is no eaſie matter to find out who are the proud men intended in this Text and Point; yet I anſwer,

In general, Firſt, All they are proud who value themſelves very highly, yea, they are proud who put any undue value upon themſelves; we can ſcarcely value our ſelves any thing at all, but we ſhal over-value …ur ſelves, for we are worms and no men, ſaith David: He ſaid alſo, What is man, O Lord, that thou art mindful of him? Man is ſo ſmall a thing, that the Pſalmiſt could hardly tell what he is, or what to make of him; ſure enough man is no ſuch thing p. 583as moſt men make of themſelves. Doubtleſs, if we have any high thoughts of our ſelves; we over-think our ſelves; and uſually they that have leaſt true worth, have greateſt thoughts of their own worthineſs. Man hath loſt all, is ſtript of all, as he cometh into the world, yet he is proud as if he had all. As they that have much are proud, or in great danger of pride, ſo it is a truth, that they who have nothing are often proud too. The Apoſtle bids Timothy (1 Tim. 6.17.) Charge them that be rich in this world, that they be not high-minded. And among rich men, they who (as I may ſay, according to the phraſe of the world) have raiſed their own fortunes, are moſt apt to be proud; and there are two reaſons of it, Firſt, Becauſe of the change of their ſtate; they were low and empty, but now they are high and full. This change of their condition, changeth their diſpoſition; and (as we ſay) Their blood riſeth with their good. Secondly, That which they have is (ſay they) of their own getting; they think their skill and their diligence hath got it. Hence Job proteſted, If I rejoyced becauſe my hand hath gotten much. Nebuchadnezzar boaſted of his great Palace, becauſe he had built it; Is not this great Babel that I have built? Now, as they are apt to be proud who have much, eſpecially when it is of their own acquiſition (though indeed we have nothing meerly of our own acquiſition) ſo they who have little or nothing, are not out of the danger of pride; poor & proud is ſo common, that it is grown into a proverb. And they eſpecially, who are poor in ſpirituals, grow proud in ſpirit, as it was with the Laodicean Angel (Rev. 3.17.)

But further, they are proud who lift up themſelves in any thing of ſelf; As, Firſt, in their natural parts, wit, underſtanding, memory, elocution; Secondly, in their acquired parts, learning, knowledge, skill; Thirdly, in their moral vertues, ſobriety, temperance, juſtice; Fourthly, in their ſpiritual graces, faith, love, ſelf-denial ('tis poſſible to be proud for a fit of theſe, or to have a fit of pride come upon us upon the exerciſe of theſe) Fifthly, in their holy duties and performances, prayers, faſtings, &c. Sixthly, in their legal righteouſneſs and good deeds, alms, charities. We ſeldom do well, or any good, eſpecially (as we ought, and duty binds us) much good, but we think too well of our ſelves (that we are better than we are) or too much both of the good we have done, and of our own goodneſs. As the p. 584great goodneſs of God, or the greatneſs of his goodneſs appears chiefly in this, that he can make all things, even evil things, and thoſe not only the evils of trouble, but the evil of ſin, work together for our good (Rom. 8.28.) ſo the great evil of mans heart, or the greatneſs of that evil, appears chiefly in this, that it cauſeth all things, even good things, and thoſe not only the good things of this natural life, but the good belonging to, and done in the power of a ſpiritual life, to work to our hurt, ſometimes for a time, and would to our ruine for ever, did not the Lord over-rule it. Seventhly, the favour which they have with men, whether they be the mighty, the Princes and powers of the world, or the many, the common people of the world. How are ſome lifted up, becauſe they are the darlings of the people, becauſe the multitude eyes them, points at them, and applauds them! To be lifted up in any of theſe things, or in any thing elſe (and what is there, not only of an earthly, but of an heavenly pedigree and extraction, in which the vain heart of man is not ready to be lifted up unduly, forgetting God from whom all good comes; to be lifted up, I ſay, in any of theſe things) layes man open to the wrathful reſiſtance of God, and all ſuch God will bring down and abaſe; therefore let us be empty of our ſelves, and beware of being found among the proud, yea, of being in any kind or degree proud. It is dangerous to have any pride found in us, but woe to thoſe who are found proud.

Thirdly, If the Lord hath ſuch an eye to, and upon proud men, and will thus bring them low, Then let us not be afraid of proud men; why ſhould we be afraid of them who are falling (Prov. 15.33.) The fear of the Lord is the inſtruction of wiſdom, and before honour is humility. But what ſaith the ſame Solomon (Prov. 18.32.) Before deſtruction the heart of man is haughty. As ſoon as ever we ſee any man ſhewing a proud heart by pride of life, we may quickly conclude the Lord is about to pluck him down. One very great reaſon why the Lord hath laid many, who were once as mountains, low as valleys, was the pride of their hearts. When pride buds, the rod bloſſometh; that is, God is preparing for the correction, if not for the deſtruction of proud ones. And as it is ſad to ſee pride bud at any time, ſo then eſpecially, when the rod bloſſometh, that is, when God is correcting us with his rods.

p. 585Fourthly, Then do not envy proud ones. We are apt to envy thoſe that are high in place, though they are proud in ſpirit; but, do not envy proud ones, how high, how great ſoever you ſee them, for they are in danger of falling, according to the truth of this Scripture, and many others. When proud men are in their fulleſt ruff, and higheſt aſcent, then they are neareſt a dreadful downfall; Before deſtruction the heart of man is haughty (ſaith Solomon, Prov. 18.12.) and before honour is humility. And the Apoſtle Peter having given this counſel to thoſe who are humbled by affliction (1 Epiſt. 5.6.) humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God, ſubjoyns this comfortable promiſe in the cloſe of the verſe, That he may exalt you in due time.

Fifthly, Then pride is a very provoking ſin. The Lord who declares himſelf againſt all ſorts of ſinners, declares himſelf moſt againſt proud ſinners (Prov. 16.5.) Every one that is proud in heart, is an abomination to the Lord; & mark what followeth in the ſame verſe, though hand joyn in hand, he (that is, the proud man) ſhall not be unpuniſhed. Pride is the Devils ſin, the Devil is that Myſtical Leviathan ſpoken of in the 41th Chapter of this Book, who is a King over all the children of pride. They who are not ſubject to God (proud men above all men are not) are the Devils ſubjects; He is a King over all the children of pride. There are four things in which the provocation of the ſin of pride conſiſts, any one of which may provoke God to pull down proud ones.

Firſt, Proud men ſet themſelves in the place of God, Lucifer (by whom the proud Babilonian is meant) ſaid (Iſa. 14.14.) I will be like the Moſt High. Thus the Lord ſaid of the Prince of Tyrus. (Ezek. 28.2.) Becauſe thine heart is lifted up, and thou haſt ſaid I am a God, I ſit in the ſeat of God, in the midſt of the ſeas; yet thou art a man and not God, though thou ſet thy heart as the heart of God. See how that proud Prince thought to carry it as God, as if he had been the founder of his own ſtrength. How can the Lord but be provoked with ſuch an affront as this? Proud Babilon ſpake this language, and at as high a rate (Iſa. 47.8.) I am, and none elſe beſides me (is not this to ſpeak juſt like God) I ſhall not ſit as a widdow, neither ſhall I know the loſs of children.

Secondly, As pride is an uſurpation of the place and power of God, ſo of the providences of God. A proud man knoweth not how to acknowledge God in any mercy, nor how to be humbled p. 586under the hand of God in any affliction. He mindes not God either in what he enjoyeth, or in what he ſuffereth; is not this a provocation?

Thirdly, Pride muſt needs provoke God, as a proud man ſets himſelf againſt all the Commands & Laws of God. God cannot but be provoked, to ſee all his Laws and Commands ſlighted by man. A proud man will keep no bounds, nor would he be kept in any.

Fourthly, Pride is a Mother ſin, it brings forth many other ſins. As Unbelief is a Mother ſin, ſo is Pride (Hab. 2.5.) He is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his deſire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be ſatisfied, but gathereth unto him all Nations, and heapeth unto him all people. The pride of the Aſſyrian put him upon other ſins, upon oppreſſion eſpecially; he could not keep at home, nor be contented with his own Dominion, th…ugh a very large and vaſt one; he muſt go abroad, and invade other mens Territories; his pride ſent him to do miſchief, and he enlarged his deſire as hell. Proud men muſt oppreſs and wrong others, to bring in fewel for their own luſts. Pride calls in aid from many ſins to ſerve its turn.

Laſtly, If Pride provokes God, if he looketh upon every one that is proud, to abaſe him and bring him low; then how ſhould we labour to be humble ones, that the Lord may look upon us with a favourable eye, and ſo he doth upon all them that walk humbly with him. As God reſiſteth the proud, ſo he giveth grace to the humble, that is, favour. The humble ſhall have his favour, and the proud his frowns. As to do juſtly, and to love mercy, is the ſum of all duty to man; ſo to walk humbly, is the ſum of all duty to God (Mic. 6.8.) They who walk humbly, walk not onelyonly holily, but ſafely. They who are low in their own eyes, are under the ſpecial protection of the high God.

The Lord having called upon Job to ſhew the effect of his wrath againſt one ſort of bad men, the proud, calleth upon him in the next words, to ſhew the effects of his wrath upon all ſorts of bad men, comprehended under this general word, The wicked.

And tread down the wicked in their place.

The Lord bids Job do this if he could (indeed he could not) that he might ſhew himſelf a competent match for God. As if the Lord had ſaid, I tread down the wicked in their places, do thou p. 587ſo too, if thou canst. God had ſaid before, Abaſe every one that is proud, and bring him low; now he ſaith, Tread down the wicked.

Tread them down, As mire in the ſtreet: We tread upon vile and contemptible things. To tread upon any t…ing, a perſon eſpecially, notes utter contempt of him, and ab…olute conqueſt over him; and therefore (Joſh. 10.24.) to ſhew the compleat victory which the Lords people had go… over the Kings of Canaan, Joſhua called for all the men of Iſrael, and ſaid unto the Captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of theſe Kings; and they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And that's it which the Apoſtle gives (in way of promiſe) as an aſſurance of our conqueſt over the evil ſpirit, the devil (Rom. 16.20.) God ſhall bruiſe (we put in the Margin, tread; the Greek word ſigni…ies, to bruiſe by treading; God ſhall tread) Satan under your feet ſhortly, that is, God will give you a full and a final victory over the devil. We have a like expreſſion or promiſe (Pſal. 91.13.) Thou ſhalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion, and the dragon ſhalt thou trample under feet. God will give his people power, not onelyonly over hurtful beaſts, but over men, which are hurtful as thoſe beaſts, and over Satan, who is eminently ſhadowed by the Lion, the Adder, the young Lion, and the Dragon; in that evil ſpirit all theſe evil beaſts are trodden under feet, that is, ſubdued and conquered. When David would ſhew how he (in caſe he were faulty) was willing to be made a very ſlave to his enemies, he phraſes it thus (Pſal. 7.5.) Let the enemy perſecute my ſoul and take it, yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the duſt; that is, let him have full power over me, let me be at his mercy, though he be mercileſſe. Once more (ſaith the Church, Pſal. 44.5.) Through thee will we puſh down our enemies, through thy name will we tread them down that riſe up againſt us. Thus the Lord beſpake Job, Come, ſaith he, Let me ſee you tread down the wicked, get an abſolute conqueſt over them, that they may riſe up no more in this world to do wickedly. Tread down The wicked.

The word wicked is often taken largely, ſo every man in a ſinful ſtate, may be called a wicked man; every perſon unconverted or unregenerate, every perſon that hath not true grace, is wicked. p. 588There is no middle eſtate among men, between good and bad, converted and unconverted; yet here the wicked are not to be taken onelyonly in a large ſenſe, for ſinners in common, but ſtrictly,

Firſt, For the proud before ſpoken of, There the Lord ſaid, abaſe the proud, here he ſaith, Tread down the wicked; that is, the wicked who are proud. To be wicked and to be proud are the ſame: For as moſt wicked men are proud, ſo all proud men are wicked; for pride it ſelf is a great wickedneſſe: and it is pride that cauſeth moſt men to do wickedly, even to rebel againſt God and his righteous laws, to riſe up againſt his wayes and truths. When we have ſaid of a man he is proud, if we have not ſaid all evil, we have ſaid one of the worſt evils of him; and that which layes him open, as to ſuffer the worſt penal evils, ſo to do the worſt ſinful evils.

Secondly, If we take the words diſtinctly (as we may) then by the wicked are meant groſſe and flagitious ſinners, notorious ſinners; for though, as I ſaid before, any one that hath not grace, may be called wicked, yet properly, and in Scripture ſenſe, wicked ones are notorious, preſumptuous, and flagitious ſinners, ſuch as ſin with a high hand, and with a ſtiffe neck.

Thirdly, By the wicked we may eſpecially underſtand oppreſſors, who are troubleſome and vexatious to others. As ſome are wicked in taking their own pleaſure, and in ſatisfying their vain deſires; ſo many are wicked in vexing, afflicting, and oppreſſing others. The Hebrew word for a wicked man, ſignifies ſuch a one as is both unquiet himſelf, and will not ſuffer others to be quiet. In any of, or in all theſe three notions, we may expound the word wicked here; the wicked are proud ones, or notorious evil ones, or oppreſſors of others. Tread down the wicked In their place.

The Hebrew is, Ʋnder them. The word alſo ſignifieth (as we render) a proper place; and that's conſiderable. Tread them down in their place. The Lord doth not ſay in thy place, but in their place; which may note theſe two things.

Firſt, Whereſoever thou findeſt them, tread them down.

Secondly, In their place, that is, where they flouriſh moſt, where they are beſt rooted, or moſt ſtrongly ſecured; where they have the greateſt advantages and ſtrengths to ſave them harmleſſe. p. 589That is ſpecially a mans place, Non eſt difficile ſuperbum hominem & petentem in alieno loco ſuperare, quia in eo minus habet potentiae. Sanct.where he ſeateth and hopes to ſettle himſelf. Now ſaith God, Tread them down in their place. I do ſo, I deſtroy the wicked, when and where they think themſelves ſafeſt, where they think no hand can touch them, nor arm reach them, there my foot ſhall tread them down. O Job, canſt thou do thus? or do thou thus, Tread down the wicked in their place. And as it followeth in the next verſe to the ſame effect.

Verſe 13. Hide them in the duſt together, and bind their faces in ſecret.

That is, Bring them to utter deſtruction, to condign puniſhment, even to death. Some expound hiding in the duſt, by laying in dungeons and filthy priſons. Secondly, Others ſay to hide in the duſt, notes death, or to lay them in their graves. Duſt thou art (ſaid God to Adam, Gen. 3.19.) and to duſt thou ſhalt return. That is, thou ſhalt die, and be put in thy grave; which poſſibly, is called, the duſt of death (Pſal. 22.15.) Hide them in the duſt of the earth, let them appear no more above ground to trouble thee or others. Hide them in the duſt Together.

That is either,

Firſt, All at a time. Thus the Lord can do, he can deſtroy all the wicked at once, at one time, in one hour. Or,

Secondly, Together; that is, in one place. God can gather the wicked all together, and ſo make an end of them together, both as to time and place.

Yet I conceive neither of theſe are here intended; for God doth not uſually deſtroy the wicked all at one time, nor all in one place; he hath ſeveral times and ſtages to act his providences in and upon, ſo that, to hide them in the duſt together, is but this, to hide them alike, to put them all into the ſame condition, at one time or other, in one place or other, that they may be able to do no more miſchief.

And bind their faces in ſecret.

That's the laſt expreſſion, ſhewing what God doth, and what he bid Job do, Bind their faces in ſecret. There may be a twofold interpretation of theſe words; either,

p. 590Firſt, In alluſion to men condemned, whoſe faces uſe to be covered; a Sentence of death being pronounced and paſſed upon them, they were as it were hid from the light of the living. Thus as ſoon as Ahaſuerus the King had paſſed ſentence againſt Haman, they covered his face (Eſth. 7.8.) or

Secondly, This covering their faces, may be an alluſion to actually dead men, whoſe faces if they die among men, eſpecially among friends, are alwayes bound up and decently covered. When Chriſt called Lazarus out of the grave, the Text ſaith (John 11.44.) He came forth, his face being bound about with a napkin. So then, to bind their faces in ſecret, is as if it had been ſaid, bring them to death, or put them to death. Thus the Lord calls Job to that in three particulars, which himſelf will certainly do.

Firſt, To Tread down the wicked.

Secondly, To Hide them in the dust together.

Thirdly, To Bind their faces in ſecret.

The Notes which I ſhall give from theſe words, will be grounded upon that three-fold interpretation of the word wicked. And

Firſt, As the wicked are taken for the ſame with the proud in the former verſe.

Obſerve; Proud men are wicked men.

Behold (ſaith the Prophet, Mal. 4.1.) The day of the Lord ſhall burn as an oven, and all the proud, and all that do wickedly, ſhall be ſtubble. The proud, …d they that do wickedly go together. The proud do wickedly, and are therefore deſervedly numbred among the wicked. Pride is the firſt of thoſe ſeven things which are an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 6.16, 17.) There are ſix things that the Lord hates, yea, ſeven are abomination to him. A proud look, that's firſt; and if a proud look, then certainly a proud heart, and a proud ſpirit. Proud perſons have not onelyonly a chief, but the firſt place by name among thoſe whom the Lord abominates. And in that black Catalogue of eighteen ſorts of wicked ones, that ſhall trouble the world in the latter dayes, the proud are not the laſt nor the leaſt; (2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4, 5.) In the last dayes perilous times ſhall come, why? what ſhall make them ſo? The reaſon follows, For men ſhall be lovers of their own ſelves, covetous, boaſters, proud. Now though the proud man comes in the fourth place, by name, yet he is p. 591in the firſt place as to influence; for what is the reaſon why men over-love themſelves? is it not becauſe they are proud, and have too high thoughts of themſelves? David (Pſal. 119.21.) ſheweth the wickedneſs of proud men, or that proud men are extreamly wicked, while he ſaith to and of God, Thou haſt rebuked the proud that are curſed, which do erre from thy Commandements. The proud are ſuch as continually wander out of the wayes of truth and holineſſe. Pride will not let us keep Commandements ('tis the humble ſoul which keeps them) and therefore pride may be called the breach of all the Commandements; and if ſo, proud men muſt needs be the very firſt-born of the wicked; and therefore David ſaith of them, that they are not onelyonly under the rebuke of God, but under his curſe, which is the peculiar portion and puniſhment of the wicked. And what the way of proud men is, both in doing and ſpeaking, the ſame David tells us (Pſal. 75.45.) I ſaid unto the fools, deal not fooliſhly; and to the wicked, lift not up the horn, lift not up your horn on high, ſpeak not with a ſtiffe neck, that is, be not proud. Wicked men lift up their horn and tongue, they cannot but ſhew their pride in word and deed. The Devil is the wicked one (Matth. 13.19.) The high-way ground having received the ſeed, 'tis ſaid, the wicked one (that is, the Devil) cometh and catcheth it away. And when the world is ſaid to lie in wickedneſs, or in the wicked one (1 John 5.19.) The meaning is, the Devil over-rules the carnal world. Now, as the Devil is the wicked one, ſo he is the proud one alſo. Pride was that wickededneſs for which God trod him down, and his wickedneſs ſtill continueth in tempting men to, or in puffing them up with pride. It is the buſineſſe of the wicked one, the Devil, to make men proud, becauſe he knows pride will make them wicked, and do wickedly. Pride hardeneth the mind (as Daniel ſaith it did Nebuchadnezar, Chap. 5.20.) Now what wickedneſſe is there, which a hardened mind will not attempt to do! Pride put Herod upon ſeeking the bloud of Chriſt, who came to ſave and waſh ſinners with his blood.

Proud men are very wicked as they deſpiſe other men (a proud man thinks no man ſo good as himſelf, or himſelf too good for all other men) Some proud men are ſo wicked, that they deſpiſe even God himſelf. The proud man lifts up himſelf againſt the Word of God, ſlights the promiſes, regards not the threatnings of p. 592God; his heart is lifted up againſt the Commandements of God, nor doth he value the comforts of God; he neglects the Ordinances of God, nor doth he reverence the Providences of God. He that doth, or is ready to do all this, is ſurely a deſpiſer of God himſelf. How wicked a man is he, whoſe heart is lifted up both againſt God and man!

Secondly, Conſider the wicked proud man, as one whom God treadeth down.

Then, Obſerve; God puniſheth ſinners with that which is moſt croſſe to their luſts.

What more croſſe to a high-ſpirited man, than to be brought low; and who can be brought lower than he that is trodden down. As God ſometimes puniſheth Drunkards with thirſt, and Gluttons with hunger, and covetous perſons with poverty. There is one (ſaith Solomon, Prov. 11.29.) that with-holdeth more than is meet (he doubtleſs is a covetous man that doth ſo) & it tendeth to poverty. So God puniſheth proud ones, by that which is moſt contrary to their nature, he abaſeth and layeth them low. The Prophet tells us (Iſa. 3.16, 17.) how the Lord would puniſh wanton women, who were proud either of their natural beauty, or artificial dreſſes and ornaments. The daughters of Zion (ſaith he) are haughty, and walk with ſtretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinckling with their feet; there's their pride: but what was their puniſhment? the next words reſolve us. Therefore the Lord will ſmite with a ſcab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will diſcover their ſecret parts; they were proud of that which covered their skin, and therefore the Lord puniſht them with ſcabs, or covered their skin with ſcurfe and ſcabs; and as there the Lord ſhews what he would bring upon, ſo what he would take from them. (Verſ. 18.) In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinckling ornaments about their feet, and their Caules, and their round tyres like the Moon. And (Verſ. 24.) it ſhall come to paſs that inſtead of ſweet ſmell there ſhall be ſtink, and inſtead of a girdle a rent, and inſtead of well ſet hair baldneſs, and inſtead of a ſtomacher a girding of ſackcloth, and burning inſtead of beauty. What could be more contrary to the pride of theſe women, than that which the Lord brought upon p. 593them, or puniſhed them with. What do proud women more deſire than beauty and bravery? And what do proud men look after, but to be reſpected, honoured, and to have every one point the finger at them, or bow the knee to them? Now when the Lord blaſts proud women in their beauty and bravery, when he blaſts proud men in their honour and eſtimation, when he thus abaſeth and treads them down, he toucheth them in that which the ſpirit of pride prizeth moſt, and with greateſt regret parteth from. Pride is a baſe height of ſpirit, therefore the Lord abaſeth the proud. There are five words in the Text, all tending directly to croſſe the ſpirit of a proud man.

Firſt, He ſhall be abaſed.

Secondly, He ſhall be brought low. A proud man would fain be high, he would ſit at the upper end of the Table, yea, he would ſit at the upper end of the World too; but, ſaith the Lord, he ſhall be brought low.

Thirdly, What would a proud man do? He would tread upon the necks of all others, but he ſhall be trodden under foot.

Fourthly, Where would the proud man be? He would be conſpicuous in high places, but he ſhall be hid in the duſt.

Fifthly, He would be lookt at by all men with admiration, but, ſaith God, his face ſhall be bound in ſecret; he loves to appear and make a fair ſhew in the fleſh, but he ſhall not appear at all.. Proud ones cannot get ſo high, but God in his Juſtice will get above them, and ſtrip them of that wherein they have chiefly prided themſelves. Read (Iſa. 14.11, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25. and Iſa. 23.9.) Thoſe Scriptures tell us how the Lord deals with proud men, according to their pride, or rather contrary to their pride; he gives them that which they moſt diſguſt, and takes that from them which they moſt paſſionately deſire.

Secondly, Take wicked men in the common notion, for thoſe that do evil at the higheſt rate, that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and ſin as it were with cart-ropes. Then,

Obſerve, Firſt; Wicked men, that is, impenitent ſinners, high-handed ſinners, are in a very ſad condition, and ſhall come to a ſad concluſion.

The Lord will tread them down (Pſal. 9.16, 17.) The wicked p. 594is ſnared in the work of his own hands, yea, the wicked ſhall be turned into hell. That is, the utmoſt of ſorrow and ſuffering ſhall be their portion (Iſa. 3.11.) Wo to the wicked, for the reward of their doings ſhall be given them. (Iſa. 57.21.) There is no peace, ſaith my God, to the wicked. As the tumultuouſneſs of their own ſpirits will not let them be at peace, ſo neither will the righteouſneſſe of God.

Secondly, From thoſe expreſſions, Tread down the wicked in their place, hide them in the duſt together, bind their faces in ſecret.

Obſerve; God will at laſt purge and rid the world of wicked men.

As wicked men would fain purge and rid the world of godly men, they would deſtroy all the ſeed of the righteous; ſo certainly God will deſtroy the wicked of the world, and rid the world of them, though not at once of every wicked man, yet in their times and ſeaſons, that they ſhall not do the miſchief which their hearts are full of. The laſt of the Prophets ſpeaks as much of the Lords vengeance upon all the wicked (Mal. 4.1.) The day of the Lord. (ſpeaking of ſome great day of the Lords appearance) ſhall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, ſhall be ſtubble; and the day that cometh ſhall burn them up, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, that it ſhall leave them neither root nor branch. 'Tis utter ruin to be deſtroyed root and branch; ſuch ſhall the ruin of the wicked be. Thus alſo the Prophet Iſaiah comforts the Church (Chap. 52.1.) Awake, awake, put on thy ſtrength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jeruſalem, the holy City; for henceforth there ſhall no more come into thee, the uncircumciſed and the unclean. The wicked of the world are the uncircumciſed, they have not the ſpiritual circumciſion, the circumciſion of the heart; theſe ſhall no more trouble Jeruſalem, nor tread in Zions Courts. (Nahum. 1.15.) Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publiſheth peace; O Judah keep thy ſolemn feaſts, perform thy Vows, for the wicked ſhall no more paſſe through thee, he is utterly cut off. The Hebrew is, Belial ſhall no more paſſe through thee: That is, ſuch as caſt off the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt, ſhall no more bring Judah under their yoke. This is alſo witneſſed by another p. 595holy Prophet (Zech. 14.21.) In that day there ſhall be no more the Cananite in the houſe of the Lord of hoſts, they ſhall no more mingle themſelves with the faithful ſervants of God, much leſs rule over them. Canaanites have often been in the houſe of the Lord, but the Canaanite ſhall not always be there; God will ſweep them out of his houſe. Anſwerable to theſe propheſies ſpeaks the laſt propheſie (Rev. 21.27. Chap. 22.15.) which ſome interpret of a glorious ſtate of the Church here, and 'tis undoubtedly true (as all agree) of the Church in glory: No unclean thing ſhall enter; without ſhall be dogs. Then indeed, God will abaſe the proud, and tread down the wicked, In their place.

Hence note, Thirdly; No outward advantages (and except thoſe they have none) ſhall ſtand the wicked in ſtead, or keep them from falling.

God will tread them down in their place; when they are where they would be, upon their own ground, they ſhall be worſted. The Scripture ſpeaks often of treading down the wicked, notwithſtanding their greateſt advantages. Union is a great advantage for preſervation, yet (Iſa. 8.9.) Aſſociate your ſelves, O ye people and ye ſhall be broken in pieces; and give ear all ye far Countries, gird your ſelves, and you ſhall be broken in pieces; take counſel together, and it ſhall come to nought, ſpeak the word, and it ſhall not ſtand. As if the Lord had ſad, I will not take you at an advantage, before you are gathered together, before you are girded; I will not ſurprize you unarmed and unprovided; do your beſt to ſave and ſecure your ſelves from my vengeance, aſſociate your ſelves, gird your ſelves, take counſel together, and then I will tread you down. Neither ſtrongeſt aſſociations, nor wiſeſt conſultations, nor higheſt reſolutions, nor compleateſt preparations for action (though ye have ſpoken the word and are girt) ſhall avail you in the day of my wrath. Thus the Lord beſpake Jehoiakim by his Prophet (Jerem. 22.15.) Shalt thou reign becauſe thou cloſeſt thy ſelf in Cedar? As if he had ſaid, becauſe thou doſt make ſuch proviſion for thy own ſafety, doſt thou think to be be ſafe? or canſt thou ſhelter thy ſelf againſt me? Again (verſ. 23.) O Inhabitant of Lebanon, that makeſt thy neſt in the Cedars (Cedars are high trees and ſtrong) how gracious ſhalt p. 596thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain of a woman in travel. The Lord puts a ſcorn upon them, ſuch a kind of ſcorn (but not as hers, without cauſe) as Michal put upon David (2 Sam. 6.20.) how glorious was the King of Iſrael to day. Were not you very glorious when you danced uncovered before the ark? Thus, I ſay, the Lord puts a holy ſcorn upon the wicked, when they are in their Cedar-neſts; How gracious wilt thou be, when pangs of ſorrow come upon thee. Take one Scripture more (Jerem. 49.16.) Thy terribleneſs ('tis ſpoken of Edom) hath deceived thee, (thou thoughteſt thy ſelf ſo terrible that none durſt touch thee, yet, thy terribleneſs hath deceived thee) and the pride of thy heart, O thou that dwelleſt in the clefts of the rock, and holdeſt the height of the hill; though thou ſhouldſt make thy neſt as high as the Eagles, I will bring thee down from thence, ſaith the Lord. Thou haſt all the advantages, thou haſt a rock for ſtrength, and thou art upon a hill for height, yea, upon the height of the hill, thou art above all; but though thy neſt were as the Eagles, I will pluck thee thence. Thus the Lord treads down the wicked in their place, in there fortifications, in their mounts and towers; when they have ſecured themſelves moſt by counſels, and friends, and ſtrong-holds, then and there he treads them down, even in their place.

Fourthly, Note; God is known to be God, or ſheweth himſelf to be God by abaſeing the proud, and by treading down wicked men.

I ground it thus. The Lord would have Job ſhew himſelf like God, or act as God doth, by treading down the wicked. God made himſelf known to be God, by the Plagues which he brought upon Pharaoh, as well as by the deliverance and ſalvation which he wrought for Iſrael (Exod. 8.22. Exod. 9.14.) I will ſend all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy ſervants, and upon thy people, that thou mayſt know that there is none like me in very deed for this cauſe have I raiſed thee up, for to ſhew in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throghout all the earth. Thus alſo ſaid David (Pſal. 9.16.) The Lord is known by the judgment that he executeth, that is, by puniſhing the wicked he is known to be the Lord. God is known by his works, as well as in his word: power and greatneſs, and wiſdom and juſtice are viſible in his judgments.

p. 597There was a third ſort of wicked men named in opening the Text, which I ſhall but touch in this obſervation. Such they were deſcribed to be as are unquiet themſelves, nor will they ſuffer others to be quiet by their good wills; they are troubled that any live peaceably by them: The Lord will tread down theſe unquiet wicked ones alſo. The Scripture is full of this truth (Iſa. 33.1.) Wo to thee that ſpoileſt, and thou waſt not ſpoiled; and dealeſt treacherouſly, and they dealt not treacherouſly with thee: when thou ſhalt ceaſe to ſpoil, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled; and when thou ſhalt make an end to deal treacherouſly, they ſhall deal treacherouſly with thee.

Now the Lord having put Job to all theſe trials of his ſtrength (thereby to ſhew himſelf able to contend with him) tells him plainly, if thou canſt do theſe things,Vexatio verba minus limata extorſit, menpia & caſta permanſit. if thou canſt abaſe the proud, if thou canſt tread them down, hide them in the duſt, and bind their faces in ſecret, Then

Verſ. 14. Will I confeſs that thine own right hand can ſave thee.

Then will I confeſs.

That is, when thou haſt done all theſe things,Confeſſio pro laude & honorifico teſtimonio ſaepe ponitur in Scriptura. Palmam tibi cedam, &c. Bez. I will give an honourable teſtimony of thee, I will not hide thy power; and then I will acknowledge, thou haſt ſome colour to conteſt with me, and art able to uphold thy ſelf. Theſe mighty acts are proper and peculiar to me; yet thou ſeemeſt to ſay, thou canſt do all theſe, elſe, ſurely thou hadſt never offered to contend with me. That's the ſcope of theſe words, Then will I confeſs That thine own right hand can ſave thee.

Or that thou canſt be a ſelf-ſaviour, Hoc ſolius Dei eſt qui quod eſt, per ſe eſt, & à quo omnis poteſtas & dignitas.or that thou art ſelf-ſufficient, as I am, and haſt no dependance upon any; and then thou needeſt not complain that I do not help thee, for thou canſt help thy ſelf.

Thine own right hand can ſave thee. The hand is an inſtrument of help, eſpecially the right hand; and then the right hand ſaves, when it either keeps us from danger, or delivers us out of it.

Queſt. But did Job ever ſay his own right hand could ſave him.

p. 598Anſw. Job never ſaid it, nor thought it, his mind was pure from ſuch blaſphemy; yet he ſometimes ſpake as if he had been ſomewhat more than a man, eſpecially, when he ſpake of debating his matters and arguing with God.

Firſt, In that the Lord ſaith, in caſe Job could do all thoſe things, he would confeſs that his own right hand could ſave him,

Note; He that can deſtroy all others, can ſave himſelf.

Illa facere poſſe, & ſeipſum ſalvare unius, & ejuſdem ſunt virtutis.There goes no more to ſave our ſelves out of any trouble, than to deſtroy all others. The Apoſtle James ſaith (Chap. 4.12.) There is one law-giver, who is able to ſave and deſtroy. God is this law-giver, he is able to do both; and becauſe he can deſtroy all, he can ſave all, and will ſave all that truſt in him. The devil is called a deſtroyer, he is called Abaddon in Hebrew, and Apollyon in Greek, that is, a deſtroyer (Rev. 9.11.) but he cannot deſtroy all; if he could, he would ſoon make ſad work, none ſhould be ſaved. There is but one law-giver, who can ſave and deſtroy, take away life and give life; he can do the one as well as the other, and both as often as he will. The Lord hath an abſolutely ſupream power over men, and may diſpoſe of them for life or death as he pleaſeth; even, eternal life and death, ſalvation and damnation are in his hand; 'tis therefore a fearful thing to fall into the hand (the revenging hand) of the living God (Heb. 10.31.) upon the neglect, much more upon the deſpiſing and contempt of the covenant of life and peace by Jeſus Chriſt, as 'tis ſaid at the 29th verſe of that Chapter. Chriſt is the beſt friend and the worſt enemy; To him belong the iſſues from death (Pſal. 68.20.) and he hath the keyes af death and hell (Rev. 1.18.) Let us rejoyce with trembling before him, who is able to ſave and deſtroy.

Secondly, Note; Man cannot ſave himſelf by the beſt of his power.

No, not by his own right hand. Man cannot ſave himſelf, Firſt, from temporal evils; he cannot ſave himſelf from ſickneſs nor from poverty, he cannot ſave himſelf from any danger that is ready to fall upon him; nor can the ſtrongeſt creatures ſave him (Pſal. 33.17.) A horſe is a vain thing to ſave a man, and man is as vain a thing to ſave himſelf; a horſe cannot deliver us by p. 599his great ſtrength, or by the greatneſs of his skill and wiſdom. Secondly, much leſs can man ſave himſelf from ſpiritual and eternal evils. While we conſider, Firſt, out of what miſery we are ſaved. Secondly, from what mighty enemies we are ſaved. Thirdly, from whoſe wrath we are ſaved. Fourthly, what price was required, that we might be ſaved. Fifthly, what mercy and grace were needful to ſave us: we muſt needs confeſs, that our right hand cannot ſave us, ſpiritually and eternally. Who can ſave himſelf out of the hand of that great enemy the devil, and his legions of darkneſs? who can ſave himſelf from that gulf of miſery, into which ſin hath plunged us? who can deliver himſelf from the curſe of the Law, or from ſin, the ſting of death? who can deliver himſelf from the power of his luſts, from the pride, unbelief, covetouſneſs and hardneſs of his own heart? Our own right hand cannot ſave us from any of theſe evils. The devil and the world are too ſtrong for us, and ſo is every luſt and corruption of our own evil hearts. Can we by any power of our own convert our ſelves, or preſerve our ſelves after converſion? Can we get out of the Kingdom of darkneſs by our own power? or put our ſelves into the Kingdom of light by our own po…er? That we are either temporally, or ſpiritually, or eternally ſaved, is all from the power, from the right hand of God, not at all from our own. Unleſs we give all to God, we take all from him. He that is our God, is the God of ſalvation, and unto God the Lord belong the iſſues from death (Pſal. 68.20.) Salvation of every kind, and the iſſues from every kind of death, are of the Lord.

Thirdly, Note; God can ſave alone, or by his own right hand.

That the Lord would have Job underſtand; and this we underſtand from other Scriptures (Pſal. 17.7.) Shew thy marvellous loving kindneſs, O thou that ſaveſt by thy right hand thoſe that put their truſt in thee. This is one of Gods royal Titles, Thou that ſaveſt by thy right hand (Pſal. 98.1.) O ſing unto the Lord a new ſong, for he hath done marvellous things, his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory (Pſal. 44.4.) Thou art my King of old, commanding deliverances for Jacob. How eaſily can the Lord ſave with his hand, who can ſave with his tongue, and deliver by commanding deliverances? Nor is it one deliverance p. 600only which the Lord commands, but many, yea, any: That Pſalm gives it plurally, commanding deliverances. The Prophet ſpeaks of this ſole and ſolitary ſaving power of God (Iſa. 59.16.) He ſaw that there was no man (that is, no man that offered any help) and wondred that there was no interceſſor (that is, no man to ſpeak a good word for them) therefore his arm brought ſalvation to him, and his righteouſneſs it ſuſtained him. And again (Iſa. 63.5.) I looked, and there was none to help, and I wondred that there was none to uphold; therefore mine own arm brought ſalvation to me. This is it which was ſaid before (verſ. 3.) I have trodden the wine-preſs alone, and of the people there was none with me.

Hence we may infer; Firſt, If the Lords right hand can ſave alone, Then there can never be too few hands for God to ſave us by.

There may be ſometimes too many for God to ſave us by, but never too few. Why? becauſe he can ſave by his own right hand. The Lord ſaid to Gideon (Judg. 7.2.) The people that are with thee, are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands (they were ſo many, that the ſole ſalvation of God would not appear) leſt Iſrael vaunt themſelves againſt me, ſaying, mine own hand hath ſaved me. Though we have but little ſtrength, yet it may be too much for Gods purpoſe, we being apt to boaſt our ſelves, when we have any hands to ſave us, as if our own right hand had ſaved us.

Secondly, If God can ſave by his own right hand, Then, when we ſee none, when we ſee nothing to ſave us by, let us truſt God alone.

If God be with us, we have ſtrength enough, and hands enough with us. It is all one with the Lord, to ſave by few or by many, yea, by few or by none at all, for his own right hand can do it.

Thirdly, Then truſt in Gods right hand alone for ſalvation, how many hands ſoever you have at any time at work for your ſalvation.

This is our ſin, that when we have many hands to ſave us, we truſt in them, rather than in the right hand of God. The Lord p. 601often and uſually makes uſe of mans hand to ſave us by (Obad. ver. ult.) And Saviours ſhall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Eſau, and the Kingdom ſhall be the Lords. Now, though the Lord uſeth other right hands to ſave us by, and to judge the wicked by, beſides his own, yet we muſt truſt in his alone; for 'tis he alone that ſaveth us, by what hand ſoever our ſalvation is wrought or brought to us.

Fourthly, Obſerve; To ſave by a ſelf-power, is the ſole prerogative of God.

Only he who ſtands upon his own bottom, or ſubſiſts in and of himſelf alone, can ſave or do any thing of himſelf alone. And as none can do any thing alone, or by a ſelf-power, but God; ſo none ſhould preſume that they can do, or undertake to do the leaſt thing alone. We may, yea, we muſt uſe our hands; that is,Divinitatis gloriam ſibi arrogant, & (quaſi) Deum agere volunt. do our endeavour for the accompliſhment of every work (for God doth not work ſo as to let man ſtand ſtill and be idle) but we muſt not ſo much as have a thought, that we can effect any thing by our hands. That wiſe woman Abigail intimated to David (1 Sam. 25.31.) that, if he had gone on to avenge himſelf upon Nabal with his own hand, it might have proved grief to him, and offence of heart, that is, trouble of conſcience. Now, as we muſt not at all uſe our own hand in avenging our ſelves, nor think of avenging our ſelves by our own right hand (for ſaith God, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it) ſo it is exceeding ſinful to imagine that we can ſave our ſelves, or do any thing, effectually, towards it by our own hand. I may ſay theſe four things, to ſhew the ſinfulneſs of ſuch an imagination.

Firſt, It is high preſumption to think ſo. It was the preſumption of the great Aſſyrian (Iſa. 10.13.) to ſay, By the ſtrength of my hand have I done it, and by my wiſdom, for I am prudent; and I have removed the bounds of the people (he had no mind to remove their bonds) and have robbed their treaſures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. So we render the ſimilitude, Like a valiant man, and ſo do moſt interpreters;Arnold. Bootius, Animad. ſacr. in vetus teſt. lib. 3. cap. 2. both ancient and modern; yet a late learned critick diſſenting from them all, renders, I have knockt them down, or ſlain them, like a beaſt or bullock for ſlaughter or ſacrifice. Which expoſition he confirms, as by the ſenſe of the word there uſed, ſo by the cuſtom of ſpeaking p. 602in all languages, it being uſual to compare great ſlaughters of men to the ſlaughtering of beaſts; but of this by the way. Now, whether we take our reading or this, either of them ſets out the preſumptuous boaſting of the Aſſyrian King, that the ſtrength of his own right hand had done all thoſe great things.

Secondly, 'Tis fleſhly confidence, ſuch a confidence as God will reject (Jer. 2.37.) to think we can do any thing by our own hand.

Thirdly, It is a ſlighting of, and departing from God to think ſo (Jer. 17.5.) Curſed be the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arm (whether his own fleſh or other mens fleſh, what fleſh ſoever it is that he maketh his arm, curſed be he, and what follows) and whoſe heart departeth from the Lord. As if he had ſaid, every time we think to ſave our ſelves by our own right hand, we do curſedly depart from the Lord. The truth is, we can no more ſave our ſelves, than we can make our ſelves; we can no more preſerve our being, than we can give our ſelves a being; it is from the Lord that we have a being, or are preſerved from a miſerable being.

Fourthly, They who think they can ſave themſelves by their own hand, put themſelves into the place of God, and take upon themſelves to be God. The King of Iſrael ſaid well (2 King. 5.7.) when the King of Syria ſent Naaman his ſervant to heal him of his Leproſie, Am I God; to kill and to make alive, that this man doth ſend to me to recover a man of his Leproſie? Whoſoever thinks he can heal, or ſave by his own power, takes upon himſelf, as if he were God.Faciunt vim ſuam, Deum ſuum. Many make their force their God. That Heathen King (Hab. 1.11.) aſcribed his power to his god. So we render the words; yet ſome expound them, as if Nebuchadnezzar, in the pride of his heart, refuſing at that time to acknowledge any God but himſelf, aſcribed his power to himſelf. But ſuppoſing according to the ſupplement of our tranſlation, and the expoſition of many more, that he aſcribed his power not to himſelf, but to his Idol-god; how great a rebuke will that acknowledgement of his be to any, who worſhipping the true God, ſhall yet aſcribe their power to themſelves, and ſo take upon themſelves to be God? Jacob ſaid to Rachel, when ſhe was ſo impatient for children, Am I in the place of God? To give effect, is the work of God; and therefore, for us to think we can give p. 603effect to what we do, is to take upon us to be God. The King of Tyrus is therefore ſaid, To ſet his heart as the heart of God (Ezek. 28.6.) becauſe he thought he could defend and ſecure himſelf by a ſelf-power and ſtrength, or by a ſelf-wiſdom and policy. Let us renounce our own arm, and power, and ſtrength, and right hand, in all things; let us look upon our own right hand as weak and withered, unable to bring any thing to paſs, but as the Lord ſhall be pleaſed to put forth his right hand to ſtrengthen ours. And when we are thus ſenſible of our own weakneſs, as alſo humbled under a ſenſe of it, then the Lord gives out moſt ſtrength to us; yea, makes us able to do all things (which are our duty, and we have a call to do) through Chriſt ſtrengthning us (Phil. 4.13.) And as we ſhall find Chriſt ſtrengthning us to do, ſo to ſuffer all things when we are weak in our ſelves. The Apoſtles experience taught him to ſay ſo (2 Cor. 12.10.) I take pleaſure in infirmities, in reproaches, in neceſſities, in perſecutions, in diſtreſſes for Chriſts ſake; for where I am weak (that is, in my ſelf) there I am ſtrong; that is, in the Lord.

Thus the Lord hath been dealing with Job to humble him, by putting him upon thoſe things which he himſelf alone can do; by which he taught Job, and teacheth us and all men, that no man can ſave himſelf by his own right hand. There is no ſalvation in any name, in any hand, but in Jeſus Chriſts; much leſs ſpiritual or eternal ſalvation.