Exposition of Job 38-42, Commentary on Job · Chapter 42 · Verse 1-6
JOB, Chap. 42. Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
1. Then Job anſwered the Lord and ſaid,
2. I know that thou canſt do every thing, and that no thought can be with-holden from thee.
3. Who is he that hideth counſel without knowledg? therefore have I uttered that I underſtood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4. Hear I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5. I have heard of thee, by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye ſeeth thee:
6. Wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.
THis Chapter is the concluſion of the whole Hiſtory and Book of Job; it conſiſteth of three general parts.
Firſt, Of Jobs deep and ſincere humiliation before the Lord, in theſe ſix verſes.
Secondly, Of the reconciliation of Jobs three friends to the Lord, or of their attonement and peace made with the Lord (verſ. 7, 8, 9.)
Thirdly, Of Jobs reſtitution, by the wonderful goodneſs, and powerful hand of the Lord, to as good, yea, to a better eſtate tahn he had before; from the tenth verſe, incluſively, to the end of the Chapter.
The words under hand, contain the firſt part of the Chapter, and I call them Jobs humiliation before the Lord; and in that we may conſider theſe two general parts.
Firſt, Jobs Teſtimony concerning God.
Secondly, His Charge brought againſt himſelf.
His Teſtimony concerning God we have in the ſecond verſe, & that is twofold, or he commends and exalts God in two of his moſt glorious attributes.
Firſt, About his Omnipotency, That thou canst do every thing.
Secondly, About his Omniſciency (as moſt expound the words) And that no thought can be with-holden from thee.
Jobs Charge or Accuſation which he brought againſt himſelf, hath theſe four things in it,
Firſt, The Confeſſion of his own ignorance and raſhneſs in the third verſe, Who is he that hideth counſel without knowledge? I have ſpoken (ſaith he) things which I underſtood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not: Thus he chargeth himſelf with raſhneſs and ignorance.
Secondly, The Submiſſion of himſelf to the better inſtruction and teaching of God, or to what God ſhould be pleaſed yet further to reveal unto him at the 4th verſe, Hear, I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak, I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. He begs yet a word more with God, and he begs a word more from God, or that God would ſpeak a word more to him.
Thirdly, A Thankful Acknowledgment, that he had already received much more light from God, than formerly he had attained to, at the 5th verſe, I have heard of thee, by the hearing of the ear (I had a knowledg of thee, O God, before) but now (ſaith he) mine eye ſeeth thee, now I have more knowledg, and clearer light concerning thee than ever I had before.
Fourthly, The Iſſue or Effect of all this, and that is his repentance, Wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in dust and aſhes. Thus we have both the general parts of the whole Chapter, and the more particular reſolution of this firſt part, which I call Jobs humiliation. And in this manner he humbled himſelf before the Lord (as followeth.
Verſ. 1. Then Job anſwered the Lord, and ſaid.
Theſe are the words of the Divine Hiſtorian, connecting this Chapter with the former. And all that I ſhall ſay upon this firſt firſt verſe, ſhall be but to Anſwer this Queſtion.
How came it to paſs, that Job anſwered the Lord again, ſeing he had profeſſed before (chap. 40.5.) that he would anſwer no more? Once have I ſpoken, but I will not anſwer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. There Job ſeemed to take up a reſolution to anſwer no more; how is it then, that here this Chapter beginneth with, Then Job anſwered the Lord and ſaid?
I ſhall give a three-fold anſwer to this doubt.
Firſt, Thus; we may conceive, Job, in the former promiſe, that he would anſwer no more, meant it of ſuch a kind of anſwer as he had given the Lord, and his friends before; he would anſwer no more in that way, or after that ſort; and ſo it was not an abſolute reſolve not to anſwer, but not to anſwer as he had done: As if he had ſaid, I will anſwer no more, juſtifying my ſelf, no, nor ſo much as excuſing my ſelf, or taking off the weight of any charge the Lord hath brought againſt me: There being ſuch a change in his anſwer, he may very well be ſaid to anſwer no more; for he anſwered no more, as once he did. The beſt and ſafeſt way of juſtifying and excuſing our ſelves, is to lay our ſelves at the foot of God: A confeſſion of, or a charging our ſelves with our ſins is the beſt way of acquitting our ſelves before God from our ſins; I mean, 'tis the beſt that we can do to juſtifie or acquit our ſelves.
Secondly, we may anſwer thus. 'Tis true, Job ſaid he would anſwer no more, but it is as true that the Lord commanded him to anſwer again (chap. 40.1.) For when Job had ſaid there at the fifth verſe, Once have I ſpoken, but I will not anſwer, yea, twice, but I will proceed no further: The Lord ſaith at the (7th verſe) Gird up thy loyns like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. God called him forth, and bad him ſpeak, I have ſomewhat to ſay to thee, and do thou anſwer me; ſo that the Lord took off Job, or releaſed him from that bond, that he had put upon himſelf: Thou haſt ſaid, thou wilt anſwer no more, but I will have thee anſwer yet more. Now though we take up a reſolve to do, or not to do ſuch a thing, yet a word from God muſt over-rule us. As a word from God muſt over-rule us, not to do what we have reſolved to do; ſo a word from God muſt over-rule us, to do that which we have reſolved not to do.
Thirdly, The Lord had not only given Job a command to anſwer, but inclined, and moved his heart to anſwer. The reaſon why Job reſolved not to anſwer, was the lowneſs of his own ſpirit, and the terror of the Lord that was upon him. The majeſty and dread of the Lord put him upon a reſolve for ſilence; but now ſome favour appearing, and the Lord giving him hopes of a gracious acceptance, he was encouraged to ſpeak, and had a freedom of ſpeech reſtored to him, and accordingly he anſwered the Lord. Thus we may ſalve Jobs credit from lightneſs, much more from a lie; though after he had ſaid, he would anſwer no more, we find him anſwering again, Then Job anſwered the Lord and ſaid.
The Lord having ſet forth his own infinite power and wiſdom, in that long and accurate ſpeech, which he made out of the whirlwind, concerning his works of creation and providence; eſpecially, by his diſcourſe about that unparallel'd pair, Behemoth and Leviathan, the greateſt of living creatures upon the land, and in the ſea: I ſay, the Lord having by this diſcourſe humbled Job, he ſaw, and was convinced there was no diſputing with God, nor enquiring into, much leſs complaining of, or murmuring at his ſecret counſels and judgments; he now ſaw, it was not for him to call God to an account about any of his dealings and proceedings, as ſometimes he had done, but rather to adore them: and therefore he ſubmits, and anſwers only with exalting God, and abaſing himſelf. He begins with the exaltation of God, Then Job anſwered the Lord and ſaid.
Verſ. 2. I know that thou canſt do every thing.
That's his firſt word; and it teacheth us, That, when we begin to have high and great thoughts of God, we cannot but have low and mean thoughts of our ſelves. Our own humiliation begins at the exaltation of God; and our ſelf-emptineſs and weakneſs, at the ſight of his fulneſs and Almightineſs. Thus Job began his humiliation, I know that thou canſt do every thing.
This verſe exalts God both in his omnipotency, and in his omniſciency. Non exigit à nobis Deus multa verba, ſed multam fidem.'Tis a ſhort, yet a full confeſſion of his faith in this matter; and though it were ſhort, yet it pleaſed God much and fully, becauſe Job uttered it in much faith. A few words pleaſe God, where he ſeeth much faith.
Firſt, He confeſſeth Gods Omnipotency, I know that thou canſt do every thing.
I know.
The word notes a certain knowledge, ſuch a knowledge as leaveth no place for doubting, nor for an uncertain opinionating. I know, is as much as, I am aſſured: As Jacob ſaid to Joſeph, when he told him Manaſſeh was his firſt born (Gen. 48.19.) I know it, my ſon, I know it, &c. As if he had ſaid, I do not lay my right hand upon the younger by miſtake, but choice; I know very well which is the firſt-born, and I know what I do, in laying my right hand upon the younger. Thus ſaith Job here, I know that thou canſt do every thing. This great truth is fixed and fully ſettled upon my heart; and I urge my ſelf with all my might now, to give thee the glory of it, though ſometimes under my grievous pains and undue paſſions, I have obſcured it, and ſpoken as if I doubted, or were not well aſſured of it. I know, That thou canſt do every thing.
The word rendred canſt do notes two things; Firſt, Might;foreign potuit, poteſtatem habuit potentior fuit ſuperavit, praevaluit. Id tantum poſſumus, quod juro poſſumus. Secondly, Right, to do all things. For indeed, we can do no more than we have a right to do.
Again, It ſignifies not only a power of doing, but a prevailing power of doing, or a conquering power, a power that overcomes all difficulties, and removes all obſtacles or obſtructions; ſuch a power is intended in this word. We have it in a proper name (Prov. 30.1.) The words of Agur, the ſon of Jakeh, even the propheſie. The man ſpake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal: Under both theſe names, Ithiel and Ʋcal, ſome conceive Chriſt is to be underſtood: he is Ithiel, which ſignifies (as Emanuel) God with us; and he is Ʋcal, that is, powerful and almighty. When the Prophet Jeremiah would ſhew how ſtrongly that people were bent to ſin, he ſpeaks to them all as one man (Jer. 3.5.) Behold, thou haſt ſpoken, and done evil, as thou couldſt; that is, thou haſt put forth thy utmoſt Can, thou haſt done as much evil as thou canſt. As here, Job ſaith of the Lord, Thou canſt do all things. So ſaid the Prophet of the people, Thou haſt ſpoken, and done evil, as thou couldſt. A godly man ſins, but he doth not ſin as he can, he doth not lay his utmoſt ſtrength, nor ſet his ſhoulders to it; but an evil man doth evil as he can, he ſerves his luſt as he ſhould ſerve God, with all his might. I urge that place only to note the force of the word, I know that thou canſt do Every thing.
That is, every thing which is fit for, and becoming thy Majeſty to do, every thing which is good, every thing which is juſt, every thing which doth not reflect diſhonour upon thy name, every thing that is not a contradiction to thy ſelf. Thus, take things of what kind you will, God can do them; and take things in what degree you will, God can do them: he can do, not only little things, but great things, yea, the greateſt things. Great and little make no matter of difference with God. As if Job had ſaid, O Lord, I know and acknowledge there is nothing too hard for thee, yea, nothing is hard to thee; and that as thy counſels and decrees are altogether wiſe and juſt, ſo thou haſt power enough to execute and bring them about. Thou canſt do Every thing.
There is no bound to the power of God, except his own will. God will not do every thing that he can, but he can do every thing that he willeth: nothing can ſtop the power of God in doing, where his will is to do. Thou canſt do every thing.
Or we may take it thus, God can do every thing; that is, every thing that he hath ſaid he will do, every thing that he hath engaged himſelf to do by promiſe, or by propheſie; he hath power to do what he hath ſaid or fore-ſhewed ſhall be done. Thus Job gives glory to God, and begins as David (Pſal. 59.16, 17.) to ſing of the power of the Lord, as well as of his mercy. I will ſing of thy power; unto thee, O my ſtrength, will I ſing. Here Job ſings of the power of God, I know that thou canſt do every thing. The words have no difficulty in them; only when Job ſaith here, I know that thou canſt do every thing, it may be queſtioned,
Did not Job know this before? yea, had not Job ſaid as much as this before? that God could do every thing. In ſeveral paſſages of the ninth and twelfth Chapters, he ſaid as much as this, and more cannot be ſaid of God. We have ſaid every thing of God, when once we have ſaid, he can do every thing. There Job cryes up the power of God, together with his wiſdom (verſ. 4. &c.) He is wiſe in heart, and mighty in ſtrength; who hath hardned himſelf againſt him and proſpered? If any ask, what can God do? Job anſwers, He can remove the mountains, and overturn them in his anger, he ſhaketh the earth out of its place, he commandeth the Sun, and it riſeth not, and ſealeth up the Stars, he alone ſpreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea. All theſe are ſpeakings forth of the Almightineſs of God; and he that can do theſe things, ſurely can do all things. Now ſeeing Job was there ſo much upon this point before, how is it that here he ſaith, I know that thou canſt do every thing? as if this were ſome new matter which he was not acquainted with before, or had never uttered.
I anſwer, it is true, Job knew this before, but he did not know it before as he knew it now: Though he knew the Lords power before, and ſpake of it, yet the trouble of his ſpirit, and the anguiſh of his ſoul under his ſufferings, did very much darken him as to this knowledge; and therefore when Job ſaith, I know that thou canſt do every thing, this knowing is not to be underſtood as oppoſed to ignorance only, as if Job knew this now, and did not know it at all before; but knowing here is oppoſed to a leſſer degree of knowledge, or knowing here imports a higher and greater degree of knowledge than ever he had before concerning the power of God. Job ſpake ſometimes before, as if he knew little of this great truth, and he much detracted from the abſolute power of God over all creatures by his complainings, eſpecially that he and other innocent ones were afflicted; as alſo, by his earneſt deſire of knowing why he was afflicted, being innocent, thereby intimating, that he was not ſo well ſatisfied in the dealing of God with him, nor had wholly reſigned up himſelf to the ſoveraign power and will of God, to be diſpoſed of at his pleaſure; ſo that in this ſhort confeſſion Job ſeems to ſpeak more largely, thus; Now at length, O Lord, I know more fully than ever, that thou haſt a moſt juſt right and power to command and diſpoſe of all things, and that thou both doſt and mayſt effect whatſoever pleaſeth thee; nor ought any to murmur at, much leſs reſiſt thy counſels or dealings, ſeeing every thing is, and cannot but be juſt and righteous which thou doſt. We conclude then, Job knew this truth before, but not as he knew it now.
Hence note, Firſt; Knowledge is a growing thing.
And it were well if we were all found growing in knowledge. That's the Apoſtle Peters charge (2 Epiſt. 3.18.) Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Christ. He puts both together. There is a growth in knowledge as well as in grace; and in proportion to our ſpiritual growth in knowledge, is our growth in grace: for, though many grow much in notional and ſpeculative knowledge, who grow little in grace; yet they cannot but grow much in grace, who grow much in ſpiritual and experimental knowledge. As a godly man groweth in knowledge, ſo in grace too. Knowledge is a growing thing. The riſing and encreaſing waters of the Sanctuary were a type of the encreaſings of knowledge; thoſe waters were firſt to the ancles, and then to the knees, and then to the loyns, and then to the neck. And as knowledge increaſeth, with reſpect to the ſeveral times and ſtates of the Church (for ſo that place (Ezek. 47.3, 4, 5.) is to be be underſtood) ſo it is a truth, that there is an increaſe of knowledge, with reſpect to the ſtate of every particular believer; his knowledge is firſt to the ancles, and then to the knees, and then to the loyns, and then to the neck. As ſome points to be known are ſo eaſie or ſhallow, that (according to that clear and common ſimilitude) a Lamb may wade through them; others ſo difficult and deep, that an Elephant may ſwim in them: ſo the degree of knowledge in the ſame perſon, which at one time was very ſmall and ſhallow, at another time may be ſwelled into a great deep, and he called a man of deep knowledge. We have a general promiſe of ſuch an increaſe (Iſa. 11.9.) The earth ſhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea; that is, there ſhall be a wonderful increaſe of knowledge. That's alſo the import of Daniels Propheſie (Chap. 12.4) Many ſhall run to and fro, and knowledge ſhall be increaſed. Particular perſons ſhall improve in knowledge, and ſo ſhall the whole Church. So then, this increaſe of knowledge is of two ſorts; Firſt, it is a knowledge of more things; and, Secondly, of every thing more.
We ſhould labour to know more truths; we muſt thus add to our knowledge. For, though it be true, that every believer hath received the anointing, whereby he knoweth all things that are of abſolute neceſſity (1 John 2.20.) yet he may come to the knowledge of more things which are exceeding uſeful and helpful to him.
Secondly, We ſhould labour to know every thing more, as in the Text. Job knew before that God was omnipotent, and could do all things; but now he knew it more, and ſo much more, that the knowledge which he had before might be called ignorance, compared with the knowledge which he had now received. Then we increaſe our knowledge fully, when we get the knowledge of more things, and of every thing more.
Again, we ſhould labour to increaſe, as in ſpeculative, ſo in experimental knowledge. Speculative knowledge alone, goes no further than the notion of what we know; experimental knowledge finds and feels the power of what we know, it ſubjects us, or makes us ſubject to what we know; the motions of the Will follow the light and dictate of the Underſtanding. This is the beſt knowledge: Knowledge which is felt and acted, is better than that which is heard and declared. What the Apoſtle John ſaid of himſelf, and his fellow Apoſtles, who were perſonally preſent with Chriſt while here on earth, with reſpect to their ſenſitive knowledge of him, is moſt true of the ſpiritual and experimental knowledge which believers have of Chriſt now in heaven, and they abſent from him (1 John 1.1.) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have ſeen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, that declare we unto you; we declare that unto you which we have ſeen and felt. 'Tis a bleſſed thing, when we can ſay, that the things which we declare to others, we have felt them, and even handled them our ſelves. Many (as our uſual expreſſion is) handle Texts, and handle truths learnedly and excellently in a diſcourſe, who never handled, no nor ſo much as toucht them by any experience of their ſweetneſs or efficacy, either in their hearts or lives.
Further, conſider in what way Job came to this proficiency in knowledge; he had been a great while in the School of affliction, before he ſaid, I know, and I know to purpoſe, that thou canſt do every thing.
Hence note; Afflictions and ſufferings are a ſpecial means to increaſe our knowledge, and wiſe us in the things of God.
The godly never increaſe more in knowledge, than under the Croſs, under afflictions of one kind or another. David ſaith (Pſal. 119.71.) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy ſtatutes. Did not David know the Statutes of God before? doubtleſs he did; he was all-along trained up in the ſtatutes of God; but when God took him into the School of affliction, then he lea…nt the Statutes of God much better. Let us conſider what profiting we find at any time under affliction, as to the knowledge of God, and of our ſelves; if we do not better our knowledge by one croſs, we may expect to meet with another, and another, till matters mend with us. Solomon ſaith, (Prov. 27.22.) Though thou ſhouldſt bray a fool in a morter, among wheat, with a peſtle, yet will not his fooliſhneſs depart from him; that is, an obſtinate ſinner (he is the fool there ſpoken of) though extreamly afflicted, is not bettered: but a godly man profits by his affliction, both as to the departure and riddance of his folly, as alſo to his growth in ſpiritual experimental knowledge.
Once more (which will give us a third note) Job was not only in affliction, but God taught him in his affliction; Job had not only a rod upon his back, but a tutor by his ſide. His three friends had been long with him, and ſpoken much to him, but he learnt little by them. When Elihu had been ſpeaking to him, he yielded ſomewhat to him, though not fully; but when once God undertook to tutor and inſtruct him, Job learned amain, and profited greatly in knowledge.
Hence note; Then we profit indeed under afflictions, when God teacheth us in our afflictions.
If we have nothing but the rod, we profit not by the rod; yea, if we have nothing but the Word, we ſhall never profit by the Word. It is the Spirit given with the Word, and the Spirit given with the rod, by which we profit under both, or either. (Pſal. 94.12.) Bleſſed is the man (ſaith David) whom thou chaſteneſt, and teacheſt out of thy Law. Chaſtning and divine teaching muſt go together, elſe there will be no profiting by chaſtning. God was Jobs teacher as well as his chaſtner; Job received many leſſons from God, he taught him quire through the 38th and 39th Chapters, and he taught him quite through two Chapters more, before he ſaid, I know that thou canſt do every thing. Thus far of Jobs knowledge. Let us a little conſider the firſt object of it here expreſſed, the omnipotence of God, I know That thou canſt do every thing.
Hence obſerve, Firſt; God is good at any work.
That is, at any work that is good; he can do every ſuch thing, nothing comes amiſs to him. Among men, one man can do this thing, and another can do that thing, and a third can do more than either; but where will you find a man that can do every thing? One man is for counſel, another for action; one man can build a houſe, and another can till the ground; ſeveral men have their ſeveral arts and myſteries, and it is well if one man can do any one thing well: But God is for all. We have a ſaying (and 'tis a great truth) He that will be doing of every thing, Aliquis in omnibus, nullus in ſingulis.is no great doer in any thing; that is, he never excels in any. But as the Lord can do every thing, ſo he is exact and perfect in every thing that he doth. The beſt creature is only a particular good, but God is an univerſal good; there is every good in God: all the good that is ſcattered in the creature, is eminently in him. Now as God is an univerſal good, ſo he is an univerſal Agent; he is in working, as he is in Being; He can do every thing for us, as well as be every thing to us. We need not fear if we bring this or that thing to God, that he hath no skill in it, as it is with men; if you bring this thing to a man, he is excellent at it; but bring another thing, and he knoweth not how to turn his hand to it: but whatſoever we have to do, if it be according to the will of God, he hath power and wiſdom enough to do it. The Lord had power enough to give a being to all creatures; and hath he not power enough to do all things in and about the creature? cannot he preſerve in all dangers, and provide in all wants? cannot he furniſh with all gifts, and give ſucceſs? cannot he overthrow the high, and exalt the low? cannot be reſtrain the wrathful, and ſubdue the obſtinate? cannot he weaken the ſtrong, and ſtrengthen the weak? cannot he make fools wiſe, and wiſe men fooliſh? ſurely he can do all theſe things, for he can do every thing.
Secondly, from theſe words take that grand aſſertion.
God is omnipotent, his power is infinite.
This is a principle, one of the great principles of Religion, an Article of Faith; yet I ſhall not enlarge upon it, having met with it in other places of this book. Only conſider here, how Job infers this principle; he infers it from the diſcourſe which the Lord was pleaſed to have with him, in the four former Chapters, wherein the Lord told him of many things that he had done; I have done this and that in the heavens above, and in the earth below, I have made Behemeth and Leviathan: God had told him of his doings;Ex mirabilibus recenſites ſcivit Job at que collegit Deum omnia poſſe; non quaſi per inductionem, ſed per deductionem plurium ex uno principio. Janſon. whence Job inferred, I know thou canſt do every thing. He doth not make this concluſion by way of induction (there is ſuch a way of argumentation in Logick) but by deduction. God hath done this and that, and the other, therefore he can do all things; if he can do this, what cannot he do? if he can make and ſubdue Behemoth, what cannot he do? and if he can make and maſter Leviathan, what cannot he do? Chriſt (Luke 5.20.) argueth his omnipotency or Godhead in the ſame manner; for having healed a poor man, and ſaid unto him, Man, thy ſins are forgiven thee, the Phariſees were very much offended with that word, ſaying, Who is this that ſpeaketh blaſphemy? who can forgive ſins but God alone? Chriſt knowing their thoughts, ſaid, What reaſon ye in your hearts? whether is it eaſier to ſay, thy ſins are forgiven thee, or to ſay, riſe up and walk? I have healed the man; doth not that argue a divine power? why may not I then ſay, Thy ſins are forgiven thee? He that can by his own might do one mighty or miraculous thing, can do all things. Such is the power of God, that, as I ſaid before, he hath no limit to it, but his own will.
And ſeeing the will of God is the limit of his power, let us take heed of deſiring him who can do every thing, to do any thing for us, which is not according to his will. Let us bound our deſires; let us take heed of ſaying, this is our deſire, and God can do every thing, therefore this which we deſire. Conſider, is your deſire according to the will of God. We cannot urge God with his Omnipotency, to do any thing that is our deſire, if we are not firſt clear in it, that our deſire is agreeable to his will: Unleſs we have a rule for our deſire, or we deſire by rule, we can have no well-grounded confidence, that God will do that for us, which we deſire. God is almighty, not to do what we will or forge in our brain, but to do what himſelf willeth. Papiſts ſay, the bread is turned into the very body of Chriſt; but ſay we, we ſee, and feel, and taſt but bread: They preſently fly to this, God is able to do all things, or he can do every thing; this is, to abuſe the Omnipotency of God: Hath the Scripture declared any ſuch thing? yea, hath not the Scripture declared the quite contrary, that Sacraments are but ſigns of things, not the things themſelves. This is my body, ſaid Chriſt; but he ſaid not, my body is this. Chriſt willed that his body ſhould be repreſented by bread; he will not that bread ſhould be changed into his body. The power of God muſt not be urged beyond his will. He have no revelation of the will of God, that he will tranſubſtantiate the bread at the holy ſupper into the body of Chriſt; but he hath given it as a ſacred ſymbole of Chriſts crucified and broken body, upon which we are to feed by faith.
That God can do whatſoever he willeth, hath a two-fold uſe.
Firſt, Of comfort, to all true believers,Noſtrae difficultates Deo per faciles ſunt. who ſtand in the grace of the Covenant. That nothing is too hard for God, is a marvelous Conſolation to us in all our hardſhips. When God promiſed Abraham a Son in his old age (Gen. 18.) what a hard task was here for God? Sarah could not believe it, ſhe laughed; but what ſaith the Lord? Is any thing too hard for me? he preſently urgeth his own power, where he had declared his will. Whatſoever God hath declared to be his will, either as to particular perſons, or the whole Church; it matters not how hard it is, if we have but his will for it. As Chriſt will at laſt Change our vile body, that it may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able even to ſubdue all things unto himſelf (Phil. 3.21.) ſo according to that working, he is able to change and ſubdue all things to and according to his own will. When the Jews were to be carried into captivity to Babylon, the Lord commanded Jeremy to make purchaſe of a field in Anathoth (Jer. 32.7, 8, 9.) Now Jeremy might object; behold, the Chaldaeans are come to the City to take it; and ſhall I go and buy land? Is this a time to make purchaſes? is this a time to buy land, when the City is ready to be taken, and the whole land like to be loſt? yes, ſaith God, Buy the field for money, ſeal the evidences, and take witneſſes; for thus ſaith the God of Iſrael (verſ. 15.) houſes, and fields, and vineyards ſhall be poſſeſſed again in this land. Am not I able to bring you back again? And therefore after Jeremy had confeſſed in prayer to the Lord (verſ. 17.) Nothing is too hard for thee (The Hebrew is, hidden from thee, or wonderful to thee; becauſe hard things are hidden from us, ſtrange and wonderful to us. The Prophet, I ſay, having ſaid this to the Lord in prayer) the Lord ſaid to him (verſ. 27.) Is any thing too hard for me? And to the ſame point, the Lord ſpake again (Zech. 8.6.) Thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people (namely, that Jeruſalem ſhould be reſtored) ſhould it alſo be marvellous in mine eyes, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, to perform what was ſaid (ver. 4.) There ſhall yet old men, and old women dwell in the ſtreets of Jeruſalem, and every man with his ſtaff in his hand for very age, and the ſtreets of the City ſhall be full of boys and girls, playing in the ſtreets thereof. Who could beleive this? but it was the will of God it ſhould be ſo: And therefore he ſaid, If it be marvellous in your eyes, ſhould it be ſo in mine eyes? You think this can never be brought about. But muſt it needs be marvellous in my eyes, becauſe it is ſo in yours? or (as the margin hath it) muſt it needs be hard or difficult to me, becauſe 'tis ſo to you? The ſame word which ſignifies marvellous, ſignifies difficult, becauſe that which is difficult and hard we marvel at: But ſaith the Lord, becauſe this thing is marvellous in your eyes, muſt it be ſo in mine, who can do every thing? And we may conceive, that when Job ſpake thus, he began to have ſome hope of his reſtauration. He had loſt all, children, and health, and ſtrength, and eſtate, all was gone, and he many times gave up all for gone, and ſpake deſpairingly, as to a reſtitution; but now God having ſpoken of what he had done, Jobs faith and hope revived in theſe words, I know that thou canſt do every thing; and among other things thou canſt reſtore all to me again, thou canſt give me as much health and ſtrength of body, as many children, as full an eſtate, as ever I had.
Secondly, This truth is matter of great terrour to the wicked. As God can ſtrengthen the weak, ſo he can weaken the ſtrong; and, as he can raiſe up the godly, ſo he can eaſily pull down the ungodly; as he can fill up the vallies, ſo he can level the mountains. Thus the Lord ſpake (Ezek. 17.24.) All the trees of the field ſhall know, that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dryed up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flouriſh; I the Lord have ſpoken, and have done it. It muſt needs be terrible to the wicked, that God can do what he will, ſeing his will is to deſtroy them, except they repent and turn to him; he hath power enough to do it, and his will is to do it; what then can hinder his doing it, but their repentance for what they have done. There are no ſons of Zerviah too hard for him, who can do every thing.
Again, from the ſecond notion of theſe words, Thou canſt do every thing, that is, thou haſt right as well as might to do every thing.
Obſerve, The Lord may do, he hath an unqueſtionable right to do whatſoever he is pleaſed to do.
God gives a law to all others for their actions, but he is the law to himſelf. He can do every thing of right he willeth, as well as he hath might to do what he will.
Then let none complain, that God hath done them wrong, for every thing is right which God doth. Job had failed in this, by ſpeeches reflecting upon the juſtice of God in his dealings with him; and therefore we may conceive, that in this confeſſion, I know thou canſt do every thing, he chiefly aimed at this, to give God the glory of his juſtice: As if he had ſaid, Though thou, O Lord, layeſt thy hand heavy upon an innocent perſon, and ſtrippeſt him of all that he hath; though thou, O Lord, makeſt a wicked man to flouriſh in this world, and filleſt him with outward felicity; yet all ought to reſt in thy will, for this thou canſt do of right, being abſolute Lord over all. I (ſaid Job) know that thou canſt do every thing.
And that no thought can be with-holden from thee.
Maſter Broughton renders, that no wiſdom was with-holden from thee; which he thus gloſſeth. Thou haſt made all things in perfect wiſdom, to ſhew thy eternal power and God-head. The ſame word ſignifies both wiſdom and thought, foreign breviavit, abrupit, decerpſit, propriè uvas & fructus vindemiavit. Hinc Bozra metropolis Idumeae, cum vinetis, & vini proventu fuit celebris nomen ſo…ita eſt, Iſa. 63.1. Nihil cogitas, quod non poſſis ſi velis efficere, quid enim te prohibebit, aut impediet. Druſ. Nec avertito poſſe à cogitatione, ſc. perficienda Jun. Et quòd non vindemiabitur à te cogitatio. i. e. rei cogitatae atque propoſitae effectionem. Piſc.and well it may; for unleſs we have wiſe thoughts in our ſelves, we can never ſhew wiſdom, either in our words or actions towards others. There is a difference amongſt Interpreters, whoſe thought we are here to underſtand, when Job ſaith, No thought can be with-holden from thee.
Firſt, Many very worthy and learned men, are of opinion, that by thought, we are to underſtand the thought of God, Gods own thought; and ſo theſe words are but the carrying on of the ſame thing, or a further explication what was ſaid before, I know that thou canſt do every thing; that is, whatſoever is in thy thought or in thy heart to do; no power in the world can with-hold thee from doing it; no thought, that is, not any one of thy thoughts, can be with-holden from thee, that is, from thy fulfilling it, or bringing it to paſs: what thou haſt in thy mind, thou wilt perform with thy hand: If thou haſt but a thought to do ſuch a thing, thou canſt not be hindered of thy thought, it ſhall be done.
The words hold out a very glorious truth concerning God, if we take thought in this ſenſe; and as it is a great truth in it ſelf, ſo it is a very uſeful one to us.
The Obſervation is this; Whatſoever God hath a thought to do, he will do it, he cannot be hindered in the effect of a thought.
As none of Gods thoughts are vain, ſo none of them are in vain or ineffectual, they all reach their end (Iſa. 43.13.) I will work, and who ſhall lett it? God will work if he hath but a thought to work; and if all the Powers in the world ſet themſelves againſt him, they ſhall not be able to diſappoint any one of his thoughts (Prtv. 19.21.) There are many devices in a mans heart, yet the counſel of the Lord ſhall ſtand; that is, there are many thoughts in mans heart oppoſite to the counſel and thought of God. Men think this and that, they make up many things in their thoughts, yet can make nothing of them, becauſe againſt the thoughts of God; for all the devices that are in mans heart, cannot hinder the effect of Gods counſel, his counſel ſhall ſtand faſt and firm, without any bowing, without any bending, while their devices fall and are utterly broken. The concluſion of wiſe Solomon is (Prov. 21.30.) There is no wiſdom, nor underſtanding, nor counſel againſt the Lord. Let men take or give counſel as long as they will againſt the Lord, they cannot avoid the effect of his counſels. We have both theſe, the ſtanding of the Lords counſel, and the overthrowing of all counſels that are againſt him, in that one Scripture (Pſal. 33.10, 11.) The Lord bringeth the counſel of the heathen to nought, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect: The counſel of the Lord ſtandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. God never loſt a thought: all come to paſs. This ſheweth the mighty efficacy of the counſel of God; this is more than can be ſaid of any man or men in the world; the wiſeſt and greateſt, have had many thoughts withholden from them. They have thought to do this and that, but could not effect it, nor bring it about (Pſal. 146.4.) Their thoughts periſh; they have a great many plots in their heads, but they prove not; they often live to ſee their own thoughts dye. Their thoughts periſh, not only when they dye, but they live to ſee them periſh and dye. The Prophet (Iſa. 44.25.) ſheweth how the Lord fruſtrates the counſels of men, and turneth them backward; he ſhews alſo, that without him they cannot go forward (Lamen. 3.37.) Who is he that ſaith and it cometh to paſs, when the Lord commandeth it not?
But ſome may object, the Lord ſpeaketh of the builders of Babel, as Job here ſpeaketh of him (Gen. 11.6.) Behold the people is one, and they have all one language, and this they begin to do, and now nothing will be reſtrained from them which they have imagined to do; as if he had ſaid, there will be no with-holding of them from their thoughts.
'Tis very true, amongſt men there was nothing to ſtop them; they being all as one man, and of one mind, would have accompliſhed any thing that they did imagine: but though there was nothing upon earth, nothing among men, that could reſtrain them, yet God could do it, and he did it; he confounded their language, and one brought morter, when he ſhould have brought brick; and another brought ſtones, when he ſhould have brought timber; they thought to build a tower that ſhould reach as high as heaven, they would be drowned no more; but they and their thoughts were ſoon ſcattered and blown away.
This point hath in it alſo abundance of comfort (as the former) for take thought for the thought of God, and it runs parallel with what I ſpake before, of the work of God; he can do every thing, every thing that is in his thought to do; we may take freſh comfort from it. Can no thought be with-holden from God? what a comfort is this to all that he hath good thoughts of, or thoughts for good. The heart of God is full of good thoughts to his people, though he many times ſpeaks hard words to them, and doth hard things againſt them, yet he hath good thoughts concerning them (Pſal. 40.5.) Many, O Lord, my God, are thy wonderful works which thou haſt done, and thy thoughts which thou hast to usward: Thoughts to us-ward are thoughts for us, that is, thoughts of good intended us. Now hath the Lord many good thoughts for us, and none of theſe ſhall be with-holden; is not this comfort? When the Church of the Jews was in Babilon, the Lord dealt very hardly with them, though not ſo hardly as they deſerved. But what were his thoughts (Jer. 29.11.) I know the thoughts that I think towards you (you do not know the thoughts that I have towards you, but I do: what are they?) thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end, that is, the end which you expect and wait for. What a mercy is this, that no thought of God can be with-holden, whenas he hath ſo many thoughts of mercy and good things to his people!
Again, I might ſhew how dreadful this is to wicked men, for the Lord hath nothing but thoughts of revenge and evil towards them: But 'tis enough to hint it.
Before I paſs from this interpretation, ſome may object. If all the thoughts of God ſhall be brought to paſs, and none can withhold them, if God will do what he hath a purpoſe to do; then what need we trouble our ſelves ſo much in prayer? For if God hath any thoughts of good to us, it ſhall be done; but if not, we cannot bring it to paſs by prayer: And ſo ſome urge, what need we repent and humble our ſelves, the thoughts of God ſhall be fulfilled. To this, I ſay, in general, take heed of ſuch reaſonings; for as they are very abſurd and reaſonleſs, ſo they are very dangerous, and leave us remedileſs. More particularly,
I anſwer, thus; Though God hath thoughts and purpoſes of good to his people, yet whatſoever good he will do for his people, he will be ſought unto to do it for them; and therefore prayer, repentance, and humiliation, are needful to bring forth thoughts of good from God to us. And though not man can hinder the bringing to paſs of any of his thoughts, yet we may help their birth and bringing forth. So much of the firſt interpretation of theſe words.
And that no thought can be with-holden from thee.
Secondly, no thought, that is, no thought of man can be withholden from thee; thou knoweſt the thoughts of every one, what they are, of what kind they are. The Latine tranſlation is expreſs, There is no thought ſecret to thee.
Some read the whole verſe thus. Thou knowest that thou canſt do thing every, and no thought is hidden to thee. As if Job had ſaid, O Lord, as none know what thy power is better than thy ſelf, or as none know like thy ſelf what thou canſt do, even that thou canſt do all things, ſo none know better than thy ſelf, not I my ſelf, what my thought, or opinion, or faith rather is, concerning thy power and ſelf-ſufficiency to do all things. Which manner of ſpeech importeth the deep ſubmiſſion of himſelf unto God, or a kind of demiſſion, or letting of himſelf down into God, while he ſaith nothing expreſsly of himſelf, or what his thoughts were of Gods power; but refers all to God, as knowing him and his mind fully, and ſubjects himſelf wholly to his teſtimony. So that he ſeems to call God to witneſs, or appeals to God as a witneſs of the ſincerity of his heart, in the acknowledgment which he made of his All-ſufficiency, as the Apoſtle Peter, of his love to Chriſt, when ſo often preſſed him, even a third time, with that ſearching queſtion, Simon, ſon of Jonas, loveſt thou me? Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knoweſt that I love thee (John 21.17.) Peter would not be confident, that he loved Chriſt more then thoſe; but referred himſelf, in that matter, to the judgment of Chriſt, who knew all things, and himſelf, both as to the truth and degree of his affections to him perfectly. Thus ſaid Job, thou knoweſt (and I acknowledge) that no thought can be with-holden from thee; therefore not mine.
Hence, note; Our very thoughts are plain to God; neither is there any way of concealing our thoughts from him.
We cannot put our thoughts into a ſecret place where God cannot ſee them; we cannot with-hold them from God, as we eaſily may from man, if we can but hold our tongues, and not let our thoughts drop out of our mouths in words. (Pſal. 139.2.) The Lord knoweth our thoughts afar off. He knew what thoughts there were in the hearts of the Jews (Jer. 4.14.) O Jeruſalem, waſh thine heart from wickedneſs, that thou maiſt be ſaved: how long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee! Theſe vain thoughts, were thoughts about their continuance in that peaceable condition, that the enemy ſhould never come to moleſt them, or they ſhould never come into the hand of the enemy; as others afterwards had vain thoughts, that they ſhould be ſpeedily delivered out of their hands. Firſt, They had vain thoughts, that they ſhould never go into captivity. And Secondly, They had as vain thoughts, that they ſhould be preſently delivered out of captivity: Theſe are your vain thoughts, and theſe I know, ſaith God. Our thoughts are as open to God, as our works; all our thoughts, good and bad, are alike known to God: He knoweth our good thoughts, and the thoughts which we have to do good. If we have a thought of good to any man, the Lord knoweth it; and if we have a thought for evil to any man, the Lord knoweth it. The Lord knoweth not only what thoughts are evil in their own nature, but what are detrimentally evil unto others. Thus ſpake diſtreſſed Jeremy, in the perſon of the whole Jewiſh Church (Lament. 3.60, 61, 62.) Thou haſt ſeen all their vengeance, and all their imaginations againſt me. Thou haſt heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations againſt me, and their devices againſt me all the day long. The Lord knoweth all the good thoughts that others have for us, and all the evil thoughts which they have againſt us: Now,
If no thought of ours can be with-holden from God, then keep guard, and watch over your thoughts; hold your thoughts in good order, for you cannot with-hold your diſorderly thoughts from God; bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Chriſt (2 Cor. 10.5.)
Secondly, If the Lord knoweth all our thoughts? then certainly all good thoughts ſhall be rewarded, as well as good words, yea, even as well as good deeds. As the Lord will not loſe a good thought (which was ſhewed in the former point) ſo we ſhall not loſe a good thought; God will reward them fully, for he knoweth them fully. There was a good thought in Davids heart, to build the Lord a temple, and the Lord ſaid (as Solomon his Son reports it, 1 Kings 8.18.) Whereas it was in thy heart to build a houſe to my name, thou didſt well that it was in thine heart, I take it as well, as if thou hadſt done it. God takes notice of our thoughts. And therefore this is comfort when we can do but little, yet God knows what we would do, what work our thoughts are at; and our thoughts are our beſt and choiceſt works, they are the firſt-born of the ſoul. Wicked men may do works, and ſpeak words, good for the matter, but they cannot properly think good thoughts.
Thirdly, if the Lord knoweth our thoughts, then evil thoughts ſhall not go unpuniſhed. When the Lord brought the deluge upon the old world, we find him ſpeaking thus (Gen. 6.5.) God ſaw that the wickedneſs of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. God ſpake not of their works, but of the imagination of their hearts, their thoughts. The Apoſtle counſel'd Simon Magus to repent of his wickedneſs, and pray God,Recognoſcit ſo interius fuiſſe aliquo cogitatione ſuperba pulſatum, quod Deum non latuiſſe cognoſcit. Aquin. Latini exiſtimant loqui Jobum de ſuis tumultuantibus cogitationibus, ſive ſuperbiae de ſua ſanctitate, ſive iniquae expoſtulationis cum divina providentia. Accuſat cogitationes ſuas. Philip. if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven him (Acts 8.22.) There lieth the danger; take heed of evil thoughts: we are in as much danger by them, as by the worſt evil actions. Take heed, Firſt, of proud thoughts; though pride bloſſom not, that is, though it appear not openly, nor hang out its flag in words and works, yet take heed of it. Secondly, take heed of wanton and adulterous thoughts, though you act not wantonly, nor commit adultery. Thirdly, take heed of covetous thoughts, though you proceed not to covetous practices. Fourthly, of envious thoughts, or of being troubled at the good of your neighbours, though you hinder not his good. Fifthly, take heed of revengeful thoughts, or of deviſing evil againſt your neighbour, though you hurt him not, nor bring evil upon him. Sixthly, take heed of hard thoughts of God, whatſoever his dealings be with you. Though you murmur not, though you ſpeak not hard words of his dealing with you, yet if you think hardly of him, and queſtion his juſtice or goodneſs in your hearts, he takes notice of it. Seventhly, take heed of diſcontentful thoughts with your own condition, though ſad and bitter. This was Jobs ſin, and it is conceived that he ſpake thus, as acknowledging that he lay open before God, as knowing all his thoughts of diſcontent. Eighthly, above all, take heed of blaſphemous thoughts of God, which the devil hoped to bring Job too. Take heed of theſe and of every every evil thought, though not acted, knowing alſo, that every evil act hath its evil thought belonging to it, and that no thought can be with-holden from God.
Thus much for the firſt part of Jobs humiliation, his exalting of God in his omnipotency, and in his omniſciency; he is omnipotent, he can do every thing, nor can any of his thoughts be with-holden from him, by any power of man; he is omniſcient, no man can with-hold or hide his own thoughts from God.
Job having made that great acknowledgement of the power and knowledge of God, I know thou canſt do every thing, neither can any thought be with-holden from thee, comes to the confeſſion of his own weakneſs and ignorance.
Verſ. 3. Who is he that hideth counſel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I underſtood not.
Who is he?
That is, what manner of man is he? or what is he for a man? what a man hath he been?
That hideth counſel.
We had theſe words at the ſecond verſe of the 38th Chapter, where the Lord ſaid chidingly to Job, Who is this that darkneth counſel by words without knowledge? Here Job ſaith humbly to God, Who is this that hideth counſel? There is ſome change in the words; little, if any, in the ſenſe. There the Lord ſaid, Who is he that darkneth? Here Job ſaith, Who is he that hideth? &c. both may be taken as intending the ſame thing, darkning and hiding being of a like ſignification, and things in the dark can no more be ſeen, than things hidden. Yet ſome Jewiſh Writers conceive, that Job here doth ſomewhat abate what the Lord ſpake, or did extenuate the matter, as to his own faultineſs and miſcarriage; As if he indeed granted, that he had hid or concealed the counſel of God, but would be excuſed in this, that he had darkned it. This is a nice difference, and I doubt not but the ſpirit of Job was ſo low and graciouſly humbled, that he ſpake with the moſt and higheſt fervency, to humble himſelf, when he ſaid, Who is he that hideth counſel? But how had Job hid the counſel of God?
I anſwer, Firſt; He had hid the counſel of God by not declaring it ſo much or ſo fully as he ought, David prophecying of Chriſt, ſaith (Pſal. 40.10.) I have not hid thy righteouſneſs within my heart, I have declared thy faithfulneſs and thy ſalvation. What is meant by not hiding, in the former part of the verſe, is expreſſed by declaring, in the latter part of it; and when he ſaith, I have declared, his meaning is, I have amply and clearly made known thy faithfulneſs. So that, becauſe Job had not ſo clearly as he ſhould declared the righteouſneſs, or the righteous counſels of God concerning him, and his dealings with him, he may be ſaid to have hid the counſel of God. While we do not magnifie God, we leſſen him; while we do not declare, to the utmoſt, his power, we hide it; and therefore Job thus chargeth himſelf, Who is he that hideth?
Or we may take it thus, more diſtinctly; Job hid the counſel of God,
Firſt, by being ſo much in ſetting forth his own innocency. How much he inſiſted upon that argument, hath been ſhewed before from other places of this book. While we ſet forth our ſelves, we obſcure God. Job ſhould have been leſs in his own commendation, and more in the praiſes of God.
Secondly, Job may be ſaid to have hid the counſel of God, becauſe he was ſo much in amplifying and aggravating his own ſufferings, not well conſidering the counſel of God in laying thoſe ſufferings upon him: Had he duly weighed the counſel of God in afflicting him, he would have proceeded as he began (Chap. 1. 21.) to bleſs God, both in and for his affliction.
Thirdly, He may be ſaid to have hid the counſel of God, becauſe he expoſtulated with God, as ſevere towards him in his afflictions; as if Gods counſel had been only to put him to pain. Such complainings of the living man, Jeremiah chockt, while he ſaid of God (Lam. 3.33.) He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. As it is not in the heart or counſel of God to afflict men with his heart (as the words there imports) ſo not to break their hearts (unleſs with godly ſorrow for their ſin) by affliction. Therefore Job ſpeaking ſo much of Gods ſeverity, hid the counſel of God, which was only to try his graces and his goodneſs, and graciouſly to do him good in the latter end. Who is this that hideth counſel.
Without knowledge? Or, for want of knowledge.
But, was Job an ignorant man? was he without knowledge? No, but he had not a right knowledge of the counſel of God concerning himſelf; which though it was ſome excuſe to him, yet it did not altogether excuſe, nor acquit him from the fault. Who is he that hideth counſel without knowledge? I ſhall not ſtay upon obſervations from this verſe, becauſe I did it at the ſecond verſe of the 38th Chapter. I ſhall only conſider that difference among Interpreters about this word counſel, to whom it doth refer.
Quis eſt enim qui celat à te conſilium? Sept.Firſt, ſome refer it to Job, and conceive that he chargeth himſelf with this error, that he had hid his own counſel from God, or that he thought his counſel was hidden from him. The Septuagint render it plainly to this ſenſe, Who is he that hideth counſel from thee? No man can hide the counſels, nor the moſt ſecret intendments of his ſoul from God; all things, even the thoughts of the heart, are naked and manifeſt before his eyes, with whom we have to do. 'Tis beſt for us to reveal our ſelves to him, from whom we cannot with all our skill and cunning conceal our ſelves, as was further ſhewed from the latter interpretation of thoſe words in the former verſe, No thought can be with-holden from thee.
But we may fully diſcharge Job of this, for he often profeſſed that his moſt ſecret wayes were known to God, yea, that the way of his and every mans heart, was known to God (Chap. 10.19.) If I ſin, then thou markeſt me. Read alſo Chap. 16.19. Chap. 31. verſ. 1. And if we look back to the 5th verſe of the firſt Chapter, there 'tis reported of Job, that he offered ſacrifice for his children after their feaſtings; for (ſaith he) it may be that my ſons have ſinned, and curſed God in their hearts. He knew, if it were but a ſin in their hearts, God took notice of it; and therefore doubtleſs he had the ſame apprehenſion of his own heart-ſins.
Secondly, others who take it for Jobs own counſel, give this ſenſe; Who is he that hideth counſel without knowledge? As if he had ſaid, I am the man that have hid my counſel, or my own meaning, for want of due knowledge how to expreſs it. Many hide the truth of their own apprehenſions and opinions, in the darkneſs or confuſedneſs of their expreſſions. Some have a clear notion of things in their head, yet cannot bring it out, and ſo hide counſel for want of knowledge to make it known. This interpretation carrieth a fair ſenſe for Jobs excuſe, acquitting him of any wilful or purpoſed ſpeaking amiſs: he had better things in his mind than he ſometimes uttered, or he wanted skill rightly to utter his own mind, and ſo darkned counſel without, or for want of knowledge.
But I rather adhere to thoſe, who take counſel here, for the counſel or purpoſe of God in afflicting Job ſo grievouſly, and leaving him entangled in the bryars of thoſe troubleſom and intricate diſputes with his friends, who came to comfort him.
Thus Job ſpeaking in the third perſon, intends himſelf (which manner of ſpeaking is frequent in Scripture) Who is he? &c. that is, I am he that have hid counſel without knowledge. For doubtleſs Job did well attend thoſe words of God in the 38th Chapter (verſ. 2.) Who is this that darkneth counſel by words without knowlegde? And being ſtruck with them, confeſſeth here, that God had met with him in thoſe words. And hence read theſe words of Job with an additional preface, as if they were a repetition of Gods words, Thou haſt ſaid, who is he that hideth counſel without knowledge? That is, thou haſt ſaid, that ſome body hideth counſel without knowledge, and I acknowledge 'tis I, I am he; and ſo he falls down convinced before the Lord, as David before Nathan, telling him in the name of the Lord, Thou art the man. Ego ſum, quē celavi, i. e. tacui, non decantavi, non celebravi conſilium tuum. Joan Paraph. Qui de Deo ejuſ que providentia imperitè loquitur, i… ejus conſilium abſcondere dicitur abſ que ſcientia; quippe inde gloria Dei apud homines obſcuratur. Druſ.I confeſs it, ſaid David, I am the man, I have ſinned; ſo ſaith Job, I am the man, I have hid counſel by words without knowledge.
Some underſtand this his hiding, to be only his forbearing to utter and celebrate the praiſe of God in his counſel, or the purpoſe of Gods providence towards him. But I conceive the fault which he confeſſeth here, is not a bare reticency, or his not ſpeaking of the counſel of God, but his not ſpeaking rightly, or becomingly, of his counſel; which agrees fully with what followeth, where Job ſpeaks in the firſt perſon, or in his own perſon, and takes the charge home to, and upon himſelf.
Therefore have I uttered that I underſtood not, &c.
Mr. Broughton renders, Therefore have I talked that I have not underſtood.
The Hebrew word rendred underſtood, imports a diſtinct knowledge of things (Prov. 14.8.) The wiſdom of the prudent, is to underſtand his way; that is, to know what to do, and how or in what manner to do every duty in all the changes of his life. Thus the Angel Gabriel was commanded concerning Daniel (Dan. 8.16.) Make this man to underſtand the viſion; that is, whom it concerns, when and in what manner it ſhall take effect, and be fulfilled. Such an underſtanding as this Job had not of the things which he had uttered; and therefore confeſſeth, I have uttered that I underſtood not, I have ſpoken (as we ſay) I knew not what; which may refer to ſuch like paſſages as are in the former part of this Book (Job 19.7, 8.) Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no judgement: He hath fenced up my way, that I cannot paſs, and he hath ſet darkneſs in my paths. Job did not well underſtand himſelf when he ſpake thus;Non intelligebam quae dixi quum de tuis judiciis quererer, & te dicorem ex equ… bonos & malos affligere. Merc and there are ſeveral other ſuch extravagant ſpeeches of his, up and down this Book. And doubtleſs he did not barely confeſs that he had erred in ſpeaking, nor did he only acknowledge that he had not uſed ſuch reverence as became him, in ſpeaking to God, but that he had ſpoken ſuch things as were ſcandalous, and gave juſt matter of offence, and at which ſeveral of his friends did actually take offence. At beſt he might well acknowledge he had raſhly uttered things that he did not fully underſtand.
Thus Job, who thought he had ſpoken wiſely enough, while man ſpake to him, and he ſpake to men, now hearing God ſpeak, and he ſpeaking to God, doth more wiſely confeſs that himſelf was not wiſe, and that his light was but darkneſs concerning the works of God, much more concerning his counſel in thoſe works. As if he had ſaid, I have ſpoken many things of God, and of his excellencies in this diſpute with my friends; yet I have hidden, or not hit, but ſlipt that which I ſhould have moſt inſiſted upon and ſtudied to make manifeſt, even the ſoveraignty of God over me, and all that I am or have; as alſo, the counſel, aim and intention of God in laying his hand ſo ſorely upon me: but now being better informed about the reaſon of Gods dealings with me, I confeſs I have uttered that I underſtood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Job was a man of great underſtanding; yet here were things too wonderful for him. What were they? The counſel of God, the nature of God: theſe are paſt finding out. There are wonders in God which man cannot apprehend, much leſs comprehend. Job ſpake of things far above his reach, even of wonderful things; and therefore no wonder if he ſpake unduly of them. I (ſaith he) have uttered things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Job here confeſſeth, that he wanted knowledge; and we know (though he were a mirror of patience) that many impatient ſpeeches paſſed from him. Now, here we have the root of all that impatience which this good man ſhewed in his afflictions; he had not a clear knowledge about the counſel or meaning of God in afflicting him.
Hence note; Impatience flows from ignorance.
Did we underſtand theſe two things; Firſt, our own ſinfulneſs; Secondly, the ſoveraignty of God; we ſhould never be impatient. Did we underſtand our own ſinfulneſs, that we have deſerved greater evils than any the Lord hath laid upon us; and did we underſtand the Lords ſoveraignty, that he may lay upon us what ſufferings he pleaſeth, though we had not ſinned (for we are wholly his, and he may do with his own what he will) did we (I ſay) underſtand and meditate upon theſe two things, it would quiet our minds in the greateſt ſtorms of adverſity, and be a preſervative againſt all impatience. But if with theſe two, we conſider a third thing; that the end which the Lord hath in bringing ſufferings upon his people, is to do them good, how unreaſonable a thing will impatience appear? ſhall we be impatient at our profit! If we are well inſtructed in this great truth, that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to his purpoſe (Rom. 8.28.) Where is there any room for impatience, in thoſe who are effectually called, and truly love God! Impatience floweth from ignorance.
Again, in that Job confeſſeth himſelf to be the man that hid the counſels of God, when he had only been ſpeaking unadviſedly of them,
Note; He that ſpeaketh improperly and unskilfully of the counſel or things of God, hideth them.
When in diſcourſes about divine truths, we do not advance the honour of God, we, as it were, caſt a vail upon it. Not to do what we ought, is to do what we ought not; our omiſſions of good, may be cenſured as commiſſions of evil. We ſhould diſplay and magnifie the wiſdom of God in all his dealings with us, and diſpenſations towards us, elſe we do unwiſely.
Thirdly, Job chargeth it upon himſelf as a fault, that he uttered what he knew not.
Hence note; Our words and our underſtandings ſhould go both together.
Let us take heed of venting with our tongues, what we have not in ſome good degree reached with our underſtandings. The underſtanding ſhould give light to the tongue; nor need we any other light to ſpeak by, but that of the underſtanding. True light cannot ſhine out of our mouths, if there be much darkneſs in our minds. How ſhall we utter knowledge, if we have it not? (Pſal. 147.7.) God is the King in all the earth: ſing ye praiſes with underſtanding. In ſinging praiſes, as there is an exerciſe of our affections, ſo there ſhould be of our underſtanding alſo. The Apoſtle puts it twice in thoſe duties of prayer and praiſe (1 Cor. 14.15.) I will pray with the Spirit, and will pray with underſtanding alſo; I will ſing with the Spirit, and I will ſing with the underſtanding alſo. A word ſhould not go out of our mouths, but ſuch as the underſtanding dictates and directs: better not to ſpeak, than ſpeak what we know not. If we underſtand not what we ſpeak, we ſeldom edifie others, never our ſelves. As the tongues of ſome utter things above their experiences and affections, ſo do the tongues of others utter words beyond their judgements.
Fourthly, When Job ſpake, he thought he had ſpoken very well, yet now he is convinced of his weakneſs and miſtakes in what he ſpake.
Hence note, Good-meaning men may ſometimes arrogate, and pretend to more knowledg, than cometh to their ſhare.
They may think they know the truth in a better manner and meaſure than indeed they do: Our opinion of our ſelves is often greater than our knowledg of other matters; and we may ſoon imagine we know that, which indeed we know not. The Apoſtle ſaith (1 Cor. 8.2.) If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. He that really knoweth any thing, as he ought, cannot but have thoughts that he knoweth it; but he that thinketh, that is, is much, or proudly thinking that he knoweth any thing, doth only think ſo, for he knoweth nothing as he ought, that is, really, groundedly, and effectually.
Fifthly, Obſerve; God will bring his ſervants at laſt to ſee how ſhort they are of that knowledg, which they ſometimes preſume to have.
Job thought he had more knowledg than he indeed had, and God made him ſee it. 'Tis a work of great goodneſs in God, to ſhew us how defective we are both in knowledge and goodneſs. We are full of ſelf, till God convinceth us of our ſelf-emptineſs; we are full of ſelf-wiſdom, and ſelf-ſtrength, and ſelf-righteouſneſs, till the Lord convinceth us, that our wiſdom is folly, our ſtrength weakneſs, our righteouſneſs an unclean thing, and ſheweth us, yea cauſeth us to recieve and take Chriſt for our righteouſneſs, ſtrength, and wiſdom. God did not leave Job till he had brought him out of, and off from himſelf, as to whatſoever he had too high an opinion of, or any confidence in himſelf.
Again, Job was upon his humiliation before God; he had not any groſs ſin to charge himſelf with (for he ſtood ſtill upon his integrity, as he had done before; nor was Job miſtaken in that point, he had not lived in any groſs ſin) That which he charged himſelf with, was want of knowledg, and his erro…, in managing his cauſe towards God ariſing from it.
Hence note, Sixthly, Our ignorance and errors, are to be confeſſed and bewailed before the Lord, and we to be deeply humbled for them.
What though we have not any open wickedneſs to charge our ſelves with? what though the world cannot charge us, nor we our ſelves, with any foul and black-fac'd enormities; yet have we not errors, have we not ignorances, have we not weakneſſes to confeſs? Jobs eye had none of thoſe beams in it; but he began to ſee the moates in his eye, and repented of his ſhortneſs in knowledg, and of his raſhneſs in language. Though great ſins call loudeſt for repentance, yet the leaſt ſin, even a ſin of ignorance, calleth us to repentance alſo; and wo to thoſe who knowingly neglect, or ſtop their ears againſt that call. When David was only ſtagger'd at the providence of God giving proſperity to the wicked, & ſo ſpake unadviſedly with his lips (as Job in a parallel caſe did) Pſal. 73.13, 14.) Verily, I have cleanſed my heart in vain, and waſhed my hands in innocency: For all the day long have I been plagued and chaſtened every morning. Yet as ſoon as he recovered out of this temptation, how deeply did he charge himſelf (ver. 22.) So fooliſh was I, and ignorant; I was as a beaſt before thee. Why did he then call himſelf a fool, a beaſt? was it for adultery and murder, which were once his ſins? no, but for ignorance and raſhneſs. David called himſelf a beaſt, in judging of the dealings of God by ſenſe, not for living in any beaſtly ſenſuality. Let us remember, and not lightly paſs it over, that though we have not (which rarely we have not) groſs ſins to confeſs, yet we have ignorances and errors too too many. The ſame David ſaid and prayed (Pſal. 19.12.) Who can underſtand his errors? cleanſe thou me from ſecret faults, that is, from thoſe faults and errors which I do not underſtand; yea, cleanſe me from this fault, that I have not a better underſtanding. As he there prayed to be kept from the dominion (and ſo from the guilt) of preſumptuous ſins, that is, of ſins committed againſt the light of knowledg, ſo to be cleanſed from the guilt of his ſecret ſins, that is, of ſins committed without his knowledg. Thus a godly man acknowledgeth his weakneſſes, and lies low before God, in ſenſe of them, when he hath not great and groſs ſins to be humbled for.
Seventhly, As Job was now diſcovering his former ignorance; ſo, upon an increaſe of knowledge, he was growing up into a clearer light about the things of God, than he had manifeſted in his former diſcourſes.
Hence note; It is a good degree of knowledg and underſtanding, to be convinced that we know and underſtand little.
As to be conſcious of our weakneſs, is a great part of our ſtrength; ſo, to be ſenſible of our ignorance is a good degree of knowledg. Agur ſaid of himſelf (Prov. 30.2.) Surely I am more brutiſh than any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man; I neither learned wiſdom, nor have the knowledg of the holy. This good man was none of the ignorant ones, he had knowledg in a large meaſure, and was growing into a further light, while he thus bewailed his own darkneſs. Davids knowledg was then cleareſt, when he made that confeſſion, So ignorant was I.
Eighthly, When was it that Job ſaw he knew little? It was when God was come nearer to him, when God had been dealing with him, and ſpeaking to him.
Hence note; No man knoweth what a nothing he is in knowledge, and grace, and goodneſs, till the Lord is pleaſed to reveal himſelf to him.
It is upon ſome eminent diſcovery of God to us, that we ſee we have little grace, righteouſneſs, or knowledg. While we compare our ſelves with our ſelves, or compare our ſelves with others below our ſelves, we have high thoughts of our ſelves; but when we compare our ſelves with God, who is infinitely above us, we are little, we are nothing, we are little or nothing in our own eyes; when God appears in his fulneſs to us, we appear empty to our ſelves.
Laſtly, From thoſe words, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Theſe wonderful things being the dealings of God with him, according to the counſel of God concerning him,
Note, Ninthly, The dealings of God with men are wonderful.
Not only the decrees of God from eternity, but the works of God in time, are full of wonder; nor can his works in time be otherwiſe, ſeeing they bear the expreſs image, and are the iſſue of thoſe eternal decrees. Jeſus Chriſt is called wonderful, counſeller (Iſa. 9.6.) and he is wonderful in his counſels: As the works of God in us, ſo his works towards us are called wonderful. (Pal. 40.5.) Many, O Lord, my God, are thy wonderful works which thou haſt done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward. The works of God (as of man too) are the birth of his thoughts, and the thoughts of God about the birth of man, have many wonders in them. David ſaid (Pſal. 139, 6.) Such knowledg is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain unto it. What knowledg was it that he could not attain unto? The context tells us, it was the knowledg of Gods knowledg, concerning the formation of his body, before he was born (ver. 14, 15▪ 16.) I will praiſe thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, &c. Again, the Prophet having deſcribed the various courſes and methods which God uſeth in humbling ſinners, by afflictions and tribulations, which are ſhadowed under thoſe Metaphors and Allegorical expreſſions of Plowing and Harrowing, and the different ways of Threſhing out the Corn, by the ſtaff, or the rod, or the wheel. The Spirit of God doth not there intend the husband-mans work alone, in which yet there is much of God, and his teachings: The Prophet (I ſay) having done this, concludes (Iſa. 28.29.) This alſo cometh forth from the Lord of Hoſts, who is wonderful in counſel, and excellent in working. And as there are wonders in the works of God, which are the fulfilling of his ſecret and hidden counſel; ſo there are wonders in the Word of God, which is his revealed and open counſel (Pſal. 119.18.) Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law. The Law is wonderful; but the Goſpel is, as it were, a continued wonder, and we ſhall be for ever wondring at, and admiring the grace and goodneſs of God diſcovered, therein when we come to heaven; and now, as we ſee further into the miſtery of Chriſt, we do it too (1 Cor. 2.7.) We ſpeak the wiſdom of God in a miſtery, even the hidden wiſdom which God ordained before the world. Eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. They are wonderful things, which man, by all his natural wiſdom, cannot attain unto. Philoſophers, who pry into all the ſecrets of nature, cannot underſtand theſe ſupernatural ſecrets, how long ſoever they ſtand prying upon them: And though Job had been long conſidering of, and ſpeaking about thoſe things of God, which the eye often ſees, and the ear heard, yea, which he himſelf (to his grief) had felt; yet he ſaw reaſon enough at laſt to ſay, that even thoſe things, in the whole compaſs of them, exceeded his reaſon; I (ſaid he) have uttered that I underſtood not, things too wonderful for me which I knew not.
Job having thus acknowledged his want of knowledg, and the weakneſs of his underſtanding in the miſteries of providence, applieth himſelf to God for inſtruction in the next verſe.
Verſ. 4. Hear, I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
This is Jobs humble petition; and it conſiſteth of two parts.
Firſt, That God would not reject, but give ear to a poor creature, burdened with the ſenſe of his infirmities, in his addreſſes to him; Hear, I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak, or as Mr. Broughton renders, Oh, hear me, when I do ſpeak.
Secondly, That God would admit him under his tuition, and inſtruct him, while he waited for advice and counſel: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me; Lord, teach thou me. Job ſpeaketh ſubmiſſively as became a learner; he is not now what he was, he comes to God in another manner, than he had done before; Hear, I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak.
As if he had ſaid; I have formerly deſired to plead my cauſe with thee (Chap. 13.22.) and thou haſt juſtly checkt, and chid me for it (Chap. 38.3. Chap. 40.2.) as if I preſumed I could teach thee; but now I ſee my error, I ſubmit, and earneſtly deſire to be taught by thee. I have ſpoken heretofore otherwiſe than I ought, and otherwiſe than I purpoſe to ſpeak hereafter: I ſpake before in a challenging ſtrain (Chap. 13.22.) Then call thou, and I will anſwer: or let me ſpeak, and anſwer thou me. There Job ſeemed to challenge God, to be either opponent or reſpondent, and he would argue, or diſpute it out with him. But here, though his words are near the ſame in ſound, yet his ſence is far different; Hear, I beſeech thee, and I will ſpeak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
There is a two-fold demanding; Firſt, as a Diſputant; Secondly, as a Supplicant. Job would now demand as a Supplicant unto God,M… interrogantem doce benignè, qui me tuae diſciplinae planè ſubmitto. Merc. not as a Diſputant with God. We may be ſaid to demand or enquire of God, when we conſult his word, not humane reaſon. It an innocent perſon (as Job) be afflicted; where ſhall he enquire the reaſon of it? if he only reſpect his affliction, and compare that with his own innocency, he will quickly murmure at, and complain of the dealings of God with him: But if he look to the Word of God, which tells him that God is a Soveraign Lord, and that God hath promiſed, not only to be with his in trouble, but that their troubles ſhall work their comforts; he will not only be patient under, but glory in his tribulations.
foreign interrogobo tc. ſc. petendo, orando, pulſando. Aquin.The Hebrew word which we tranſlate, demand, may well be rendred petition or crave: The common ſenſe of the word demand ſeems too high for Jobs ſpirit and condition. Maſter Broughton renders, I will make petition unto thee, or an humble ſuit unto thee; as if he had ſaid, I will pray for, and beg this favour of thee, that thou wouldſt teach and inform me better. It is not an authoritative demand,Qui regat, neſcit. Interrogare ſapientem dimidia ſapientia eſt. Apotheg. Arab. which is a kind of command, but a ſubmiſſive demand; this demanding is the asking of a queſtion, not the requiring of a right. He that asks a queſtion, implyeth that he ſtands in need of information, and that he is deſirous to learn; And to put queſtions to a wiſe man is half wiſdom. I will demand, or put queſtions unto thee: Declare thou unto me.
The Hebrew is, make me to know, make me a knowing man. As if Job had ſaid; Lord, if thou wilt teach me, I ſhall ſoon get knowledg and underſtanding; and therefore I reſign my ſelf wholly to thy teachings. The true ſubmiſſion of mans will to Gods will, is to hearken to the counſel or wiſdom of God, and not to ſit down in our own.
But as it was queſtioned at the firſt verſe, how Job could anſwer, ſeeing he had ſaid I will anſwer no more; ſo here it may be queſtioned, why the Lord ſpake no more to Job, ſeeing here he deſired to receive further inſtruction from him?
I anſwer, Firſt, Job made this ſuit to God, upon this condition, that God would pleaſe to enform him, if he ſaw need, or ſhould think fit to do it. Secondly, Job ſpake this doctrinally to ſhew what he and others ought to deſire & ſubmit to, even the teachings of God. Thirdly, I anſwer, that the Lord ſeeing his ſubmiſſion, ſaw there was no need of ſpeaking any further to him, but broke up the whole diſputation, determining for Job, and giving him the day againſt his three friends, as will appear further in the ſequel of the Chapter.
From this verſe,
Obſerve, Firſt, The ſence of our wants puts us upon prayer.
When Job was ſenſible that he wanted underſtanding and knowledge, he came to God for it. Give me to underſtand, cauſe me to know. True and fervent prayer floweth from a ſence of our wants. If we ſee not our ſelves in need, why ſhould we pray? And when really we ſhall have no need (as in heaven) there will be no need of prayer; all will be praiſe, and all ſhall be in everlaſting praiſes.
Secondly, The perſon to whom Job maketh his application for teaching, being God himſelf,
Note; We know nothing of God, nor of our ſelves aright, till God teacheth us, till he declareth and maketh it known to us.
Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights, &c. (Jam. 1.17.) As no man can either make or redeem himſelf, ſo no man can teach or inſtruct himſelf. What we know of God, we know, from God? 'Tis in his light that we ſee light. The light may ſhine round about us, and we ſee it not; unleſs God enlighten us, as well as ſend us the light, we are never the better. As in converſion, the Lord firſt opens the eyes, and then turns from darkneſs to light (Acts 26.18.) So under every diſpenſation, we are in the dark, till God opens our eyes, and give us (by his own immediate or mediate teachings) light about it.
Thirdly, note; If we deſire God ſhould teach us, or if we would be taught of God, we muſt ask it of him.
We find the godly often putting up this requeſt to God. David was much in this petition (Pſal. 119.33, 34.) Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy ſtatutes, and I ſhall keep it unto the end: Give me underſtanding, and I ſhall keep thy law. He did not only deſire God that he would teach him, but give him a faculty, to receive his teachings (verſ. 35.) Make me to go in the path of thy commandement. See how the Pſalmiſt joyneth theſe petitions together. Firſt, Teach me the way of thy ſtatutes. Secondly, Give me underſtanding; as if he had ſaid, elſe thy teachings will do no good. Thirdly, Make me to go in the path of thy commandement; as if he had ſaid, though I underſtand thy ſtatutes, yet, unleſs thou help me, I ſhall not be able to walk in them, no, nor to take one right ſtep in them; therefore, Make me to go in the path of thy commandement. Again (Pſal. 143.10.) Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God; thy ſpirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightneſs. As the Lord teacheth us our way, and hath promiſed to teach us always, in all things needful for us to know and do; ſo he hath taught us by the written practiſe of many, as well as by his written precept, that we muſt pray for his teaching.
Fourthly, Job was humbling himſelf, and now he begs of God, that he would teach him.
Hence note; Humble ſouls deſire and give up themſelves wholly to be taught by God.
They hang upon his mouth for inſtruction, and renounce their own wiſdom. Eliphaz gave Job that advice (Chap. 22.22.) Acquaint thy ſelf now with him, and be at peace, and good ſhall come unto thee: Receive, I pray thee, thee law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
Fifthly, In that Job prays for teaching in this form, according to the Hebrew, make me to know,
Obſerve; The teachings of God are effectual, they make us know.
Men may teach others knowledge, but they cannot make them know. God can make a very dullard quick of underſtanding. Men may inſtruct the underſtanding, but they cannot give underſtanding; God doth both. The teachings of God are effectual to all purpoſes. Firſt, to enlighten the ignorant. Secondly, to convince gain-ſayers. Thirdly, to convert ſinners. Fourthly, to comfort thoſe that are ſorrowful. Fifthly, to reſolve ſuch as are doubtful. Sixthly, to encourage the fearful. And, Seventhly, to raiſe up and recover thoſe that are fallen. Thus Job is become a petitioner to the Lord for inſtruction, having confeſſed his own ignorance and weakneſs. And that he had formerly profited under the teachings of God, and was now in a further way of profiting, is evident by that which followeth.
Verſ. 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee.
Job had no ſooner asked for teaching, but God taught him, though not formally and explicitely as he deſired, yet really and effectually, as he needed. For, this verſe ſeems to be a real anſwer to the petition he made in the former verſe; and in it Job aſſerts two things.
Firſt, That he had heard of God by the hearing of the ear.
Secondly, That now his eye did ſee him.
There are two opinions about the general ſenſe of this verſe, and I ſhall conclude in a third.
Firſt, Some conceive theſe diſcoveries of God to Job, were only, inward to his ſoul; ſo that when he ſaith, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee, we are not to underſtand him, as if he had had any viſible appearance of God, but that theſe words may be taken,
Firſt, as a compariſon between a ſlight hearing, when the mind is not intent upon what the ear heareth; and a ſerious hearing, which brings the mind fully into the ear. As if Job had formerly been a careleſs hearer, but now an attentive one; and ſo the knowledge which Job had of God formerly, was little compared with his preſent knowledge. He had a knowledge of God by hearing only before, but his mind was not intent upon it; he heard only with the hearing of his ear, but his eye did not ſee; that is, he had not a clear ſight or knowledge, which is an intellectual ſight of the things which he heard. But doubtleſs, Job was no ſlight hearer of the word in former times; he did not hear the word in the dayes of his proſperity, as if he had only (as we ſay) given it the hearing: for, had he not ſeriouſly hearkned to the voice of God in thoſe dayes, he had never obtained ſuch a teſtimony as God gave of him, towards the end of thoſe dayes; yea, this very phraſe, I have heard of thee, by the hearing of the ear, implyeth ſerious and attentive hearing.
Secondly, Others who deny any viſible manifeſtation of God to Job, grant that the firſt part of the verſe, notes ſerious hearing and receiving of the word, the latter more; ſo that here, ſay they, is a compariſon between that leſſer light or knowledge which Job had of the will of God before, and that fuller light which he got upon this diſcourſe which the Lord had with him; the former being but as of a matter heard, this as of things ſeen. The Scripture ſometimes calls clear knowledge ſight: So that, look how much that which we ſee with our bodily eyes, is clearer to us than that whereof we have only heard the report; by ſo much the knowledge which Job had now of the things of God, eſpecially about the whole myſtery of Gods dealing with him, was clearer and fuller than what he had before, even as if he now ſaw what before he only heard. As we ſay, One eye-witneſs, is better than ten ear-witneſſes; ſo one eying of the word of God (the eye of the mind fully and diſtinctly taken in what is heard) is better than ten earings of it; that is, when little or nothing is taken in at the ear, but a ſound of words: For then only we may be ſaid to know divine things, by the ſeeing of the eye, when we know them not only from without by the report of others, but from experience within our ſelves. The Apoſtle ſaith of thoſe, who took joyfully the ſpoyling of their goods for the truths ſake, They knew in themſelves, that they had in heaven a better and a more enduring ſubſtance (Heb. 10.34.) that is, they had even got a ſight of that heavenly enduring ſubſtance. Hence in Scripture, viſion is applied to ſpiritual things heard; and we are ſaid to ſee the Word of God (Jer. 2.31.) O generation, ſee ye the Word of the Lord; have I been a wilderneſs? &c. As if the Lord had ſaid, Ye have heard it before, but now ſee it. Seeing notes the higheſt knowledge; then we ſee what we hear, when we fully underſtand what we have heard. Thus they expound this Text, who judge there was no outward viſion at all, but that Jobs ſeeing was only ſpiritual and intellectual.
Secondly, Others affirm, that Job had an outward apparition, and that the eye of his ſenſe was affected. And concerning this,
Firſt, Some are ſo much of this opinion, that they ſay Chriſt appeared in humane ſhape to Job, as he did to many of the holy Patriarks and Prophets of old; which apparitions are by the Ancients called preludes to his incarnation. And ſome Jewiſh Writers tell us, that Job upon this ſight of God, had a ſpirit of propheſie given him; but they need not inſiſt upon that, for ſeveral have had apparitions, who were no Prophets.
Secondly, others ſay, the appearance of God to Job was only in or by a cloud, with the whirlwind. But that he had a viſion or ſight of God one way or other, is aſſerted, as by many of the Jewiſh Writers, ſo by moſt of the Chriſtian Ancients.
And doubtleſs, when the Lord ſpake to him out of the whirlwind, he had a viſion, or an extraordinary manifeſtation of God, even to his eye: Not that God in himſelf can be ſeen, No man hath ſeen God at any time (1 John 4.12.) It is reported by the Jewiſh Writers, that the Prophet Iſaiah was ſawn aſunder by his own Nation, for ſaying, that he had ſeen the Lord (Iſa. 6.1.) I ſaw the Lord ſitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. This they counted blaſphemy, and put him to death for it, ſay ſome: yet others ſay, he was put to death for his plainneſs in reproving the Princes and people of Iſrael, in thoſe words (Iſa. 1.10.) Hear the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom, give ear to the Law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. But of that by the way. I ſay, God in himſelf cannot be ſeen; he is ſeen only by thoſe viſible demonſtrations of his preſence, which he is pleaſed to make of himſelf, as here he ſpake to Job out of the whirlwind.
I conceive we may take in both; ſo that when Job ſpeaketh of his hearing by the ear, he intends that teaching which he had in former times by the Miniſtry of his Anceſtors: And that, when he ſaith, But now mine eye ſeeth thee, he intends that teaching which he had from the preſent appearance of God to him for his inſtruction and humiliation; I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee. As if he had ſaid, Lord, heretofore I heard of thee, for I was religiouſly brought up; I had Parents and Anceſtors, who declared to me who the Lord was; and I heard many things of thee, which took impreſſion upon my heart heretofore: but I never had ſuch an impreſſion as in this tempeſt, I never heard God ſpeaking thus immediately to me; nor did he ever give me any ſuch viſible demonſtration of his preſence, as he hath vouchſafed me at this time, ſpeaking out of the whirlwind. And from all we may conclude, that as Job had a powerful illumination of the Spirit, ſo an outward apparition of the Glory and Majeſty of God, or of Gods glorious Majeſty to convince and humble him. So that, though Job had a ſaving knowledge of God formerly, yet this diſcourſe of God with him, and diſcovery of God to him, had made him a better Scholar than all his earthly teachers. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, But now mine eye ſeeth thee.
That is, now I have as clear a ſight or knowledge of thy mind and will, of thy juſtice and goodneſs, of thy power and ſoveraignty, as if I had ſeen thee with mine eyes, and had ſeen or looked into thy heart. Or thus: Not only haſt thou graciouſly inſtructed me, by ſpeaking ſo much to me, but thou haſt manifeſted thy ſelf preſent with me, by an aſpectable ſign, Mine eye hath ſeen thee; that is, thou haſt given me to ſee that which aſſures me thou art neer unto me, namely, the Cloud, out of which thou haſt been pleaſed to ſpeak and make known thy mind to me, who am but duſt and aſhes.
The Lord may be ſeen theſe four wayes;
Firſt, In his Word. Secondly, In his works. Thirdly, In outward apparitions. Fourthly, And above all, God is ſeen in his Son, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom the Apoſtle calls (Heb. 1.3.) The brightneſs of his glory, and the expreſs image of his perſon; and in whoſe face the light of the knowledge of God ſhineth (2 Cor. 4.6.) And hence Chriſt ſaith (John 14.9.) He that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the father. The inviſible father is ſeen in his Son, who was made viſible in our fleſh, John 1.18. Thus God may be ſeen. But in his nature God is altogether inviſible, he cannot be ſeen. Moſes ſaw him that is inviſible (Heb. 11.27.) that is, he ſaw him by an eye of faith, who is inviſible to the eye of ſenſe. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee.
Hence note, Firſt; It is a great mercy, and much to be acknowledged, that we have the word of God ſounding in our ears.
Faith cometh by hearing (Rom. 10.17.) The Prophet ſaith (Iſa. 55.3.) Hear, and your ſoul ſhall live. Now if faith and life come by hearing; to have the word of God ſounding in our ears, muſt needs be a great mercy. Though to have the word only ſounding in our ear, will do no man good, yet 'tis good to hear that joyful ſound. Though that ſad Propheſie mentioned by Chriſt (Mat. 13.14.) be fulfilled in many, By hearing ye ſhall hear, and ſhall not underſtand, and ſeeing ye ſhall ſee, and ſhall not perceive; Yet he ſaid to his faithful followers (verſ. 16.) Bleſſed are your eyes, for they ſee, and your ears, for they hear. They receive a bleſſing by hearing, whoſe ears are bleſſed when they hear. O how many ſouls are bleſſing God, that ever they heard of himſelf and his Son, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by the hearing of the ear. To have an ear to hear, is a common bleſſing; but to have an hearing ear, or to hear by the hearing of the ear, is a ſpecial bleſſing.
Obſerve, Secondly; We ſhould hear the Word very diligently.
That phraſe, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear (as the Hebrew Writers note) ſignifieth a very attentive hearing. Every hearing is not an hearing with the ear, nor every ſeeing like that we intend, when a man ſaith, I ſaw it with my eyes. One may ſee and not ſee, hear and not hear. The Word of God is to be heard with a hearing. Such doublings in Scripture have a great emphaſis in them. As when the Lord ſaith, They are curſed with a curſe, it notes a great and a certain curſe is coming; ſo to hear by the hearing of the ear, implyeth fruitful hearing, and a laying up of that in the mind which hath been heard (Pſal. 44.1.) We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didſt in their dayes, in the times of old. They who thus hear with their ears, treaſure up in their hearts, and do with their hands what they have heard. The Lord charged Ezekiel (Chap. 44.5.) Son of man, mark well and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, all that I ſay unto thee; that is, mind diligently what I ſhew and ſay unto thee. The Lord called for the exerciſe of both ſenſes, in attending to what he ſpake to the Prophet: He did not only ſay, Hear with thine ears, but ſee with thine eyes; that is, hear as if thou didſt even ſee that which thou heareſt. For though poſſibly the Lord preſented ſomewhat to the eye of the Prophet, as well as he ſpake to his ear, yet the former notion may well be taken in, yea, and intended in that command. Many hear as if they had no ears, and ſee as if they had no eyes. One of the Ancients taking notice of that, ſaith, Such kind of hearers are like Malchus in the Goſpel, who had his ear cut off. From thoſe words, But now mine eye ſeeth thee, taken diſtinctly,
Obſerve, Thirdly; God revealeth himſelf more clearly and fully at one time, than at another.
Seeing is ſomewhat more than hearing, though it be attentive hearing. As the full and clear manifeſtation which we ſhall have of God in the next life, is expreſſed by ſeeing, and called viſion; ſo the fulleſt and cleareſt apprehenſion which we have of God, and the things of God in this life, is a degree of ſeeing both him and them, 'tis the ſight of faith, and may alſo be called viſion. A true and ſtrong believer taſts, and feels, and ſees the truths of the Goſpel which he hath heard; his faith (which is the eye of his ſoul) is the evidence of thoſe things to him which are not ſeen, nor can be ſeen by an eye of ſenſe: He by the help of the Holy Ghoſt looks ſtedfaſtly into heaven, and (with this eye) ſeeth the glory of God, and Jeſus ſtanding at the right hand of God (in his meaſure) as bleſſed Stephen did (Acts 7.55.) This ſight of God and ſpirituals, hath three things in it beyond that ordinary, though real knowledge, which comes in by the hearing of the ear. Firſt, a ſurpaſſing clearneſs. Secondly, an undoubted certainty. Thirdly, a raviſhing ſweetneſs, and the overflowings of conſolation.
Fourthly, Note; According to the meaſure of Gods revealing himſelf to us, ſuch is the meaſure of our profiting in the knowledge of God.
The word is ſpoken to all, in the publick Miniſtry of it, it is ſcattered upon all; but they only learn to know God & themſelves truly, to whom God doth inwardly reveal it, & whoſe hearts he toucheth and openeth by his Spirit. Every man (ſaith Chriſt, John 6.45.) That hath heard & learned of the father, cometh unto me; that is, All that are taught of God, believe on me. And the more any learn of the father, the more they come to, & abide the more cloſely with the Son. Job underſtood more of God, and the mind of God more, in all thoſe queſtions he put to him, concerning the heavens, the earth, the Sea, concerning the beaſts of the earth, and the fowls of the Air, concerning Behemoth and Leviathan, than ever he did before. The more immediate and extraordinary revelations of God, are alwayes accompanied with notable effects: And though few profit in knowledge, according to the meaſure of the mediate and ordinary Revelation, yet probably the more revelation we have of that kind, the more we profit.
Fifthly, Job had theſe great diſcoveries after God had kept him long in affliction.
Hence note; God doth uſually reveal himſelf moſt to his people after great ſufferings.
Hence ſome are of opinion, that in theſe words Job pointed at his two ſtates. Firſt, that of his proſperity; then he heard of God only by the hearing of the ear. Secondly, Of his adverſity; then his eye ſaw him, that is, he greatly profited in the knowledge of him. There are two things which God uſually beſtows upon his people in the day of, or ſoon after their affliction; Firſt, more cordials and conſolations: He gives that ſtrong drink to thoſe that are ready to periſh, that wine unto thoſe that be of heavy hearts, He bids them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their miſery no more; as Solomons metaphors may well import (Prov. 31.6, 7.) Secondly, as the Lord gives more conſolation in ſuch a day, ſo more illumination; the head is bettered by it as well as the heart. Many have got much inward light or knowledge, both of God and of themſelves, of their mercies and of their duties, by being, or after they have been brought into much outward darkneſs. Davids experience taught him this, elſe he had never ſaid (Pſal. 119.71.) It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy ſtatutes. He had never learned, either to know the Statutes of God better, or to keep them better by his affliction, if God had not been with him, and revealed himſelf further to him in the day of his affliction.
Laſtly, Note; When God manifeſts himſelf much to any man, great impreſſions are left upon him.
As will appear further in opening the next verſe.
Verſ. 6. Wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.
This verſe concludes that part of the Chapter, which I call Jobs humiliation. He made confeſſion before of his own ignorance, uttering things that he underſtood not, things too wonderful for him, which he knew not; he confeſſed alſo the great goodneſs of God to him, in that he had both heard of him by the hearing of the ear, and alſo that his eye had ſeen him: from all which he inferr'd this reſolve of deepeſt ſelf-abaſement before God.
Wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.
This word (wherefore) is diligently to be attended, for 'tis the hinge upon which the whole matter turneth. This wherefore, may have a double reference.
Firſt, To the ſight which he had gained of his own folly, weakneſs and vileneſs, of which having made confeſſion in the former words, he adds wherefore; that is, for as much as I am thus convinced of mine own ſinfulneſs, I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.
Secondly, This wherefore, may have reference to thoſe higher, clearer and fuller manifeſtations of God to him. He had heard of God by the hearing of the ear, there was much in that; but now his eye had ſeen him, he had a light or a diſcovery of the excellency and Majeſty of God, as much ſurpaſſing and exceeding what formerly he had, as eye-ſight doth the hearing of the ear: Wherefore, the light being come thus fully in upon him, concerning the glory, ſoveraignty, goodneſs, faithfulneſs, and all-ſufficiency of God, he cryeth out, I abhorr my ſelf, &c.
The Hebrew word ſignifieth the greateſt diſguſt againſt himſelf, a kind of reprobating himſelf,foreign ſignificat nauſeare, vel reprobaro cum faſtidio, abjicere, abominare. or (as we ſpeak) a turning of his ſtomack, at the thought and remembrance of what he had ſaid and was. Some render, wherefore, I reprehend or reprove my ſelf: but to abhor our ſelves is more than to reprehend or reprove our ſelves. Others, I reject, I deſpiſe, I ſlight my ſelf, I turn away from my ſelf. All theſe renderings ſhew to how little or low an account Job was now come in his own ſight: Our reading, I abhor, takes in all the reſt and more. The Lord uſeth this word negatively concerning his people (Levit. 26.11.) I will ſet my tabernacle amongſt you, and my ſoul ſhall not abhor you; the meaning is, my ſoul ſhall greatly delight in you: And at the 15th verſe of the ſame chapter, affirmatively of them, If you ſhall deſpiſe my ſtatutes, or if your ſoul abhor my judgments, then, &c. deſpiſing is leſs than abhorring. To abhor the judgments of God, is to caſt them not only out of our affections, but out of our judgment too, and to judge them unworthy or unfit to be owned and obeyed. Again, at the 30th verſe of ſame chapter, I will deſtroy your high places, and cut down your images, and caſt your carcaſſes upon the carcaſſes of your idols, and my ſoul ſhall abhor you; that is, I will manifeſt the utmoſt and higheſt of my diſpleaſure againſt you. Once more in the ſame chapter, When they be in the land of their enemies, I will not caſt them away, neither will I abhor them. To abhor is to caſt away, and to look upon a perſon or a people as caſt-aways. Read alſo (Deut. 7.26. Deut. 23.7. Pſal. 5.6. Pſal. 129.163. Prov. 24.24. Jerem. 14.21. Amos 5.10. chap. 6.8. Zech. 11.8.) from all which texts we may collect the weight and great ſignificancy of this word. To abhor things or perſons, imports the deepeſt diſplicency or diſlike towards either. I (ſaith Job) abhor My ſelf.
The word (my ſelf) is here ſupplyed by our tranſlators. The Hebrew is only this, wherefore I abhor, leaving us to ſuppoſe what he did abhor: Our tranſlators make the ſuppliment thus, I abhor my ſelf, that is, whatſoever may be called my ſelf, ſelf-wiſdom, ſelf-righteouſneſs, ſelf-ſtrength, ſelf-ends, and I would ſee the end of ſinful-ſelf. Another tranſlation ſaith, I abhor thoſe former things, Illa priora. q. d. non tantum illa prius à me cogitata & dictaretracto, ſed etiam deteſtor. Bez.that is, whatſoever I formerly thought or ſpake amiſs. I do not only diſlike them, I do not only retract and recant them, but I abhor them. And if you would know what thoſe former things were, which here he renounceth and abhorreth, you may take it in theſe ſeven words.
Firſt, I abhor, that ever I curſed the day of my birth.
Secondly, I abhor, that I wiſhed ſo often for death, that I wooed the grave, and ſo ha…tily called for my return to the duſt in the day of my affliction.
Thirdly, I abhor, that ever I deſpaired of my reſtauration, or that I gave up my ſelf as a man utterly loſt for this world.
Fourthly, I abhor, that I uſed ſo many complaints of the ſeverity of the Lords dealings with me.
Fifthly, I abhor, that I was ſo bold, as to deſire to plead with God.
Sixthly, I abhor, that I was ſo much in ſetting out my own righteouſneſs and innocency.
Seventhly, I abhor, that ever I ſpake any word, which ſhould in the leaſt darken or reflect upon the goodneſs, mercy, faithfulneſs, righteouſneſs, and ſoveraignity of God in his diſpenſations towards me. Theſe are the things which had unwarily paſſed him in the heat of diſputation with his friends, and theſe he now abhorreth. Take it either way, I abhor my ſelf, or theſe things, it comes all to one; for the truth is, he did abhor himſelf for thoſe things, which he had ſpoken with ſo much imprudence and impatience, while he was under the hand of God. I abhor my ſelf (neither is that all) And repent.
Job was not only affected to abhorrence, but to repentance. The word tranſlated repent, foreign in Niphal. ſignificat conſolari, in Piel. poenitere. Druſ.ſignifies two contrary things in Scripture.
Firſt, To grieve, which is proper to repentance; ſorrow and repentance ought to go together.
Secondly, To comfort or to take comfort; thus it is rendered (Gen. 24.67.) Iſaac was comforted concerning the death of his mother (2 Sam. 13.39.) David was comforted concerning Amnon. (Pſal. 77.2.) In the day of my trouble I ſought the Lord, my ſore ran in the night and ceaſed not; my ſoul refuſed to be comforted. It may ſeem ſtrange, that the ſame word which ſignifies ſorrow and repentance, ſhould ſignifie alſo comfort and to be comforted: but ſorrow and comfort meet in true repentance; godly ſorrow doth not hinder, much leſs quite exclude, and ſhut out joy in God. Repentance is uſhered in by godly ſorrow, and grief of heart for ſin, and it concludes with comfort and joy of heart in God who pardoneth ſinners; and therefore the ſame word which ſignifies to repent, may well ſignifie both to grieve and to take comfort. Repentance is a change from a bad ſtate to a good, and a turning from the worſt of evils, ſin, to the chiefeſt good, God himſelf; and therefore muſt needs be followed, if not accompanied with much ſweetneſs and comfort.foreign. Et conſolationem accepi in pulvere & cinere. A Greek tranſlator renders it expreſsly ſo in this place, Wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and take comfort in duſt and aſhes; and doubtleſs, while Job was repenting in floods of ſorrow, his comforts came flowing in. There is a laughter, in the midſt of which the heart is ſorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heavineſs (ſaith Solom, Prov. 14.13.) and there is a ſorrow (that's a bleſſed ſorrow) in the midſt of which the heart laughs, and the end of which heavineſs is mirth.
To repent (in the general nature of it) is to change both the mind and way, and ſo take up new principles and new practices. A man that truly repenteth, is not the ſame man he was before he repented; he can ſay, I am not I. And as in true repentance there is a change from a bad to a good mind, and from a perverſe, to a right and righteous way; ſo in repentance, there is a change from a troubled to a quiet mind, and from a painful to a pleaſant and delightful way. So then, there is a two-fold change in repentance; Firſt, A change of the mind from ſin. Secondly, A change in the mind from ſorrow. Many are the griefs and gripes, the troubles and perplexities, with which the conſcience of an awakened ſinner is followeth, till he hath unburdened himſelf by confeſſion and repentance; when once he hath truly done ſo, how great is his peace! & how ſweet are his conſolations! And therefore, when the Apoſtle ſaith (2 Cor. 7.10.) Godly ſorrow worketh repentance to ſalvation, not to be repented of; his meaning is, the repentance which it works is matter of great rejoycing, or fills the ſoul of an humbled believing ſinner with great joy.
I abhor my ſelf (ſaith Job) and repent. But how did Job repent? his was no ordinary repentance, therefore, he adds, I repent, In duſt and aſhes.
That is, either;
Firſt, Throwing my ſelf upon the ground, (Jer. 6.26. Jer. 25.34. 2 Sam. 12.16.) or,
Secondly, Sitting upon the ground in the duſt, as (Job 2.8. Iſa. 58.5. Jonah 3.6.) or,
Thirdly, Caſting duſt upon my head (Job 2.12.) Duſt caſt upon the head was the embleme of an afflicted heart. And to ſit in the duſt, or to caſt duſt upon the head was anciently the ceremonial part of repentance. Job doth not leave that out, I repent (ſaith he) in duſt and aſhes; Solitis ceremoniis poenitentiam ag….and ſo ſome expreſs it, I repent with outward wonted ceremonies. But, I conceive, we need not take it ſtrictly; to repent in duſt and aſhes, being only a proverbial ſpeech, implying very great, ſolemn, and ſerious repentance.
There is another rendring of this latter part of the verſe, thus, I repent, as looking upon, or accounting my ſelf duſt and aſhes; 'tis an argument of much humility and humiliation to do ſo. Abraham gave himſelf no higher a title before the Lord (Gen. 18.27.) I have begun to ſpeak, who am but duſt and aſhes. If we take it thus, I abhor my ſelf, and repent, looking upon my ſelf but as duſt and aſhes, it is a good ſence alſo, and reacheth the purpoſe which Job was upon, or which was upon Jobs ſpirit in that day and duty of repentance. There is no difficulty in the words, they yield many uſeful obſervations: Wherefore I abhor my ſelf.
Firſt, As the word wherefore refers to that ſignal diſcovery which Job had of God, who did not only manifeſt himſelf to him by the hearing of the ear, but by the ſeeing of the eye, that is more fully than before;
Obſerve; The clearer manifeſtations we have of God, the greater and deeper are our humiliations.
Job ſaw more of the power, more of the ſoveraignity, more of the holineſs of God in himſelf, and more of his goodneſs to him,Qui Deum vidit fieri non poteſt quin ſeſo accuſet contemnat & deſpiciat; non enim certi… noveris tuam impuritatem, quam ſi divina puritas op oſita fuerit. Brent. than he had done before; and therefore he abhor'd himſelf. That place is parallel to this (Iſa. 6.) where, as ſoon as the Lord had declared himſelf in his holineſs and glory, the Prophet cried out (ver. 5.) Wo is me, for I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midſt of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have ſeen the King, the Lord of hoſts; that is, my bodily eyes have ſee the ſigns of his preſence, and the eye of my ſoul is ſo over-preſt, with the preſent weight of his glory, that I cannot (in this frail condition) bear it, but muſt ſink under it; Wo is me, I am undone. As the wicked ſhall at laſt cry, wo and alaſs, at the angry preſence of God, and ſhall indeed be undone for ever: So a godly man may now cry, Wo is me, at any unuſual appearance of the holineſs and glory of God, and cry out, I am undone, I know not how to bear it. Iſaiah was not only a Prophet, and a true Prophet, but a very holy Prophet, an Evangelical Prophet, one that ſpake glorious things of Chriſt to come, yet he had never ſeen ſo much of God before, nor was he ever ſo deeply humbled before, he never cried out before, I am undone; which word implieth the greateſt ſence of his own nothingneſs, vileneſs, and wretchedneſs. The true reaſon why men carry it ſo high at any time with God, is, becauſe their notions and apprehenſions of God, fall ſo infinitely below him. Did we know God more, how ſhould we fear before him, and ſtand as men aſtoniſhed at the preſence of his majeſty! It is our darkneſs about God which emboldens us bey…nd our bounds, or the line of creatures. The Prophet Habakkuk faith of himſelf (chap. 3.16.) When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenneſs entered into my bones, and I trembled in my ſelf, that I might reſt in the day of trouble. When I heard, that is, when God revealed himſelf to me by that ſpeech at the 2d verſe of the chapter, O Lord, I have heard thy ſpeech, and was afraid; then ſaid he (at the 16. verſe) When I heard, my belly trembled. The reaſon why carnal men and hypocrites carry it ſo ſtoutly before God, is, becauſe they know not God aright; they may boaſt of their knowledge; but as the Apoſtle ſaith (1 Cor. 8.2.) He that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as he ought. The Scripture tells us, what that knowledge is which a carnal man hath of God: He knows God in his own light, not in the light of God; or he judgeth what God is, by what himſelf is (Pſal. 50.21.) Thou thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelf. Not that he thought God was a man; he had not ſuch groſs thoughts of God: but he thought God, as to his holineſs, was ſuch a one as himſelf, who was indeed, notwithſtanding his pretentions to holineſs, a very unholy, a meer carnal man. When the Lord ſaid to him, Thou thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelf; it is, as if he had ſaid, Thou meaſuredſt me by thy ſelf, and becauſe ſuch things pleaſed thee, thou wouldſt needs conclude that they pleaſed me too. Had men a clear knowledge of God, as he hath revealed himſelf, they would ſoon be convinced, that God is not only not altogether, but not at all ſuch a one as themſelves. We never ſee how imperfect we are, till we ſee our ſelves in the light of Gods perfection: and when we duely ſee our ſelves in that glaſs, we greatly abhor our ſelves; for we cannot but ſee much deformity in our ſelves,Nuſquam ſo melius deprohendit modus humanae imperfectionis, quam in lumine vultus Dei; in ſpe…ulo divinae viſionis, ubi in die qui eſt plus & plus videns, quid ſibi deeſt, …mend…t indies ſimilitudine quicquid deliquit diſſimilitudine. Similitudine appropinquans ei, à quo longè factus eſt diſſimilitudine. Auguſt. l. 11. Confeſs. c. 9. when we behold the beauty and glory of God. And, as when we behold that beauty, we ſhall abhor our ſelves for our deformity and defilements; ſo we ſhall be daily mending and cleanſing our ſelves from them, according to that matchleſs beauty which we behold in him. As we have departed from God by our unlikeneſs, ſo we ſhall get nearer to him by getting more of his image and likeneſs.
Secondly, This wherefore in the Text refers to the fight that Job had of himſelf, as well as of God. When Job ſaw more of himſelf, or himſelf more, then he ſaid, I abhor my ſelf.
Hence, Obſerve; The more we ſee and know our ſelves, the more we ſhall be abaſed, and lye low in our ſelves, and abhor our ſelves.
The reaſon why we are ſo proud of our ſelves, is, becauſe we are ſo ignorant of our ſelves. Did we know our own ignorance and miſ-underſtandings, as Job now at laſt did, we ſhould ſtrike ſail and come lower; much more, did we know all thoſe abominations that are in our hearts, did we know what pride, and coveouſneſs, and earthly-mindedneſs lye there, what inordinate creature, love what paſſions lye there, what envy lyeth there; did we underſtand how deceitful and falſe our hearts are, both towards God, our ſelves, and towards one another, we ſhould abhor our ſelves exceedingly. There are two things which we ſhould ſtudy, that we may walk humbly. Firſt, To know God; Secondly, To know our ſelves. A Heathen ſaid that word (know thy ſelf) came down from heaven; and did we once know our ſelves aright, what frail, and blind, and ſinful creatures we are, how humble and heavenly ſhould we be! rightly to know that we are creatures would cauſe us to live more like new creatures. David ſ eing ſome men do things ſo unlike men (Pſal. 9.20.) prayed thus, Put them in fear, O Lord, that the Nations may know themſelves to be but men. There are ſuch in the world as know not themſelves to be but men; they behave themſelves as if they were gods, and not men, as if they were all-ſufficient, or as if all their ſufficiency proceeded of themſelves, and they the founders of their own greatneſs and power. The Aſſyrian ſaid in plain terms, I will be like unto the moſt high, (Iſa. 14.14.) I do not reckon my ſelf amongſt mortals. There are many, who never attained that Aſſyrian Princes height, who yet have much of his ſpirit, and ſpeak as if they knew themſelves to be more than men, at leaſt, as if they knew not themſelves to be but men, nor conſidered themſelves as frail, dying, and accountable creatures. Did we remember that we are but creatures, that we are the work of Gods hand, this would keep us low and humble; but did we know what ſinful polluted creatures we are, we ſhould ſoon come, not only to a lower eſtimate, but an utter abhorrence of our ſelves. We over-think our ſelves, becauſe we do not know our ſelves; we over-rate our ſelves, becauſe we do not underſtand our ſelves. Even Job was too high in his own thoughts, in his own books, till he came to know and underſtand, that he had uttered things that he knew not, that he underſtood not. Wherefore, I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes.
Obſerve, Thirdly; True repentance is joyned with ſelf-abhorrence, and with an abhorrence of all that we do, of all that we are.
True repentance is joyned with an abhorrence,
Firſt, Of ſinful ſelf, or of our ſelves for ſin. The Prophet ſpeaking of their repentance, who had gone a whoring from God, ſaith (Ezek. 6.9.) They ſhall loath themſelves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And when the Lord had promiſed to bring the children of Iſrael to their own land, he tells them, what work they ſhall be at there (Ezek. 20.43.) There ſhall you remember your ways and doings, wherein you have been defiled, and ye ſhall loath your ſelves in your own ſight, for all the evils that ye have committed. Once more in that Prophet, (chap. 36.31.) Then ſhall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and ſhall loath your ſelves in your own ſight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. In all theſe Scriptures we have loathing of ſelf for ſin and evil done. And as there is a loathing of ſinful ſelf in true repentance, ſo
Secondly, Of righteous ſelf, or a loathing of our ſelves in the good, in the beſt, that we have done. We may ſoon ſee that in the beſt of our duties, which will ſtir up this ſelf-abhorrence, or which gives us cauſe enough to abhor our ſelves. So Job did as to all the glitter of his moral vertues, of which he ſpake ſo much before in ſeveral places, eſpecially in the 31. chapter. He that truly repents, doth not only abhor his ſin, ſo as never to commit it again; but he abhorreth his righteouſneſs, ſo as never to truſt in it at all. Thus the Apoſtle ſpake (Phil. 3.7, 8.) I count all things but loſs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt. What did he account loſs? not only the evil that he had done, but all the good that he had done; he accounted that but dung, that he might be found in Chriſt, not having his own righteouſneſs, which is of the law. Self-righteouſneſs is gold, and to be embraced in converſation; but 'tis dung, and to be abhorred in juſtification. Job abhorred his own righteouſneſs from the beginning of this diſpute in that point, though he ſpake ſo much of it (chap. 9.31.) If I waſh my ſelf with ſnow water, and make my hands never ſo clean, yet ſhalt thou plung me in the ditch, and mine own cloaths ſhall abhor me, or (as in the Margin) my own cloaths ſhall make me to be abhorred. What means he by his cloaths? Surely, not the cloaths that were upon his body, but his moral cloathing, his own works of righteouſneſs, according to the law. Theſe cloaths (ſaith he) will make me to be abhorred; I ſee, I cannot be accepted in them, nor juſtified by them. Job was clear in that before; but now he doth not only abhor his own righteouſneſs, as to truſting in it, but as to talking ſo much of it, or ſo much as to talk of it. Chriſt ſaith, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth; that is, take not much notice of thy own good deeds. As a repenting perſon will not touch at all with his former evil deeds, ſo he will not talk, nor take much notice of his own good deeds. The beſt of himſelf is little to himſelf.
Before I paſs this point, it may be enquired, Firſt, what this ſelf-abhorrence, which accompanies true repentance, works in thoſe that have it, with reſpect to ſin, or ſinful ſelf.
I anſwer, It works theſe five things.
Firſt, A diſlike of ſinful ſelf; he grows into a diſtaſt with ſin, it reliſheth not his renewed palate, and ſo will not (like unſavoury meat) go down with him.
Secondly, A hatred of ſinful ſelf. 'Tis but an eaſie ſtep from diſtaſt and diſlike to hatred. That ſoon falls under our diſpleaſure which pleaſeth us not. No ſooner did Amnon diſlike his ſiſter Tamar, whom he inordinately liked a little before, but the Text ſaith (2 Sam. 13.15.) He hated her exceedingly, ſo that the hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her.
Thirdly, An indignation againſt ſinful ſelf. The ſpirit of a true penitent riſeth againſt ſin, as againſt an open enemy, or a falſe friend (2 Cor. 7.11.)
Fourthly, An utter averſation, or alienation from ſinfull ſelf. As they who live in ſin are averſe and alienated from the life of God, that is, from holineſs; ſo they who repent of ſin, are alienated and turned away from the ſins of their former life.
Fifthly and laſtly, An oppoſition againſt ſin. There is not barely a turning away from it, but a war againſt it, a deſire to deſtroy and mortifie it, to do it (as I may ſay) the greateſt miſchief we can. Thus diſlike is followed with hatred, and hatred with indignation, and indignation with averſation, and averſation with oppoſition, wrought and riſing up in a penitent ſoul againſt ſin.
But, Secondly, it may be asked, why doth a repenting ſoul abhor ſinful ſelf?
I anſwer, He doth it upon theſe four conſiderations.
Firſt, Becauſe it appears to him as a filthy thing (Ezek. 16.5. Pſal. 38.7. Prov. 12.22.) All which Scriptures ſhew, that as ſin is a filthy thing in it ſelf, ſo it appeareth ſuch to a repenting ſoul. They that love their ſins, look upon them as fine things, or as their beauty: but to a repenting ſoul, nothing appeareth more dirty and filthy; and who abhors not that which is ſo to him?
Secondly, A repenting ſoul looketh upon ſin as a hurtful thing to him. We naturally turn from, and abhor that which is ſo. We abhor the poyſon of a Toad, and the ſting of a Serpent: To taſte the one, or to be bitten by the other, is no more deadly to the body, than ſin is to the ſoul.
Thirdly, A repenting ſoul is ſick, very ſick of his ſins, they have burdened his conſcience, as unwholſom food doth the ſtomack. Now, if a man abhors that which hath made him ſtomack-ſick, much more will he abhor that which hath indeed, and not ſo much from the quantity as from the quality and nature of it, made him conſcience-ſick.
Fourthly, A repenting perſon hath vomited or caſt up his ſins by an humble confeſſion of them alwayes to God, and in ſome caſes to men (Repentance is the ſouls vomit.) Now, as any man loaths his own vomit; ſo a man truly repenting, loaths the ſin which he hath thus vomited. Upon all theſe accounts a repenting ſoul loaths ſinful ſelf, or ſin in himſelf.
Thirdly, But why doth a repenting ſoul abhor righteous ſelf? I anſwer,
Firſt, Becauſe he is convinced, that ſelf-righteouſneſs is a weak imperfect thing, even in ſanctification; and therefore he is ſo far from boaſting of it, or truſting in it, that he hath a kind of abhorrence of it.
Secondly, He ſeeth, that as to juſtification it is a filthy abominable thing (Iſa. 64.6.) All our righteouſneſs are as filthy rags. And as he abhors it, becauſe 'tis unfit and incompetent in it ſelf for that uſe, ſo becauſe 'tis utterly inconſiſtent with the tenour of the Goſpel, wherein God hath removed all mans righteouſneſs, how pure ſoever it may be, from that uſe, and directed us to look only to the righteouſneſs of Chriſt for that uſe, which the Apoſtle calls the righteouſneſs of God (Rom. 10.3.) and that in a twofold reſpect. Firſt, becauſe 'tis that which the wiſdom of God the Father hath provided for us; and, Secondly, which the worthineſs of God the Son hath wrought out and procured for us.
Take two or three Inferences from the general Obſervation thus far proſecuted, That true repentance is joyned with ſelf abhorrence.
Firſt, Then ſelf-admirers are no repenters. They are at the furtheſt remove from abhorring themſelves, who admire themſelves.
Secondly, Self-juſtifiers, are no true repenters. Chriſt told the Phariſees (Luke 16.15.) Ye are they which juſtifie your ſelves. They are far from abhorring themſelves, who juſtifie themſelves; ſuch ſurely are highly pleaſed with themſelves, and have much confidence in themſelves, therefore very far from ſelf-abhorrence.
Thirdly, What ſhall I ſay of their repentance, who inſtead of abhorring themſelves, abhor others? (Luke 18.9.) Chriſt ſpake a Parable unto certain which truſted in themſelves that they were righteous, and deſpiſed others, and preſently inſtanced in the Phariſee, who deſpiſed the poor Publican, and called him in contempt, This Publican; he would (as we ſay) hardly touch him with a pair of tongs. They that deſpiſe others, are uſually, if not alwayes, much pleaſed with themſelves.
Fourthly, If theſe ſelf-boaſters, and ſelf-admirers, &c. are not repenters, then, do they repent who are ſo far from abhorring ſinful ſelf, and righteous ſelf, that they take pleaſure in ſin and unrighteouſneſs, whether their own or others? The Apoſtle ſpeaks of ſuch (Rom. 1.32.) Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit ſuch things, are worthy of death, not only do the ſame, but have pleaſure in them that do them. That's a dreadful word (2 Theſ. 2.12.) That they all might be damned, who believe not the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs. O how far are they from abhorring their own righteouſneſs, who take pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs! How are they puffed up with that which hath but a ſhew of righteouſneſs, who pleaſe themſelves with that which is really unrighteous!
Fifthly, If true repentance be accompanied with ſelf-abhorrence, then do they repent, who return to thoſe ſins which they ſay they have repented of? do you think the dog loaths his vomit, when you ſee him go back and lick it up again? (2 Pet. 2.22.) When once the Jews loathed or abhorred Manna, they had no mind to eat of it, though it was Angels food. When Job loathed his life, he ſaid, he would live no longer (Chap. 7.16.) I duplicate page duplicate page loath it, I would not live alwayes; that is, not at all, not an hour longer in this world. He that is weary of his life, thinks, to live but a day, or a little longer, is to live alwayes, or that his life will never end. Thus, if a man doth truly loath and abhor his ſin, he will not return to it again, though it hath been as ſweet to him as Manna, yea, as life it ſelf. I do not ſay, that he who loaths and abhors his ſin, can never relapſe into the ſame ſin, or be overtaken with it again; but this I ſay, he that truly repents, never delights in ſin again, he never goeth back to it, and licketh it up as a dog his vomit. A good man may fall into the ſame ſin, but he never returneth to the ſame ſin; he may be overtaken with the ſame ſin, but he never taketh up the ſame ſin again. That's the Apoſtles word (Gal. 6.1.) If any of you be overtaken with a fault, &c. A good man may be overtaken with the ſame fault, but he never taketh up that fault, nor runs a courſe in that ſin again.
I ſhall only add theſe two words, for the working of our ſouls to this ſelf-abhorrence.
Firſt, The more we abhor our ſelves, the more God delighteth in us; the more we are diſpleaſed with our ſins, the more is he pleaſed with our perſons, the worſe, the viler we are in our own eyes, the better we are, and the more beautiful in the eye of God.
Secondly, Unleſs we abhor our ſelves, God will abhor us. I may ſay, unleſs we ſo repent as to abhor our ſelves, God will abhor our very repentance. There is no true repentance, without ſome degree of ſelf-abhorrence; yea, of ſelf-condemnation. Let us not take up this word repentance too eaſily, that is, when we know not what this word ſelf-abhorrence meaneth. We defile this holy, this precious thing called repentance, when our hearts are not fully taken off from that or thole ſins, of which we ſay we repent. All ſuch would have that go for repentance towards God, which indeed is but a mocking of God, and can never be joyned (from which true repentance cannot be ſeparated) with faith toward our Lord Jeſus Chriſt (Acts 20.21.) I abhor my ſelf (ſaid Job) And repent in duſt and aſhes.
I ſhall here give ſomewhat about the nature of repentance in general, and then gather up thoſe particular Obſervations which ariſe from theſe words about it.
Repentance is a grace of the Goſpel wrought in the heart of a ſinner by the Word and Spirit, turning the whole man from all ſin, to God, in the ſincere and univerſal obedience of his holy will.
In this deſcription of repentance, we have four things conſiderable.
Firſt, The nature of it, or what it is, A grace of the Goſpel.
Secondly, The ſeat of it, or where it is wrought, The heart of a ſinner.
Thirdly, The means by which it is wrought, and that twofold. Firſt, Inſtrumental, The Word. Secondly, Principal, The Spirit.
Fourthly, The iſſue or effect of it, Converſion or turning; wherein two things are to be taken notice of. Firſt, the term from which the turn is made, Sin, and all ſin. Secondly, the term to which the turn is made, God; thus explained, In the ſincere or univerſal obedience of his holy will, or in the practice of every known duty.
Firſt (I ſay) Repentance is a grace of the Goſpel. Some poſſibly may ſay, Job was before the Goſpel. I anſwer, no; The Goſpel was publiſhed long before Job was born, even as ſoon as God promiſed the ſeed of the woman (Chriſt Jeſus) ſhould bruiſe the Serpents head (Gen. 3.15.)
The whole body of Goſpel duty moves upon theſe two feet, Faith and Repentance. Some have queſtioned, which of theſe two graces hath the precedency, or takes the firſt ſtep in the motion of the ſoul heaven-ward? All that I ſhall ſay in anſwer to it, is, Firſt, that where theſe two graces are mentioned together in Scripture, uſually repentance is named firſt, becauſe it appears firſt, and is moſt viſible to us in its actings; yet Faith is to be underſtood firſt, becauſe without that no man can come to Chriſt as a true penitent, for pardon of ſin and reconciliation unto God. Secondly, in thoſe Scriptures, where true ſaving repentance is ſpoken of alone, it ſuppoſeth faith alſo; and where true ſaving faith only is ſpoken of, it neceſſarily implyeth true repentance.
This repentance is ſo much a grace of the Goſpel, that the firſt Sermon that ever was preacht at the approach of Chriſt, or at the opening of the Goſpel in the new Teſtament, was, Repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mat. 3.2.) And the end or deſign of the firſt Sacrament or ſeal of the Goſpel-covenant, is expreſſed to be repentance (Mat. 3.11.) I baptize you with water unto repentance; yea, the firſt word of the firſt Sermon (upon record) which Chriſt himſelf preached in perſon, was, Repent (Mat. 4.17.) From that time Jeſus began to preach, and to ſay, repent. This alſo was the ſubſtance of the Apoſtles Sermons, when firſt ſent forth by Chriſt to preach the Goſpel (Mark 6.12.) They went out and preached, that men ſhould repent. The firſt word of counſel which the Apoſtle Peter gave to the Jews, crying out, men and brethren, what ſhall we do, was, Repent (Acts 2.38.) And the Apoſtle Paul ſaith, that the whole of his work in preaching the Goſpel, was his teſtifying both to Jews and Gentiles, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jeſus Chriſt (Act. 20.21.) 'Tis through the Goſpel only, that repentance is poſſible. And this appears two wayes.
Firſt, Becauſe we have not a liberty to repent, or we are not admitted to repent, but by the Goſpel. We find no place for repentance in the Law ſtrictly taken, or as oppoſed to the Goſpel. The Law ſpeaks thus (Gal. 3.10.) Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things, that are written in the book of the Law, to do them. Where we ſee, Firſt, the Law requires perſonal obedience; every one muſt do for himſelf. Secondly, The Law requires perpetual obedience, every one that continueth not doing. Thirdly, The Law requires univerſal obedience, every one that continueth not in all things. If any one continue not at all times in all things (ſaith the Law) or if he fail but once in any one thing, he is gone for ever, he is curſed. The Law doth not ſay, if a man continue not to do all, let him repent; that admits no ſecond thoughts, but claps the curſe preſently upon the offender. If Adam as ſoon as he had eaten of the forbidden tree, had bewailed his ſin, and ſaid, I repent, no favour could have been ſhewed him, while under the Law.
Secondly, Under the Law there is no ability given for repentance. All the promiſes of a broken heart, and of godly ſorrow, are appendants of the Goſpel. This ſpiritual curſe which falls upon the ſoul ſinning under the Law, is impenitency for ſin. Death in ſin, is the puniſhment of ſin; and therefore when Adam had ſinned, he never gave the leaſt intimation of, nor ſhewed the leaſt inclination to repentance; all he did, was to hide himſelf from God among the trees of the garden, and to hide his ſin from God (as well as he could) by vain excuſes; he had not a heart to mourn for his ſin, nor a tongue to confeſs it, till the Promiſe came, and the Goſpel was publiſhed, and then (though his repentance be not mentioned, yet) doubtleſs he repented. And hence the Apoſtle concludes Apoſtates from the profeſſion which they once made of Chriſt, under an utter impoſſibily of repentance (Heb. 6.4, 5, 6.) And the reaſon why the fallen Angels never repented, was becauſe they had no Mediator, nor did Jeſus Chriſt take their nature on him (Heb. 2.16.) Thus far of the firſt thing in the deſcription of repentance, the general nature of it; 'tis a grace of the Goſpel.
Secondly, Conſider the ſeat or ſubject of it, where 'tis wrought, the heart of a ſinner. Repentance is heart-work, or it is a work upon the heart: There repentance began in thoſe converts (Act. 2.37.) whom the Apoſtle Peter adviſed to a thorough work of repentance (verſ. 38.) The promiſe of repentance runs in this tenour, I will take away (ſaith the Lord, Ezek. 36.26.) the heart of ſtone out of your fleſh, and give you an heart of fleſh. When David ſaid (Pſal. 51.17.) A broken and contrite heart (he means only a repenting heart) O God thou wilt not deſpiſe. As faith is wrought in the heart, and with the heart man believeth (Rom. 10.10.) ſo repentance is wrought in the heart, and with the heart man repenteth. Neither a weeping eye, nor a confeſſing tongue, nor (in caſe of wrong done to man) a reſtoring hand, will be taken for repentance, without a broken heart.
Thirdly, Conſider the means by which ſaving repentance, or repentance to ſalvation, is wrought. 1ſt. the Word; 2ly. the Spirit. The Word of God is the uſual, the ordinary inſtrument in the hand, that is, in the power of the Spirit of God, working repentance in the heart of man. The word of a Philoſopher, with all his reaſonings; the word of an Orator, with all his flouriſhings, cannot do it: only the Word of God ſpoken in plainneſs and ſimplicity, hath ſtrength and efficacy to do it. The Word is compared to a fire, which melts the hardeſt heart; 'tis alſo in the ſame place (Jer. 23.29.) compared to a hammer, which breaketh the rock in pieces. The Word paſſing through the ear, pierceth the heart (Acts 2.27.) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. And when, even the devils Devotioniſts, they that uſed curious arts, burnt their books (Acts 19.19.) it is ſaid (verſ. 20.) ſo mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed. The word of God cloathed with the Spirit, hath (as to this matter) a fourfold operation. Firſt, to awaken a drowſie ſoul (Eph. 5.14.) Secondly, to enlighten a dark ſoul (Acts 26.18.) Thirdly, to convince a gain-ſaying ſoul. Fourthly, to convert a wandring ſoul (Acts 26.18. 1 Theſ. 1.9.) Till the ſoul is awakened, it cannot be enlightned; till it is enlightned, it cannot be convinced; till it is convinced, it cannot be converted; and until it is all this, it hath not truly repented. For,
Fourthly, (as was ſaid in the deſcription firſt laid down) the effect of true repentance, is the turning of the whole man from all ſin to God. All the members of the body, the hand, the foot, the eyes, the ears, the tongue, are turned; all the faculties of the ſoul, the underſtanding, will, affections, are turned from all ſin: Firſt, of what kind ſoever, whether of omiſſion or commiſſion againſt God, neighbour, ſelf. Secondly, of what degree ſoever; little, as well as great; appearances of evil, as well as apparent evils.
Further, as in repentance there is a turning from ſin, ſo unto God, in the ſincere obedience of his whole will. We read in Scripture, Firſt, of Gods returning to us; Secondly, of our returning to God: both are acts of repentance. When God returns to us, he repents of the evil of trouble brought, or threatned to be brought upon us; and when we return to God, that's a fruit of our repentance, for the evil of ſin committed againſt him. Unleſs our repentance bring us neerer to God, we (as we ſay) are never the neer for our repentance; that is, our repentance is not good, nor ſhall we have any good by it. The Prophet found Iſraels repentance defective in this (Hoſ. 7.16.) They return, but not to the moſt high. Some in repenting, return only to ſelf; that is, their own peace, intereſt and advantage, is all that moves them to it, or is deſigned and aimed at by them in it; they mind not the glory of God, nor his reparation in honour, which hath been by their ſin greatly impaired. The Lord was down-right with Iſrael in this (Jer. 4.1.) If thou wilt return, O Iſrael, ſaith the Lord, return unto me; intimating, that Iſrael uſed to make ſome kind of repenting turns, but ſhort of God; they minded not God ſincerely in them, but the removal of ſome rod or trouble that was come, or which they feared was coming upon them. They return to God in repenting, who repent with a holy reſolve upon their hearts to obey God, and with a longing deſire to enjoy God all the days of their life.
Thus upon the occaſion of Jobs ſaying, I repent, I have briefly opened the duty of repentance, of ſuch a repentance as without all peradventure Job was then exerciſed in: His was the grace of repentance, his repentance was wrought in his heart, chiefly by the immediate word and ſpeakings of God to him; He turned fully in it from all his paſſions and expoſtulations with God (which were at that time his ſpecial ſin) to a meek, quiet ſubmiſſion to the will of God, and a reſting in his diſpenſations. All this was wrapped up in this ſhort word, I repent.
Further, conſider, when Job ſaid, I repent in duſt and aſhes; he was not then to begin his repentance, he had repented long before; yet then he began a new work of repentance, or then he renewed his repentance.
Hence note, Firſt; New ſinnings call for new repentings.
As the new leakings of a ſhip calls for new pumpings and repairs; ſo, I ſay, new ſins call for new repentings. There is a firſt repentance, and there is a ſecond repentance: Firſt Repentance is our coming out of a ſtate of ſin, of which Chriſt ſpake (Mat. 11.20, 21.) Then began he to upbraid the Cities, wherein moſt of his mighty works were done, becauſe they repented not: Wo unto you Chorazin, and wo unto you Bethſaida; for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in ſackcloth and aſhes; that is, they had come out of their ſins. Thoſe converts in the Acts of the Apoſtles (chap. 2.38.) repented, that is, they came out of a ſinful ſtate. Now, as there is a repentance, which I call our coming out of a ſtate of ſin; ſo there is a repentance, which is a coming off from this and that act of ſin; and this is the repentance which Job was upon.
Again; this repentance, as to acts of ſin, is two-fold. Firſt, Our ordinary and every days repentance. Secondly, Our extraordinary repentance. When we have fallen greatly, when we have ſinned extraordinary, of when the Lord brings any extraordinary judgment upon us, then the Lord expects extraordinary repentance: ſuch was Davids repentance in the 51. Pſalm, and ſuch was Jobs repentance here; as it was in general for ſin, ſo for ſome extraordinary ſinful failings.
Secondly, Conſider what was Jobs ſin? Job was no vile perſon, he had committed no groſs acts of wickedneſs. If you would know what Jobs ſin was, it was impatience under Gods dealings with him, and his diſtruſtfulneſs as to Gods delivering of him; yet even his were great ſins.
Hence note; Not only groſs ſins, murder, adultery, and the oppreſſion of our neighbours are great ſins; but impatiency under the hand of God, and unwary ſpeeches concerning the dealings of God with us, are great ſins.
Every great ſin is not a groſs ſin. Drunkenneſs, and ſwearing and adultery, and murder, are groſs ſins; but impatience under afflictions and unbelief, not reſting upon God in an evil day, theſe are great ſins, though not groſs ſins. Remember, not only are groſs ſins great ſins; but many ſins, which appear not to the eye, nor to the ear, may yet be great ſins, eſpecially, as to the perſon that committeth them.
Thirdly, note; Not groſs ſins only, but ſlips of the tongue, and impatiency under Gods hand are to be repented of.
Job not only acknowledged theſe to be ſins, but repenteth of theſe; nor had he any other matter to repent of. When we are under ſome great ſickneſs, or any other affliction, as we are to repent of former ſins, ſo let us repent of our ſickneſs and affliction-ſins, that is of impatience, or any unwary ſpeeches in our affliction. Theſe Job repented of.
Again; how did Job repent? It was in duſt and aſhes.
Hence Obſerve, Fourthly; Open ſins muſt have open repentance.
That's intended by repenting in duſt and aſhes. We are not bound to repent openly of all our ſins; but in in theſe two caſes we are. Firſt, When we have done any thing that hath openly diſhonoured God. Secondly, When we have ſcandalized or offended others. In theſe caſes we muſt repent openly, ſo far, that they who are concerned may have a teſtimony of our repentance. When Job repented in duſt and aſhes, he (like thoſe ſervants of Benhadad, who came with ropes about their necks) teſtified that he deſerved to be thrown into the duſt, or to be burnt to aſhes. We can neither edifie nor ſatisfie ſuch as are grieved by our ſins, unleſs our repentance be viſible, and we appear repenting. As the light (of our zeal) muſt ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee our good works; ſo the light of our repentance muſt ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee us humbled for, and turning from our evil works, and glorifie our father which is in heaven.
Fifthly, Note; We may teſtifie our repentance by outward ſigns.
Here was not only the reallity of repentance, but the ceremony of it. There are many outward ſigns of repentance ſpoken of in Scripture: Such are, Firſt, Smiting upon the thigh; thus Ephraim is deſcribed repenting (Jerem. 31.19.) Secondly, Smiting upon the breaſt; ſo the Publican is deſcribed repenting (Luke 18.13.) He ſmote upon his breaſt, and ſaid, God be merciful to me a ſinner. Thirdly, Laying aſide our ornaments; thus the Lord commanded the Iſraelites (Exod. 33.5.) Put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know to do unto thee; as if God had ſaid, humble thy ſelf openly and repent. F…urthly, The putting on of ſack-cloth; this the Jews were called to do (Iſa. 22.12.) Fifthly, Holding down the head. The Jews (Iſa. 58.5.) were not reproved for doing that, but becauſe they did it like a bull-ruſh, only when a ſtorm was upon them: Sixthly, Renting the garment, and walking ſoftly. So did Ahab (1 Kings 21.27.) Seventhly, as in the text Job ſaith he did, ſitting in duſt and aſhes. I do not ſay theſe, or the like, are abſolutely neceſſary to repentance, but they are lawful, and have their uſe. When the Prophet (Joel 2.13.) ſaid, Rent your hearts, not your garments, that is, rent your hearts, rather than your garments; it was not a prohibition, but a direction: or if rent your garments, be ſure you rent your hearts alſo, elſe all your outward modes of repentance are in vain and inſignificant.Bellarminus l. 1. de poenitentio c. 7. SS. percurramus. Some Popiſh Writers make the eſſence of repentance to conſiſt in theſe or ſuch like outward ſigns; but though we deny that, yet we grant theſe may be ſigns of true repentance: For as to bow the knee is not to pray, although he that prayeth uſually boweth the knees, as a ſign of an humble heart in prayer; ſo to ſit in the duſt and weep, is not to repent, although the truly penitent, uſually do ſo. The eſſence of repentance conſiſts in a broken heart for ſin, and in breaking off the courſe and cuſtome of ſin, turning to God fully.
Further, this outward ceremony of ſitting in duſt and aſhes, intimates the greatneſs of Jobs repentance, or that he repented greatly, under a deep ſenſe of, and with bitter mournings for his former miſcarriages in the time of his affliction.
Hence note, Sixthly; A ſoul truly humbled maketh a very ſerzous work of repentance.
Poenitet me ex enime, & ſtudioſiſſimè, quod illis externa ſymbolis ſignificabatur. Jun.It is a common thing to ſay, I repent; but few know what it is to repent in duſt and aſhes. They who repent indeed, judge, arraign and condemn themſelves as at Gods tribunal, they put their mouths in the very duſt. Repentan…e is heart work, and deep work▪ they who are brought in a ſpiritual ſenſe to duſt and aſhes, find it ſo. Though ſome ſinners corrupt themſelves and their ways, more deeply than others, yet all ſin is of a deep dye, and corrupts deeply, and therefore calls for deep, for heart-deep mournings and repentings in duſt and aſhes.
Note, Seventhly; God will not give over dealing with his ſinning ſervants, till he hath brought them to true contrition for their ſins.
How long was Job dealt with by his friends, and by Elihu, and by God himſelf, before his heart was wrought into this frame and temper, to repent in duſt and aſhes? It was long before he underſtood that God might break in innocent perſon to pieces, and give no account why. God did not give over afflicting Job, till he came to that acknowledgment. Job ſaid (Chap. 40.4.) I am vile; and it might be thought, that had been repentance ſufficient: But though Job was then brought low, yet he was not brought low enough: he cryed, I am vile, but till God ſpake to him of Behemoth and Leviathan he repented not in duſt and aſhes. Ephraim ſaid (Jer. 31.18, 19.) Thou haſt chaſtiſed me, and I was chaſtiſed, as a bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned; thou art the Lord my God. Surely, after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was inſtructed, I ſmote upon my thigh, I was aſhamed, yea, even confounded, becauſe I did bear the reproach of my youth. The Lord never left ſmiting Ephraim, till he made him ſmite upon his thigh. If we do not come home in the work of repentance, by words, God will fetch us home with his rods.
In the eighth place; If we conſider this repentance of Job, with what followeth preſently upon it, his reſtauration,
Obſerve; When we are deeply humbled and brought low, we are near our exaltation.
When Job lay in duſt and aſhes, God was about to ſet him upon a mountain, a mountain of proſperity, and that a higher one than ever he was upon before (Pſal. 126.5, 6.) They that ſow in tears, ſhall reap in joy; they that go forth weeping, bearing precious ſeed, ſhall doubtleſs come again with rejoycing, bringing their ſheaves with them. Therefore take the Apoſtles counſel (1 Pet. 5.6.) Humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God (and what then?) he will exalt you in due time. The due time of our lifting up is at hand, when we are laid low and ſincerely humbled under the hand of God. Jobs humiliation and reſtauration did almoſt ſynchronize, or come near in time together.
Ninthly, Note; True repentance endeth in true joy.
The word which ſignifies to be grieved, ſignifieth alſo to rejoyce; and Job found it ſo, he was comforted as ſoon as fully humbled. Repentance iſſueth in joy three ways.
Firſt, There is joy in heaven when a ſinner repenteth (Luke 15.7.) As he that found his loſt ſheep brought it home, and rejoyced in it more than over the ninety and nine that did not go aſtray: So (ſaith Chriſt) there is joy in heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine juſt perſons that need no repentance. True ſorrow on earth maketh joy in heaven.
Secondly, There is joy in the Church; The godly on earth rejoyce at the known repentance of a ſinner. When the prodigal ſon came home, his father ſaid to his diſcontented brother, It was meet that we ſhould make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again, he was loſt, and is found. The Apoſtle greatly rejoyced at the repentance of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 7.9.) Now I rejoyce, not that ye were made ſorry, but that you ſorrowed to repentance. Their ſorrow occaſion'd his joy, yet not that, but their repentance was the cauſe of it. There is no better joy on earth, than that which ariſeth out of the duſt of repenting ſorrows. As the Apoſtle John had no greater joy than to hear that his (ſpiritual) children walked in the truth (Epheſ. 3.4.) So, what greater joy can we have, than to ſee any who had gone aſtray from, returning to the truth?
Thirdly, Repentance iſſueth in joy chiefly to the ſoul repenting. If other mens repentance cauſeth our joy, our own will cauſe it much more (2 Cor. 7.10.) Godly ſorrow worketh repentance to ſalvation, not to be repented of. The Apoſtles meaning is more than he ſpeaks; repentance not to be repented of, is repentance to be rejoyced and gloried in. We cannot take comfort in our ſins, but we may take much comfort in repenting for our ſins, as that repentance is joyned with faith in Chriſt, who hath given us power to repent, and who is for himſelf to be rejoyced in.
Laſtly, Take this general note from the whole matter.
The ſpeakings of God to man, whether mediate or immediate, are mighty and effectual.
The ſpeaking of man to man barely can do nothing, but the ſpeaking of man to man in the power of God will do much; how much more if God himſelf ſpeak! God ſpake to Job, and theſe mighty effects followed.
Firſt, Self-abhorrence.
Secondly, Deep repentance.
Thirdly, Full ſubmiſſion to the will of God.
Fourthly, A readineſs to teſtifie, by all due means, how vile, how miſerable he was; yet cleaving faſt to, and depending fully upon God, by faith in the promiſe, for mercy, peace, and pardon.
Fifthly, A change both of mind and manners, both in thought, word and way. Job thought no more as he had done, he ſpake no more as he had done, he acted no more as he had done in that condition, he was another manner of man than before; a good man he was before, but now a better; he came out of the fire of that affliction, and off from the heat of that long diſputation, as gold well refined.
So much of this verſe, which concludes the firſt part of the chapter, Jobs humiliation: the ſecond followeth, his friends reconciliation both to God and himſelf.
The Reader may here pleaſe to take notice, that from the beginning of the third chapter to this place, the writing is in verſe; the latter part of the chapter and book is proſe.