Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 31 · Verses 26-28
Verſe 26. If I beheld the Sun when it ſhined, or the Moon walking in brightneſs:
27. And my heart hath been ſecretly enticed, or my mouth hath kiſſed my hand:
28. This alſo were an iniquity to be puniſhed by the Judge: for I ſhould have denied the God that is above.
The eighth Vertue, whereof he maketh profeſſion, is, Purity of worſhip, and avoiding of Idolatry. Where, we have to conſider,
Firſt, The Object of this Idolatrous worſhip which he declined, The Sun (called here, the Light, by way of eminency, being the great Luminary of this viſible World, from which the leſſer Luminaries borrow their light) and the Moon. The worſhipping of theſe Creatures is an Idolatry that hath been ancient in the World, among many Nations; for which they wanted not ſpecious pretences, that they were glorious and ſplendid things which they worſhipped, that they were very comfortable and refreſhful to this inferiour World, by their light and influences, &c. Hence this way of Idolatry was ſo taking, that frequently in Scripture we find the Church of Iſrael infected with it, ſo that they are worſhipping all the hoſt of Heaven, and particularly, the Sun, Ezek. 8.16. and the Moon, Jer. 8.2. which is conceived to be called, the Queen of Heaven, Jer. 7.18. and 44.17.
Secondly, The Idolatrous acts of worſhip performed to theſe Creatures, which he avoided; where he gives alſo, an account of the ſeveral degrees of this Idolatry, or of the gradual procedure of men in exhibiting undue reverence to them, As,
1. When they do ſeriouſly ſtudy and contemplate theſe Creatures, in their excellency, brightneſs and beauty, contemplating the Sun when it ſhineth, and the Moon walking in brightneſs, or, going forth precious, for they eſteemed it precious becauſe of brightneſs. Hence it was that Idolaters did ordinarily worſhip the Sun at its riſing, and the Moon when full, becauſe then their brightneſs and ſplendour were more taking and alluring.
2. When this ſtudy and contemplation of theſe Creatures doth affect the heart, ſo that it is allured with the thoughts of their excellency, and drawn to admire them for their beauty, and other properties, and to attribute Divine power to them. This is meant by the hearts being enticed ſecretly, or, in ſecret, whereof Job was free. Where ſome do underſtand his aſſertion (That his heart was not enticed ſecretly, or, in ſecret) thus; That he was not enticed to perform religious ſervice and worſhip to them (ſuch as that kiſſing of the hand, after-mentioned) in a ſecret and clandeſtine way, Deut. 27.15. while yet he made open and publick profeſſion of the true Religion, with, and before others. And it is, indeed, a truth, that godly men (ſuch as Job was) are no time-ſervers in the matter of their Religion, ſo as to be in publick what may pleaſe others, while they are what themſelves pleaſe in ſecret. But the meaning of the phraſe here ſeems rather to be this, That he was not ſecretly, or, unawares, and as by ſtealth, enticed to have an undue eſtimation of theſe Creatures; or, ſo enticed, as ſecretly, or, inwardly to Idolize them.
3. When theſe inward deviations of the mind and heart break forth in external ſigns of religious worſhip, ſuch as, the mouth kiſſing of the hand, before them; or, (as it is in the Original) the hands kiſſing of the mouth, becauſe the hand made the travel in this buſineſs, and was brought to the mouth, to be kiſſed. Where we are to conſider, That kiſſing is a ſign (as of affection, Ruth 1.9. 1 Cor. 16.20. and of Civil ſubjection, 1 Sam. 10.1. ſo) of religious worſhip, Pſ. 2.12. And in the performance of Idolatrous worſhip, if the Object were near the worſhippers, they kiſſed it, as was done to the Image of Baal, 1 King. 19.18. and to the Calves of Dan and Bethel, Hoſ. 13.2. But if the Objects were further off (as the Sun and Moon are) the worſhippers firſt held out their hands toward theſe objects, and then brought their hand to their mouth, and kiſſed it, in teſtimony that they honoured theſe objects, and that they acknowledged they held their breath of them.
Thirdly, We have to conſider the reaſons perſwading Job to avoid complyance with this Idolatry, v. 28. Namely, becauſe it was a capital crime, and a denial of the moſt high God, in giving that glory to the Creatures, which is due to him only.
From theſe Verſes, Learn, 1. Albeit ſome men little regard Principles of true Religion, in doctrine or worſhip; and albeit many make uſe of a blameleſs civil converſation, to commend their errours and ſuperſtition: Yet God requires purity of Religion, as well as of converſation, without which, men will never be truly pure in their converſation (for faith muſt purifie the heart, Act. 15.9. that the converſation may be pure) nor will God accept of what they pretend to of it; Therefore Job finds it neceſſary (in proving his integrity) to vindicate himſelf in the matter of his Religion, as well as in the duties of the ſecond Table. Hereby ſhewing, that faith, and a good conſcience, muſt not be ſeparated, 1 Tim. 1.19.
2. So farr have the poſterity of Adam degenerated, that not only many of them, who have ſome knowledge of him by his Word, do corrupt his inſtituted ſervice and worſhip, by their own ſuperſtitious devices and inventions; But others of them are ſo farr blinded and plagued, that they worſhip the Creature inſtead of the Creator; For, Jobs Apology intimates, that to worſhip the Sun and Moon was frequent in his dayes. Yea, not only did they worſhip theſe more glorious and excellent Creatures, but even the baſeſt of them, and the very hearbs in their Gardens. See Rom. 1.23, 25. This is the juſt fruit of mens not retaining God in their knowledge, and of their not glorifying him as God, when they know him, Rom. 1.21, 28. And a ſad document of the bruitiſhneſs of man, and what he will prove, if he be given up to his own hearts luſts. And it ſhould be matter of Humiliation to us, that God is ſo little glorified in the World, and the Creature put in his room.
3. Even the moſt godly men have need to be upon their guard, leſt the groſſeſt Idolatry infect them, if it prevail where they live, and be ſet off with rational and ſpecious pretences; For, Job purgeth himſelf of this, as an evil to which he had ſtrong tentations, if grace had not reſtrained him, conſidering that it was generally in practice in the Countries about, and that the ſplendour of theſe Luminaries, and the light and influences that come from them, were ſpecious reaſons to plead for religious reſpects to be paid to them. However men at this diſtance may think Pagan-Idolatry no tentation, and may wonder that Iſrael was ſo often infected with it; Yet if it were our tentation and tryal, we would find it more taking, and men within the viſible Church, who are taken with the evils prevailing in it, have juſt cauſe to fear, that they might be overtaken with that alſo, if they had a ſtrong tentation to it. And particularly, as in the Church of the Jews, formality in performing Gods inſtituted worſhip drew on ſuperſtition, Iſ. 29.13. and from that they fell oft-times into groſs Idolatry; So every formal and ſuperſtitious perſon doth witneſs his inclination to follow theſe abominations, if he were tryed. And if a covetous perſon be an Idolater, Eph. 5.5. Col. 3.5. he would readily (being tempted) worſhip the very creatures, rather than be deprived of his Idol. And therefore Job joyns Idolatrous confidence in wealth, v. 24, 25. with worſhipping of the Creatures, v. 26, 27 becauſe they are evils which have ſome affinity, and becauſe the one would readily draw men to the other.
4. Albeit the Sun and Moon (as well as other creatures of God) may and ought to be ſtudied and meditated upon, for profitable ends and uſes, Pſ. 8.3. Yet men ought to guard, leſt, in contemplating of them, their minds be diverted and drawn off God, and be fixed upon them as the fountain of theſe benefits they receive by them; For, Job declined thus to behold the Sun when it ſhined, and the Moon walking in brithtneſs, as the firſt degree of Idolizing them, and tending to draw him to perform religious worſhip to them.
5. Albeit men be not come to that length of declining, as to commit any outward Idolatrous act; yet they may commit Idolatry inwardly, if their hearts and affections be ſo taken up with any excellency in the Creatures, as to dote upon them; For, Job was careful that his heart ſhould not be enticed ſecretly, or, inwardly, though as yet it appeared not in any external practice. For when the heart is thus poſſeſſed (as when the World wondred after the Beaſt, Rev. 13.3.) it is Idolatry in the ſight of God, and draws men to outward acts of Idolatry, Deut, 11.16. And God, who ſearcheth the heart, and looketh to the heart, eſpecially, in worſhip, is provoked to jealouſie, when he finds an Idol placed there. See Ezek. 6.9.
6. Men have ſo much more need to guard againſt Idolartry, eſpecially in their hearts, that is of a very inſinuating and enticing nature, and, men by nature liking it better than the right way of worſhip, they may be eaſily ſtollen off their feet by it; For, Job intimates that the heart is apt to be enticed in this matter, and that ſecretly, er'e men be aware.
7. Albeit ſome be ready to think that they are not guilty of Idolatry, whatever communion they have with Idolaters in the external performances of their worſhip, ſo long as they keep their hearts free from approving or concurring with them; Yet theſe very external practices are Idolatry in the ſight of God; For, Job not only kept his heart, but was careful that his mouth ſhould not kiſs his hand, otherwiſe he would have judged himſelf guilty of Idolatry. For it is upon this, and the like practices, only, that Judges do cognoſce, and for th…ſe do they puniſh men as Idolaters, v. 28. Such practices are ſufficient to evidence mens obedience to injunctions of Idolaters, Hoſ. 13.2. and therefore cannot, be free of Idolatry. And if it were otherwiſe, the three Children, Dan. 3. had very fooliſhly expoſed themſelves to ſuch an hazard, for not falling down before the Image; ſeeing they might eaſily have pretended to worſhip before the Image, but without any reſpect to it.
8. External ſigns of reſpect and reverence, g…ven to any Creature upon a religious account, is Idolatry; For, ſo did Job account of kiſſing of the hand, from a religious reſpect to the Sun and Moon. So alſo, 1 King. 19.18. Men may whe… their wits, to invent diſtinctions, which are but little (if at all) underſtood by the moſt part of thoſe who are engaged in theſe practices; But the Second Commandement doth clearly condemn all ſuch religious expreſſions of reverence performed to the Creatures, or, with a reſpect to them.
9. That corrupters of Religion, eſpecially Idolaters, ought to be puniſhed by the Magiſtrate, as well as tranſgreſſours of the ſecond Table of the Law, is not an injunction peculiar only to the Moſaica Paedagogy; For, in Jobs dayes (who was not an Iſraelite, and who lived before the Law was given upon Mount Sinai) it was a received Maxime, That Idolatry is not only an hainous iniquity, but an iniquity to be puniſhed by the Judge, as he had ſaid before of Adultery, v. 11. It is alſo fore-propheſied that ſuch will be puniſhed, when the Spirit is powred out, and the Fountain made uſe of which is opened for the people of God, Zech. 12.10. with Chap. 13.1, 2, 3, &c. And it will be eminently accompliſhed when the Kings ſhall hate the Whore, Rev. 17.16.
10. Such as do chooſe the moſt excellent of Creatures for their portion, or the object of their worſhip, they do pre-judge themſelves by their choice, and forſake an infinitely better portion; Therefore is God here deſigned to be the God that is above; not only to terrifie Idolaters with the apprehenſions of his vengeance, who is above all, and who can reach them, even where they deal moſt proudly, Exod. 18.11. But to ſhew, that however the Sun and Moon, which theſe Idolaters do worſhip, be high and glorious, yet, God is infinitely above them, and therefore they make a fooliſh choice, who forſake the Fountain of living waters for any broken ciſterns, Jer. 2.13.
11. As it is an hainous crime to deny the true God, in words or thoughts, Pſ. 14.1. or, in practice, Tit. 1.16. So, Idolaters, in ſpecial, are guilty of this crime; As Job intimates here, that, by committing this Idolatry, he ſhould have denied the God that is above. For,
1. It is the Prerogative of God alone to be adored and religiouſly worſhipped by the Sons of men, Mat. 4.10. And therefore they who withdraw this worſhip from him, and give it to any other thing, do in effect deny him.
2. It is Gods Prerogative to inſtitute all the means and wayes of his own worſhip, and not to let men deviſe them out of their own hearts; And therefore when men do inſtitute objects of their worſhip (though pretending ultimately to direct it to God, as the wiſeſt of Pagans did alſo, in worſhipping their Images and Idols, and do deviſe Ordinances of worſhip, they are guilty of laeſe-Majeſty, in counterfeiting the Kings Coyn, or ſetting their ſtamp upon falſe Coyn; and they do deny the true God, and confeſs another God, while they fancy ſuch a Deity as will approve and accept thoſe their inventions; which certainly is not the true God, for he will accept no worſhip but what himſelf preſcribeth.
3. The true ſervice of God, and thoſe inventions of men, are incompatible and inconſiſtent, however men think otherwiſe, Joſh. 24.22, 23. 1 King. 18.21. Mat. 6.24. 2 Cor. 6.16.