Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 15 · Verse 4
Verſ. 4. Yea thou caſteſt off fear, and reſtraineſt prayer before God.
The ſecond fault which he reprehends in Job's diſcourſes and way, is, impiety; which (with thoſe that follow) doth explain that Metaphor, v. 2. of the Eaſt wind, And therefore, having, in the former challenge, explained that of knowledge of wind, v. 3. he adds this to it, and joyns them together by the copulative particle, Yea. In this verſe the challenge is propounded; That he caſt off (or, made void) fear, and reſtrained prayer. Concerning which, Conſider,
Firſt, As for the ſenſe of theſe words, and the meaning of the challenge; it may be underſtood,
1. Of Job's practice; That, without ſtanding in awe of God, and caſting off all reverence, he would not pray in trouble, but fell a quarrelling, and offered to contend with God; as (it ſeems) he gathered from his diſcourſe, Chap. 13.20, 21, 22, &c.
2. It may be underſtood of Job's Principles, Opinion, and Doctrine; That while he maintained that the godly and wicked were alike dealt with in this world, Chap. 9.22. and that the wicked proſpered, Chap. 12.6. while he, a godly man, was afflicted; He did, by this means, open a door to Profanity, Atheiſm, and Irreligion: For, who would fear God, or call upon him, if things were ſo ordered? and he did but ſhake looſe all fear of God, while he maintained thoſe Principles. Both thoſe ſenſes do very well conſiſt together, that not only in his own practice he thus miſcarried, and caſt off fear, but, by his practice and diſcourſes, did what he could to infect and miſl…ad others, and to make void fear, as the words will alſo read.
Secondly, As for the truth of this challenge, and how juſtly Job was charged with this crime of impiety, It would be Conſidered,
1. As for his practice, it cannot be denied that he ſpake in much paſſion, and uttered many irreverent words to God, and of him; and did quarrel much, inſtead of praying. Yet it was an unjuſt charge to ſay he caſt off fear, and reſtrained Prayer, altogether. For even in his ſtouteſt expreſſions, Chap. 13.20, &c. he declares he ſtands in aw of God, and fears his rod and terrours; and his failings did evidence his weakneſs, not his impiety, ſeeing he cl…aves ſtill to God, Chap 13.15, 16. And albeit his ſpeeches to God be, oft-times, ill ordered and full of complaints: Yet, they are, in effect, Prayers. For the ſcope of them all, is to plead for pity and moderation, as hath been ſhewed in expounding them; and ſo himſelf explains his own ſcope in them, Chap. 16.20. The conſideration of this may teach, Partly, what great need there is of moderation of ſpirit in debates; without which, Saints may be calumniated, even by good men, not only as failers in duty, but as impious, Partly, what a great fault, and cauſe of miſtakes, it is, to weigh the expreſſions or carriage of Saints, when they are in their Fevers, in the ſober mans Ballance; when as they ſhould have many grains of allowance at ſuch times; For, Eliphaz will have Job (when in the heat of a Fever) ſpeaking as a Saint in a calm undiſturbed temper and condition, otherwiſe, he will judge him to be wicked and impious, See 2 King. 4.27.
2. As for Job's Doctrine; It is true, Providential Diſpenſations toward the godly and wicked (whereof Job ſpeaks, and maintains that God did diſpenſe them) do prove ſtumbling blocks to Hypocrites and wicked men, and they take occaſion thereby to harden themſelves in their impiety, Iſai. 58.3. Eccleſ. 8.11. Mal. 2.17. & 3.13, 14, 15. The godly alſo may, ſometimes, be aſſaulted with dreadful tentations, by looking awry upon thoſe diſpenſations, Pſal. 73.11. —14 Yet as Gods Providence, acting theſe things, is free of any ſuch miſcarriages, ſo neither muſt Job's Doctrine, concerning this Providence, be charged with them: Nor doth the aſſerting of thoſe Truths, concerning the Lot of the godly and wicked within time, any way contribute toward the advancement of impiety. Becauſe,
1. Piety will teach men (when they are in cold bloud) not to quarrel with God, becauſe of outward lots.
2. Piety will bring a man ſuch advantages by trouble, as will diſcover it to be excellent, whatever trouble come.
3. Piety hath an advantage when all trouble is over (which Job often ſaw, Chap. 13 16. & 19.25, 26.) which may ſweeten all toil by the way.
4. Whatever be the Lords diſpenſations toward godly or wicked men; yet Piety is advantageous and neceſſary for the bleſſing of mens lots. For Piety only aſſures a man that his lot (ſweet or bitter) is bleſſed, which to another is a ſnare and plague. This being his miſtake concerning Job's Doctrine; It may warn us, That, as it is the duty of all, to commend and keep up the reputation of true piety, Pſal. 73.15. So men, who are real friends to it, may think they are advancing it by their Principles and way, and that their oppoſites are acting to the prejudice thereof; when yet themſelves are in the wrong and againſt Truth, and their oppoſites are in the right. Thus was Job ſound in his Principles (whatever weakneſs eſcaped him) and his Friends in an Errour, in that wherein he is ſo ſeverely cenſured. Thus the Pſalmiſt, when he yielded but a little to their opinion, or to the conſequences which they drew from Job's Doctrine, accounts it an offending of the Generation of Gods Children, Pſal 73.15. whereas he was never checked for aſſerting (as Job did) that true Piety and trouble were conſiſtent. We muſt not judge of Cauſes by the fair and plauſible pretences whereby men would ſet them off, nor think to help and advance Piety by Errours and Untruths.
Having explained the words, and vindicated Job, I ſhall obſerve ſomewhat from the words, as they are a challenge and cenſure of a very hainous crime, abſtracting from his miſapplications, and miſtake of Job. And,
1. Impiety and Irreligion is an horrid ſin, far above ordinary failings and tranſgreſſions; For, this charge is added to the former, concerning unprofitable diſcourſe, v. 3. with a, yea, or, yea more, to expreſs that this was a heinous fault, above the former. As there are degrees of ſin, Pſal. 1.1. to be well adverted unto in our examination of our own way; So men come to a great height in ſin when they hate Piety, or profeſs or practice Irreligion, were they, otherwiſe, never ſo blameleſs in their external converſation.
2. Great troubles are a ſore tentation to drive men upon Atheiſm and Impiety; For, ſo doth Eliphaz ſuppoſe that, becauſe Job was ſo afflicted, therefore he had caſt off ſcar, &c. And men by Nature are indeed ſo ſtout-hearted, that if God croſs them, they will caſt off his ſervice, Mal. 3.13, 14, 15. 2 King. 6.33. Hypocrites will lay aſide the mask of a Profeſſion under trouble, and the Prophane will turn impious Atheiſts. This ſhould put men upon their guard in times of trouble, as knowing that trouble, of it ſelf, and without Gods bleſſing, will not make them better, but rather make them worſe then it found them. And it ſhould alſo mind us to lay to heart mans perverſity and ſtiffeneſs, who not only will not regard God in proſperity, Job 21.7. — 14. but even in adverſity, and when his hand is upon them and they are made to know his ſeverity, they will ſlight him, and become more impious, Rev. 16.10, 11.
3. As it is a great ſin to turn impious in practice; So it is yet a greater ſin, to lay a ſtumbling block in the way of others, to draw them to impiety, by doctrine or miſcarriage: For, ſo Eliphaz chargeth this upon Job, not only as his own perſonal fault, but that, pa…tly, by his practice, and, chiefly by his doctrine, he tempted others to impiety, as hath been explained. And albeit (as hath been cleared) he wronged Job in this; Yet the General Doctrine is ſound: That it is an horrid ſin to be a ſtumbling block & ſnare to draw others to ſin, eſpecially to groſs impiety, 2 King. 17.21. And ſuch as would be free of this, ought to look well to their practice, leſt not only prophane carriage in the wicked, but heartleſs diſcouragement, impatience under trouble, &c. in Profeſſours, deterr others from Piety. And as they would beware of commands, or counſels to ſin; ſo particularly, of a doctrine of impiety, or opinions which in their nature tend to it, Jude, v. 3. Matth 5.19.
4. They open a door to Impiety, and cut the throat of all Religion, who, either in Doctrine or Practice, do not entertain reverence, fear, and aw of God; For, the firſt ſtep to impiety, here, is, want of fear, or, reverence. This is the root of all Piety, and the beginning of true Wiſdom; Prov. 9.10. and therefore true Piety is, oft-times, expreſſed by this fear of God. And, indeed, men ought to reverence and adore God in his ſuper-excellent and glorious Majeſty, conſidering their own baſeneſs; they ought to fear leſt they offend him, and tremble and fear his Juſtice, when he is provoked; they ought to reverence his diſpenſations, fear his goodneſs, Hoſ. 3.5. and tremble at his Word; Iſai. 66.2. Ezra 10.3. and where this Principle is not entertained and improved, men are prone to every evil, Gen. 20.11. & 42 18. Neh. 5.15. And albeit men be not gone the length of open impiety, yet when their hearts are not tender and kept in an holy aw of God, they blaſt their Piety (if they have any) at the root, and do open a wide and dangerous gap, whereby any evil may enter. Hence it is that God eſpecially regards a tender heart, that trembleth at the Word, Iſai. 57.15. & 66 1, 2.
5. It is dreadful to want this fear of God, but more dreadful, to caſt it off, and make it void, that it, when men in their judgments eſteem it a thing void of it ſelf, which will have no profitable effect, nor will do them any good, Mal 3.13, 14. and ſo reject it, and caſt off any Profeſſion of it they ſometime had; as he inſinuates Job to have been an Hypocrite, and that now he was diſcovering himſelf. Which ſheweth that, as men will not, with their credit, get retreated from any ſhews of Piety they ever had, but it will be their reproach that they have caſt it off; Gal. 3.3, 4. & 4.14, 15. So, Prejudices againſt Piety, becauſe of ill ſucceſs, would be repented of and amended. For albeit men may have ſuch prejudices, who yet caſt not off all duties of Religion; yet, if they be entertained, that will be the ſad iſſue of all at laſt.
6. The more eminent any have been for profeſſing of Religion, their miſcarriages under trouble, or relapſes to impiety, are the more odious; For, there is an Emphaſis put upon this, Thou caſteſt off, &c. Albeit in the Original Language, the perſon be included in the verb, which doth ſufficiently expreſs it; Yet here he prefixes alſo the Pronoun, Thou, to the Verb, to intimate how odious it was that he, who was ſuch a noted one, ſhould do this. So likewiſe Eliphaz in his firſt ſpeech, having indirectly charged him with that crime which he now ſpeaks more diſtinctly out, doth like aggravate it from the conſideration of his former eminency, Chap. 4.3— 6.
7. As communing with God by Prayer is a notable exerciſe of Piety; ſo to caſt off Prayer under trouble is a ſad mark of Impiety, and of one who caſts off, and makes void, the fear of God: For, this is the inſtance whereby he proves caſting off of fear, Thou reſtraineſt Prayer, or Speech, before God. See Pſal. 50.15. Job 36.13.
8. However God may humble Saints in their Prayers under trouble; yet thoſe who deſire to be approved of God, ought to beware of ſinful neglects in Prayer, eſpecially under trouble: This is implyed in the charge, of reſtraining Prayer, whereof he ſuppoſeth Job guilty. Saints may, indeed, be ſtraitened in their Prayers under trouble, by reaſon that it doth over-whelm them; and they may be much deſerted, when ſo many clouds do ariſe betwixt God and them. Nor is it any wonder … when God by trouble takes away borrowed wings from our Prayers (or theſe outward ſupports and refreſhments of ſpirit, which may bear us up in our Duties and Exerciſes) they move more ſlowly, though no leſs ſincerely. But Eliphaz ſpeaks to none of theſe here, but only to ſome voluntary ſinful n…glects of this duty; Which (according to his apprehenſions of Job) may be thus taken up,
1. When, though men do not caſt off Prayer altogether, yet, they cut off and abate, or diminiſh, of them (as the word is rendered, Jer. 48 37.) either in fervour and frequency, or inſtancy, and continuance and perſeverance when they go about that duty. This is evil at all times, but it is eſpecially evil when need increaſeth, and yet diligence decreaſeth.
2. When this cutting ſhort of duties doth, in proceſs of time, tend to quitting of Prayer altogether; and ſo the word ſignifieth, as it is here rendered. And this will unavoidably follow upon the former, if it be not prevented. For let once a prejudice be entertained at Prayer, and it become a burden, and then men will be ready to quit it, if they do not recover themſelves, by repentance and the ſtudy of incouragement, Heb. 12.12, 13. To thoſe may be added (which comes neareſt indeed to Job's practice, though not ſo much minded by Eliphaz.)
3. When, though men do not give over their approaches to God in trouble, but, it may be, are more frequent in them; Yet, they reſtrain and ſtop all that which is properly ſupplication, and do give looſe reins to violent paſſions and expreſſions. They lay aſide Humility, Submiſſion, Hope, Faith, &c. which enable men to ſpeak Supplications; and let Paſſion, Senſe, Haſte, Miſ-conſtruction, D…ffidence, Anxiety, &c. ſpeak to God what they pleaſe. God may indeed read Supplications in the neceſſities which drive Saints to thoſe diſtempers, but ſuch humours will not produce any thing that can be called Prayer, if it be tryed by the Rule.