Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 15 · Verses 5-6
Verſ. 5. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou chooſeſt the tongue of the crafty.
6. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea thine own lips teſtifie againſt thee.
In theſe verſes, Eliphaz clears and confirms that challenge of impiety, v. 4. (as is implied in the particle For, whereby this is joyned with what he formerly ſaid) ſhewing, That in ſtead of humble Reverence and Supplications to God, Job uttered the Iniquity and Impiety of his heart, particularly, in his ſubtile and crafty way of diſcourſing, v. 5 and that therefore there needed no more to prove his impiety, but what he ſaid himſelf, v. 6. The words contain,
1. A General Poſition, that his diſcourſes did prove his impiety, Thou caſteſt off fear, &c. v. 4. For thy mouth uttereth (or teacheth, and inſtructeth) thine iniquity, v. 5.— that is, That which thou ſpeakeſt and venteſt in thy paſſion diſcovereth thy impiety, and inſtructeth us that it is ſo with thee, without needing any further proof.
2. A particular inſtance of the Impiety of his Diſcourſe, v. 5.—And (which is Exegetick, and gives an inſtance of the former General) Thou chooſeſt the tongue of the crafty. Some do reſtrict this to ſome particular expreſſions ſuch as that, Chap. 6.24. wherein he ſeemed to be ingenuous and willing to be taught; and yet it was but ſpoken in craft… to take off any Odium that might lie upon him, and not from any Principle of Conſcience and Sincerity, ſince he ſtuck ſtill by his Opinion. But I conceive that he rather refl…cts upon the general ſcope of Job's Diſcourſes, in which he alleageth here that Job chooſed, by nimbleneſs of wit, and ſubtile and fine inſinuations▪ and flouriſhes of diſcourſe, to defend his bad cauſe, and make it ſeem good, rather then to glorifie God by taking with his wickedneſs. Which way of diſcourſing he chargeth upon him as impiety.
3. A Concluſion and Inference drawn from all this, v. 6. That however Job might u…ge him to prove the challenge, and might account him a rigid cenſurer, who durſt judge him to be impious; yet ſince his own mouth had made i… out, and taught it to him, he was not to be challenged as condemning him raſhly, but his own ſpeeches were his Di…tay; nor needed there any other proof of the challenge, ſince his own lips were a witneſs without exception, and as good as never ſo many, or all witneſſes beſide.
This diſcourſe, and confirmation of the challenge, is faulty, as the challenge was, and upon the ſame grounds there marked. And further.
1. His diſcourſes of all ſorts were not crafty, but ingenuous downright truth, though ill worded.
2. His faults in his diſcourſes where not craft and diſſimulations, nor iniquity, but only weakneſſes.
3. They did neither prove his perſon nor ſpeeches to be impious, nor his cauſe to be wrong, though the faults in themſelves were to be condemned, according to the degree of their ſinfulneſs.
4. It was great injuſtice to aſſert that Job chooſed this courſe as evil. For he chooſed it not when he knew a better, ſeeing he ſaw there was no better courſe for him then to cleave to God, and to the maintenance of his integrity. And his failings in his diſcourſe were not his choice, but he was driven upon them through the …xtremity of trouble and tentation
5. Eliphaz was bound in charity to have enquired the ſenſe of any expreſſion he ſtumbled at, from Job himſelf, before he had paſſed ſo hard a cenſure. Theſe are ſome of the miſtakes in the application of this; which may lead us back to the remarks made upon ſuch miſtakes, v 1, 2, 3, 4. and may tell us how far they may be miſtaken who are yet right, as Job was, Chap 42 7. Having premiſed theſe cautions, the gene…al Doctrine (paſſing the miſapplication) may afford wholſome inſtructions, there being many ſuch pranks in the world, as are here challenged, though Job was free of them.
From the general Poſition, v. 5.—Learn,
1. Men ought not to pleaſe themſelves in ſin, upon this pretence, that ſin is in all; but as the leaſt ſin is to be avoided, becauſe it is a tranſgreſſion of the law of God, who is ſupreme and abſolute; So, eſpecially, men ought to guard that they be not guilty, not only of infirmities, but even of groſs wickedneſs, which is more heinous then ordinary failings: For, Iniquity is that which he faſtens upon Job here. See, Deut. 32.5. Ezek. 24.13. Hoſ. 6.9. And as this may be tryed by the groſsneſs of the evil into which men fall; ſo alſo by their violent proſecution of it, their frequency and conſtancy in following ſuch a courſe, their running to it, when there are few, or no, tentations to draw them &c. though ſome of thoſe may have place even in the infirmities of the people of God,
2. Though mans corrupt nature be prone to all iniquity, having the ſeed of all ſin in him; Yet, there are ſome iniquities that prevail more with ſome perſons and diſpoſitions, at ſome times, than others; This is pointed at by this, thine Iniquity, or, predominant evil. See. Pſal. 18.23. And that ſome ſins are thus more prevalent with ſome men, flows, Partly, from their temper, conſtitution and inclination; as we ſee ſome are more ſenſual, others are naturally more averſe from that, and yet are proud or covetous; Partly, from the times wherein they live, ſins that are Univerſal and Epidemick being more apt to infect men, then other ſins which are not ſo rife; and, Partly, from the conditions wherein they are, and the callings and employments wherein they are exerciſed: For as every lot, and ſtation and calling, hath its own tentations to ſome ſins eſpecially, ſo men are moſt eaſily overtaken with theſe. And therefore as men ought to guard againſt all ſins, ſo eſpecially againſt thoſe.
3. When iniquity, or mens predominant evils, prevail within, they will ſoon break out upon occaſion, and when a tentation is offered; For, thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, or teacheth others that it prevails within. A conquered heart will ſoon command the outward man, as there is a tentation: And when men enſlave their hearts to ſin, God in juſtice gives them up, that they may appear what they are.
4. Where the fear of God is not, to put us to the exerciſe of prayer in trouble, and to employ our mouth that way, we will ſoon utter much iniquity in ſuch a condition; For, the one followeth upon the other; if he caſt off fear, and reſtrain prayer, then his mouth uttereth his iniquity. They will be worſe employed who are not exerciſed in Prayer, eſpecially in trouble.
From the particular inſtance, v. —5. Learn,
1. True wiſdom is of a very different nature from craft, or politick ſubtilty; For, v. 2. Eliphaz taunts Job for accounting himſelf a wiſe man, and here he tells him that, in his opinion, he was but a crafty man. It is one of Satans devices, to make vices paſs currant in the world under the names of vertues, And, particularly, to make craft and nimble conveyances paſs for true wiſdom, and to be the only cried-up wit in the world; whereas true wiſdom is always ſtreight and ſincere.
2. It is a ſpecial part of mens ſinful craft, when they employ their invention, parts and eloquence, to defend and give a luſtre to a bad cauſe; As here he thought Job made uſe of the tongue of the crafty, in his own defence. And, indeed, the greater parts men have in a bad cauſe, they have the more ſins and ſnares, and they ſin the more in ſo employing them. For it is horrid impiety when men, being once engaged in an ill cauſe, will rather bend their wits to maintain it, then ſtoop to truth.
3. It is a great aggravation of mens ſins, when they are their own choice; As he ſuppoſeth Job did chooſe the tongue of the crafty. Men do thus chooſe ſin, either when there is much of will and inclination in ſin, rather then of weakneſs or tentation; Or (which I think Eliphaz chiefly intends here) when they voluntarily betake themſelves to a ſinful courſe, though they have another and better way at hand: As he thought Job might have come better ſpeed by humble confeſſion of his wickedneſs, then by his defences. So when men reflect upon all their by-ways under tentation, it will be bitter to them that the word did direct them to a better courſe, though they judged otherwiſe of it.
From the concluſion and inference, ver. 6. Learn,
1. Men ought not to judge raſhly of others, nor ought they to condemn them, further then their own words and actions proclame what they are; As here Eliphaz implyeth, that he did not condemn Job, till he condemned himſelf.
2. It is no breach of charity to condemn men, when they write their hearts upon their fore-heads, by their carriage or expreſſions; As here Eliphaz clears that he was not to be accounted rigid, ſince his own mouth condemned him, and not he. The meaning whereof is not that he did not at all condemn Job, for his very ſcope in this diſcourſe is to condemn him; but that he ſaid nothing of him but what might be clearly deduced from his own diſcourſes.
3. That is the ſtrongeſt conviction and condemnation which is from a mans own ſelf, in his light and conſcience, or actions; For, this was an heavy charge, if it had been true, Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I. See, Mat. 26.65. Luke 19.22. Tit. 3.11,
4. Albeit men are not eaſily convinced by others, of their bad condition; yet, their carriage, in word or actions, is a convincing and undeniable witneſs to demonſtrate to others what they are; and a witneſs which themſelves in reaſon cannot decline, nor will get declined at laſt: Therefore it is added, yea, thine own lips teſtifie againſt thee, and do cry down all the clamours and noiſe which thou makeſt in behalf of thine integrity.