Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 22 · Verse 15
Verſ. 15. Haſt thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
Followeth to v. 19. the fifth Argument whereby Eliphaz would prove Job to be wicked; which is taken from the judgments that have been inflicted on wicked men who lived before them. Which ſerves not only to refute Job's ſuppoſed Atheiſm, v. 12, 13, 14. And to prove that God doth know and order the affairs of the world; but alſo (as he thinks) to prove his General Aſſertion, concerning the miſerable ruine of the wicked, and that Job was wicked, becauſe ſo afflicted. The diſcourſe may be underſtood, more generally and abſtractly, of all wicked men who formerly had been deſtroyed by calamities, as by a floud. But his mentioning the old way of wicked men, and a floud, v. 16. whereby they were deſtroyed, doth lead us to underſtand it of the old world deſtroyed by the floud in Noah's days; and that rather than of the drowning of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the Red-Sea. For, it is not certain that Job lived after that time, and it is certain that could not be an old way and Hiſtory in his time, who lived (as hath been cleared in the entry to this Book) before the giving of the Law, and the aſtricting of Sacrifices to that place where God had recorded his Name: and withal, in that inſtance of Pharaoh's ruine, the condition of the people of God ſuffering in Egypt might have been produced to refute his opinion. As for the Argument it ſelf, it cannot be denyed but that deſtruction of the old world was a document of Gods Juſtice, to be obſerved and improved in all Ages. But from this it cannot be inferred, that God deals ſo with all wicked men, becauſe he hath made Beacons of ſome of them to warn others. Neither will it follow that, becauſe God deſtroyed the old world for their ſins, therefore Job who is afflicted muſt be wicked likewiſe. For the iſſue proved that Job's calamity was not ſo deſperate and irrecoverable as theirs; and not only mens lots, but their carriage (which is expreſsly ſpoken too of theſe who periſhed in the floud) muſt be looked unto, to clear what they are.
To follow this Argument by parts, it may be taken up in four Branches; In the firſt whereof (in this verſe) he excites Job, in general, to mark and conſider the old way of wicked men, both the way of their ſin, and of the ruine that followed upon it.
Whence Learn,
1. God hath given many Refutations of Atheiſm, to the no ſmall damage of wicked men; For, this inſtance of Gods juſtice refutes all theſe Atheiſtical concluſions wherewith he hath charged Job. See Zeph. 1.12. Thus alſo are men refuted when they deifie themſelves. Ezek. 28.2, 6, 9.
2. Sin is a very old trade in the world; For, here in their days it was called an old way. Which may commend Gods Patience and long ſuffering, who hath continued the world ſo long, notwithſtanding the provocations thereof; And may affright ſinners from their ſinful ways, leſt they be ſerved as heirs to all theſe who have ſinned in the like kind before them, Matth. 23.34, 35.
3. A courſe of wickedneſs, once engaged in, becomes very enſnaring; For men being engaged, become bold in ſin, and habituate themſelves in it; For, they become wicked men, or, men of iniquity and they tread in that way, it is ſo habitual to them as if they made a path by conſtant walking. This is the cauſe why they are not eaſily reclaimed, Jer. 13.23. And this deludes many, who think they have peace in their ſinful ways, when it is only their ſtupidity and impudence that encreaſe upon them as they make progreſs in ſin.
4. Albeit the leaſt ſin, or any one wicked act, doth deſerve extremeſt judgments and wrath; Yet, ordinarily, men are groſsly wicked, and habituated in a courſe of ſin, when God makes them ſpectacles of his juſtice: For, ſuch were thoſe whom he inſtanceth to have been plagued here, they were men of Iniquity treading in the way of wickedneſs. So that, when wicked men are plagued, they ought to reflect upon a trade of ſin procuring it.
5. As the trade of ſin is old, ſo alſo are the inſtances, of Gods judgments purſuing for it; And as men make an habitual trade of ſin, ſo his judgments are alſo conſpicuous; For, this is alſo the old way which wicked men have trodden, even the judgments of the Lord, which they have ſuffered for their ſin Not that God as frequently plagues as they ſin, and ſo makes the one path to be trodden as oft as the other; but that there are ſome inſtances of Gods judgments no leſs conſpicuous, than mens ſins are notoure and open. So that wicked men, ſinning after theſe inſtances of Gods manifeſted anger againſt ſin, do ſin againſt that witneſs, and do ſplit upon rocks, whereupon God hath ſet very conſpicuous Beacons.
6. As wicked mens courſes do prove them to be men of iniquity, and ſlaves to it, ſo the fruit and iſſue thereof doth prove that they follow and labour for vanity therein; For, ſo the words will alſo read, men of vanity. Yea, the name here given to men, in the Original taken from death, or, Mortality, doth point out, That were there no other plague inflicted upon wicked men, their very mortality demonſtrats the folly of their courſe; ſeeing all the imagined contentments they expect by ſin ſerve, at beſt, but for this natural life, and will flee away, and ſerve in no ſtead, to ſecure againſt death, or, comfort them in it,
7. God propounds the example of wicked mens ways, and the plagues following thereupon, to be marked and obſerved by others for the information of their judgments concerning ſinful courſes and the fruites thereof, and for exciting of them to look well to their own ways; For, this queſtion. Haſt thou marked the old way? &c. Imports that it was Job's duty to mark theſe inſtances, that thereby (as he judged of him) he might be helped to correct his opinions and practices. See Pſal. 107.43. Hoſ. 14.9. Luk. 13.1, 2. &c. God in his great indulgence will not always deſtroy all ſinners by viſible judgments; For, ſo he ſhould ſoon deſtroy the whole world, which yet he continues for wiſe ends, particularly, that he may gather his elect out of it: But yet he ſeeth it meet to ſet up ſome ſinners as Beacons to warn all the reſt. So that they are ſtupid and mad who do not obſerve and improve ſuch examples, and who, looking upon the way of Gods judgments upon men, do not reflect upon the way of their ſin procuring theſe judgments, that they may avoid it; but do perſiſt in ſin againſt all ſuch warnings, or think themſelves innocent, becauſe they are not ſmitten as others were, or do look rather upon mens following of duty, then their ſins, as the cauſe of their calamities, as Jer. 44.16, 17, 18.
8. Men, in the heat of preſent diſtempers and debates, will readily be in the dark and be miſled, unleſs they make uſe of the light that ſomtime they have had, o… the experiences, they may find, abſtract from their preſent caſe, to clear them; Therefore he leads Job from the conſideration of his own preſent caſe, to mark the old way, as a more effectual mean to clear his miſtakes. And it is, indeed a General Truth, however he erred in the particular.
9. Godly men may be much be miſtaken by others, as if they did not read a right the ſtrokes of God upon themſelves o… others; For, this queſtion, H…st thou marked, &c? imports alſo a challenge that he had not obſerved theſe things. Which yet was moſt falſe; for had he obſerved them never ſo much, he could never read Eliphaz's opinion therein, nor that it was conſumed thereby. For,
1. Though great calamities ought to daunt ſtubbornneſs, and deterr men from ſtanding out in rebellion againſt God; Yet, they ought not to be ſo formidable as to affright men from the teſtimony of a good Conſcience; For, that is a part of Godly mens tryal, to cleave to their integrity, notwithſtanding they be afflicted.
2. No rods ſhould make men condemn that in themſelves or their cauſe, which is approved by the Word of God; as Job's integrity was.
3. No judgments upon wicked men ſhould make us think that all the wicked will be ſo dealt with (as Job's Friends did) and ſo make us aſſo… all thoſe who are ſpared.
4. Nor ſhould any judgments inflicted upon men for their wickedneſs, make us condemn Godly men becauſe they fall under the ſame outward lot; which was another of his Friends miſtakes. In a word, Afflictions upon godly men ought to make them the more tender, but not diſcourage them, no… make them caſt away the evidences of their integrity.