Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 31 · Verse 33
Verſe 33. If I covered my tranſgreſſions, as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my boſome.
The eleventh Vertue, whereof he makes profeſſion (the truth whereof he confirms by a tacite aſſeveration) is, Ingenuity in confeſſing of his faults, when at any time he fell into them. So that he was no foſterer of ſin, as a boſome-darling, nor did be hide and palliate, extenuate and excuſe his ſins, but did freely confeſs them before God (and before others alſo, as the cauſe required) in all the aggravations thereof, and did judge himſelf for them. While he adds, that he did not thus cover his ſin, as Adam, the name Adam may be taken properly, for the name of the firſt man, whoſe fall, and the covering of his tranſgreſſion (Gen. 3.12.) were not unknown to Job, nor yet his own natural inclination (derived to him by that fall of Adam) to imitate him in the like courſe; though by grace he was enabled to overcome that his inclination. Or, the name may be taken appellatively, as the common name of all mankind, who (being infected by the fall of Adam) do generally uſe to palliate and cloak their ſins. And ſo the meaning is, That he did not act after the manner of men by nature, in confeſſing and acknowledging his ſins, but acted upon a principle of regeneration, whereby he became a new man. Both thoſe readings may be joyned together, for as Adam firſt began, ſo all mankind, deſcending from him by ordinary generation, do follow his footſteps, in cheriſhing and hiding of their ſin.
Doct. 1. As the moſt righteous of meer men, in this life, are not free of ſin; ſo they make conſcience to remark their failings, For, Job had, and can here tell he had, tranſgreſſions and iniquity. Whereby, alſo, he obviates an exception that might be put in againſt this Apology and vindication of himſelf, as if he delighted only to found his own praiſes, and boaſt of his perfections, therein. To obviate this, he clears here, That he aſſerts not his perfection and ſinleſsneſs in all things, but only his ſincerity, in this his Apology; and that he looks upon it (as indeed it is) as a part of a godly mans integrity, and proof of his righteouſneſs, to be ſenſible of his failings.
2. It is the mark of a godly man ingenuouſly to take with his faults, neither denying or hiding them, nor defending, excuſing, or extenuating them; For, Job did not cover nor hide his ſin, or, did not cover it, that it might be hid, and not appear at all, or not appear in its true coloers. As for the ſins of other men, it is our duty to cover them, by endeavouring to turn them from them, by admonitions, Lev. 19.17. with Jam. 5.20. by forgetting and digeſting wrongs and injuries in love, Pro. 10.12. 1 Pet. 4.8. by conſtructing as tenderly and charitably as lawfully we may, of their failings, 1 Cor. 13.5.7. by not blaz…ng abroad their infirmities, Gen. 9.21, 22. and other the like acts of love. But as for mens own ſins, Albeit it be not required that they ſhould uncover all, even their ſecret ſins, to men, nor is it poſſible that they can diſtinctly overtake and enumerate them all, in their confeſſions to God, Pſ. 19.12. And albeit it ſhould be their deſire and endeavour to have their ſins covered before God, by a free pardon, Pſ. 32.1. Jer. 50.20. Yet they ſhould beware of ſinful coverings of their own, whereby they think to ſpare their ſins, or avoid the puniſhment which they deſerve. Hence, Men ſhould not conceal their ſin, as thinking it enough if they get them hid from the eyes of men, as Achan did, Joſh. 7.20, 21. They ſhould not deny their ſin, as Ananias and Saphira did, Act. 5.2, 8. They ſhould not juſtifie their ſin, with Jonah, Jon. 4.9. They ſhould not extenuate their ſin, with Aaron, Exod. 32.24. nor excuſe it, with theſe who are mentioned, Luk. 14.18, 19. They ſhould not caſt the blame of their miſcarriages upon others, as ſome father them upon Satan, as Evah did, Gen. 3.13. Whereas, however Satan be a cunning and active Seducer, yet mens own diſpoſitions are the great movers in their debordings; Others do blame others with whom they have to do, as Aaron did, Exod. 32.22, 23, 24. and Saul, 1 Sam. 15.13, 14, 15. as many ſay, they ſwear only, becauſe others will not believe them; that they are paſſionate and do injuries to others, becauſe they provoke them; and that they do ſuch and ſuch evils, becauſe they ſee others (who, it may be, are better men than themſelves) do ſo, or worſe; all which are but figg-tree leaves, ſince we are bound to live by rules, and not by examples, and ſince no miſcarriage of others warrants us to ſin againſt God. Others do not ſpare to caſt the blame of their ſinning, even on God himſelf, and his diſpenſations, at leaſt indirectly, as Adam did, Gen. 3.12. Thus many do blame ill times, their poor and mean condition, their callings, &c. for their miſcarriages and debordings. All theſe are ſinful wayes of covering ſin; unto which this may be added, That men knowing themſelves to be guilty, and not being willing to defend their ſin, ſhould not cover it by not confeſſing of it, or repenting for it, as David did, Pſ. 32.3.5.
3. As godly men may fall even in groſs faults, and many of them; So if they be indeed tender, they will not think light of them, eſpecially if they ſhould endeavour to palliate and hide them; Therefore Job not only ſuppoſeth that he had tranſgreſſions, in the plural number, but he calls his tranſgreſſions, iniquity; Whereby he not only intimates his own tender frame of heart, which made him aggravate all his miſcarriages, but doth further ſhew, that if he did endeavour to cover his leaſt failing, this were a way to make it more ſinful, and even an iniquity, Thus David ſpeaks of an iniquity of that ſin which he long concealed, Pſ. 32.3.5.
4. Men, by concealing or extenuating of their faults, do not only aggravate them before the Lord, but do alſo evidence their great love to them; For, ſo much is imported, in hiding of covered ſins in his boſome, that men do cover their ſins, becauſe they delight lovingly and warmly to embrace them. And ſo the words may alſo be read, hiding mine iniquity in my love, or, becauſe I love it. In this reſpect the phraſe, my tranſgreſſions, and, mine iniquity; will import, not generally, every iniquity committed by him, and whereof he was guilty, but more particularly, theſe evils which were as his Dalilahs, and wherein he delighted moſt, as David had his iniquity, from which he kept himſelf, Pſ. 18.23. As, indeed, beſide mens general inclination to all ſins, every perſon hath a peculiar inclination to ſome particular boſome-ſins, which their own conſtitution and education, the cuſtome of the Time and Nation wherein they live, and their particular callings, do either prompt them unto, or miniſter occaſions of them. And theſe are ſpecially the evils about which men ſhould prove their ſincerity, in not covering or hiding of them. For, otherwiſe, they may be ready to abandon many evils, while yet theſe cleave cloſe to them.
5. Even in Jobs dayes, the fall of Adam, the way of it, and his carriage in it, together with the ſinful inclinations and practices of all men following thereupon, were well known; As here appears from his reflecting upon the practice of Adam, and of all mankind deſcending from him in the ordinary way of Generation.
6. It is natural to fallen Adam, and all his poſterity, to conceal, extenuate and excuſe their ſins; So that when any do otherwiſe, it is grace that makes them differ from others; For, to cover tranſgreſſions, is to do as Adam, both as the firſt man did, and as it is now natural for all men to do, till grace make a difference.
7. Sincere walkers muſt not follow the common practices of mankind, nor their own, or others, inclinations; but they ſhould ſuſpect that to which they are naturally inclined, and which is the common path wherein moſt part do walk; For, Job proves his ſincerity, in that he would not do as Adam.