Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 33 · Verse 26
Verſe 26. He ſhall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him, and he ſhall ſee his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteouſneſs.
The third effect, is, renewed communion and ſweet intercourſe and fellowſhip with God; which is here ſpoken of, not on…y as the mean of attaining a deliverance from his ſickneſs, but, as his practice and carriage after that God hath been gracious to him. The ſumm is, That he ſhall pray, and find acceptance, and get a comfortable ſight of Gods reconciled face; And that becauſe God ſhall render, or, reſtore his righteouſneſs unto him. Where, by righteouſneſs, which is reſtored, we are not only to underſtand the effects of Gods fidelity, and the righteous performance of his promiſes, but eſpecially that imputed righteouſneſs which is Gods, as being of his finding out, and mans alſo (and ſo the relative, His, being ambiguous, we may referr it to both) becauſe it is imputed to him, and ſo accounted his. Now this is ſaid to be reſtored, not that a godly mans juſtification can admit of an interruption, or interciſion, and be reſtored o… new again; but the ſenſe and comfort of it may be ſuſpended in a time of tryal, and afterward clear up again. And this promiſe ſeems to be relative to Jobs deſerted condition, whereof he ſo frequently complained.
Doct. 1. As Prayer is a bleſſed fruit of a ſucceſsful Miniſtry upon an afflicted perſon, and a mean of bringing about Gods gracious purpoſes for his good, Ezek. 36.37. (For, here it is ſuppoſed, that this afflicted perſon, to whom the Meſſenger hath ſpoken, doth pray. See Jam 5.13. And though God may prevent our prayers, yet it is ſad, when, in times of diſtreſs, our mercies are readier than our prayers, and are retarded, only becauſe we pray not.) So a godly man will have to do with God by prayer, even after his affliction is over: For, when he is recovered, he ſhall pray unto God. A godly man wants not daily neceſſities, though he be delivered from eminent and ſingular afflictions; his delight in Gods company will cauſe him make many errands to him; and his nearneſs unto God will diſcover many wants to him, which he could not ſee at a diſtance; nor will he be able to entertain that nearneſs and communion without much prayer. In ſumm, this is a touchſtone whereby we may try a bleſſed deliverance, if it do not put us out of the need of prayer, nor be accompanied with the neglect thereof. And this may alſo ſerve for caution, that we do not miſtake a condition, as if it were not good, ſo long as many errands to God is the worſt of it.
2. As the prayers of godly men are never what they ſhould be, ſo they are not alike at all times; For, though, no doubt, he prayed before; yet now (when he is afflicted, but eſpecially, when he is delivered) he begins to pray to God, to ſome purpoſe, and proſpers in it. The prayers, even of Saints, in the time of their eaſe and proſperity, are, oft-times, dead and lazy, and offered up without any ſenſe of need; but now they become earneſt and vehement Supplicants, as the word imports. And albeit afflictions, tentations, and ſenſe of Gods anger, may rouze them up to pray with more fervency; Yet even then their prayers are, oft-times, muddy, and full of paſſions, doubts and fears; as may be ſeen in the Diſciples prayers, when they are in a diſtreſs, Mark 4.38. and in the many paſſionate complaints of afflicted Saints. But when a man comes to cloſe with imputed righteouſneſs, and to taſte of the love of God in deliverances, then he is in the beſt frame for prayer. This may warn us,
1. Not to take every thing for prayer, which looks like it, where humility, meekneſs, fervency, &c. do not ſhine in our addreſſes.
2. To ſuſpect our own hearts, and to look well to our prayers, when we are in fits of trouble.
3. To cloſe with the love of God, and an intereſt in Chriſt, if we would pray to purpoſe.
Doct. 3. How poor ſoever an account the Children of God may get of their paſſionate complaints; Yet when they repent, and cloſe with Chriſt for righteouſneſs, their prayers ſhall not fall to the ground, nor be l…ſt; For, here they have a promiſe of ſucceſs. See Matth. 7.7. God takes ſo much delight in the prayers of humble believers, that he will not reject them, Cant. 2.14.
4 Whatever bad ſucceſs Saints ſeem to have in their prayers, when they are thus qualified; Yet they are bound to believe that their perſons and prayers are accepted with God; For, He ſhall be favourable to him, or, well pleaſed with him. So that,
1. God hath no quarrel at them, whatever they get in an anſwer to their prayers.
2. It is very comfortable, that, however they be exerciſed about ſome petty concernments of leſſer moment, in their prayers, yet the ſtate of their perſons is ſecured.
3. They may expect favour and love in all they meet with, and are bound to believe it, though they cannot diſcern it.
Doct. 5. As the joy of Saints depends upon the ſight of Gods reconciled face, Pſal. 4.6, 7. or, upon the hope of it, Pſal. 42.11. and not upon trifles; So, however this ſenſible joy may be interrupted, and Gods face hid from them (for their tryal, or chaſtiſement, and till they repent, and cloſe with Chriſt:) Yet, it may come again after much ſadneſs; they may become favourites again, and be admitted to ſee the Kings face, and that will renew and heighten their joy: For, he ſhall ſee his face with joy. It is enough that this rich allowance is in Gods hand, who will diſpenſe it as may be for his peoples good.
6. Saints ought not to ſuſpend their aſſurance of Gods favour and good-will upon their ſenſible ſatisfaction and joy, ſo as to queſtion the one, if they want the other; For Gods being gracious, v. 24. and favourable, here, are diſtinct from the mans getting Joy, and this is but an effect and fruit of thoſe, and a fruit which doth not at all times flow from them. So that they are in a great miſtake, who can ſee no favour but in ſenſible ſatisfaction.
7. Saints true joy, and ſenſe of Gods favour, muſt depend upon, and flow from, their juſtification and righteouſneſs in Chriſt, and not their ſanctification only, or chiefly; For his joy in ſeeing Gods face flows from righteouſneſs, as the ground and reaſon of it, He ſhall ſee his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteouſneſs. See 1 Pet. 1.8. Pſ. 32 1, 6, 7.
8. The righteouſneſs of God, imputed unto ſinners, is ſufficient to remove all that could hinder our reconciliation and joy; For, it is here given as a ſufficient reaſon of what is promiſed.
9. As this righteouſneſs is indeed Gods, who found it out, and impureth it, and who is engaged in his faithfulneſs and righteouſneſs to accept thoſe who make uſe of it; All which ſheweth, that it is not an empty notion and fancy; So he who fleeth unto Chriſt, may reckon it to be his own righteouſneſs, by vertue of that legal union that is betwixt Chriſt and him; Thus in a ſound ſenſe, this relative, His, when it is called, His righteouſneſs, may be referred both to God and man, who are ſpoken of in the ſentence, and we may ſafely look thus upon it, when the Text doth not determine, which of them is to be underſtood.
10. A juſtified mans righteouſneſs may, at ſome times, be obſcured and out of his ſight, by reaſon of his afflictions, guilt, tentations, ſenſe of wrath, &c. So that it may ſeem to himſelf to be loſt; For, ſo is ſuppoſed here, that it may be to be rendered, or, reſtored again. As we ſhould entertain this precious Jewel warily and tenderly, ſo we ſhould not ſuſpect it, becauſe of ſuch changes and alterations.
11. When a deſerted and bemiſted Saint doth renew his repentance, and flee to Chriſt, he will find that his good eſtate is not loſt when he wants the evidence of it, but the clouds will clear again; For, he will render, (or, return, or, reſtore) unto man his righteouſneſs. See Pſ. 51.12.
12. Albeit the good condition of Saints be irrecoverable by any diligence of theirs, and ſo it may ſeem hopeleſs, when it is gone; Yet God himſelf can, and will, clear all theſe clouds; For, he will render it. Which ſpeaks much for their encouragement, who find that they can do nothing but multiply and augment clouds by their activity.
13. As it is ſad to the Children of God, when their good eſtate is obſcured and hid from them; So they may expect that their joy ſhall be as great, when their Sky cleareth again: For, then there is joy, when he rendreth to man his righteouſneſs.