Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 34 · Verses 18-19
Verſe 18. Is it fit to ſay to a King, Thou art wicked? And to Princes, Ye are ungodly?
19. How much leſs to him that accepteth not the perſons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the work of his hands.
Followeth the enlargement and amplification of this Doctrine, concerning the Dominion and Juſtice of God, from ſeveral inſtances wherein the exerciſe thereof appears. As thoſe Verſes are tranſlated, they contain a confirmation of the former Argument from a compariſon inſtituted betwixt God and Kings and Princes, That if they may not be reproached by any, much leſs God, who is above them, and reſpects not them more than the meaneſt. And ſo the words would import, That, however the greateſt of men have faults, and they have been ſharply reproved for them, by men who were employed by God ſo to do; (See 1 King. 18.18. 2 King. 3.13, 14. Iſ. 1.10. Ezek. 21.25. Matth. 14.4. Luk. 13.32.) Yet not only, de facto, are men ſparing to meddle with the faults of great men; but, de jure, men ought to carry very reverently toward them; So, as their power and authority ſhould ſtill be acknowledged, and reverenced, and ſubmitted unto, notwithſtanding their perſonal faults. Good Rulers ſhould not be reproached, and unjuſtly ſlandered; Men ſhould not preſume to reprove their real faults, unleſs they have a call to it; and, when men have a call, and are bound to ſpeak home to their faults, they ſhould goe about it with much reverence to their perſons and authority. See Exod. 22.28. Withall, this reading, and the ſcope of the Argument, will import, That men, oft-times, ſtand more in awe of great men than of God, and they will be afraid to ſpeak evil of them, when yet they ſpare not to quarrel God; which their own conſciences cannot but condemn. See Mal. 1.8.
The firſt of theſe Verſes may very well be read according to this ſenſe, without a Supplement. For the Verb, to ſay, being in the Infinitive Mode, with a note of Interrogation prefixed, we may very well read it, Is it to be ſaid to a King, &c? But ſeeing ſo great a Supplement is required in the following Verſe, to make up the compariſon to this ſenſe; I chooſe rather to read it without any Supplements, as carrying on the ſentence from v. 17. and continuing the Interrogations till the end of v. 19. thus; Wilt thou condemn him that is moſt juſt? v. 17. Even him who ſaith to a King, Thou art wicked, (or, O Belial, and wicked man) and to Princes, Ye are ungodly? v. 18. Who accepteth not the perſons of Princes, &c? v. 19. And though the Verb in the Infinitive Mode, v. 18. cannot ſo well be rendered, Who ſaith; Yet with the ſupply of a Prepoſition (which is oft-times to be ſupplyed in this Language) it may very well be rendered to the ſame purpoſe; Even when he ſaith, or, Though he ſaith, that is, Wilt thou condemn him, even notwithſtanding he is ſo juſt as not to ſpare greateſt perſons, but ſaith, they are wicked?
The words thus rendered, do contain a clear inſtance of the Dominion and Juſtice of God, taken from his dealing with Kings and Princes. The inſtance is held out in two aſſertions.
Firſt, (Which proves both his Dominion and Juſtice) That he reproves even Kings and Princes for their faults, v. 18. As is clear from Pſal. 105.14, 15. and from what he did by his Prophets and Meſſengers, in the places above cited.
Secondly, (Which illuſtrates his Juſtice, eſpecially) That he doth reprove and deal with them impartially, reſpecting the greateſt no more than the meaneſt, v. 19. Both which aſſertions (and eſpecially the laſt) are confirmed from his equal intereſt in all ſorts of men, as being the work of his hands, v. — 19.
From, v. 18. Learn, 1. Diverſity of ranks of perſons, and particularly, the eminency of Rulers over people, is an Ordinance of God very ancient in the World; For, here they were in Jobs dayes, though at firſt Parents had ſupreme authority, till people were multiplyed upon the Earth.
2. Prople are under a right conſtitution of Government, when the Supreme Magiſtrate hath others under him, to joyn with him and aſſiſt him in that weighty charge; For, here, there were both Kings and Princes.
3. Great and eminent places, do, ordinarily, prove great ſnares to men, to make them the worſe of their places, and not their places the better of them; As here is ſuppoſed. So that men would not be tempted with an inordinate deſire of eminency, if they conſidered how full of ſnares ſuch a condition is.
4. The greater mens eminency be, they have the greater tentations to prove worſe than others, and, being evil, their miſcarriages will be the more groſs; For, ſo is here alſo ſuppoſed, that Kings may be tempted to be wicked, or, Belial, lawleſs, and caſters off of all yoaks, and Princes, only ungodly, or, wicked.
5. Albeit none elſe can, or, dare deal with the faults of great perſons; Yet it is a proof of Gods Dominion and Juſtice, that he will take them to task; For, he ſaith to a King, Thou art wicked, &c. See Pſ. 76.12. and 107.4. And this he doth, eſpecially, in behalf of his people, Pſal. 105.14, 15. Iſa. 43.3, 4.
6. The greateſt of men will find it ſad enough when God comes to lay their faults home to their conſciences, and ſpeaks to them in his wrath; For, he will evidence his Dominion, by ſaying to a King, Thou art wicked, &c. See Pſ. 2… 5.
From v. 19. Learn, 1. It is neceſſarily required in thoſe who would be juſt, that they have no reſpect of perſons in judgement; As here is ſuppoſed, in that a proof of Gods juſtice is taken from his not accepting the perſons of Princes. See Lev. 19.15. Deut. 10.17.
2. Albeit God be free to beſtow his own gifts (of whatſoever kind) upon one, and not upon another; Yet he is not partial, nor moved by any by reſpects to any thing in the Creatures, to do ſo; and his adminiſtration, in diſpenſing rods or rewards, is without reſpect to perſons: As here is aſſerted. See 2 Chron. 19.7. Act. 10.34, 35. So that they who have right upon their ſide, (be what they will) may come to him; and when we are wronged by mens partiality, it may comfort us that God judgeth not ſo, and that they who are partial and unjuſt do make God their party.
3. It is a clear proof of Gods not reſpecting of perſons, that he deals with the greateſt as well as the meaneſt, with the rich as well as the poor; For, he accepteth not the perſons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor.
4. As it is ſad to ſee men poor, (and even extenuate, as the word is) and yet ſinning; (as no outward affliction, of it ſelf, will cure or remove ſin) So the faults of the meaneſt are not to be excuſed, nor will be forgotten in the croud of great mens miſcarriages; nor will their poverty, or other tentations, be a cover to hide their ſin; For, ſo is here alſo imported, that poor men are not regarded more than the rich, when God comes to reckon with them.
5. As all men, and even the greateſt, are but Gods workmanſhip; Yea, it is he, who (having given them a beeing) makes them poor or rich, great or ſmall: So, his dominion over them is founded upon this right and title, That, having made all, he ſhould have the command and diſpoſing of all, and ſhould deal according to juſtice with the greateſt as well as the meaneſt, ſeeing they are all but his Creatures; And, That his making ſome to be eminent, while he layeth others low, ſhould not exempt them from being ſubject to his dominion, or from finding the effects of his juſtice and righteouſneſs, as well as others; Therefore is this ſubjoyned, as a reaſon of his juſtice and impartiality; For, they are all the work of his hands. Which, as it ſets forth the power and glory of God, who made even the greateſt, and ſets them in eminent dignity; So, it imports, that they who renounce his dominion, in their carpings and complaints, do forget of whom it is that they hold their beeing.