Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 9 · Verse 22
Verſ. 22. This is one thing, therefore I ſaid it; he deſtroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
Followeth, unto the end of this Chapter the ſecond part of Job's Reply to what Bildad had ſpoken. Wherein he proveth that, notwithſtanding God was righteous and not to be quarrelled; yet, himſelf was a righteous man, in oppoſition to hypocriſie or groſs wickedneſs: nor could the afflictions that were come upon him prove the contrary. And this is the very point in controverſie among them.
In this verſe we have him ſtating the Controverſie, and holding forth the Truth which he aſſerts and maintains; This is one thing, &c. The meaning whereof, is, as if Job had ſaid; I agree with you (as you may perceive from what I have already ſpoken) in all you have ſaid, concerning Gods Righteouſneſs, and Mans Sinfulneſs; yet this is one thing wherein I differ from you, and which (without any derogation to the Righteouſneſs of God) I have maintained, and will maintain, That my afflictions do not prove me wicked; but calamities, even to deſtruction and rooting out of the world, come alike upon all, whether godly or wicked, from God. And ſo he contradicts what Bildad had ſaid, Chap. 8.20. and doth aſſert nothing but what is the undoubted Truth of God.
Hence Learn,
1. Matters of Truth and Errour are not things of light or ſmall importance; but Truth is to be cleaved unto, oppoſe it who will, and Errour in judgment is to be looked upon as more dangerous then ſimple ill practice; as not only corrupting the Truth of God, and the rational underſtanding of Man, which is the moſt noble of his faculties; but leading alſo the ſinner to ſin ſecurely, and to defend it obſtinately. Therefore is Job ſo reſolute in this matter, I have ſaid it, and will ſtand to it.
2. Controverſies ought to be well ſtated, that it may be ſeen where the ſtreſs and weight of them is, and that men do not father more upon a mans opinion, than is meet; For, they ſo managed the debate, as if this aſſertion of Job had been injurious to God, which it was not, ſave in ſo far as he did not maintain it calmly and ſoberly. And therefore, having yielded to all they could ſay on Gods behalf, he draws the ſtate of the queſtion to this one thing, whether afflictions do prove men wicked?
3. One Truth doth not contradict, nor interfere with another, though mens weakneſs do not alwayes diſcern how it can be ſo; And, particularly, it is no prejudice to the Righteouſneſs of God in afflicting, that an honeſt man humbly plead his ſincerity and integrity before him, though afflicted by him; nor is it humility, or a glorifying of God, to quit the teſtimony of his ſincerity, becauſe of ſharp afflictions: For, Job, having acknowledged the Righteouſneſs of God, in the former part of the Chapter doth alſo maintain this one thing, as nothing contrary to it.
4. Men are not to quit Truth, or to be driven from it, upon any ſpecious pretences, or extrinſecol conſiderations, or odious aſperſions caſt upon it, or the adherers to it; For, they preſſed Job to abandon this truth, as injurious to God, &c. when yet they could not refute what he ſaid for it But Job ſtill adheres to it, This is one thing, therefore I ſaid it. It is Satans great deſign to make Truths odious in the world upon ſome ſuch extrinſick accounts and imputations; But Truth is Truth ſtill, for all that; and who ſo are led by their affections, reſpect to parties or intereſts, &c. and not by a ſound judgement, in judging of Truth or Errour, they are a ready prey for Satan, whom he will ſoon enſnare in an Errour.
5. In particular, it is a fixed truth, to be received by all, and particularly, by godly men, That outward lots come alike to all; that ſo neither their own afflictions, nor the proſperity of others, do ſhake them; This is the great Truth, which God in his Providence hath cleared in Job's experience, and the debates recorded in this Book. A truth to which the Scriptures (Eccleſ. 9.1, 2. Ezek. 21 3. and frequently elſewhere) bear witneſs. And therefore men would be very ſincere, would by faith grip to Gods love in every lot, and would mortifie their own luſts, l…ſt, otherwiſe, tentations contrary to this truth doth ſhake them; as we find in ſome caſes, croſs Providences have occaſioned (though not a denyal, yet) low thoughts of Piety, even in godly men, becauſe they were afflicted, Pſal. 73.10.— 14. Much more will it do ſo in hypocrites, Mal. 3.13, 14, 15. Only this truth ſhould be underſtood aright, That all things come alike, as to the outward lot and diſpenſation. For, otherwiſe, if we look to Gods love toward a godly man, whatever his caſe be; to his bleſſing upon his lot, and to the fruit given him of his humbling tryals; and, ſometime, even to the ſenſe of Gods love and favour ſhed abroad in the godlies hearts under tryal; (though, at other times, they may be inwardly deſerted, and outwardly afflicted, borh at once) I ſay, in theſe reſpects, the caſe of the godly and wicked may differ very far; but yet the outward lot is the ſame.
6. Saints ought to reſolve that they may be like the wicked, not in ſome leſſer calamities only; but even in being deſtroyed and ſent out of the world by a ſad ſtroke; that ſo they may learn not to doat on time, or thoſe temporal iſſues that are given to men while they are continued in it: For, even to this doth Job extend the general aſſertion, He deſtroyeth the perfect and the wicked. He ſmites the one and the other indifferently, as it pleaſeth him, even till he deſtroy him and cut him off.