Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 9 · Verse 23
Verſ. 23. If the ſcourge ſl…y ſuddenly, he will laugh at the tryal of the innocent.
Follow the Arguments confirming this Aſſertion; Whereof the firſt (in this verſe) is taken from experience of ſc…urges, or common calamities in the world. When God ſends out a ſcourge, of Sword, Famine, or Peſtilence, ſuddenly to overthrow and cut people off, not only are the wicked reached thereby, (which is h…e ſuppoſed) but even the innocent, that is, ſuch as are righteous and free of groſs provocations; for, in any other ſenſe, none are innocent, or free of ſin, in this life. Yea, further, in trying of the innocent by theſe ſcourges, the Lord ſeems to act as one delighted with it, and little reſenting the great extremities wherewith they are preſſed.
Hence Learn,
1. While he calleth any of theſe common calamities, a ſcourge, which imports a correction for a fault, it teacheth, That, whatever may be Gods end in cleanly tryals and ſufferings; yet, National calamities are puniſhments for ſin. They are the reſult of Gods accurate ſearching out, and noticing of ſin, and ſhould drive men to ſearch into their own ways, Lam. 3.39, 40. For the root, in the Original, from whence the word in the Text riſeth, which is rendered a ſcourge, ſignifieth, diligently to run up and down (which may alſo point at the commonneſs of theſe ſcourges, as God pleaſeth to direct them, even as a whip is moved to and fro, according as he pleaſeth who maketh uſe of it) and, to conſider and try.
2. Though God may, ſometime, threaten, when yet he forbeareth, Amos 7 1, 2, 3, &c. and ſometime, may inflict leſſer calamities, when yet he preſerves the afflicted alive: yet it ſhould be remembered that God hath deadly Arrows in his Q…iver, eſpecially, in National calamities, or when leſſer rods have not profited a people: For, this is a ſcourge which ſlayeth.
3. God is pleaſed, ſometimes, to ſend ſcourges very unexpectedly, when nothing like that is dreamed of, but the contrary ſeems moſt probable; that he may ſurprize the wilfully ſecure and preſumptuous, may warn all to be continually upon their guard, and, may teach men to improve the mercy of warning before hand; For, here the ſcourge ſlayeth ſuddenly.
4. Albeit, when God ſendeth common calamities upon a people, his quarrel be chiefly againſt the wicked and profane; yet, as the godly have ſo much ſin, as doth deſerve a ſhare in that cup, ſo, it may pleaſe the Lord, for wiſe ends, to cauſe them alſo drink of it: For, If the ſcourge ſlay ſuddenly, the innocent have a tryal. God may, indeed, give exemption to ſome particular Saints, in a common calamity, Jer. 15.11. & 39.16, 17, 18. & 45 5. But it is not to be expected that all of them will be ſo dealt with.
5. While he calleth the ſtroke, a ſcourge, and that which befalleth the innocent a tryal, this laſt word is by ſome rendered, a melting away, or, diſſolution, which is the ſame with ſlaying, and ſo the ſeeming difference will be removed. But the word properly ſignifieth tryal, or, tentation, and therefore there muſt be ſomewhat in the change of the word. I do not think that it is Job's purpoſe, by the change of the ſpeech, to aggravate the ſharpneſs of the innocents lot, above that of the wicked, as if the wicked were, for moſt part, ſuddenly cut off and put out of pain, whereas the innocent got a lingering and longſome tryal of it (which is ſharper then ſpeedy death, Lam 4.6.) as had befallen himſelf. Job had ſharp expreſſions too many (and we may happily find one in this ſame verſe) and ſome expreſſions to that ſame purpoſe, Chap. 7.13, 14, 15. and elſewhere, though we do not faſten that upon him as his meaning in this phraſe. Nor do I think th… Job's purpoſe, by theſe different words, is … out the difference betwixt his Childrens lo… … were cut off ſuddenly, and his own, who was kept …nder a long tryal, by that ſtroke on them, and other afflictions upon himſelf. But the true uſe of the different words, is, to point out ſome difference betwixt the wicked and godly, even in the calamities wherein they outwardly ſhare alike. And ſo to teach us, That a common ſcourge doth change its nature to …he innocent and godly man. What is a ſcourge in it ſelf, and a plague to the wicked, is but a tryal to him, and ſhould be ſo looked upon and improved by him.
6. While he ſaith, God will laugh at the tryal of the innocent, as if it were but a ſport in his eyes; there may be ſome favourable conſtruction put on the harſh expreſſion. As,
1. Gods outward diſpenſation toward the innocent man is the ſame with the ſtroke on the wicked, at whoſe calamity he doth laugh and mock, Prov. 1.26.
2. Though God take no pleaſure in the trouble of innocent men, as it is a trouble and vexation to them; yet he takes pleaſure, and may laugh at the tryal and proof of their graces, which appear under trouble; and as knowing that it will tend to their eternal happineſs. And in this reſpect, alſo, the godly themſelves ſhould not think too much of their tryals; and when he is merry, their heart… ſhould not be ſad, Jam. 1.2. 1 Pet. 1.6, 7.
3. God will laugh and (ſo to ſay) ſcorn it, that any man ſhould plead that exception before him; That, becauſe he innocent, therefore he ſhould not be tryed. But however we may thus mollifie his ſpeech; yet certainly the phraſe is too harſh, being ſpoken of God who is compaſſionate in trouble, Jer. 31.20. and who doth not afflict or grieve willingly, Lam. 3.33. And therefore this expreſſion may come in among thoſe which he repented of, Chap. 40.5. & 42.3. For as his Friends pertinaciouſly defended their Errour; ſo he aſſerted truth with too much vehemence and paſſion. And though the Conſcience of his integrity led him to look on his affliction but as a tryal; yet his paſſion cannot forbear, in aſſerting a truth, indirectly to charge God with too little compaſſion, in inflicting and continuing of that tryal. And ſo it may teach us,
1. Contention, and debating of Controverſies, is a very diſtempering exerciſe, breeding much diſtemper of ſpirit, and many raſh and precipitant expreſſions; as here befel Job in his diſpute. And this may warn all, not to ſtart Controverſies and Debates needleſly, and to mourn over them, when they are ſtarted, as a very humbling exerciſe.
2. Such as maintain Truth in a Controverſie ſhould guard againſt irritations, by the abſurdity of Errour and its Patrons; and ſhould ſtudy watchfulneſs and ſobriety, that, through heat of contradiction, they run not to the other extreme of what they do oppoſe: For, thus Job refuting their Errour, wherein he found them ſo abſurd, doth himſelf ſtumble through paſſion.
3. In all debates, men ought to take heed, eſpecially, that no irritation, diſtemper or trouble, beget hard thoughts, or irreverent expreſſions, of God; particularly, that they queſtion not his tender reſpects to his own in trouble: For, herein it was that Job failed, in ſaving that God will laugh at the tryal of the innocent. See Iſa 40.27.
4. When Saints are in trouble, and meet with tentations, it is not to be expected that ſerious reſolutions and ſound principles will always bear them out, without conſtant dependence upon God, and new influences of his grace; For, Job had reſolved and ſaid …ell▪ in the former part of the Chapter as to not cont…nding with God, and yet fits of his paſſion break forth in ſinful reflections upon God, in this and other paſſages of his ſpeech.