Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 4 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Verſe 1 Then anſwered Bildad the Shuhite, and ſaid.]
A Pithy and ponderous ſpeech he here maketh, though little to the purpoſe; for he quite digreſſeth from the queſtion in hand concerning the wickeds flouriſhing, and Saints ſufferings, and chuſeth to ſing the fame ſong with his fellowes, concerning the power and Purity of God above all Creatures. See Job 4.18. and 15.15. Some men are of that mind, that they will never be ſaid or ſet down, but ſtrive to have the laſt word. This was Peters vanity and the reſt of the Diſciples, Math. 26.35. which our Saviour winked at till time ſhould confute them, as it alſo did ſoon after.
Verſe 2. Dominion and fear are with him] God is therefore to be feared, becauſe Lord over all. If an earthly King be ſo Dread a Soveraign, if an apparition of Angels hath ſo amazed the beſt men, who would not fear that King of Nations, ſith to him doth it appertain? Jer. 10.7. God is greatly to be feared in the Aſſemblies of his Saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him, Pſal. 89.7. Power and terror are with him, ſo the Vulgar hath it here. He that is able to deſtroy both body and ſoul in hell, is ſurely to be feared, yea therefore to be feared, Matth. 10.28. If ſervants ſhould fear their Maſters becauſe they have power over the fleſh, Col. 3.23. what ſhould we do, ſith he can ſooner undo us, then bid it be done?
He maketh peace in his high places.] Or, Among his high perſons, thoſe heavenly Courtiers the Angels and Saints. By an unchangeable Decree God keepeth all perſons and things in the heavens, both viſible and inviſible in a moſt firm and quiet condition, ſo that there is no claſhing, but an happy harmony amongſt them.Senault. He appeaſeth (ſaith One) the differences of the Elements, and obligeth them to force their own inclinations, to preſerve the quiet of the world. He ſhakes all the heavens with ſo much evenneſſe, that in the contrariety of their motions they never diſorder themſelves. Finally, He maintaines peace amongſt the Angels, and tempering his Juſtice with his Goodneſſe, he makes himſelf equally loved and feared of thoſe bleſſed Spirits Therefore Job did ill (ſaith another Interpreter) to offer to make a diſturbance there,Mayer. Job 23.4. (as Bildad at leaſt conceited he did) where there was all peace.
Verſe 3. Is there any number of his Armies?] God is Lord of Hoſtes: and (as the Rabbins well obſerve) he hath his upper forces and his lower forces, as his Horſe and Foot ready preſt. The upper are here chiefly meant, viz. the Angels and Stars, as appeareth by the Context. An eſt numerus expeditorum? ſo Brentius rendreth it; Tremellius, turmariorum, of his Troopers? they are innumerable, and yet no variance amongſt them: this is admirable. The Army of Niniveh was quiet, no falling out nor complaining in their hoſtes, therefore did their King march on, paſſe through, Nahum. 1.12. the Turks Military Diſcipline at this day, is beyond that of all other Nations in the world beſides; yea beyond that of the old Greeks or Romans. There is no quarrelling heard at any time amongſt their many ſouldiers,Cuſp. de Caſ. p. 475. no nor any words at all. Perpetuum ſilentium tenent ut muti, ſaith Cuſpinianus: There is perpetual ſilence kept, and moſt ready obedience yeelded to the dumb ſignes and noddings of their Officers. But all this is nothing to that in heaven. Of Gods Hoſtes, together with their number, order and obedience: ſee my Treatiſe called, the Righteous Mans Recompence pag. 868.869.
And upon whom doth not his Light ariſe?] that is, his Sun, that Prince of Planets, but ſervant of the Saints, (as his Name importeth) whoſe going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Pſalm 19.6 It is called, His Light, becauſe as he made it, ſo he gathered into it as into a Veſſel, that firſt light, which before was ſcattered here and there in the heavens. Some there are that underſtand this Text of the light of Gods Omniſcience; others of his Benificence: Qui… eſt quem non ſuperet luce bonitate ſuae? Merlin.Who is it whom he overcometh not with the light of his goodneſſe: Surely all the good that is in the Creature is but a ſpark of his flame, a drop of his Ocean.
Verſe 4 How then can man be juſtified with God?] Homo frivolus, ſo the Tygurines tranſlate: How can frivolous man, ſorry man, Morbis mortique obnoxius, Man ſubject to diſeaſes and death; how can ſuch a man, ſo mortal and miſerable, a maſſe of Mortalities, a Map of miſeries, a very mixture and compound of dirt and ſin, be juſtified with God? How can he be perfect of himſelf without the gift of grace, without an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the Juſt One, who alone is the propitiation for our ſins, 1 John 2.2. Rom. 3.25. who is made unto us of God, wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, &c. 1 Cor. 1.30?
Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?] And therefore born in ſin and under a curſe, the ſign whereof appeares in the womans bearing and bringing forth, Gen. 3.6. Our whole Nativity is impure. Hence in the Law it is commanded, that the woman ſhould be unclean ſeven dayes, that the child ſhould be circumciſed on the eighth day; and that the mother ſhould remain three and thirty dayes in the blood of her Purification, Levit. 13. for by Nature we are all children of wrath: and That which is born of the fleſh, is fleſh. Neither can any one bring a clean thing out of an unclean, Chap. 14.4. See the Note there. Surely as a ſlave begetteth a ſlave, ſo doth a ſinner beget a ſinner. Hence we are loathſome to God, as a toad is to us, becauſe poiſon is in the nature of it. Infantes ergo non ſunt inſon…es; Infants are not Innocents, though we commonly call them ſo, becauſe free from actual ſin, they having not yet ſinned after the ſimilitude of Adams tranſgreſſion, as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it, Rom. 5.14. But the firſt ſheet or blanket wherein they are covered, is woven of ſin, ſhame, blood and filth, as may be ſeen Ezek. 16.4, 6, This ſhould teach us modeſty and lowly-mindedneſſe.
Ʋnde ſuperbit homo cujus concepti… turpis!
Verſe 5. Behold even to the Moon, and it ſhineth not.] i.e. Either deſcend in thy thoughts from the higheſt Orbs as low as the Moon: Or elſe aſcend from Gold, Gems, Jewels, and other Orient reſplendent Creatures, as high as the Moon and Stars, and comparing them with the ſurpaſſing Majeſty of God, thou ſhalt find no more beauty or brightneſſe in them then is in a lump of earth, or clod of clay: thoſe heavenly Lights will appear to be as ſo many ſnuffs. Or if thou canſt diſcover no ſpots and blemiſhes in them, yet God can, without the help of any ſuch Perſpective Glaſſes as Gali…aeus gat him, to diſcry mountains in the Moon. Some think it was by Moon light that this ſpeech was uttered, and therefore the Moon is mentioned. But as the Moon is confounded, ſo the Sun alſo is aſhamed when the Lord of hoſtes wil diſplay the beams of his glory,Mr. Abbot. Iſai. 24.23, and 60.19. There is a Learned Interpreter who thus paraphraſeth the Text: Conſider, that by reaſon of the Fal of man, the very creatures, that in themſelves are ſinleſſe, yea the very Moon and Stars (that are ſo far from earth, and ſo neer to heaven) have contracted defilement, and are blemiſhed: ſo that with God, for mans ſake, and by mans ſin, even they are not accounted free from pollution in his ſight: Thus he. The viſible heavens are defiled by our ſins, and muſt therefore be purged by the fire of the laſt day; as of old the Veſſel that held the Sinne-Offering was to be broken if earthen, or to paſſe the fire, if of better Metal.
Yea, the Stars are not pure in his ſight] What ever they are in ours. A thing that I ſee in the night may ſhine, and that ſhining proceed from nothing but rottenneſſe. There is a comparative imperfection and impurity in the Stars and Angels, chap. 4.18.
Verſe 6. How much leſſe man that is a worm] He ſaith not, as a worm, but a worm it ſelf. So Pſal. 22. I am a worm and no man; nullificumen hominis. as Tertullian ſomewhere phraſeth it.Vermis parvus in carnc out caſeo naſcent, Exod. 16.24. David in the Arabick ſignifieth a worm (ſaith One) to which he may ſeem in that Pſalm to allude. The word here rendred a worm, ſignifieth a ſmall worm bred in cheeſe or fleſh, a Mite, a Maggot. Others ſay, it ſignifieth rottenneſſe, which hath no ſtrength. Hereby man convinced of his infirmity, vanity and impurity ſhould learne Virium ſuarum foreign agnoſcere, to give glory to God, and to take ſhame to himſelf.
And the Son of man which is a worm] Lumbricus, quo vix quidquam contemptius nominari poteſt; So vile and abject a creature is man: The greater is Gods mercy to look upon ſuch a walking dunghil: Learn hereby to know God and thy ſelf, which is the higheſt point of heavenly wiſdom.