Exposition of Job 22-26, Commentary · Chapter 22
JOB, CHAP. 22. Verſ. 12, 13, 14.
Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholds the height of the Starres how high they are.
And thou ſayeſt, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he ſeeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
IN the former part of this Chapter, wee have found Eliphaz charging Job with thoſe hainous crimes, injuſtice and uncharitableneſſe towards man; in theſe three verſes he proceeds to charge him with a higher crime, even irreligiouſneſſe and impiety againſt God; as if (at leaſt) Job doubted, if not denied the providence of God about what is done here below, or affirmed that he neither rewarded the righteous according to their good, nor puniſheth the wicked according to the evill which they have done. That's the ſcope of this context, in which wee may obſerve.
Firſt, A twofold truth held forth.
Secondly, A wrong ſuggeſtion of two errors, as ariſing from thoſe truths.
Thirdly, An indeavour to prove and make good, what he had wrongfully ſuggeſted.
The two truths are contained in the 12th verſe; firſt, God is in the height of heaven; ſecondly, The Stars are very high; theſe are cleare truths; from theſe Eliphaz makes a wrong ſuggeſtion, as if Job upon thoſe grounds of Gods being in the height of heaven, &c. had pleaſed himſelfe with this conceit, that God could not (at ſuch a diſtance) take notice of what paſſeth among, or is acted by men in this inferior world.
(Ver. 13.) And thou ſayeſt, how doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? As if he had ſayd, God being in the height of heaven, cannot know, much leſſe judge concerning the ſtate of things here below; Why what ſhould hinder? Hee tells us what in the 14th verſe, where (which was the third thing) he endeavours to prove his ſuggeſtion; Thick clouds are a covering to him that he ſeeth not, that's the firſt proofe: and then we have a ſecond, in the latter end of that verſe, God hath other things to doe then to minde what is done here, he hath higher buſineſſes and imployments then to look upon us who are creeping upon mole-hills, and engaged about a heape of earth; for, he walketh in the circuit of heaven; that is, there lieth his great worke, he hath enough in a nobler Spheare to imploy himſelfe in; and therefore ſurely, thou thinkeſt, that God takes no care at all, or not ſuch ſpeciall care about the affayres and wayes of men. This is the ſumme and ſcope of theſe three verſes. They are a new charge of impiety upon Job, as ſhutting up or reſtraining the providence of God to the things of heaven alone; and we ſee how Eliphaz frames arguments and proofes of the point for Job, which (as will appeare afterwards) never came into his heart.
Now though Eliphaz miſapplyed all this to Job, yet herein he fully characters & clearly paints out the ſpirit of carnal men, for ſuch ſecure themſelves in their evill wayes upon this preſumption, that God takes no notice of them, or that he hath ſomething elſe to do then to trouble himſelfe with what they are doing.
Ver. 12. Is not God in the height of heaven?
Nonne deus ſublimior eſt coelo? Pagni: Nonne deus coelum alium tenet? Tygur: Nonne deus in ſublimitate coelorum? Mont: Deus ſublimitas coelorum. Hebr:There are divers readings of theſe words; firſt, thus; Is not God higher then the heavens? A ſecond thus; Doth not God poſſeſſe the high heaven? The Originall may ſtrictly be renderd; God the height of heaven; that is, God is above all heavens: we render well; God is in the height or ſublimitie of heaven.
This Queſtion; Is not God in the height of heaven? is taken three wayes.
Firſt, Some read it as an Exhortation given by Eliphaz to Job, to draw off the motion of his thoughts, & moſt of all the ſetled bent of his heart from thoſe inferior things, his loſſes & troubles, his ſorrows, paines, and ſickneſſes; he would divert his minde from theſe worldly ſorrows, and raiſe it up to heavenly enjoyments, Is not God in heaven? As if he had ſayd, Why ſtandeſt thou poring upon things below? Why dwelleſt thou ſo much upon thy dunghill, and thy preſent poverty, God is in the height of heaven, conſider him there. This is both a ſafe and a very ſpirituall way to eaſe our minds of all the troubles and ſorrowes which we meete with in this world; could we but aſcend in Spirit to the height where God is, could we by an eye of faith looke to him, live upon him, and in him, all burdens would be light, and preſſures eaſie to us.
Secondly, This queſtion may be taken as a plaine aſſertion or affirmation, and it is of the ſame value & ſignification with this, God is in the height of heaven, there he is, and from thence he beholds all the children of men, their wayes and workes.
Thirdly, Is not God in the height of heaven? May be underſtood not as the queſtion of Eliphaz, and ſo his affirmation, but as the queſtion of Job, and ſo his ſuppoſition. As if Eliphaz apprehended Job thus ſpeaking in his heart;Annon deus eſt (inquis) in altitudine coeli? Jun. Is not God (ſayeſt thou) in the height of heaven? or, doeſt not thou, O Job, ſay thus; God is in the height of heaven; I grant that he is there, but I deny that he is there in thy ſence, or according to thy opinion. He is not concluded, or ſhut up there, he is not ſo in the height of heaven, but that he mindeth what is done upon the earth, yea in the very depths of hell. As if he had ſayd; Thy thoughts and conceptions of God are too ſtrait and narrow; Thou ſpeakeſt much below God, while thou ſayeſt he is in the hight of heaven. While thou confineſt God to heaven, thou makeſt him like thy ſelfe on earth.
From theſe words in the two former Expoſitions, Obſerve; That the hight of heaven, or heaven above, is the place of Gods ſpeciall reſidence.
Heaven is my throne (ſayth the Lord, Iſa. 66.1.) the throne is the ſeate of a Prince, there he declares his power, and his ſtate; his glory ſhines from his throne. A Prince looks like a common man when he is abroad in the world, but when upon his throne, then the rayes of Majeſty break forth, and he appeares as he is. Thus the holy Prophet begs a gratious look of the Lord from heaven (Iſa. 63.15.) Looke downe from heaven, the habitation of thy holineſſe, and of thy glory. Heaven is called the habitation of Gods holineſſe, and of his glory, becauſe his holineſſe and glory ſhine forth more in heaven, then upon the earth; little of the holineſſe of God is diſcovered to us here, though ſo much of it breaks forth here as cauſeth the heart of carnal men to quarrell with it continually. Nor are any able with theſe eyes, or rather with theſe hearts to beare the glory of God, or endure his holines. When but ſome extraordinary glimpſes of theſe appeared to Eſayah, he cryed out, Wo is me, I am undone (or cut off) becauſe I am a man of uncleane lips, and I dwell in the midſt of a people of uncleane lips, for mine eyes have ſeene the King, the Lord of H…ſts, (Iſa. 6.5.) As God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, ſo man is of impurer eyes then to behold the glory and holineſs of God in cleare manifeſtations of it, and therefore heaven is the ſeate, the habitation of his holineſſe, and of his glory. Hence we may take two further inferences.
Firſt, That our hearts, and our eyes ſhould be lifted upwards; the whole currunt of Scripture ſpeaks of God as above in heaven. And that's the reaſon why the Apoſtle (Col. 3.1.) exhorts, Sett you affections on things above, and not on things here below; And as on things above, ſo moſt of all upon God who is above.Surſum corda. The old word was, Lift up your hearts; and David ſayth in prayer, (Pſal. 25.1.) I lift up my ſoule to thee. And againe, (Pſal. 123.1.) Ʋnto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwelleſt in the heavens. Yea our Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe when he prayed (Joh. 17.1.) Lift up his eyes to heaven, and ſaid, Father the houre is come, glorifie thy Sonne, &c. The eye lift up to heaven is a ſigne of the heart lift up to heaven, and that corporeall viſible action, ſerves to fix our moſt ſpirituall affections upon the inviſible God. 'Tis indeed an eaſie thing to lift the eyes up to heaven, but it is very hard, yea impoſſible, without a divine aſſiſtance to lift up the heart to heaven; the heart of a prophane worldling mudds ſo much in the earth, that he ſeldome lifts up ſo much as his eyes to heaven; and how much or how often ſoever a hypocrite lifts up his eyes to heaven, yet ſtill his heart muds in the earth. The eye lookes upward naturally, but if ever the heart looke upward, 'tis a worke of Grace.
Secondly, Then ſerve the Lord with reverence and holy feare, in in all your addreſſes to him, and appearings before him. Wee reverence thoſe who are on high on earth, and ſhall wee not reverence him who is higher then the higheſt? him who is in the hight of heaven? While Chriſt bids us ſay, Our Father which art in heaven, he teacheth us, as to pray with confidence, becauſe God is our father, ſo to pray with reverence, becauſe he is a father in heaven, (Matth. 6.9.) The Preacher (Eccl. 5.2.) makes this an argument why wee ſhould be taken up in high thoughts of God, why we ſhould ſpeak in a reverentiall manner both of him, and to him; Be not raſh with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be haſty to utter any thing before God. He puts (as it were) a double bridle upon man in his drawing neere to God; firſt, upon his mouth, Let not thy mouth be raſh; and ſecondly, upon his heart (for the heart will talke at random as well as the mouth, yea the heart will talke more at random then the mouth can; and there is praying with the heart alone as well as with the heart and mouth together, therefore ſayth he) Let not thy heart be haſty to utter any thing before God; Why? for God is in heaven, and thou art upon the earth, therefore let thy words be few. Here are indeed two arguments to enforce this compoſure of ſpirit; firſt, the highnes and Greatnes of God; ſecondly, the lownes and vilenes of man. Conſider God is above, and thou art below, not onelyonly in regard of place, but of ſtate and dignitie, of power and majeſty. The being of God in heaven, notes not onelyonly a power of ſoveraignty to command us, but a power of ability both to puniſh and to provide for us, to puniſh our raſhnes, and to ſupply all our wants wherewith we acquaint him, and humbly mention before him; therefore Be not raſh with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be haſty, &c. The ſame Solomon in the ſame booke, allegorically deſcribing the declined decrepid condition of man, ſaith of the old man, that he is afraid of that which is high (Eccl. 12.5.) Young men will be clambering and aſcending, but old men are afraid of that which is high, they dare not goe up a high ſteepe place, leaſt their ſtrength or breath ſhould fayle, or leaſt their braine ſhould turne, and they through giddines tumble downe. Old men love to keepe upon levell or even ground, and are afraid of that which is high. Surely both young and old, have reaſon to be afraid of him that is high, to have reverentiall thoughts of God, who is in the high… of heaven, higher then the heavens. The diſtance of man from God, as God is in heaven and man on earth, is great, and the diſſimilitude of man to God, as God is holy and man corrupt, is farre greater; eyther of theſe Conſiderations ſingle is enough, but both theſe layd together, is aboundantly enough to keepe the heart in an humble ſelfe-abaſing frame before the Lord.
2ly, Taking theſe words, Is not God in the hight of heaven? As the ſuppoſed ſpeech of Job, thou ſayeſt God is in the hight of heaven; that is, confined to heaven, ſo, that he looks no further, but thou art deceived, God is not lockt up in heaven, he looks to all things here on earth. As the earth is the Lords, and the fullnes of it, as to right & propriety, ſo the earth is the Lords with all the fullnes of it, as to care and providence. Though there be a diſtinctnes in the manner or manifeſtation of his being in heaven and on earth; yet he is as truly and as much on earth as he is in heaven.
Hence note; God is omnipreſent, or every where.
Though we are to adore and worſhip God as in heaven, yet we muſt not ſhutt up God in heaven; as he is in heaven, ſo he is upon the earth alſo, he is with us, yea he is in us, he is in all places, not circumſcribed by any, nor limited to any place. God is preſent in all places, and fills all places with his preſence, onelyonly he doth not declare his preſence alike in all places. The Lord appeares where and as he pleaſeth, but he cannot be otherwiſe or otherwhere then he is, and that is every where. While the Pſalmiſt queryed, Whether ſhall I goe from thy preſence? He was ſo farre from imagining that any ſuch place could be found, that in the very next words he concludeth God to be every where, by an enumeration of all places, (Pſal. 139.7, 8.) If I aſcend up to heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in Hel, behold thou are there. (Hel ſtandeth in utmoſt oppoſition to heaven, as heaven in Scripture-language is the higheſt, ſo hell is the loweſt place; now ſayth David, If I make my bed in hell, thou art there) If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmoſt parts of the ſea, even there ſhall thy hand leade me, and thy right hand ſhall hold me; That is, there I ſhall find… thee efficaciouſly preſent with me. The Lord having ſaid (Iſa. 66.1.) Heaven is my throne, preſently adds, and the earth is my footſtoole; So the earth is called, becauſe its ſcituation in nature is below the heavens, his throne is there, his footſtoole is here. (Jer. 23.23, 24.) Am I a God at hand, ſaith the Lord, and not afarre off? Can any hide himſelfe in ſecret places, that I ſhall not ſee him, ſaith the Lord? doe not I fill heaven and earth, ſaith the Lord? All theſe expoſtulating queſtions, are reſolved into this one poſition. God is every where; And though ſome reade the firſt, not as a Q…eſtion, but as an Aſſertion, Thus; I am a God at hand, and not a God afarre off, yet the ſence is the ſame; God therein affirming, that he is ever neere us, and never afarre off from us whereſoever we are. Though God be in thoſe places which are furtheſt off from us, as well as in thoſe that are neere at hand, yet God himſelfe is never afarre off from us, but alwayes at hand. When Solomon had ſet up the Temple, (1 King. 8.27.) He was ſure of the preſence of God in it; and therefore did not ſpeake doubtingly, but admiringly, when he asked, But, will God indeed dwell on earth? (that is, will God manifeſt himſelfe gloriouſly on the earth?) behold the heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot conteine thee, how much leſſe this houſe that I have builded? Solomon knew that heaven could not conteine, that is, limit God, much leſſe could the houſe which he had builded. Yet the Lord made the Temple another heaven to himſelfe, it was as his ſecond heaven, there the Lord had a kinde of glorious reſidence, beyond what he had in any other part of the world; Now the Aſſemblyes and Congregations of the Saints are in a ſpeciall manner the dwelling place of God, and his ſecond heaven; He dwells ſo much in the Churches that he ſeemes not to dwell at all in any part of the world beſide (2 Cor. 6.16, 17.) I will dwell in them, and walke in them. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate ſaith the Lord, and touch not the uncleane thing, and I will receive you. God who is in all the world, dwels onelyonly in and with his people. They who ſeparate from whatſoever is unholy, have him neereſt them who is altogether Holy. To conclude this poynt, we may make uſe of that diſtinction of the Schooles to cleare the difference how a corporall ſubſtance, and a ſpirituall, as as alſo how a ſpirituall created and uncreated ſubſtance, may be ſayd to be in a place. All bodyes are in place circumſcriptively, ſpirituall ſubſtances created, Angels and ſoules of men are in place definitively: Wee cannot draw a line about an Angell, as about the body of a man, yet the Angel is ſo in this place, as not in another: but God who is a ſpirit, and uncreated, is in place repletively, that is, he filleth all places where he is, but is not limited by any place where he is, He is (as ſome have not unfitly ſpoken) a Spheare whoſe center is every where, and whoſe circumference is no where. This is a myſtery which indeed we are not able to comprehend by reaſon, but we muſt take it downe by faith. The Lord is in the height of heaven, yet ſo there, as he is not ſhut up there.
But if any ſhall yet querie, How is the Lord every where? how is he in heaven, and in earth? is it ſo as the Sunne may be ſaid to be every where? the Sunne is ſeated in heaven, yet is by way of communication on earth, the Sunne by light, heate, or influence is all the world over, in ſome degree or other, yet the Sunne moves onelyonly in his Orbe. Or is God ſo every where as a Soveraigne Prince, who though in perſon he reſide here or there, yet in power and Authority he is every where within his own Dominion? I anſwer, No; Theſe alluſions are farre below this truth. God is every where, not onelyonly as the Sunne by light, heate, and influence, not onelyonly as a Prince, by his power and Authority, but (as we ſpeake) in perſon, and in his Eſſence. Further, the Lords preſence in all places is not as that of the aire, which is more every where then the Sunne; the aire is every where filling all places, and ſo encompaſſing all bodies, as if it made them all but one Great body; yet that part of the aire that is in one place is not in another, for the aire is diviſible.Divina eſſentia eſt tota intra omnia & tota extra omnia, nuſquam incluſa aut excluſa omnia contineus, a nullo contenta, nec propterea immiſtu rebus aut rerum ſordibus inquinata. Auguſt: Epiſt. 55. ad Dard: But we muſt not take up any ſuch apprehenſions of God, for as he is every where, ſo he is wholly every where; God cannot be divided or parted as the ayre is & may. The Divine Eſſence (as one of the Ancients hath expreſſed this aſtoniſhing myſterie) is whole within all things, and whole without all things, no where included, no where excluded, conteining all things, conteined of nothing, yet not at all mingled with the nature of theſe things, nor defiled with their pollutions. That which the Philoſopher ſpeaks of the ſoule of man, (That it is all in the whole body, and whole in every part of the body) comes neereſt this myſtery. Some quarrell at that expreſſion about the ſoule, yet there is a truth in it. The ſoule is indiviſi…le, much more God, whereſoever he is, he is all and altogether; he is every where, and every where all. So he is in the height of heaven, and ſo he is on earth below.
But if God be every where, why doth Chriſt teach us to pray, Our father which art in heaven, (Mat. 6.13.) And when the Heathen made that ſcoffing demand, Where is now their God? Why did David Anſwer, Our God is in heaven, (Pſal. 115.2, 3.) To theſe and all other Texts of like import, wee may anſwer; heaven is not there ſpoken of as bounding the preſence of God, but as guiding the faith and hope of man. In the morning (ſaith David, Pſal. 5.3.) will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will looke up. When the eye hath no ſight of any helpe on earth, then faith may have the cleareſt viſions of it in heaven. And while God appeares ſo little in any Gratious diſpenſation for his people on earth, that the enemy begins to ſcoffe, Where is now your God? Then his people have recourſe by faith to heaven, where the Lord not onelyonly is, but is glorious in his appearings. From whence as he ſeeth how it is with us, ſo he ſeemes to have a kinde of advantage to relieve us.
But as ſome Scriptures ſeeme to confine God to heaven, ſo other Scriptures ſeem to deny that he is every where on earth. Thus Moſes ſayd to the people of Iſrael (Numb. 14.42.) Goe not up for the Lord is not among you. And againe (Deut. 7.21.) Thou ſhalt not be affrighted at them, for the Lord thy God is among you; with ſome the Lord is, with others the Lord is not; and he is with the ſame perſons at one time, not at another; How then can it be ſayd, that the Lord is every where preſent? I anſwer, when Moſes ſayth (and many other Texts which ſpeake in the ſame forme) that God was ſometimes with his people, and ſomtimes not; we are not to underſtand it at all of a local preſence, or abſence, but of a favourable preſence or abſence. Thus God is with ſome perſons, and not with others; thus he is ſometime preſent with, ſometime abſent from the ſame perſon. It was this favourable preſence for which Moſes did ſo earneſtly entreate the Lord (Exod. 33.15.) If thy preſence goe not with us, carry us no further; That is, unleſſe thou pleaſe to be with us, to proſper our way, and protect us in it, let us ſtay where we are. This preſence of God is a high favour indeed, and God is thus preſent but in few places (comparatively) of the whole earth.
Once more, thoſe Scriptures may ſeeme to imply that God is ſo in heaven, that he is not alſo upon the earth, which ſpeak of his coming downe from heaven to earth, (Gen. 11.5.) And the Lord came downe to ſee the City and the Tower which the Children of men builded. Whence ſome may inferre, if he came downe to ſee the City, then he was not there before, and if ſo, then he is not univerſally preſent in all places. Againe, (Gen. 18.20, 21.) And the Lord ſaid, becauſe the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and becauſe their ſinne is very grievous, I will goe downe now, and ſee whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me, and if not, I will know. This paſſage yeelds the ſame difficulty and objection; To both which we may adde that of David (Pſal. 14.2.) The Lord looked downe from heaven upon the children of men, to ſee if there were any that did underſtand; He doth not ſay, God was among the children of men here below, but being in heaven (as a man ſtanding upon a high place or Tower) he looked downe.
I anſwer, Theſe Texts ſpeake of God after the manner of men, or they ſpeake thus, not to teach us, how God knowes what is done on earth, but to confirme, and aſſure us that the Lord doth clearely and certainly know whatſoever is done by or among men on earth, even as clearely & certainly as a man knoweth any thing by his view upon the place. God knoweth all things preſently, without ſearching, though never ſo ſecret, and all things certainly without enquiring, though never ſo doubtfull. God neyther aſcends, nor deſcends; He doth not come downe by any motion, but he comes downe to our apprehenſion. He ſhewes us after our way, that he knoweth, becauſe we cannot conceave his way of knowledge. If I would aſſure another man that I certainly know ſuch a thing, I tell him, I came from the place, I ſaw it, or I beheld it with my own eyes; now that's all that is intended, when 'tis ſayd, The Lord came downe from heaven to behold, and ſee the Tower of Babell, and the condition of Sodom; Or it is, to admoniſh all Magiſtrates and Judges, that they paſſe no ſentence of puniſhment eyther upon places or perſons, upon bare heareſay and reports, but that they firſt enforme themſelves fully of the matter of fact, as Job profeſſed his courſe was in all legal proceedings (Chap. 29.16.) The cauſe which I knew not I ſearched out. Thus wee ſee notwithſtanding all theſe apparances from Texts of Scripture to the contrary, That this Scripture-truth ſtandeth firme, The Lord is ſo in the height of heaven, that he is every where alſo here upon the earth.
From which take theſe two Deductions.
Firſt, Seeing the Lord is every where preſent, we ſhould be every where holy.
For where ſoever he is, he is the holy Lord; That was the charge which God gave to Abraham; Walke before me, and be upright; As if he had ſayd, Whereſoever thou walkeſt, walke as having me preſent with thee, and be upright in my preſence. I (ſaith David, a type of Chriſt, Pſal. 16.8.) have ſet the Lord alwayes before me, he is at my right hand, I ſhall not be moved. He that by fa…th eyes God continually as his protector in trouble, ſhall not be moved with any evill that he ſuffers, and he that eyes God by faith as his patterne in holineſſe, ſhall not be moved from doing that which is good. This thought, The Lord is at our right hand, keepes us from turning eyther to the right hand or to the left. It is ſaid of Enoch, that he walked with God, (Gen. 5.22.) and though the Hiſtorie of his life be very ſhort, yet 'tis ſayd of him a ſecond time (ver. 24.) That he walked with God. He walked ſo much with God, that he walked as God, he did not walke (which kinde of walking the Apoſtle reproves, 1 Cor. 3.3.) as men. He walked ſo little, like the world, that his ſtay was little in the world. He was not (ſaith the Text) for God tooke him. He tooke him from the world to himſelfe, or (as the Author to the Hebrewes reports it) he was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, for he received this teſtimony that he pleaſed God.
Secondly, It followeth; if God be every where preſent, That the godly are never out of the reach of God to helpe them, and that the wicked are never out of the reach of God to puniſh them.
(Iſa. 43.2.) When thou paſſeſt through the waters I will be with thee, and when thou walkeſt through the fire, thou ſhalt not be burnt. The preſence of God is the protection of Saints in the evill which they ſuffer; and they who doe evill cannot be hid from his puniſhing preſence. There is no running from God. It is ſaid of Jonah (Chap. 1.3.) That he fled from the preſence of God. Whether fled he? The Text ſaith he fled to Sea, but did not God finde him there? He fled from the commanding preſence of God, but he fell into the angry preſence of God. We have a large deſcription in the 9th of Amos, how carnall men hope to ſhift out of the hand of God. I (ſayth the Lord) will ſlay the laſt of them with the ſword, though they dig to hell, thence ſhall my hand take them. We read what wiſe counſell the ſervants of the King of Benhadad gave him after he had been defeated by the King of Iſrael (1 King. 20.23, 24, 25.) Their Gods are Gods of the hils, therefore they were ſtronger then we, but let us fight againſt them in the plaines, and ſurely we ſhall be ſtronger then they. Make thee an Army like the Army that thou haſt loſt, horſe for horſe, and Chariot for Chariot, and we will fight againſt them in the plaine, and ſurely we ſhall be ſtronger then they, and he hearkened to their voice and did ſo. Why did they deſire to fight them upon the plaine? they thought God was a God of the hills and not of the valleys, but (ver. 28.) A man of God ſayd to the King of Iſrael, thus ſaith the Lord, becauſe the Aſſyrians have ſaid, the Lord is God of the hills and not of the valleys, therefore will I deliver this great multitude into thy hand. As if he had ſaid, however you deſerve not in the leaſt, that I ſhould owne you, or aſſiſt your cauſe, yet that I may confute the blaſphemous and derogatory principles of theſe Syrians, I will give you a ſecond victory againſt them, even in the valleys, where they ſuppoſe they have you at an advantage, and ſhall deale with you beyond the extent of my power and Territory. Though God had no cauſe to reſpect the honour of the Iſraelites, yet he could not forget the honour of his owne name, which was obſcured by thoſe ſuperſtitious Syrians. The moſt received Doctrine & Divinity of the Heathens confined their Gods to certaine places, ſome to this City, & ſome to that, ſome to the hills, & ſome to the plaines, ſome to the Sea, others to the Land. 'Tis ſayd that the ſame night in wch Alexander the Great (of whoſe Conqueſts Daniel Propheſied) was borne, that the Temple of Diana at Epheſus was burnt to the ground. And the Heathens gave this as the reaſon of it, becauſe Diana was abſent from hir Temple, being gone to aſſiſt at the birth of Alexander; implying that their Goddeſs was ſo in one place as ſhe could not attend what was done elſewhere. Such were the groſſe conceits which they had of their Gods, and they imagined the God of Iſrael to be ſuch a one as their owne. The verieſt Idolater in the world preſumes his God as good as any is. But Jehova the living God hath taught us to ſay, Who is a God like unto thee? and our experiences have ſealed to it, that there is none like the God of Jeſurun, who rideth on the heavens for thy helpe, and in his excellency on the skyes (Deut. 33.26.) And wee have learned to comfort our ſelves in all places and ſtreights, in this aſſurance that he is the God of the hills as well as of the valleys, of the Sea, as well as the dry Land, and that he is as truely preſent in the loweſt depths as in the higheſt heavens. Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the height of the Starres how high they are.
The Hebrew is, Behold the head of the Starres; The head of a man is the higheſt part of him, and the head of any thing is the top of it. Behold the head or height of the Starres how high they are; Starres are high, but God is higher; many creatures are high, but God is high above all creatures. The creature is ſtrong, but God is ſtronger, the creature is wiſe, but God is wiſer, the creature is glorious, but God is infinitely more glorious; The glory, wiſdome, ſtrength, and higheſt height of the creature, is but a glimpſe of what God is. The Starres are high. I ſhall not enter into an Aſtronomicall Diſcourſe about the Starres, or the height of Starres. I ſhall not meddle with a Jacobs ſtaffe, to take the elevation of the Starres, no need of ſuch Diſcourſe here, all that is intended by Eliphaz, is a proofe that God is infinitely exalted in his highnes and majeſty above the Starres.
Behold the height of the Starres how high they are.
This word behold in Scripture is often applied to things of wonder; To ſay, behold, is not a calling for the bare act of the eye to ſee the height of the Starres, but it calls for a worke of the minde, duly to conſider of, and to wonder at their height. Some creatures, eſpecially the heavenly, are not onelyonly uſefull, but wonderfull; and 'tis as hard to underſtand them, as it is comfortable to enjoy them. The Hebrew word for Heaven cometh from a roote which ſignifies to amaze and aſtoniſh; And indeed there are naturall wonders and myſteries enow in the heavens to aſtoniſh any conſidering man. And the true reaſon why we are no more aſtoniſht at them, or doe no more admire them, is becauſe we doe ſo little conſider them. We often ſee or looke upon the Starres, but we ſeldome behold them. And therefore David ſaith (Pſal. 8.3.) When I conſider the heavens, the worke of thy fingers, the Moone and the Starres which thou haſt ordained; what is man that thou art mindfull of him? As the beholding and conſideration of our owne workes will make us aſhamed, becauſe they appeare ſo bad, ſo the conſideration and beholding of the works of God will make us aſtoniſht, becauſe they appeare both ſo good and great. Behold (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Joh. 3.1.) what manner of Love the father hath beſtowed upon us, that we ſhould be called the Sons of God; even this tranſcendent Love of God in our Adoption is paſſed by as a ſmall matter by thoſe who will not take the paines (or rather the pleaſure) and leyſure to behold and conſider the manner of it. No mervaile if the power of God in making the higheſt Starres be paſſed by as a low thing, by thoſe who doe not behold, that is, diligently conſider them.
Behold the height of the Starres how high they are.
Wee are called to conſider this.
Hence note; That it is our duty to contemplate the excellency of the creature.
God hath not onelyonly given us the booke of the Scripture, but of the creature, and we muſt attend to the reading of this as well as of that, even to the reading of every leaſe and line of it. There are foure great leaves of this booke. Firſt, the heavens; ſecondly, the earth; thirdly, the Sea; fourthly, the aire. Theſe are the foure great leaves of this booke of the creature; in every one of which we ſhould labour to be expert Scholars, and ſpel out the name and minde of God in them. For though (as I ſaid before) beholding notes wondering, yet wee muſt not behold them to wonder at them, like children; but we muſt behold them to learne ſomewhat from them, or to be inſtructed by them as men.
Behold the Starres.
Firſt, In their number; As God ſaid to Abraham (Gen. 15. 5.) Looke now towards Heaven, and tell the Starres if thou be able to number them; and he ſaid unto him, ſo ſhall thy ſeed be. 'Tis matter of wonder that God ſhould make ſo many of thoſe eminent Lights, that he ſhould ſet up ſo many flaming torches in heaven for man to ſee his way, and worke by on earth. That God who hath ſpread this Canopie over our heads, ſhould alſo embroyder it with ſuch a multitude of Golden ſpangles, which render it as much our delight, as it is our duty, to behold them.
Secondly, Behold the Starres in their order, they move by rule, they keepe their rankes, none of them goe out of their place, or forſake their ſtation. They who are skilled in the motion of the Starres, know where to have them a hundred yeare hence. In the 5th of Judges, it is ſaid, The Starres in their courſes fought againſt Siſſera.
Thirdly, We ſhould conſider the Starres in their magnitude, what vaſt bodyes they are; Some of them are bigger then the whole body of the earth (as Philoſophy teacheth us) though, to appearance not bigger then the blaſe of a Candle, nor broader then the palme of a hand.
Fourthly, Conſider alſo the difference of the Starres in their greatneſſe, and magnitude, they are all great, but not all of a greatneſſe, not all of one ſize. Aſtronomers divide the Starres into ſixe magnitudes. We ſhould likewiſe obſerve, and wonder at their light, which is their glory: the light of the Starres is the glory of the Starres, and ſo the more light any Starre hath, the more glory it hath. Thus one Starre differeth from another Starre in glory (1 Cor. 15.41.) But I ſhall not ſtay upon theſe things, having inſiſted ſomwhat largely upon them at the 9th Chapter, v. 9. Whether I referre the Reader. OnelyOnly note here that as the Starres of heaven are of ſeveral degrees; God hath not levell'd them, eyther in light or magnitude: ſo he hath diverſly diſtributed the light of parts, and gifts, of underſtanding, and knowledge, of eſtate and power, to and among the children of men here on earth. 'Tis good for all, that all are not alike; The univerſe could not be eyther ſo beautiful, or ſo orderly, if every particular had the ſame beauty, or were of the ſame order. And he that cannot be content to have leſſe, and to be leſſer then another, is altogether unfit, not onelyonly to be as great, or to have as much as another, but to be or have any thing at all. Nor is any man more fit to be more then he is, then he that can rejoyce while another is more then he.
Secondly, Note; The creature leads us to God.
That's the tendency and ſcope of all that is here aſſerted. Eliphaz calls not Job to the meditation, or contemplation of the Starres to leave him there. Some ſtudy the heavens much, but their lives are earthly; they ſtudy the Starres, yet there is nothing but dirt in their hearts, and the reaſon is, becauſe they ſtudy the Starres, for the Starres ſake, and not for Gods ſake, and make the Starres their end, not their way, or as Starres, to lead them to God. This is the reaſon why many Aſtronomers and Philoſophers, who buſie their heads and minds much in ſpeculation about the nature of the heavenly bodyes, know not at all what it is to have their converſations in heaven, or to minde the things that are above. Wee ſhould ſo behold the glory of the Starres, as from thence to inferre, that God is much more glorious, yea, that, theſe things which were made glorious, have no glory in compariſon of that Glory which made them. Plato taught his Scollers to ſay; The earth is beautifull, the heavens are more beautifull, but God who made the earth, and the heavens, is more beautifull then both. The viſible creature ſhewes the inviſible God (Pſal. 19.1, 2.) The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament ſheweth his handy worke. But O how glorious is the inviſible God, who hath made ſuch viſible creatures? and what a work-Maſter is he who hath ſet up ſuch a work? (Rom. 1.20.) The inviſible things of him from the creation of the world, are clearely ſeene, being underſtood by the things that are made, even his eternall power and godhead. The things that are made, carry us to the maker of them, and they tell us, that none but he who hath an eternall power and godhead, could poſſibly make them. The Heathen thought the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, to be Gods, therefore certainly there is very much of God, much of the glory and power of God to be ſeene in them. And Job ſaith (which doth plainly ſhew that in nature it is ſo, Chap. 31.26.) If I beheld the Sunne when it ſhined, or the Moone walking in brightneſſe, and my heart hath been ſecretly inticed, or my mouth hath kiſſed my hand, this alſo were an iniquity to be puniſhed by the Judge, for I ſhould have denyed the God that is above. That is, if I have been inticed to worſhip the Sunne, or Moone, as raviſht with their beauty (for 'tis ſo farre from being a ſin, that 'tis a duty to behold the Sunne when it ſhineth, and the Moone walking in brightnes, but ſo to behold them as to adore them, or doe obeyſance to them, (which was the cuſtome of the Heathen, expreſſed it ſeemes among them by kiſſing their hand, as we doe at this day in token of reſpect and reverence to men above us) this is an iniquity even that groſſe iniquity of Idolatry, or worſhipping the creature in ſtead of or more then the Creator, who is bleſſed for evermore. Now (I ſay) inaſmuch as theſe creatures have ſo much of God in them, that many Heathens have miſtaken them for God, how will it condemne us of dulneſs and ſtupidity, if we be be not led to God in the knowledge and beholding of them? For as to make theſe creatures Gods, ſo not to ſee God in theſe creatures, is to deny the God that is above.
Thirdly, While we behold the Starres of heaven, it ſhould exceedingly both humble us and make us thankful, for whoſe uſe, comfort, and accommodation in this life, God ſet up thoſe Glorious Lights. God did not make them for his owne uſe, he had no need of them, he was from everlaſting without any of theſe creatures. The Starres are nothing to him; The Sunne is nothing to him; yea in that ſtate of glory where we ſhall injoy God for ever, we ſhall have light without Sunne; ſo that theſe lights were made for our uſe, and for ours onelyonly while we are walking in the darke vale of this preſent world. Now, while we behold the height of the Starres how high they are, and conſider for whom as well as by whom they were made; even for us, for poore us, who are but duſt and aſhes: This ſhould at once lay us low in humblenes (looking upon them as an honour to great for us) and rayſe us up in thankfullnes, becauſe the benefit and comfort of them is ſo great to us. Thus David ſpeakes in that excellent prophecy of Chriſt (Pſal. 8.3.) When I conſider thy heavens the worke of thy fingers, the Moone, and the Starres, which thou haſt ordained, what is man that thou art mindfull duplicate page duplicate page of him, and the ſonne of man that thou viſiteſt him? As if he had ſaid, thou haſt made all theſe creatures for man; ſee what a heaven, what ſtarrs God hath framed, and ſet up for man. Lord, what is man that thou art mindfull of him? Thus behold the height of the ſtarres, how high they are; as to lead thee unto God, and to admire his highnes, ſo to be humbled at thy own baſenes, and to be thankfull for his benefits.
Eliphaz having laid downe theſe two Propoſitions, God is on high, and the Starres are high, proceeds to make an inference from both, which he formeth up (by way of ſuppoſition) from Jobs owne mouth.
Verſ. 13. And thou ſayeſt, how doth God know?
As if Eliphaz had ſaid, thou art ſo farre from making that right improvement which thou oughteſt of theſe truths, that the Lord is in the height of heaven, and that he hath made thoſe high and glorious lights in heaven, that indeed thou doeſt quite pervert his meaning in making them; Thou ſayeſt, how doth God know? In ſtead of honouring God who formed theſe lights, thou art darkning his honour, and ecclipſing the light of his omniſcience. For whereas thou ſhouldeſt have ſayd, ſeeing God is on high, and hath made the Starres, which are ſo high, ſurely nothing can be hid from his knowledge, Thou ſayeſt, How doth God know? And there is a twofold ſaying of this; firſt, a ſaying with the tongue; ſecondly, with the heart; The vaine heart of man hath many ſayings, and this among the reſt,Dicis 1 verbis prolatis 2 mentis cogitatione & falſa perſuaſione. How doth God know? (Pſal. 14.1.) The foole hath ſaid in his heart, there is no God. And he that ſaith in his heart, How doth God know? ſpeakes as fooliſhly as that foole doth, who ſaith, There is no God. To deny that or doubt whether God knoweth all things, is not onelyonly to doubt but to deny that God is at all; He is not God who knoweth not all things.
And thou ſayeſt, how doth God know? The conjunctive particle And, is here put as a cauſal, And thou ſayeſt; that is, therefore thou ſayeſt, how doth God know? So the ſenſe is more cleare, Is not God in the height of heaven, &c. He is. And what then? The uſe thou makeſt of it is this; Thou ſayeſt, how doth God know? ſo the particle is uſed (Gen. 49.16.) He ſaw that reſt was good, and he gave his ſhoulders to the burthen, &c. that is, therefore he gave his ſhoulders to the burthen.
Thou ſayeſt, How doth God know?
Wee may anſwer; Firſt, Negatively, Not by ſence, as wee; eyes and eares are aſcribed to God improperly in Scripture; nor doth God know by diſcourſe, drawing one thing from another; but in the Affirmative, he knowes intuitively, he knowes every thing nakedly in it ſelfe.
Againe, Some read, What doth God know? how farre doth his eye extend? what are the objects of his knowledge? To this we may anſwer, God knoweth all things; even the hearts of all the children of men; There are no ſecrets to God. But whether wee expound it of the manner or matter of divine knowledge, the ſence is the ſame, eyther an affirmation that God did not know all things, or at leaſt a doubt whether he did or no. Thou ſayeſt, How doth God know? But where, and when did Job ſay this? Job might challenge Eliphaz; bring your proofes and witneſſes againſt me; why doe you impute ſuch thoughts to me, and frame ſuch imaginations in my breaſt? certainly Job never ſpake this, and as ſurely Job never thought this; yet Eliphaz puts it directly upon him. What was his ground?Exiſtimabet haec conſequi ex Jobi dictis, quaſi neceſſe ſit eum qui dicat improbos proſpere agere, exiſtimare etiam deum res humanas noncurare. Merl. onelyonly as the former crimes of uncharitableneſſe and injuſtice, his breaking the armes of the fatherleſſe, &c. were faſtned upon him, becauſe of the feares, ſnares, and darkneſſe, in which he was; as if he muſt needs have done thoſe evills, becauſe he endured ſo much evill. Jobs ſufferings were great, and therefore according to the Logicke of Eliphaz, his ſinnes muſt needs be very great. So here, he hath onelyonly this to prove his ſuppoſition, that Job ſaid, How doth God know? becauſe Job had ſayd, that God doth ſometime proſper wicked men, and afflicts the righteous. As if he who ſayth, that God ſuffers wicked men to proſper in this life, muſt needs alſo ſay, that God regards not the things of this life; ſo that Eliphaz ſeemes to ſpeake thus; We have heard thee ſaying, that the wicked proſper, and that the godly are afflicted; what need we any further witnes, that thy opinion is, God neyther takes notice nor care of the things here below. Out of thine owne mouth we condemne thee as Guilty of this blaſphemy, That, Thou ſayeſt, How doth God know?
Hence obſerve; Firſt, That good men are ſometimes charged with ſaying and doing the worſt and vileſt things.
Thus (1 King. 21.13.) Naboth was accuſed of blaſpheming God and the King. Chriſt himſelfe was taxed with blaſphemy more then once, (Matth. 9.3.) And behold certaine of the Scribes ſaid within themſelves, this man blaſphems. There they did not openly averre it, but they ſaid it within themſelves. At other times they ſpake it openly, (Joh. 10.33.) The Jewes anſwered and ſayd, for a good deed we ſtone thee not, but for blaſphemy, becauſe thou being a man makeſt thy ſelfe God. And againe (Matth. 26.65.) He hath ſpoken blaſphemy, ye have heard his blaſphemy. To ſpeak or doe well and heare ill was the portion of Chriſt, and may be the portion of the holyeſt of thoſe who are Chriſts.
Secondly, Note; That when men are heated in diſpute, they are apt to make falſe inferences from the tenets and ſayings of their oppoſers.
Eliphaz ſayth, Job denied providence, whereas Job adored it; that he denyed Gods knowledge of the good and evil done in the world, becauſe he maintained, that good men receive evill, and evill men good in the world. When we deny tranſubſtantiation, or that the bread is changed into the very ſubſtance of the body of Chriſt; Papiſts inferre, that we deny, that Chriſt ſpake truely, when at his Laſt Supper he ſaid, This is my body; and they will hence force it upon us, that we ſay, God is not omnipotent, becauſe we affirme that it is inconſiſtent with the nature of a true humane body (ſuch as Chriſt hath now in heaven, though glorified and ſpirituall) to be in many places at once. For as ſome deny the omnipreſence of the divine nature, ſo Papiſts affirme the omni-preſence of the humane nature, And (ſay they) while we deny this, we deny the omnipotency of God. Others charge us that we make God the author of ſinne, and that, according to our tenet, all the impiety and wickedneſſe that is in the world, lyeth at his doore; becauſe we affirme, That God hath paſſed an Eternal abſolute and unchangeable decree concerning all the ſonnes of men. When all other arguments fayle, how uſuall is it to make the divineſt truths guilty of the moſt uncomely and ugly conſequences that are imaginable.
Further, Thou ſayeſt, How doth God know? Take it eyther of the inward or of the outward ſaying, eyther of the tongue or of the heart, ſaying ſo; Eliphaz would prove from it, that certainly Job was a wicked man. And his inference had been true, if he could have proved it true, that Job had ſayd ſo.
Hence obſerve; That to have evill thoughts, or to ſpeake evill of God, is the character of a wicked man.
He that is good, muſt needs both thinke, and ſpeake good of God. David doth often aggravate the wickedneſſe of his enemies, from the language of their hearts and tongues, (Pſal. 10.11.) He hath ſaid in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hides his face, he will never ſee. And againe (Pſal. 144.7, 8, 11.) Send thy hand from above, rid me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hands of ſtrange children, whoſe mouth ſpeaketh vanity, and their right hand, is a right hand of falſehood. If the mouth ſpeaketh vanity, the hand is full of falſehood; we may even feele deceite in their hands, whoſe mouthes ſpeake any kinde of vanity, but eſpecially this, which is the vaineſt vanity of all, How doth God know? or ſurely God doth not know. Such the Pſalmiſt rebukes (Pſal. 94.4, 5.7.) How long ſhall they utter and ſpeake hard things? What things were thoſe? The next words ſhew us; They breake in peeces thy people, &c. yet they ſay, the Lord ſhall not ſee, &c. underſtand ye brutiſh, among the people, he that formed the eye, ſhall he not ſee? There is no greater argument of brutiſhnes and ignorance, then to queſtion the knowledge of God; or to ſay, How doth God know?
And (which is the ſame in other words) can he judge through the dark cloud?
As if Job had further argued thus; I am ſafe enough from the knowledge of God, for as he is high above me, ſo there are dark clouds between him and me; Can he judge through the dark cloud? My opinion is he cannot. For knowledge goeth before judgement;Si non novit ergo nec judicare poteſt, ad rectū enim judicium requiritur cognitio cauſae. He that knoweth not certainly, can never judge rightly. Juſtice is pictured blind, in reference to perſons, but not in reference to things or cauſes; Juſtice muſt take no notice of this or that man, whether he be great or little, high or low, a neere friend or a ſtranger; Juſtice is blinde as to all theſe conſiderations, and knoweth no man; but Juſtice muſt know every mans caſe and cauſe; unleſſe man know that, how can be judge? and if God know not that, how can he judge? He muſt have light to ſee what is done, before he paſſe Sentence upon what is done; therefore, Can he judge through the darke cloud? Surely he cannot. Thus the Atheiſt concludeth indeed; and thus Eliphaz repreſents Job concluding in his owne heart; there is not onelyonly a great diſtance between God and me, not onelyonly is he in the height of heaven, and I below on earth, but there are many gloomy clouds between him and me; As he is high above me, ſo there are ſuch impediments in the way that he cannot ſee me. The Vulgar reads,Et quaſi per caliginum judicat. Vulg. He judgeth as through darknes. Now the beſt of Saints ſee God through a Glaſſe darkly, or in a ridle (1 Cor. 13.12.) And ſecure ſinners thinke that God ſeeth them onelyonly through a cloud darkly, or (as Eliphaz ſpeaketh) through a dark cloud; he knoweth not clearly, but dimly. To judge through a cloud, is to judge of things confuſedly, not diſtinctly, by gueſſe or conjecturally, not exactly or face to face. This is all the ſight which an evill heart alloweth God (if he allow him any) concerning his wayes and actions. They who doe things which cannot abide the light, are willing to beleeve that all they doe is in the darke. Theirs are works of moral darknes, and therefore they pleaſe themſelves with thinking that their works are hid eyther in natural or artificiall darkneſs. It is ſayd of the Lord in Scripture (Pſal. 97.2.) Clouds and darknes are round about him, while judgement and righteouſneſſe are the habitation of his throne; but theſe imagine that God cannot proceed in judgement and righteouſneſſe, becauſe clouds and darkneſs are round about him. It is ſayd (1 King. 8.10, 11, 12.) The cloud filled the houſe of the Lord, ſo that the Prieſts could not ſtand to miniſter becauſe of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the houſe of the Lord. Then ſpake Solomon, the Lord ſaid that he will dwell in the thick darkneſs. Reade Exod. 20.21. Deut. 5.22. Pſal. 18.11. God is light (ſaith the Apoſtle, John 1 Ep: 1.) and he dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto (1 Tim. 6.16.) How then can he be ſaid to dwell in thick darknes? I anſwer; thoſe Scriptures which ſay that God dwells in darknes, that clouds and darkneſſe are round about him, teach us, that God and his wayes are much hid from us; we are not able to look up to him, or ſee clearely what he doth, much leſſe can we ſee what his counſells are. The clouds and darkneſſe which are about him, doe not hinder his ſight of us, but our ſight of him. Our darknes is no darknes to him, but his darknes, yea his light is darknes to us. Againe, God is ſayd to dwel in a cloud, to reprove our boldnes and curioſity, who are too apt to pry into what is not to be knowne, and to neglect our duty in what we know, or to neglect the knowledge of our duty. God hath ſome reſerves in counſells; ſome of his providences are wrapt up in clouds. Hee will be truſted and honored in what he is not ſeene or knowne. Not to know theſe things is indeed our neſcience, but not our ignorance, and not to ſeeke after the knowledg of theſe things, is our duty not our ſloath. Thus God who dwels in light, dwels alſo in a cloud; for he dwells in light that no man can (no nor ought to) approach unto. Wee may come neere his light by faith, but wee cannot come neere his light by knowledge. There is ſuch an infinite, ſuch an overcomming light in God, that it is a darknes to us; the moſt Eagle-like eyes of a humane underſtanding are not onelyonly dazzel'd, but quite blinded with his brightneſs. Now as no man can judge through this light of God, ſo ſome men are ready to ſay (and thus Eliphaz brings in Job ſaying) that God cannot judge through dark clouds, through clouds and darknes. Nor doth Eliphaz bring in Job ſaying thus only by way of doubt or queſtion, but by way of averrement and reſolution in the next verſe.
Verſ. 14. Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he ſeeth it not.
This verſe is but an explication of the 13th, Can he ſee through the dark cloud? There he puts the queſtion, here he gives a peremptory anſwer, he cannot certainly; for, Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he cannot ſee. The Hebrew for thick clouds is but one word,foreign nubes dictae ſunt a denſitate a radice foreign denſum eſſe. q d. ſicut nos latet deus, ita deum latent noſtra, coeleſtia, illi tantum patent. which in the roote, ſignifies Thickneſs, or, to be thicke. Some clouds have a kinde of thinnes in them, and are as it were tranſparent. Others are more groſſe and opacous, quite hindering and intercepting our ſight of all that is beyond them, with theſe (ſaith Eliphaz) thou O Job, vainely conceiteſt, that the ſight of God alſo is intercepted, ſo that, as we cannot ſee God, ſo God cannot ſee us; A vayle of thick clouds ſeclude his ſight. Nor is this the onelyonly reaſon why thou art overcome with this ignorant perſwaſion. Thou haſt a ſecond, which though poſſibly thou wouldeſt conceale, yet will not I, and this is it Thou alſo ſayeſt,
He walketh in the circuit of heaven.] As if thou hadſt ſayd, ſuppoſe God can ſee through the thick cloud; and ſo my former reaſon ſhould fayle, yet I know well enough that the Great God of heaven hath other matters to meddle with, other affaires to buſie himſelfe about, then to trouble himſelfe with me. He walketh in the circuit of heaven; we are not to take walking as a meere motion, but as walking notes imployment, he walkes in the circuit of heaven, that is, he is wholly taken up there. When the Lord asked of Satan, Whence comeſt thou? he anſwered,Hoc verbo videtur connotari ſtudium inquirendi Piſc: From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and downe in it. Now what doth Satan when he walks up and downe the world, doth he walke like an idle vagrant that hath nothing to doe? doth he walke with his hands in his pockets, as having no buſineſſe? doth he walke meerly to take the aire, or to take his pleaſure, to ſee, and be ſeene? no, when Satan walks about the world, his walking is working, he goeth about to tempt, to try, to lay ſnares and baits, to catch and captivate the ſoules of men. So here when it is ſayd, God walketh in the circuit of heaven, the meaning is, his buſineſſe, yea even his whole buſines lyes there; He hath enough to doe in heaven, and therefore hath no leyſure to attend what is done on earth. That's the ſcope and tendency of theſe words which Eliphaz faſtens upon Job; He walketh in the circuit of heaven. We are ſure enough of him. The words carry the ſame ſence, with that ſpeech of the whoriſh woman (Pro. 7.18, 19, 20.) Come (ſaith ſhee) let us take our fill of love till the morning, let us ſolace our ſelves with loves. But the young man might poſſibly object, your husband will come home, and that will ſpoyle all. No, (ſaith ſhe) never feare it, he is farre enough out of the way; The good man is not at home, he is gone a long journey; He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed; That is, he will not come home till the day appointed, he hath great buſines abroad, and he hath carried money enough with him to beare his charges till he hath don his buſines. He is riding and running in a farre Country and minds not home, nor hath he the leaſt ſuſpition of what we doe at home. Thus when the ſinner is about to depart farre from his duty, he puts or conceives God farre from him. He walketh in the Circuit of heaven. From the Generall ſcope of Eliphaz in the 13th and 14th verſes, Obſerve; Firſt, Carnal men frame conceptions of God like themſelves.
Thus the hypocrite is deſcribed (Pſal. 50.21.) Thou thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelfe. Not that he thought God was a man, but that God had ſuch thoughts of good and evill, as man hath. As if what is right in mans eyes, were ſo in the eyes of God alſo; or as if what did not diſpleaſe man, were pleaſing, or not much diſpleaſing unto God. When the Lord ſayth (Eſay 55.8.) My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your wayes my wayes; he doth plainly intimate, that they did begin to frame thoughts of God like their owne: but ſaith God, as the heavens are higher then the earth, ſo are my thoughts then your thoughts, and my wayes then your wayes; That is, as my thoughts have a vaſtnes in them to all things beyond yours, ſo eſpecially in this thing, the performance of my promiſe for the pardon of ſinne. O how unlike is God to man in this? God is not more unlike man in his abſolute freedome from the leaſt inclination to commit any the leaſt ſin, then he is in the admirable freenes of his inclination to pardon any even the greateſt ſinne. Men are commonly not onelyonly unmercifull to thoſe who wrong them, but revengefull, and when once offended are hardly drawne to a reconcilement, and ſeldome ſo fully reconciled, but that ſomwhat of offence ſtayeth behinde. But the thoughts of God are not ſo. He is ſlow to wrath, and ready to forgive. He quickly pardons the offence, and receives the offender into favour; no more retaining the memory of his offence (as to his hurt) then if he had never offended. Thus the Lord would aſſure ſinners, that his thoughts in pardoning ſinne are not as theirs. And it is but need he ſhould doe ſo; For when ſinners begin to be awakened, they frame ſuch thoughts of God, as to pardon of ſin, as they have in themſelves: when they looke upon their ſinnes as too bigg to be pardoned by man, they conclude preſently the Lord cannot or will not pardon them. And as many under temptation, frame thoughts of God like their owne about the pardon of ſinne; ſo it is the conſtant courſe of wicked men (which is indeed the worſt of their ſinnes) to frame thoughts of God like unto themſelves, while they commit and continue in ſinne. Man ſhould not dare to Imagine any thing of God in reference eyther to his juſtice or mercy, eyther about the puniſhing or pardoning of ſinne, but what he hath declared of himſelfe, all that wee Imagine beſide that, is the making of another God. There are many falſe gods made with mens hands, but the hearts of men make many more. The heart of man makes thouſands of falſe or ſtrange gods. Every undue, every wrong Imagination of God, is the forming up of a ſtrange, of a new god. When we aſcribe to God ſuch a kinde of power, ſuch a kinde of knowledge, ſuch a kinde of holines, ſuch a kinde of juſtice, ſuch a kinde of mercy, as is common to the creature, in all this wee frame up a new god to our ſelves. And thus thoſe Gentiles of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaks (Rom. 1.21. & 25.) Became vaine in their Imaginations, and their fooliſh heart was darkened; in what was their fooliſh heart darkened? in falſe notions of God; therefore they are ſaid (ver. 29.) to change the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to Corruptible man, and to birds, foure-footed beaſts, and creeping things. Now as there is the changing of the glory of the Incorruptible God into the Image of a Corruptible man, that is, into the Externall Image of a Corruptible man, (for ſome ſet up falſe gods in the likenes of men;) So there is a Changing of the glory of the Incorruptible God, into the Internall Image of a Corruptible man, that is, into ſuch thoughts and Conceptions as are ordinarily in men. Let ſuch conſider, that, if to make a worſhip of our owne for the true God, be indeed to ſet up a falſe god; (all they worſhip falſe gods who ſet up a ſtrange worſhip for the true God, now, I ſay, if they who do but ſet up a new worſhip for the true God make a ſtrange God) what then doe they who in their hearts ſet up a new God, that is, who frame Conceptions of God which himſelfe never gave ground for in his word? Such was the Conceit which Eliphaz had of Job, when he preſumes him ſaying, How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud?
Secondly, From the particular miſapprehenſion of God, impoſed by Eliphaz upon Job; And thou ſayeſt, How doth God know? &c. Obſerve.
Sinfull men fancie to themſelves that God eyther doth not or cannot take notice of them in their ſinfull wayes.
Thus they reaſon; Can he ſee thorow the dark Cloud? and conclude, Thick Clouds are a Covering to him that he ſeeth not, and he walketh in the Circuit of heaven? What Eliphaz layes to Jobes charge falſely; is often charged by the Holy Ghoſt upon wicked men truely. (Pſal. 10.11.) Hee hath ſaid in his heart God hath forgotten, he hides his face, he will never ſee it. Who this He is, whoſe heart ſpeakes this language, appeares clearely in the former part of the Pſalme, where he is more then once called The wicked (ver. 2, 3.) and where more then one of his wickedneſſes are deſcribed, (ver. 7, 8, 9, 10.) His mouth is full of curſing and deceit, and fraud, under his tongue is miſchiefe and vanity, he ſitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the ſecret places doth he murder the innocent &c. After all this, he ſayth in his heart God hath forgotten, that is, he hath forgotten the poore whom I have under my power, therefore I may ſafely oppreſſe them. He hideth his face, he will never ſee it; that is, God will never take any knowledge, either of my doings or of their ſufferings. We have a ſample of the ſame impiety (Pſal. 73.11.) And they ſay how doth God know? and is there knowledge in the moſt high? behold, theſe are the ungodly in the world, &c. And againe (Pſal. 94.6 ver.) They ſlay the widdow, and ſtranger, and murther the fatherleſſe (here are their workes of darkneſſe) yet they ſay, the Lord ſhall not ſee, neither ſhall the God of Jacob regard. Not onelyonly did they preſume that the Lord did not ſee, but that he ſhould not; The Lord ſhall not ſee! As if they could ſtop or blinde the eyes of God as eaſily as they had blinded their owne Conſciences. Take one Inſtance further (Ezek. 8.12.) Then ſaid he unto mee Sonne of man, Seeſt thou what they doe? haſt thou ſeene what the Ancients of the houſe of Iſraell doe in the darke, Every man in the Chambers of his Imagery, for they ſay the Lord ſeeth us not, he hath forſaken the Earth. Much like the language here, He walketh in the Circuit of heaven; hee hath other buſines to doe then to minde us. As God is ſometimes ſayd to forſake the Earth in wrath, to puniſh the ſin of Man, ſo wicked men ſay he alwayes forſakes the Earth in neglect both of their ſin and puniſhment. And as Idolaters who have a minde to other gods, are willing to beleeve that God hath forſaken the earth, as to the protection of them; Wee (ſay they) are in danger, God takes no care of us, therefore blame us not if we betake our ſelves to other Gods for protection; If he had not forſaken us, we had not forſaken him: So all ſorts of reſolved tranſgreſſors, who have a minde to any ſinfull way, are willing to beleeve that God hath forſaken the earth, as to any obſervation of them. Wee may doe what we liſt, for God doth not minde or regard what we are doing. If we thought he did indeed ſee us, we durſt not thus ſinne againſt him. But ſeeing he doth not trouble himſelfe with any care about us, why ſhould we trouble our ſelves with any feare about him? Now, this Preſumption that God doth not ſee us in what we are doing, opens a doore to the doing of all Evill. Security from danger is the great encouragement unto ſin. Though wicked men would not be leſſe ſinfull, yet they would not ſin ſo much, or be ſo full of ſin, did they not vainely flatter themſelves out of the ſight of God. Every Man would faine beleeve that God doth not ſee him when he is doing that which he would not have ſeene or be ſeene in doing it. And how do men pleaſe themſelves in this falſe hope that God doth not ſee them, when they doe that which is diſpleaſing unto God!
From the Intendment of Eliphaz to Convince Job, that the Clouds are no Covering to God, and that the Circuit of heaven doth not Confine him.
Obſerve; Thirdly, God is omniſcient, hee knowes all things.
Thou ſayeſt thus; How doth God know? I tell thee God doth know; And thou haſt an argument upon thy backe, if thou haſt none in thy heart to prove it, thy ſence or feeling may teach thee, if thy reaſon or underſtanding doe not, and by thy ſuffering thou mayeſt ſee that God ſeeth what thou haſt been doing. This great truth, That God is omniſcient, or knowes all, may eaſily be knowne, and ought to be beleeved by all. When the Lord had made the world in ſix dayes (Gen. 1.31.) He ſaw all that he had made; All was in view at once, hee had a Proſpect of the whole Creation in his eye. And as all his own Creatures, ſo all our Creatures are ſeene by God; hee ſeeth all that himſelfe hath made, and hee ſeeth all that wee have made, or are making day by day. (Gen. 6.5.) God ſaw that the wickednes of man was great in the earth, and that every thought of the Imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onelyonly evill Continually, or every day. The Lord ſaw, that is, the Lord knew fully (infinitely more fully then we know thoſe things which wee ſee) every Imagination or figment of the thoughts of mans heart. The figment of our thoughts, is what the minde faſhioneth or maketh up within it ſelfe by thinking: corrupt nature keepes a conſtant mint of evill imaginations in the head, as it hath a ſinke of filthy affections in the heart. The minde of man hath a formative faculty in it. And the ſame word which the Holy Ghoſt uſeth to ſignifie the worke of God in making man, (Gen. 2.7.) The Lord God formed man out of the duſt of the earth, or duſt out of the earth (the ſame word, I ſay) is uſed in the Noune (Gen. 6.5.) to ſignifie, the imagination of man, becauſe that is alwayes ſhaping moulding or forming one ſort of thoughts or other, &, naturally, none but ugly evill thoughts. Theſe are the creatures which man (as fallen) is the maker of; and he maketh (as I may ſay) infinite creatures, he is forming them continually in his imagination, that's the ſhop wherein there's a dayly Creation (ſuch as it is) of monſtrous wickedneſſes, till God by his new Creation changeth the frame and nature of it. Now (I ſay) as God ſeeth his owne creatures; ſo he ſeeth all our Creatures, though wee make them in the ſhop of our darkeſt imaginations. And much more doth hee ſee all the Creatures which wee make without, that is, all our bodily and externall actions. (Jere. 17.10.) I the Lord ſearch the heart, I try the reynes; if he ſearch our hearts, then ſurely he ſearcheth all our wayes, if he ſeeth our thinkings, then ſurely he ſeeth our walkings.Deus ſcientiarum, phurale, perfectam ſcientiam & rerum omnium cognoſibilium cognitionem indicat. Therefore 'tis ſayd (1 Sam. 2.3.) The Lord is a God of knowledge; the Hebrew is, The Lord is a God of knowledges; that is, all things fall under his knowledge; he is perfect in all knowledges, there is nothing knowable, but the Lord knowes it; and by him actions are weighed: now the weighing of actions is more then the ſeeing of actions; many ſee that which they cannot weigh. Hee weigheth actions, that is, he takes not onelyonly the action it ſelfe, but every circumſtance of it into Conſideration; he takes his Ballances, and tryes fully, how much each ingredient weighs, and what it comes to. Hee weighs whole States, Kingdomes, and Nations. So it was ſayd to the Babylonian Monarch Belteſhazzar (Dan. 5.26.27.) Mene, God hath numbred thy Kingdome, and finiſhed it, Tekel, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Thy councels, thy policies, thy undertakings, the whole compaſſe, all the contrivances of thy Government are weighed and found too light. And as God weigheth the actions of Princes, ſo of private perſons. (Prov. 5.21.) The wayes of a man (that is, of every man, even of the meaneſt man) are before the Lord, and he pondereth all his pathes; he puts them into a Ballance, and doth not onelyonly ſee them, but ponder or weigh them. David ſayth of ſome wicked men that they weigh the violence of their hands in the earth (Pſal. 58.2.) though they doe violence, yet they doe it not violently, but with a kinde of skill and deliberation. They doe wrong and oppreſſe with a ſhew of Juſtice, whereof weights are the common Embleme. Now as ſome men doe evill, not haſtily, raſhly, or all at once, but give it out by weight, and with a ſeeming gravity and zeale for juſtice. So the Lord doth never looke over the wayes of men raſhly or haſtily, but weighs them out even to a graine, yea to the duſt of the balance he pondereth all their paths. That is, he knowes them throughout. Therefore David (Pſal. 139.) having ſpoken much to this poynt of the Exactnes of Gods knowledge, concludes at the 6th verſe; Such knowledge is too wonderfull for mee, it is high I cannot attaine unto it. Some expound this Text, not of the knowledge of God concerning us, but of our knowledge concerning God. Thy knowledge or the knowledge of thee is too wonderfull for mee, I cannot attaine unto it. Others thus; This thy knowledge (namely that which he had before deſcribed) is more wonderfull (or more exact) then that I ſhould be able to deceive it. We may impoſe upon and deceive the moſt knowing man, but wee cannot impoſe upon or deceive God. I conceave our reading to be moſt ſutable both to the Text and context. Such knowledge, that is, Such knowledge as thou haſt of mee, of the leaſt and greateſt things, even of all things that I or any man doth, is too wonderfull for mee. For though we may know ſome actions of men, yet wee cannot know them all, and wee can hardly weigh any of them to the utmoſt. And in this acknowledgement wee may take notice of the Pſalmiſt modeſty, who though he had the immediate aſſiſtance of a Propheticall Spirit, yet confeſſed, that he was not only not able to know God, but not to know himſelfe, his thoughts, words, and wayes, as God knew them. Such knowledge of my ſelfe as thou O Lord haſt of me, is too wonderfull for me, I cannot attaine unio it.
Some perhaps may querie upon this, if the Lord knoweth all the wayes of men, and pondereth all their actions, is not this a trouble to God? is not this a diſturbance of his peace, and a diſtraction to him?
I anſwer (as I ſaid before) this is to frame a God like our ſelves, for to him that is omniſcient, it is all one to know all, and to know but one thing: it is no more diſtraction, no more trouble to God to know all that we doe ſpeak, or thinke, then to know any thing. If two or three ſpeake to a man together, he is not able to take in their ſence, the variety of their diſcourſe makes ſuch a hurry and trouble in his ſpirits, that he looſeth all that is ſpoken. But the application of thouſands or of Millions at the ſame time in ſpeaking to the eare of God, is no more trouble, then if but one did ſpeake; an infinite eare heares all, and an infinite eye ſees all, without any the leaſt diſtraction; the infinite knowledge of God takes in all the actions of all men, as eaſily as the ſingle action of any one man.
Againe, Others may ſay, Surely the Lord will not take ſuch exact knowledge of all the actions of men, eſpecially of mean men, or ſurely not of the meane actions of meaneſt men; poſſibly of ſome perſons in great place, & of ſome great things done by thoſe perſons hee may take notice, but to ſtoope to ſmall things, if it be not a trouble, yet it cannot but be a diſhonour to, and too great a Condeſcention for the great God. The Heathens ſayd their Jupiter had no leyſure to deale in ſmall matters;Non vacat exiguis rebus &c. And may not we Chriſtians ſay, It is not honorable enough for our God, to have to doe with ſmall matters.
I anſwer; This alſo is to frame a God like our ſelves; as it doth not weary God to behold, to try and ponder all the wayes of all men (which was the feare concerning Moſes that hee ſhould be tyred out with the various caſes and affaires of that great People; and was therefore adviſed by Jethro to make more Judges, that ſo the weightier matters onelyonly might be brought before and Judged by him) So it is no diſhonour at all to God, no, it is his honour that he takes cogniſance of the ſmalleſt matters as well as of the greateſt, of the loweſt as well as of the higheſt concernments of the children of men. (Pſal. 113.5, 6.) Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high? who humbleth himſelfe to behold the things which are in Heaven, and in the Earth. Who is like to God in this? this is the honour of the high God that he will humble himſelfe to behold the loweſt things, the things which are in the Earth, as well as things in Heaven, and the leſſer, the leaſt things in earth, as well as the greater or the greateſt. Though the Lord be high, yet he humbleth himſelfe unto the lowly (Pſal. 138.6.) and as to lowly perſons, ſo to the loweſt things. Indeed the Lord doth humble himſelfe to behold the things which are in Heaven, it is a Condeſcention in him to take notice of any creature; yet he doth not onelyonly humble himſelfe to behold things in Heaven, but things in the Earth, and in this who is like unto the Lord our God? this is his glory, and for this he is to be glorified, yea to be cryed up with this admiring Elogium, Who is like unto the Lord our God? None among the ſons of men are like him in this, yea there is no God like unto the Lord our God in this. Wee have cauſe to ſay (conſidering our vilenes) What is man that thou ſhouldſt take notice of him? 'Tis too Great an honour for man, but it is no diſhonour to God to take notice of the meaneſt man. The greatnes of God appeares as in the making, ſo in the governing and diſpoſing of the ſmalleſt things. The power of God is ſeene in making a fly or a worme, as well as in making an Elephant or the vaſt Leviathan; So alſo is his wiſdome and providence ſeene in the obſerving and ordering of thoſe buſineſſes and motions of the creature, which compared to others are but as a fly to an Elephant, or but as a worme to Leviathan. There is nothing doth more detract from the greatnes of God, then the denyall or diſ-beleefe of his cogniſance of and care about little things. And as it ſhewes the exacteſt perfection of holynes attaynable by man in this life, when he taketh an account of and reproves himſelfe for the leaſt ſins, whether they be omiſſions of that good which he is commanded to doe, or commiſſions of that evill which he is forbidden to doe. So it is an undenyable argument of the exactly and abſolutely perfect holynes, juſtice, goodnes and faithfulnes of God, that he taketh an account of, and will certainly reward or puniſh every man for the leaſt good or evill which he hath done. This is the glory of him who walketh in the circuit of heaven, that he ſees all to the center of the earth. Eliphaz having thus detected and reproved (as he thought) thoſe thoughts and aſſertions of Job which detracted ſo much from God, as if he did not marke the wayes of men; proceeds to put the queſtion to him, whether himſelfe had well marked the wayes of wicked men.