Exposition of Job 22-26, Title page – Errata
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Obſervations CONTINUED UPON The Twenty-ſecond, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-ſixth Chapters of the Book of JOB: BEING The Summe of Thirty-ſeven Lectures, delivered at Magnus near LONDON Bridge.
By JOSEPH CARYL, Preacher of the Word, and Pastour of the Congregation there.
ISAYAH 40.8.
The Graſſe withereth, the flower fadeth: But the word of Our God ſhall ſtand for ever.
LONDON: Printed by M. Simmons, and are to be ſould at her houſe in Alderſgate-ſtreete the next dore to the Gilded Lyon. 1655.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. TO Thoſe eſpecially of this CITIE, who yet continue to promote this WORKE.
AS the Apoſtle Peter (writing to all the Saints) ſayd, This ſecond Epiſtle, ſo I may ſay (and have learned, I hope, to ſay it without boaſting or comparing) This ſeventh Epiſtle Beloved) I now write unto you, in all which my deſire is to ſtirre up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that ye may be mindfull of the words which were ſpoken, and of the troubles which were endured before, by this (Great Example of ſuffering) Holy and patient Job. And though ſeven, being a perfect number, might hint me a fayre pretence to ſit downe and doe no more, yet I am further from thinking what I have done perfect, then I am from deſiſting (in reference to my owne intention) to perfect (according to that meaſure of light which ſhall be given in) what is yet to doe. 'Tis A General mercy, that in an Age wherein the ſword hath been called out to doe and hath done ſo much, there hath been not only leyſure, but encouragement for The pen to doe this litle. And 'tis your ſpeciall honour, who ſtill promote this, or any worke of this kinde, that while ye have been engaged in ſo great a charge for the maintaining of a Warre, and the preſerving of peace, ye have not excuſed your ſelves in this poynt of charge. And (poſſibly) it will be no diſhonour to this Age in future Ages, nor to This Nation in Forraine Nations, to ſee or heare, that our ſpirits have neyther been hurried nor skarred by warres and changes into an indiſpoſition or incompoſednes for workes of ſuch ſeriouſnes and retirement. What Daniel prophecyed of the building of the Wall of Jeruſalem whether literal or myſticall) is true of this Paper-wall (which is no ſtranger to Jeruſalem) it hath been built in Troublous Times. Eccept the Lord build both houſe and wall, they labour in vaine that build in calmeſt times; and where the Lord buildeth (though by weake and unskillfull hands) labour ſhall not be vaine in ſtormy times; it ſhall neyther be labour in vaine, becauſe unfiniſht for uſe; nor ſhall it be labour in vaine, becauſe unvſefull when 'tis finiſht. The bleſſing of God (and without that nothing can) delivereth all our honeſt labours from theſe two vanities, and his bounty delivereth them from a Third. For while we are ſtedfaſt and unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord, as we may have a ſtrong confidence that our labour ſhall not be in vaine to others, ſo a full aſſurance that it ſhall not be in vaine to our ſelves. Plaine-hearted Jacob labouring in the integrity of his ſoule for Laban, onelyonly in keeping ſheepe, though his wages (as envying that he thrived ſo faſt) was changed ten times, yet he thrived the faſter, and he who came over Jordan with his ſtaffe, became two bands. To be ſure we can never want eyther pay or reward for that worke which is a reward and can pay it ſelfe. And though, I know (and cannot but thankefully acknowledge Honored Sirs) that this long continued worke hath been an occaſion of Conſiderable expence to you; yet I much beleeve that it will not prove any thing of loſſe to any of you. There is (ſaith Solomon) that ſcattereth and yet increaſeth, and there is that withholdeth more then is meete and it tendeth to poverty. They that ſcatter to doe good, ſow what they ſcatter; and that which is ſowne in a right ſoyle increaſeth to a harveſt. They that withhold what they have, more then is meete, ſhall not hold what they have, but meete with poverty. As that which is given in charity, for the releife of the poore, ſo that which is given in a due tempered liberality for the uſe of the publicke, is lent to the Lord, and he will ſurely repay all that he hath borrowed. Therefore give a portion to ſeven and alſo to eight (whether indigent perſons, or pious uſes) for ye know not what evill ſhall be upon the earth. If evill come upon the earth, they will be found the beſt huſbands of their goods, who have layd up moſt in heaven; and if good continue upon the earth, they will not finde any miſſe of what is ſo layd up. I write this, not as eyther fearing an abatement of my owne private intereſt, nor as hoping or looking after an increaſe of it: but only as a gratefull teſtimony of what ye have freely done for the carrying on of this worke, and as an argument that in ſo doing ye have not done eyther unwiſely or unprofitably for your ſelves.
As for this peice of the worke now given in to your hands, and publiſhed to the view of others, I ſhall only ſay, That herein ye have an end of the Controverſall or diſputative part of this Booke. Jobs friends have now finiſht their laſt reply upon him, and Job hath finiſht his laſt anſwer to them. For though he continueth ſpeaking five whole Chapters longer, yet he ſpeaketh, rather to the generall ſtate of the Queſtion, then to any of their particular objections, as may appeare hereafter (if God give leave) in the Explication of that large and patheticall diſcourſe. And it was well, that his Opponents would make an End ſomewhere, and leave what they had offered to the judgement of equall and indifferent moderators. Which may be a just rebuke upon many in this Age, who will diſpute and draw the ſaw of contention everlaſtingly; as if they thought it a diſhonour, when they have ſayd all, to ſay no more, or were reſolved never to be ſatisfyed, how much or how often ſo ever they have been anſwered. Moderate and modeſt diſputing tends to healing, but the itch of diſputing (which an Honourable and learned Knight, deceaſed, would have engraven upon his Tombe-ſtone) leaves nothing but a ſcabby ſoarenes upon the minds of men, and doth rather widen differences then compoſe them. Abner (eyther grieved or wearyed with the tedious protraction of a civill warre) called to Joab (Captaine Generall of Davids Army) ſhall the ſword devoure for ever? knoweſt thou not, that it will be bitternes in the end, how long ſhall it be ere thou bid the people returne from following their brethren? We have but too much cauſe to call and cry upon ſome Leaders in the Scholaſticall Warre, Shall your tongues and pens devoure for ever? know ye not that it is unpleaſant to many in the way, and is like to be bitternes to more in the end? When will ye returne from following your Brethren? Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar followed their Brother Job long, but they gave it over at laſt, and returned from following him. Though, I confeſſe, there is a neceſſity of contending, and that (as the Apoſtle Jude exhorts) earneſtly, both by ſpeech and pen, for the faith once delivered to the Saints; Yet there are many contentions, which it had been well if they had never been begun, or at leaſt quickly ended. And when men revile and blaſpheme rather then argue, It is beſt to take up that Counſel which good Hezekiah gave in commandement concerning Rayling Rabſakeh, Anſwer them not. Solomon hath given us the full ſtate of this duty in a ſeeming contradiction, while in one verſe he forbids us to anſwer a Foole, and in the next bids us anſwer him. The foole muſt be anſwered according to his folly, but the anſwer muſt be framed and drawne up by the ſtrength of reaſon and wiſedome; that is, the foole muſt be made to ſee his folly, leſt he grow up and be confirmed in his opinion, that what he ſaith is true, becauſe he is not ſhewed the error of it; yet, The foole muſt not be anſwered according to his folly, that is, if he ſpeake or write vainely and revilingly, ſhewing rather the frothynes of his wit, or the over-flowing of his gall, then the ſobriety and ſoundneſſe of his Judgement, he that anſwers him muſt not conforme eyther ſpeech or ſtile to his, leſt he be like unto him; The anſwer which we give to another, beareth the image and is the meaſure of our ſelver; And our ill-mannaging of a matter renders us as bad as others, though our opinion be better. Our Maſter Chriſt being reviled reviled not againe, we his Diſciples and followers ought to imitate him, and not to render evill for evill, or rayling for rayling, but contrariwiſe to bleſſe. While we are called to contending, let us doe it fayrely and candidly; Chriſt would have us ſhew love and tendernes to our brethren, as wel as zeale for Him and his Truth. They cannot but doe ſo, who ſtand up for truth purely as 'tis the truth of Chriſt, rather then as it is their owne opinion. And (though I am loath to be ſuſpitious, yet) I greatly ſuſpect, that the reaſon why many caſt ſo much dirt and diſhonour upon the perſons of their Brethren, while they appeare as Champions for the Truth, proceeds from a ſecret deſire to procure honour to their owne perſons rather then the advancement of Truth. Peace and truth are a bleſſed payre, and were we more for peace we ſhould ſooner find out the truth; But ſo long as men contend rather for a party or an opinion then for truth, rather for victory and the Maſtery then for truth, rather for honour (I had almoſt ſayd humour) and intereſt then for truth, as we are ſure not to meete with peace, ſo we are extreamely hindred and puzzl'd in ſeeking out the truth. The most probable way to keepe downe ſome ill-ſented opinions, is to lay downe all diſputes about them; eſpecially, now, when moſt if not all Controverſies on foote, have been ſifted to the branne. What therefore remaines but that we waite for light and conviction from heaven, looking how the holy Spirit of truth and peace, will ſtate and determine thoſe poynts upon the conſciences of men; And I am fully ſatisfyed that if all would ſuffer their conſciences to anſwer and reply rather then their conceits and parts, moſt of our diſputers in this age would (like Jobs friends) diſpute no more. O That we could a while leave arguing with and anſwering one another (eſpecially rayling upon and ſcoffing at one another) and fall to praying for & loving one another, according to the utmoſt tedder of Goſpel-love. For as love is the complement or fullfilling of the whole Law of God, the ſcope or intentional end of the Commandement, ſo it would be the concluſion or finiſhing and determining end of all the Controverſies which ariſe or are ſtarted among men. And I conceave that (in moſt poynts of difference) a ſevere and Magiſteriall impoſing of an opinion upon others in way of diſpute, is as bad and as un Goſpel-like, as to impoſe it upon any by way of power.
Beloved and Honored Friends, ye may perceave how farre my joy, for being arrived at the end of this diſpute between Job and his friends, hath tranſported me to preſſe for at leaſt an amicable carrying onne, if not an end of all our diſputes; and that (as the Apoſtle adviſeth) ſpeaking the truth (and for the truth or Truthing it) in love, we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Chriſt; From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt ſupplyeth, according to the effectuall working of every part, maketh encreaſe of the body to the edifying of it ſelfe in love. Love is a knitting, and therefore an increaſing grace. That which uniteth many in one, muſt needs edifie That One, which is the reſult of ſuch a union. As faith is that Grace by which we receave all from God, ſo love is that Grace by which we conveigh and divide good among our ſelves. There is not the leaſt joynt in the myſticall body of Christ, but giveth ſome ſupply to the whole, becauſe love is the ligament of it. As we can want nothing while (as the Apoſtle Jude exhorts) we keepe our ſelves in the love of God, (whether we underſtand him of the love of God to us, or of our love to God, makes no difference as to this matter) ſo we can hardly want any thing, while we keepe our ſelves in the love of one another. That all who love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in ſincerity, may, by the preſence and influence of the Spirit of love, not only keepe themſelves, but increaſe in the love of God, and in the love of one another, till we are fully growne up in him in all things, which is the head even Chriſt, is the wiſh and prayer, as it ought to be the endeavour of all and of him who would
SIRS The 18th of the Third MonethMonth commonly called May. 1655. Serve you Faithfully in love JOSEPH CARYL.
ERRATA.
PAge 51. l. 5. for 34. r. 24. p. 72. l. 30. for Armes r. Arme. p. 75. for turpa, r. te…ra. p. 245. for honeſtes, r. hoſtes. p. 422. l. 11. ſupple, but. p. 447. l. 36. ſupple, life. p. 480. l. 5. ſupple, or. p. 498. l. 7. for man, r. mans p. 672. l 36. for 6. r. 8. p. 784. l. 29. for Zeph: r. Zech.