Exposition of Job 22-26, Commentary · Chapter 22

Exposition of Job 22-26 · Commentary · Chapter 22

p. 204JOB, CHAP. 22. Verſ. 21, 22. &c.

Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace: thereby good ſhall come unto thee.

Receive, I pray thee, the Law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

If though returne to the Almighty, thou ſhalt be built up, thou ſhalt-put away iniquity from thy Tabernacles &c.

ELiphaz having reproved Job for ſin, and preſt him with the remembrance of the Judgements of God againſt ſinners: now turnes his ſpeech into a ſerious Exhortation, mooving him to ſeeke the favour of God, and humble himſelfe, Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace. From this courſe and method in which Eliphaz deales with Job, take this note.

That in dealing with ſinners wee are not onelyonly to threaten, but to perſwade and propoſe the promiſes of peace to them.

Daniel dealt ſo with Nebuchadnezzer, yea though he had told him of a decree in heaven paſt againſt him (Dan. 4.22.27.) yet he gives him faithfull counſell, and exhorts him to breake off his ſins by righteouſneſſe, and his iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poore, if it might be a lengthning of his tranquillity, or (as we put in the Margin) a healing of his errour. Hopes of mercy prevaile with many more then feare of wrath, and they are ſooner led then driven unto Chriſt. Thus Eliphaz; Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace.

This 21 verſe containes two generall Propoſitions. Firſt, a Propoſition concerning duty, in the former part of the verſe; Acquaint now thy ſelfe &c. Secondly, Concerning mercy in the latter, thereby good ſhall come unto thee. This duty of acquainting himſelfe with God,Promiſſionibus invitat ampliſſimis, quae & in ſe verae ſunt & cum lege conſentiunt, non tamen perpetuae ut Eliphaz pu…t. Merc. and being at peace with him is explained in the 22 verſe. Receive, I pray thee, the Law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. That's a good Comment upon, Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace. The Propoſition of mercy, or the promiſes laid downe in the cloſe of that verſe, are drawne out in all the following part of this Chapter, in which Eliphaz by moſt ample Propoſalls of good things, doth provoke Job to turne from p. 205thoſe ſinnes of which he ſuppoſed him guilty, and to returne to God.

Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him.

The Originall word which we render to acquaint, hath ſome variety of ſignifications; As firſt to be familiar with another. And ſo it is uſed by David (Pſal. 139.3.) to ſhew the Intimacie which God hath with all our wayes, workes, and thoughts; O Lord (ſaith David) thou haſt ſearched mee and knowne mee, &c. thou art acquainted with all my wayes; As if he had ſaid; Lord, thou knoweſt my wayes infinitely more clearely and diſtinctly, then any of my neereſt acquaintance, who converſe with me every day. It is uſed 2^dly to expreſſe the cuſtomary doing of a thing. (Numb. 22.30.) Balaams Aſſe ſpake thus by a miracle, Was I ever wont to doe thus unto thee? Hath it been my cuſtome, or have I familiarly ſerved thee thus, ſaid the Aſſe, when he thruſt Balaam againſt the wall.

Thirdly, To profit; foreign profuit, commodus, aptus fuit. Profice cum deo. Rab. Moſ.one of the Rabbines tranſlates the Text thus; Profit with God, as who ſhould ſay, thou haſt been an unprofitable ſervant to God all this while, be thou now profitable unto him, ſerve him and his Providences, advance his name and glory; or thus rather, Thou haſt but played the truant hitherto, be thou now a good proficient in the ſchoole of Divine doctrine and diſcipline under the holy precepts and various providences of God. We finde it applyed to that fence at the ſecond verſe of this Chapter; Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wiſe may be profitable to himſelfe? Man cannot be profitable unto God, or adde any advantage to him by what he doth, but man may be profitable unto himſelfe, or doe himſelfe good in doing the good will of God; yea God reckons it and rewards man for it, as if he had been profitable to him, when he acts as becomes a faithfull ſervant to him. So ſome expound it here, be profitable unto God, be a faithfull and induſtrious ſervant unto him: having received his talents, doe not lay them up in a napkin, hide them not in the earth.

Thirdly, Maſter Broughton read's thus, Reconcile thee now unto him. That's Goſpel language, like that of Paul (2 Cor. 5.20.) Now then we are Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us, wee pray you in Chriſts ſtead, be ye reconciled to God. So he conceives Eliphaz ſpeaking here, I pray thee now reconcile p. 206thy ſelfe unto God. Maſter Beza reaches that ſence fully, Returne into his favour, Redi cum ipſo in gratiam. Bez: Accommoda te illi. Tygur:get into his heart againe; God hath as it were lockt thee out of his heart, and ſhut the doore upon thee, now get in againe; and the Tygurine reads very aptly, Accommodate thy ſelfe to him, that is every way ſuite thy ſelfe go …, thou haſt heretofore been humorous, or haſt followed thine owne ſpirit, and haſt labour'd to pleaſe thy ſelfe, now Accomodate thy ſelfe to him, or comply with him in every thing, be no more at thine owne but at his diſpoſe. All theſe renderings comply well both with the words and the generall ſcope of Eliphaz in this part of his diſcourſe. Our tranſlation fully joynes with the firſt of them.

Aſſueſce cum eo. Pagn. Reg. Vatabl.Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him.

Get into a familiarity with God. The word implyeth a likenes, or a ſuitablenes between two in their wills and affections, in their wayes and counſells; for from likeneſſe in theſe familiarity or acquaintance doth ariſe. So that Eliphaz here ſpeaketh to Job as one that had eſtranged himſelfe and departed from God, as one who had broken off Communion with God; and ſo he muſt needs have done, had he run ſuch a courſe of wickednes as Eliphaz charged him with, in the former part of this Chapter. Therefore upon that ſuppoſition he gives Job wholeſome advice, Acquaint not thy ſelfe with him.

Hence obſerve; Firſt, That as man by nature is a ſtranger from God, ſo every act of ſin, eſpecially great and continued actings of ſin breed a further eſtrangement from God.

We act the part of nature every time we ſin, and that in a proportion brings us back in ſome degree to what we were by nature, ſtrangers unto God. A godly man (who hath had acquaintance with God) ſinning puts back his acquaintance, & a diſtance grows between God and him. Beleevers after great ſins and follyes committed, are not forward to come into the preſence of God, they have a kinde of liſtleſnes to duty, a liſtleſnes to prayer, and to all acts of communion with God. And God himſelfe appeares as if he did not much care for them when they come, they have not thoſe Communications from God which he uſually vouchſafeth his, God doth not give them the meeting as formerly; they doe not p. 207finde the Lord preſently, though they ſeeke him earneſtly. So that both wayes there is an Eſtrangement; ſin ſeparates between God and the ſoule, not onelyonly judicially but naturally. If God ſhould not depart from ſinners, or command them to depart from him, yet they would of themſelves depart from him. It is not poſsible for one, who willingly lives in ſin, to live willingly in the preſence of God; For as to be caſt out of the preſence of God, is the extreameſt puniſhment of wicked men, ſo alſo is their being in his preſence. The ſame thing is both their deſire and their puniſhment. They are puniſhed with a departure from God, and they deſire nothing more then to be out of his preſence.

Acquaint thy ſelfe now with God.

Secondly, Whereas Eliphaz exhorting Job to repentance, counſells him to acquiant himſelfe with God.

Obſerve; That Repentance is the renewing of our Communion or acquaintance with God.

As ſin is a turning from God, ſo repentance is a returning to God; 'tis a change firſt of our minde, and then of our way. Impaenitency brings the ſoule into an acquaintance and unholy familiarity with Satan; Repentance brings backe the ſoule into its former acquaintance, and holy familiarity with God. As the firſt converſion (which is from a ſtate of ſin) ſo the ſecond and every renewed converſion (which is from our falls into ſin) renewes our converſe with the moſt high.

Thirdly, take this generall obſervation; A godly man is (as we may ſay) one of Gods Acquaintants or familiars.

God calleth Abraham his friend; friendſhip cannot be without familiarity, there muſt be acquaintance before there can be love, if therefore there be friendſhip and love between God and man, there muſt be Acquaintance; we cannot love eyther perſons or things, while unknowne.

But it may be ſaid, how can wee, who are at ſuch a diſtance, Acquaint our ſelves with God?

I anſwer, wee (who of our ſelves are a … p. 208by the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, and being thus made nigh in our ſtate, wee draw nigh or acquaint our ſelves with him by ſeverall Acts. As firſt, To thinke or meditate of God, is to acquaint our ſelves with and draw nigh to God; meditation is an inward diſcourſe and converſe with God, it is a Soliloquie between God and the ſoule; acquaintance is got by Conference: when friends meet and confer, that doth not onelyonly begin, but confirme, ſtrengthen, and highten their acquaintance. Saints have many thoughts of God, and that's their acquaintance with God. How precious are thy thoughts to mee, O God! (ſaith David, Pſal. 139.17.) how great is the ſumme of them! when I awake I am ſtill with thee. How was David ſtill or ever with God? He was ſo in his thoughts, and meditations, in the actings & goings forth of his ſoule to him. Now he that is ſtill or ever with a perſon, muſt needs be acquainted with him, I am ſtill with thee, alwayes meditating upon thee. We finde him againe in the ſame holy frame (Pſal. 63.5, 6.) My ſoule ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatnes, and my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyfull lips; while I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. As the Lord is ever thinking upon his people, they are written upon his heart, and graven upon the palmes of his hand, and when his outward actings towards them are ſuch, as may ſeeme to intimate that his heart is withrawne from all intimacy with them, yet even then he thinks moſt of them. This he acknowledgeth concerning Ephraim (Jer. 31.20.) Since I ſpake againſt him I doe earneſtly remember him ſtill. Since I ſpake againſt him, that is, ſince I ſpake againſt him by words of rebuke and correction, ſince I ſpake againſt him by rods of chaſtiſement and correction, (as Ephraim found and confeſſed he had Thou didſt chaſtiſe mee and I was chaſtiſed) ſince I ſpake thus againſt him, I do earneſtly remember him ſtill. I remember him, and I remember him ſtrongly, my heart is much upon him. And when the Lord ſaith thus, wee are not to underſtand it, as a man will remember an Enemy, when he ſpeaks againſt him; hee'le remember him indeed, and that earneſtly to plot miſchiefe againſt him, and to execute his revenge; but the meaning is, I remember him in mercy, my affections goe out to him, my bowels are moved towards him. Such is the remembrance which God had of Ephraim, even when he was ſpeaking againſt him and ſmiting him. Now as the Lord doth remember his people at all times, and earneſtly p. 209remember them at ſometimes. So his people in their proportion doe earneſtly remember the Lord, they minde him often, they would minde him alwayes, they like to retaine God (which the natural man liketh not, Rom. 1.28.) in their knowledge, or to acknowledge God; They have not ſome flitting tranſient thoughts and acknowledgements of God (as a carnall man may have) but they fix and retaine God in their thoughts & acknowledgements, they thinke of God, what he is in his nature, they thinke what God is in all his perfections, they meditate of all his glory, of his juſtice, of his mercy, of his faithfulnes, of his power, of his truth, of his unchangeablenes, of his all-ſufficiency, they acquaint themſelves with God in all theſe; for indeed we are never acquainted with God, till we come to a diſtinct knowledge of him in all theſe parts of his glory, which yet are all but one and the ſame glorious God. To know onelyonly in generall that there is a God, is not to acquaint our ſelves with God; our acquaintance with him conſiſts in a ſpirituall and fiduciall knowledge of all his revealed perfections, ſo farre as it is poſſible or lawfull for man to ſearch and know. To be acquainted with any man, notes more than a generall knowledge of him, how much more to be acquainted with God.

Secondly, Wee acquaint our ſelves with God, not onelyonly when wee ſtudy his nature, or what he is, but when we ſtudy his workes, or what he hath done, God is viſible in his workes. That his name is neare, his wondrous workes declare (Pſal. 75.1.) Wee may acquaint our ſelves much with God in the workes of Creation, but more in the workes of Providence, in thoſe wee may moſt legibly read his name, that is, his greatnes and power, as alſo his goodnes and mercy.

Thirdly, Wee acquaint our ſelves with God in the ſtudy of his word; there he hath made a full diſcovery of himſelfe and of his will; O how I love thy Law (ſaith David) my meditation is in it might and day. The word of God is the demonſtration of the holines of God. There he hath ſet forth himſelfe, how juſt, how pure, and how gracious he is. The word is a glaſſe in which God is ſeene, therefore acquaint thy ſelfe with the word of God, and thou ſhalt be acquainted with God; reading and hearing the word of God is our going to God for Counſell, as wee acquaint our ſelves with a man when we goe to him, and aske his advice and counſel in any matter, or conſult his bookes; ſo every time we eyther p. 210read or heare the word of God in faith, we are asking counſel of God, and ſo acquainting our ſelves with him.

Fourthly, Wee, eſpecially, acquaint our ſelves with God in prayer. That is nothing elſe but the opening of our hearts to God, a declaring of our wants to him, Prayer is the aſcending, the lifting up of the ſoule to God, therefore in prayer wee acquaint our ſelves with God.

Fifthly, Our daily holy walking, is a daily acquainting our ſelves with God, every ſtep of a holy life is both towards and with God; the life of Enoch (who was too holy for a life here on earth, and therefore he was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, his life I ſay) is deſcribed thus, Enoch walked with God (Gen. 5.24.) God and Enoch were like two familiars or intimate friends walking together; And becauſe he took ſo much delight in Gods acquaintance, God took him from all acquaintance with men; ſo ſaith that text; Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God tooke him. He was ſo taken with God, that God took him, or as the Authour to the Hebrews ſaith, tranſlated him (ch. 11.5.) He was before tranſlated from nature to Grace, & he proved ſo great a proficient in that ſchoole, that he was tranſlated from Grace to Glory (as it were per ſaltum,) by a leape over the grave; for he ſaw not death; From which ſad viſion, but one more (that I read of in all the Scripture, Elias by name) was excuſed before he was admitted to the beatificall viſion. Holy walking is the ſumme of all our acquaintance with God; and our fulleſt acquaintance with God is but the iſſue of our holy walkings.

To draw towards a cloſe of this poynt; wee may take notice, That there is a twofold acquaintance with God; Firſt, from neceſſity, when wee come to him and deſire to have to doe with him, preſt with our owne wants, feares, or afflictions; of this the Prophet ſpeaketh (Iſa. 26.16.) Lord in trouble have they viſited thee, they have poured out a prayer when thy chaſtening was upon them. And of this the Pſalmiſt ſpeake (Pſal. 78.34.) When he ſlew them they ſought him, and they returned and enquired early after God: nevertheleſſe, they did but flatter him with their mouth, &c. Theſe make God their refuge not their choice; They, I grant, who have made God their choice in good times, may comfortably make him their refuge in evill times. But to neglect God while it is well with …, and onelyonly to run to him when it is ill with us, or to have our p. 211evills and burdens removed, is to acquaint our ſelves with God, becauſe we cannot chooſe, or becauſe we cannot be without him, not becauſe we have choſen him, or deſire to be with him. As there is a patience, ſo there is an acquaintance, perforce. Though God doth not refuſe acquaintance with many poore ſoules, when their neceſſities drive them to him, yet it is beſt to acquaint our ſelves with him for the love we beare to him, or the deſire we have to enjoy him, rather then (though we all have need of him, and are bound to come to him becauſe we have) for the need we have of him. And therefore, ſecondly, there is an acquaintance with God from pure love. As when we come to a friend, having nothing to do but to ſee him, & to renew or ſtrengthē our acquaintance with him. Wee doe not come to load him with our cares, or adviſe with him about our buſineſſes, or deſire a curteſie of him, but, meerly & purely to ſhew our love to him. Thus to come to God when we are not preſt with feares, nor pincht with wants, nor clouded with doubts, nor vexed with troubles, is the moſt noble & ingenuous way of acquainting our ſelves with him. When we (as it were) make a Journey to God, having nothing to doe with him, but to viſit him and to deſire further communion with him, nothing to do with him but to behold his excellency and his glory, nothing to do with him, but to tell him what our hearts are towards him, how we love him, how we depend upon him, how we deſire to pleaſe him, and to commit our wayes to him, to acquaint God with thoſe things which onelyonly concerne our holy walking with him, this is to ſeeke pure acquaintance with him. The Lord ſaith of Abraham his acquaintant or friend (Gen. 18.17.) Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I am about to doe? I ſhould not deale with him as with my friend, if I did ſo. A friend who is as our owne ſoule (Deut. 13.6.) ſhould know all that is in our ſoules. Now as God (whether we will or no) is acquainted with all that is in our ſoules; So a ſoule acquainted with God, will let him know all; ſhall I hide from God the thing that I am about to doe? ſhall I not tell him how it is with me? To acquaint our ſelves thus with God is a ſweete and precious duty. Much might be ſaid about it; I ſhall onelyonly adde theſe two things; Firſt, That all our acquaintance with God muſt be had through the mediator; There is no getting neere the Father but by the Son. Secondly, That the more we are acquainted with God, the more we are tranſformed into his likenes. Some p. 212have altered the habit of their bodyes, yea, the diſpoſitions of their mindes by long acquaintance with others; and have looked or appeared like them, by often looking upon or being with them. When Moſes had been forty dayes in the Mount talking with God, his face ſhone, ſome rayes of a divine glory darted out from him, ſo that Aaron and the children of Iſrael were afraid to come nigh him (Exod. 34.30.) And thus every one who gets up into the Mount by faith, and acquaints himſelfe with God, gets ſomewhat of God, which will draw a reverence upon him among men. As when Chriſt ſhall appeare hereafter to us in glory, we ſhall be like him (ſaith the Apoſtle John 1 Ep: 3.2.) for we ſhall ſee him as he is; ſo according to the ſight which we have of and our acquaintance with Chriſt in the wayes of grace here, will our likenes be unto him. The more we are with God, the more we have of God. Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace.

There is a threefold Interpretation of this clauſe.

Inperativum p…o futuro paſſim in hac lingua. Merc: Quando Hebraei dicunt pax tibi, ſignificant id quod Graeci tribus verbis enunciant, foreign quorum primum ad animum refertur, ſecundū ad corpus, tertium ad actiones externas. Druſ.Firſt, it may be taken as an Effect of what was ſaid before, Acquaint thy ſelfe with God, and be at peace, that is, If thou acquaint thy ſelfe with God, thou ſhalt have peace. So in the Hebrew often the Imperative mood is put for the future tenſe, as, Doe this and live, (according to the tenure of the Covenant of works) that is, Doe this, and thou ſhalt live, So acquaint thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace, that is, thou ſhalt have peace. Peace comprehends all good; good of the minde, good of the body, good of the eſtate. When the Hebrewes ſay, Peace be unto you, they ſay as much in that one word as the Greeks ſay in three; whereof the firſt reſpects the welfare of the minde; the ſecond, the welfare or health of the body; and the third the ſucceſſe of all our affaires and undertakings. So that while Eliphaz ſaith to Job according to this reading, Thou ſhalt be at peace, it is a promiſe of all manner of good flowing in upon the renewing of his acquaintance with, and his returning to a reverentiall converſe with God. But becuſe this promiſe followes in the next words, thereby good ſhall come unto thee, therefore I underſtand this clauſe as a duty, and not as a promiſe Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace. To be at peace, is a diſtinct duty from that of acquainting our ſelves with God, yet neceſſarily following upon it; The words may have theſe two things in them.

p. 213Firſt, Be at peace, rhat is,Sedatiore animo eſto. Bez: Acquieſce in caſtigationibus dei ſatis repugnâſti; ſatis protervè reluctatus es, ergo miteſce. be quiet and content under the chaſtning hand of God, doe not murmure, doe not repine. Thou haſt ſtrugled enough already, now lay aſide all impatiency and paſſion, all diſcontents and animoſities, as doe not rage and rave, doe not diſtemper and diſcompoſe thy ſelfe as thou haſt done; There is a ſtorme upon thee, but be thou of a calme and quiet ſpirit, kiſſe the rod, be not angry with it; wee may expreſſe this frame by that which the Apoſtle Peter makes the chiefe adorning, or ornament of a woman, that ſhe be of a meek and a quiet ſpirit, which with God is of great price; As meeknes is a Jewell of the greateſt price that women can weare; ſo it is a moſt rich and precious Jewell for a man to weare; and as at all times, ſo then eſpecially meeknes and peaceablenes of ſpirit becomes man, when God ſeemes to come in anger and to be at warre with him. Bildad ſayd of Job (Chap. 18. v. 4.) He teareth himſelfe in his anger; As if he had ſayd, the man's mad or diſtracted; now Eliphaz adviſeth him, Be at peace, be quiet; This is a good interpretation, and wee may note from it, That it is our Duty to ſit downe quiet and ſatisfied under the ſaddeſt diſpenſations of God.

A ſubmitting ſpirit under an afflicting hand, how comely is it! To be at peace in our ſelves, when all is unquiet about us, how bleſſed a ſight is it! there are ſome who trouble themſelves a great deale more than all the troubles that are upon them can. Man is naturally a very unquiet creature, an angry peece of fleſh, when God is angry, he is apt to ſtorme: till his heart is ſubdued to God, he cannot beare the hand of God. Wicked men naturally (as the Prophet Eſay found them, Chap. 51.20.) are like a wilde Bull in a net…, full of the fury of God; and not onelyonly ſo, but full of fury againſt God, throwing up the duſt, and moyling themſelves when the nett of God hath caught them, or when God hath caught them in his net. God catcheth his owne people in his net many times as well as the wicked. His owne people are like a dove in a net, but the wicked are like a wild Bul in a net. I grant, the Doves will flutter a while when the net hath caught them. Impatiency doth often breake out in the beſt of Saints: it is a hard thing to keep the heart quiet within while our eſtate is unquiet without, and to be at peace in our ſelves, when God ſeemes to be at warre with us. It is hard for us to hold our peace, much more to be at peace in an afflicted p. 214condition; yet this leſſon, though very hard, Saints have learned. David ſaith (Pſal. 39.9.) I was dumbe, I opened not my mouth, becauſe thou didſt it. His was not a ſullen ſilence, but a patient ſilence. He had not a word to ſay againſt God, when God ſpeake hard words againſt him, yea, when God was at blowes at ſharpes with him. Paul alſo had learned in every eſtate to be content (Phil. 4.11.) how ever the world went with him, he was at peace.

Cum e… pacem habe, in gratiam redi qui nunc alienatus es, & velut hoſtis.Secondly, Be at peace, may refer unto God, and ſo it is but the heightening of our acquaintance with him; for, firſt there muſt be an acquainting, and then a making up of peace; when friends fall out, they muſt firſt ſpeake with one another, before the breach can be healed, if they doe not treate, there can be no reconciliation. After treating comes peace; As peace is the fruit of the lips (Iſa. 57.19.) when God treates with man by man, ſo when man treats with man, and when man treats with God. Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, call for a treaty, and therein make thy peace, Be at peace with him, do not any longer continue thy unholy warre with God. Eliphaz ſuppoſing Job as a man ſetting himſelfe againſt God, had reaſon to beſpeake him thus.

Hence note.

That till wee doe acquaint our ſelves with God, wee can have no peace with him.

The wicked are like the troubled Sea, whoſe waves caſt up mire and dirt; there is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God (Iſa. 57.21.) why no peace to the wicked? the wicked have no acquaintance with God, they are ſtrangers, they are afarre off from God, and God beholds them afarre off, therefore there is no peace to them: if they have any peace, it is a falſe peace, a deceitfull peace, or it is but a ſhort peace, which will quickly break out into a warre againe when once Conſcience is awakened, when that ſleeping Lyon is rouzed, what will become of all their peace? they will then …d, indeed, that their ſoule is among Lions; and that they have been onelyonly ſecure, not ſafe, or that theirs hath been at beſt, a tr…e onelyonly, not a peace; no peace till acquinted with God, and no acquaintance with God can produce peace, but that which is by Jeſus Chriſt; He is the Peace-maker, who is alſo the Mediatour; ſinners cannot have peace by any immediate acquain…e with God, for he is a conſuming fire, and ſinners ſtanding alone are but as dry ſtubble before him. When wee are made nigh to p. 215or acquainted with God by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, then (and not till then) are we at peace with him. Acquaint thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace: no peace without acquaintance with God, no acquaintance with God but by Chriſt, therefore no peace but by Chriſt.

Secondly, Obſerve; That God is ready to give peace to or to be at peace with thoſe that acquaint themſelves with him.

Acquaint thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace; as if he ſhould ſay, …ou ſhalt certainly be at peace with him, if thou doeſt but acquaint thy ſelfe with him; for the Lord will not alwayes chide; his love is everlaſting, but his anger towards his c…es but fo… a moment; As the wiſdome of God in man, ſo much more the moſt wiſe God, is Gentle, and eaſie to be entreated. The Lord is found of thoſe who ſeeke him not (Iſa. 65.1.) Surely then he will be found of thoſe that ſeeke him; he is not implacable, no nor inexorable. The Lord hath declared himſelfe full of Compaſſion to returning ſinners, ſo full of compaſſion that he ſeeks the acquaintance of ſinners, and beſeeches them to be reconciled to him, much more will he be acquainted with them who beſeech him that they may be reconciled to him. Fury is not in me (ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 27.4, 5.) who would ſet the bryars and thornes in battel againſt me? that is, who would be ſo fooliſh as to encourage ſinfull men to be ſo foole-hardy as to ſtand out againſt me, or contend with me, for alas, (as it followes in the text) I would goe through them, I would burne them together. There's no dealing with me upon thoſe termes; but I will tell you upon what termes a … may deale with me; Let him lay hold of my ſtrength, that he …y make peace with me, and he ſhall make peace with me, that is, he ſhall n… looſe his labour, he ſhall find peace, if he take hold of my ſtr…gth. One would thinke he ſhould rather have ſayd, let him take hold of my mercy and goodnes, but he ſaith, Let him take hold of my ſtrength. To oppoſe the ſtrength of God is moſt dangerous, but by faith to take hold of it, that's both the duty and the priviledge of an humbled ſinner. Proud ſinners oppoſe the ſtrength of God, humbled ſinners take hold of it, as their ſtrength. As a man ſeing another whom he hath offended, but is unable to reſiſt, or make his party good with him, with much ſubmiſſion takes hold of his p. 216arme or weapon, endeavouring by earneſt ſuit to ſtay him from ſmiting. And indeed to take hold of the ſtrength of God, is to take hold on his mercy; The ſtrength of God to ſave ſinners lyes in his mercy, and that mercy is in his Son, who is his ſtrength to ſave ſinners; if a ſinner lay hold of this ſtrength, the mercy of God in his Son, that he may make-peace with God, if this be his deſigne he ſhall make peace, there ſhall not be a treaty with God in Chriſt for peace in vaine; if a ſinner ſhould take hold of the ſtrength of his owne righteouſnes & performances, if he ſhould take hold of the ſtrength of all the Angels in heaven, he could not make peace with God, nor would God agree with him upon thoſe termes. Such a ſoule muſt returne (re infecta) without his errand. God is ready to be at peace with …, but we muſt have our peace in his way, not in our owne. Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace. And this peace, whether in our ſelves or with God, is no light or unprofitable thing, as Eliphaz to provoke Job to purſue and ſeeke after it, tells him in the laſt words of this verſe.

Thereby good ſhall come unto thee.

Thereby; whereby? or by what? what is it that ſhall procure, or produce this good? The anſwer is at hand. Thy acquaintance with God, thy being at peace will procure all good things for thee Acquaint thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace: be at peace in thy own ſpirit, be quiet; be at peace with God, be reconciled, every way good ſhall come unto thee. M^r Broughton renders, Proſperity ſhall come unto thee, the ſence is the ſame. Others read, in ſtead of, good ſhall come unto thee, thy comings in ſhall be good, thou ſhalt have a good reven… …ood income:Proventus tuus erit bonus. Druſ. whereas before evill came upon thee, now thy co…gs in ſhall be good. This alſo is of the ſame meaning with our tranſlation. I ſhall not need to ſtay upon the opening of the words, there is no difficulty in them.

From their dependance, in that he ſaith, Acquaint thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace, ſo ſhall good come unto thee, Theſe words are brought in by way of inference upon the former, whence

Obſerve.

That when wee are eſtranged from God, good is eſtranged from us.

God can ſtop the Influences of all our mercies from us, he can lay an embargo upon all Creatures from bringing any good to us, the p. 217there be ſtore of treaſure and rich Commodity in the place, yet he can barre up all, that no good can come unto us; yea, the Lord in ſuch caſes doth often lay a ſtop upon the ſpirit of prayer in his own people, and when the heart is ſtopt that we cannot pray, then uſually good is ſtopt and kept back from coming to us; Prayer is that which fetches in mercy and good things through the love of God in Jeſus Chriſt. Prayer may have a twofold ſtop. Firſt, prayer may have a ſtop in the heart; ſecondly, Prayer which comes forth of the heart may have a ſtop in heaven, the Lord doth even ſhut out-prayer ſometimes, and when prayer is ſhut out, no good can get out to us. Prayer is ſent upon a meſſage to heaven, and if our meſſenger be ſhut out of doores and not admitted in, what anſwer can we expect by his meſſage. And the Lord as he doth ſtop ſuch from the receiving of further good, ſo from the receiving of good by what they have already. Wee may have that which in the nature of it is good, and yet have no good by it; God can ſtop the creature in our hands, that it ſhall not at all give us any Comfort, as well as he can ſtop any creature-comfort from comming into our hands. Unleſſe the Lord (in one ſence) ſtop the creature, it quickly leakes out all the Comfort which he hath put into it, and proves to us indeed, what ſin hath made it, a broken Ciſtern; And unleſſe the Lord open the creature, the creature cannot give forth that good w^ch it hath; It will be to us as a Ciſterne without a vent to paſſe out the water for our uſe. There's many a one who hath enough in his hand (take it in any kinde) but he enjoyes nothing of it, becauſe the Lord locks up the conduit, or the ciſterne, and then how much good ſoever there is in it, there's none for him. It is all one to us, whether we have onelyonly a broken Ciſterne for our portion, or a Ciſterne alwayes lockt up; for as the one lets all the water run out, ſo the other holds all the water in; we are as farre from good, if our Ciſterne hold all, as if it held nothing at all. It is then not onelyonly our duty and our holines to acquaint our ſelves and be at peace with God, but our wiſdome and our intereſt; For it is as he pleaſeth, alwayes, and uſually as we pleaſe him, that eyther we have any thing that is good comming to us, or that any good commeth to us by that which we have.

Secondly, Note (which is a Corallary from the former obſervation) p. 216duplicate page p. 217duplicate page p. 218That the renewing of our Communion with God, and making peace with him, is followed with all manner of mercies and good things.

So ſhall good come unto thee. There was never any man a looſer by acquaintance with God; Gods acquaintance is a gainfull acquaintance; Our acquaintance with God, ſhould we conſider it abſtractly and ſeparate from all benefit but his very acquaintance, yet that is benefit enough; God is the chiefeſt Good, and therefore when we enjoy him, we enjoy all Good. The enjoyment of God himſelfe is infinitely more then the enjoyment of all created good things that come from God. Friends are ſometimes in thoſe heights of friendſhip and noblenes of ſpirit one to another, that they count the enjoyment of one another to be more then all the benefits they can heape upon or reape by one another; it is your good Company, ſaith ſuch a friend, and your acquaintance that delights me more then all the good you can beſtow upon mee. And is not God much more ſo to us? Thus (I ſay) acquaintance with God alone is all good; but beſides (as the poynt leads us to conſider) God gives out good things from himſelfe, to all his holy acquaintants, temporall or bodily, good comes to us by his acquaintance, and ſo alſo (and that chiefly) doth ſpirituall or ſoule good. Acquaint thy ſelfe with God, and the dewes of grace, ſhowers of the Spirit ſhall fall into thy boſome. Acquaint thy ſelfe with God, and ſpirituall Comfort ſhall flow in unto thee, ſpirituall ſtrength ſhall flow in unto thee, thy ſoule ſhall be filled as with marrow and fatnes. And as good ſhall come to thee in perſon, ſo to thine; to thy family and poſterity good ſhall come. And as God will cauſe good to come to ſuch, ſo to ſtay and abide with them. As good comes, ſo good continues according to the command and commiſſion which it hath from God. Thus he promiſed in the Prophet (Iſa. 48.18.) in caſe his people had harkned to his commandements; Then had thy peace been as a River, and thy proſperity as the waves of the Sea. Thy peace and proſperity had not been as a Land flood or Brooks of water which faile in ſummer when we have moſt need of them, (all worldly things are apt to doe ſo) but they ſhould have flowed perpetually as a river doth, which is fed by a conſtant Spring, or as the Sea doth which is the feeder of all Springs. A godly man gets not onelyonly a large portion of good things, but a laſting portion, yea a portion p. 219of thoſe good things which are everlaſting, by acquainting himſelfe with God. And becauſe by acquaintance with God ſo much good comes to us, Therefore Eliphaz preſſeth Job further to it in the next verſe.

Verſ. 22. Receive, I pray thee, the Law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

Receive, that is, learne from his mouth; he that teaches gives,Dat Magiſter quando docet, capit diſcipulus quando diſcit. Druſ. and he that learnes receives; and the Hebrew word which we render here to Receive, ſignifies not ordinary receiving, but receiving with an earneſt deſire; yea, it implyeth a kinde of violence in deſire, ſuch as they have who take ſpoyles in warre. They fly upon the ſpoyle,foreign verbum hoc ad praedam quae cum violentia tollitur referri poteſt. and catch it with as much eargernes as they wonne it with courage. So Receive the Law from his mouth. David ſaith, I have rejoyced in thy word, more then they that finde great ſpoyles, (Pſal. 119.162.) O how ſtrongly did his heart run out to the word? And there is an Elegancy alſo in it, that this word which ſignifies to receive the Law,Ex hac radice dicitur doctrina. foreign quaſe accepta vel accipienda, quia ſc: lex debet accipi grato & lubenti animo. doth alſo ſignifie the Law or doctrine to be received. (Prov. 4.2.) I give you good doctrine, forſake you not my Law. The word which is there uſed for doctrine is the ſame that …s here rendred to receive, the reaſon is, becauſe wholſome doctrine …s worthy to be received, and ought to be received willingly, chearfully, and gladly, and therefore the Goſpel which is the higheſt and moſt precious doctrine is called an Acceptable doctrine; This is a faithfull ſaying, and worthy of all Acceptation (1 Tim. 1.11.) The Goſpel is worthy not onelyonly of Acceptation, or of great, but of all Acceptation, and that from all men, even from the Greateſt; And ſo alſo is the Law; for, as ſhall be opened further afterwards; the Law in this place comprehends the Goſpel alſo. Receive the Law at his mouth.

Further, The word which we expreſſe Receive, is rendred by ſome to buy; we may connect both ſences here, Receive the Law as a thing bought and carry it home with thee. That of Solomon (Prov. 23.23.) ſuites it well; Buy the truth, and ſell it not; Truth is a Commodity the trade whereof goes but one way; all Civill Trades and Merchandizes are continued by buying and ſelling, but this ſpirituall trade is continued by buying onelyonly, without ſelling; it will be our profit to have this Commodity alwayes upon our hands, or rather alwayes in our hands. Thus here; Receive p. 220the Law at a price, buy it, and keepe it; not that the Lord doth expect any price from us, or that vve can bring any thing to him valuable for it. We buy it, when vve take paines for it, vvhen vve doe our utmoſt endeavour to receive the truth, vvhen vve receive the truth, not onelyonly as it is offered and brought home to us, but vvhen we goe out for it, and ſeeke after it in all the meanes vvhichwhich God hath appoynted as conveyances of it, that's buying the Law of truth.

Receive the Law.

Againe, We may profitably conſider a double derivation of that word vvhichwhich vve trenſlate,foreign a radice foreign explorare aut circumqua que luſtrare, quia lex univerſa eſt diligentèr obſervanda, ne q…is in uno offendat. Law. Some ſay it is from a roote that ſignifies to behold or Contemplate, to Conſider, to looke about; and the Lavv is vvell expreſt by a word of that ſence, becauſe the vvhole Law is diligently to be obſerved and conſidered, looked into, and meditated upon, vvee are alwayes to behold it, and that in every part. For the vvhole Lavv is copulative, and he that offends in one part offends in all. David ſpeaking of the righteous man, (Pſal. 1.2.) ſaith, hee meditates in the law of the Lord day and night. What's meditation? but the Inward view of a thing, or the beholding it with an Intellectuall eye; meditation is the continuall turning of things over in the minde, to behold the excellencies and perfections that are in them.

A radice foreign quod eſt p…uere irrigare; quare commune & fere idem eſt nomen, pluviae Doctoris & legiſlatoris.Secondly, Say others, it proceeds from another radicall vvord, that ſignifies to raine, and that not onelyonly ſome ſmall driſsling dewing raine, but full ſhowers, or as we ſay to powre downe; and in the Hebrew, the ſame vvord ſignifies, to raine, and to teach, becauſe teaching by the vvord is like raining, or the ſending dovvne of raine. The Apoſtle (Heb. 6.7.) alludes to it. For the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft upon it, &c. by the earth he meanes thoſe vvho heare the vvord or doctrine, vvhichwhich comes dovvne upon them like raine to ſoften their hearts and make them fruitfull. There are tvvo other Texts of Scripture very ſuitable to this Expoſition (Eſay 30.20.) Though the Lord give you the bread of adverſity, and the water of affliction, yet ſhall not thy teachers be removed into Corners any more, but thine eye ſhall ſee thy teachers. Thy teachers ſhall not be removed, ſo wee render: but ſtrictly from the letter of the Hebrew we may read it thus;… elongabit …viam. Though the Lord give thee the bread of adverſitie &c. yet ſhall not thy raine p. 221be removed from thee. It may ſeeme ſtrange that they ſhould have the bread of adverſity, and the vvater of Affliction, and yet have alſo raine, vvhichwhich naturally cauſeth the earth to bring forth bread, and fills the pooles vvith vvater. But the Prophet vvho ſpeakes of corporall bread and vvater in the former part of the verſe, ſpeakes of ſpirituall raine in the latter, making this ſo full a compenſation to the people of God, for the want of other tvvo, that they ſhould have no cauſe to complain of it. As if the Prophet had ſaid, Though you are cut ſhort in outward things, yet you ſhall not be ſhortned in ſpiritualls, the raine of holy doctrine ſhall not be removed from you, or as vve tranſlate, thy teachers ſhall not be removed &c. Some amongſt us vvould have the teachers of holy doctrine removed, leſt by feeding them the bread & vvater of the Land ſhould fayle, as if the charge of publick preaching the riches of the Grace of Chriſt would be an undoing, or at leaſt an impoveriſhing of the Nation. Whereas (I touch it onelyonly by the way) the Prophet comforts the people of God in the midſt of all their wants & outward afflictions, that they ſhould not want the preſence of their teachers, nor the ſhowers of holy inſtruction by them. Againe (Joel 2.23.) Be glad O Zion, and rejoyce in the Lord your God, for he hath given you the former raine moderately, and he will cauſe to come downe the raine, the former raine and the latter raine in the firſt month. That vvhichwhich vve render, (The former raine moderately) others tranſlate, a Teacher of righteouſnes, Sanctè colludit propheta nominibus doctoris ſeu legiſlatoris & pluv…ae, ſeu imbris maturini & ſerotini.or according to righteouſnes; ſo you may finde in the Margin of your larger Bibles. And that's the great mercy vvhichwhich Zion is to rejoyce in; for can vve thinke that Zion, the children of Zion ſhould be called ſo earneſtly to rejoyce meerly in natural raine, or the effects of it; becauſe of the abundance of Corne and Wine and Oyle, which the earth vvell vvatered uſually produceth? This is too poore a thing (conſidered alone) for Zion to rejoyce in! Zion or the people of God doe and muſt confeſſe themſelves unvvorthy of the leaſt outward mercy, even of a ſhovver of raine, or of a ſheafe of corne, and they ought to praiſe God, and be very thankfull for theſe; But theſe are not properly, the matter of Zions gladneſſe and rejoycing. In theſe the vvorld rejoyceth, Who will ſhew us any good (Pſal. 4.7.) they are for Corne, and Wine, and Oyle, but Lord (ſaith David) lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me; Thou haſt put gladnes in mine heart, more then in the time that their corne p. 220duplicate page p. 221duplicate page p. 222and their wine encreaſed; As if he had ſaid; Worldly men rejoyce in corne and vvine; but I rejoyce more in the light of thy countenance. The light of the favour of God, and the light of the knowledge of God, are the chiefe matters of a beleevers joy. And this light of holy joy comes in uſually vvith and by the raine of that doctrine, which falls upon us from the mouth of God in the teachings of his divine Lavv. Receive the Law from his mouth.

But you vvill ſay, What is this Lavv vvhichwhich comes dovvne like raine from heaven? and vvhichwhich vve are to receive from the mouth of God.

I anſvver; The Lavv may be taken tvvo vvayes.

Firſt, Strictly for the ten Commandements, or the five Bookes of Moſes, vvhichwhich are called the Lavv.

Secondly, More largely, and ſo the vvhole vvord of God is the Lavv. Chriſt himſelfe calls the Booke of Pſalmes the Lavv tvvo or three times in the nevv Teſtament (Joh. 10.34.) Jeſus anſwered them, is it not written in your Law, I have ſaid yee are Gods? vvhere vvas that vvritten? in the 82^d Pſal. v. 6. And ſo againe (Joh. 15.25.) But this cometh to paſſe, that the word might be fullfilled that is written in their Law, they hated me without a cauſe. What Lavv doth he meane? thoſe vvords vve finde (Pſal. 35.19.) Take one text further (1 Cor. 14.21.) In the Law it is written, With men of other tongues, and other lips, will I ſpeake unto this People. Where is that vvritten? (Eſay 28.11.) So that the Law, in a large ſenſe, is taken for the vvhole body of the vvord of God, or for the general Revelation of the myſterie of his vvill; in vvhichwhich ſenſe vvee may ſay the Goſpel is the Lavv; And the Goſpel is expreſſely called the Law (or rule) of faith (Rom. 3.27.) So that by Law here vve may underſtand vvhatſoever the Lord hath given us, eyther as a rule of life, or as a rule of faith. The Seaventy tranſlate Eliphaz ſpeaking in that latitude,foreign. Receive whatſoever God delivers, declares, or puts forth. Receive, I pray thee, the Law from his mouth.

From vvhoſe mouth? from the mouth of God; how can that be? Indeed Moſes vvent up into the Mount, and vvas vvith God fourty dayes, and there received the Lavv from his mouth; but could Job Receive the Lavv from his mouth as Moſes did? I anſvver; If God had called him to it, as he did Moſes he might. But p. 223that's not the purpoſe of Eliphaz. Neither are wee (I conceive) to underſtand him of ſuch a Receiving from the mouth of God, as the old Prophets had vvho received the minde of God by Immediate Inſpiration, & dictates from God himſelfe: for though they vvere not called up ſolemnly into a Mount (as Moſes) to receive the Lavv, yet the Spirit was ſent to make knowne the minde of God to them. And in that ſence the Prophet Jeremiah is ſaid to warne King Zedekiah from the mouth of the Lord (2 Chron. 36.12.) And he did that which was evill in the ſight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himſelfe before Jeremiah the Prophet ſpeaking from the mouth of the Lord; that is, he received a vvord from God by an Extraordinary Revelation to carry unto the King, vvho yet humbled not himſelfe. And ſo (Eſay 30.2.) the Lord complaines of his people that walked to goe downe to Aegypt to ſtrengthen themſelves with the ſtrength of Pharaoh &c. and yet had not asked at his mouth, that is, had not asked direction in the thing according to the vvayes of Revelation then in uſe, by enquiring of the Prophets, or of the high Prieſt; And the Lord tels the Prophet Jeremy (Ch. 15.19.Prophetae ſunt quaſi os dei quia per ipſos loquutus eſt.) that he ſhould be as his mouth if he would take forth the precious from the vile, as if he had ſayd, if thou art faithfull in my vvork, I will reveale my ſelfe to thee, & thou ſhalt ſpeak even as if I my ſelfe ſpoke, thou ſhalt be as my mouth. Now, I conceive, Eliphaz doth not goe thus high when he bids Job Receive the Law from the mouth of God, as if he vvere to expect Immediate direction and advice from him. For then, we may be ſayd to receive a rule or a law from the mouth of God, when vve receive that which God hath manifeſted at any time as a rule and lavv for us vvith the reſt of his people to walke by: they vvho receive that law once delivered from the mouth of God, may be ſaid to receive the lavv from his mouth, though they are not the Immediate receivers of it, yea, though it were publiſhed ſome thouſands of yeares before they vvere borne. Some from theſe words, collect that the books of Moſes vvere written before this time, and that Eliphaz did referre Job to thoſe, bidding him receive that lavv which the mouth of God had ſpoken to Moſes, but, though whether the law vvere then formally ſpoken or no is a diſpute, yet it is vvithout all diſpute, that the mouth of God had then given a lavv or rule of life to his people: and ſo Eliphaz might ſafely and truely ſay, Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, there having p. 224been a Revelation of the minde of God among the faithfull in all ages and times. God never left his people to their own will, nor them to be their own Guide and Counſeller. For when the Apoſtle ſayth (Rom. 2.14.) that the Gentiles having not the law are a law unto themſelves; his meaning is not that they had no law but one of their own deviſing. They indeed had not the law of God formally ſpoken to their eares, and preſerved in tables of ſtone, but they had the ſubſtance of the law of God naturally vvritten in their hearts. So then, there hath alwayes been a lavv from his mouth formally in the Church, & naturally in the world. Therefore ſaith Eliphaz, Receive the law from his mouth, and when he ſaith, Receive the law from his mouth, it may have a double Oppoſition.

Firſt, To the vvill and vviſdome of Job; As if Eliphaz had ſaid, Thou haſt been hitherto a law to thy ſelfe, that is, thou haſt followed thy own advice,Ex ore ejus notanter dicit, i. e. non ex ore aut arbitrio tuo. Merc. run on upon thy own head, now Receive the lavv from his mouth. Man, naturally hath high thoughts of himſelfe, and vvould be a law to himſelfe. Not as (Rom. 2.14. which place vvas touched before) The Gentiles not having a law, w…re a law to themſelves; that is, they had the law of God written in their hearts by nature; but beſides that, there is a lavv which man vvould be to himſelfe againſt that law of nature vvritten in his heart, and againſt the light of nature ſhining in his conſcience, he would ſet up a law, even his own Luſt, in oppoſition to the law of God. Thus he vvould be a law to himſelfe, and not Receive a law from the mouth of God. Therefore ſaith Eliphaz; Now, receive the law from his mouth.

Secondly, (from his mouth) may be oppoſed to the mouthes of others; as if he ſhould ſay, if thou wilt not truſt us, nor take our vvord, then truſt God, vve vvould not have thee depend upon us, nor upon any man living, not on the Judgement or Authority of any Creature, but receive the lavv from his mouth; there is a law and a truth come from God, let thy faith be guided, and thy life ordered by that.

Hence Note.

It is our duty to receive the rule from God.

The Lord hath povver to give us the law, and vve muſt receive the lavv from him. None have povver to Impoſe a lavv upon us but God himſelfe, nor may we deviſe a lavv for our ſelves; God is p. 225the onelyonly Maſter of the Conſcience, he alone can ſay, Receive the law at my mouth. If you aske, vvhat is it to receive the law? I anſvver, it is more then to give it the hearing. To receive, is, firſt, to beleeve the lavv; ſecondly, to receive, is to honour and reverence the law; thirdly, to receive the lavv, is to yeeld up our ſelves to the obedience of it, to be caſt into the mould of it, to ſubject our ſelves vvholly to the minde of God in it; Then vve receive the lavv vvhen vve take the Impreſſions of it, & have as it vvere the Image and ſtampe of it upon our ſpirits, and in our lives; fourthly, then we receive it vvhen as it followes in the Text, we lay up his word in our hearts; barely to receive it is not enough, you muſt lay it up, treaſure it up.

And lay up his word in thy heart.

This is oppoſed,

Firſt, To forgetfullnes of the vvord,Praecedentis partis ex poſitio & amplificatio. Ita legem ſuſcipe ut ponas proprie, diſponas arte cura ſollicitudine obſervandi. Receive the lavv and let it not ſlip out of thy memory.

Secondly, It is oppoſ'd to negligence in the practice of the law; lay it up that it may be forth comming to direct thee in every duty. In Converſion the law is vvritten in the heart; every godly man hath a Copie of the lavv in his heart; That's the deſcription of a godly man, (Pſal. 37.31.) The law of God is in his heart, none of his ſteps ſhall ſlide; vvhichwhich is not an univerſall excluſion of all fayling & ſlipping, as if every godly man were as much paſt ſinning, as he is paſt periſhing: but vvhen 'tis ſayd, none of his ſteps, the meaning is, few of his ſteps ſhall ſlide, or he ſhall never ſlide ſo in any of his ſteps as not to recover his feete and get up againe. He ſhall vvalke very holily, ſo holily as if all his vvalkings vvere but one continued act of holines. But, to the text, None of his ſteps ſhall ſlide quite and for ever out of the vvay, becauſe the law of God is in his heart. What David ſpeakes in that propheticall Pſalme of Chriſt (Pſal. 40.8.) Thy law is within my heart, is true in its degree of every Chriſtian, all the lawes of God are in his heart. That Character is againe given of them (Pſal. 84.5.) In whoſe heart are thy wayes; there is a ſuiting of the minde of God and the heart of man together in regeneration. But novv the duty ſpoken of in the Text is another thing; for a man that hath the lavv vvritten in his heart, may yet poſſibly forget to lay up the vvord and law of God in his heart, he may (under temptation and p. 226the preſſures of corruption) be negligent in that; it is the worke of a godly man, who hath the lavv of God in his heart already, continually to lay up the law in his heart; and ſo vve are to underſtand ſuch Scriptures as theſe (Pro. 7.3.) Keepe my Commandements and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye, binde them on thy fingers, write them on the table of thine heart &c. The firſt writing of the law in the heart is by the finger of the Spirit, by Gods own finger. As it was God that firſt wrote the lavv in tables of ſtone vvith his own finger, ſo it is he that writes the law in theſe fleſhy Tables of the heart by the finger of the Spirit: yet Solomon perſwades his ſon to vvrite the law upon the Table of his heart: vvhen grace is received, and the law once written in our hearts, vve doe as it vvere put in ſeverall freſh Copies of the law, vve are continually writing divine notions and Inſtructions upon our hearts; this renewed act is aſcribed to us, becauſe we through grace joyne in it. We have an Expreſſion of like import (Pro. 4.21.) My Son attend to my words, encline thine eare to my ſayings; let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midſt of thine heart. The heart is ſaid to be the midſt or Center of the body, now, ſaith he, keep the law in the very midſt of thine heart, in the ſafeſt place; as the heart is the ſafeſt place the middle of the body, ſo the middle of the heart is the ſafeſt place of the heart. So vve may underſtand that of David, I have hid thy Commandements in my heart (Pſal. 119.11.) And (Deut. 6.6.) Theſe words which I command thee this day, ſhall be in thine heart; that is, thou ſhalt lay them up there. Of this laying up the law in the heart vve are to underſtand Eliphaz here; as if he had ſayd; O Job, thou haſt often heard of the law, but thou haſt been a forgetfull hearer; now heare it, and hold it, now (as the Apoſtle exhorts the Hebrewes, Heb. 2.1.) give the more earneſt heed to the things, which thou hast heard, or ſhalt hereafter heare, leſt at any time thou ſhouldeſt let them ſlip, or thou ſhouldeſt run out (as we there put in the margin) as a leaking veſſel.

Further, This laying up the vvord in the heart, is oppoſd unto a bare barren knowledge; it is not enough to have the vvord of God in our heads, that is, to know it: it is not enough to have the word of God upon our tongues, that is, to ſpeake of it, but we muſt lay it up in the heart; For though the heart, in Scripture, takes in the underſtanding, and the whole ſoule, yet chiefly it reſpects the p. 227affections; lay up the word in thine heart, that is, let thy affections be vvarm'd with it, vvhile thy memory retaines and keepes it, and thy underſtanding is enlightened vvith a true notion of it.

Hence Obſerve.

Firſt, The word of God is a precious thing.

We doe not lay up trifles and traſh, but precious things, and treaſure; vve lay up our Plate and Jewells, our Gold and Silver; the vvord of God ſhould be more to us than thouſands of gold and ſilver, it is the moſt precious Jewell, 'tis treaſure, and therefore it muſt be laid up.

Secondly, The heart is the Arke or Cabinet, in which the word muſt be laid up.

There was an Arke or Cheſt provided for the law (Exod. 25.21.) and that Arke was Chriſt, he was typified by it, and indeed the law would be too hot for our hearts, too hot to lye there if it had not firſt layne in the heart of Chriſt; wee (ſince fallen) could never have been an Arke for it, if he had not been. The tables of the law were laid in the Arke, and the Arke (in which the lavv vvas put) had a mercy-ſeat vvhichwhich did cover it all over (The dimenſions of the Arke and of the mercy-ſeate were exactly the ſame, two cubits and a halfe in length, and a cubit and a halfe in breadth, (Exod. 25.10.17.) ſo that nothing of the law could appeare or riſe up in Judgement againſt poore ſinners. The propitiatory or mercy-ſeate covered all. Now as Chriſt hath been the Arke of the law to protect and cover us from the condemning power of it; ſo the hearts of beleevers muſt be the Arke of the law, where it muſt be layd up with a readines of minde to yeeld our ſelves up to the commanding power of it. David prophecying of Chriſt ſaith (Pſal. 40.10.) I have not hid thy righteouſneſſe within my heart, yet he had ſaid before, I delight to doe thy will, thy law is within my heart. To cleare which Scripture take notice that there is a twofold hiding of the righteouſneſſe or vvord of God in the heart. Firſt, ſo as to obſcure or conceale it from others, in that ſence David ſaith, I have not hid thy righteouſneſſe in mine heart, I have declared thy faithfullnes and thy ſalvation, and not concealed thy loving kindneſſe and truth from the great Congregation. And thus no man ought to lay up the truths, the law, the promiſes of God in his heart to conceale and ſtifle them there. Secondly, p. 228There is a hiding of the law in our hearts, firſt, that it may be ſafe, leſt Satan or the world ſhould ſnatch it from us. Secondly, That we may further conſider of it; when a man hath got an excellent truth, or Scripture, he ſhould lay it up in his heart to ponder and meditate more upon it, to draw out the ſweetnes, and to experience the power of it. Thirdly, That vve may have it ready at hand for our uſe; and ſo the Scribe inſtructed for the kingdome of heaven is deſcribed by bringing forth out of his treaſury things both new and old. How ſad is the condition of many that have heard much, but laid up little or nothing at all of all that vvord which they have heard. Some having laid it up in their note books, are ſatisfied with that; 'tis good and uſefull to doe ſo; but doe not let it lye there, get a Copie of it in your hearts; a few truths in your hearts are better to you then many truths in your bookes; no man was ever ſaved by the vvord in his booke; unleſſe that vvord were alſo written in his heart. God commanded the Jewes (Deut. 6.8, 9.) to vvrite the law upon the poſt of their houſes, and on their gates, to bind them as a ſigne upon their hand, and as frontlets between their eyes. They were commanded alſo to put fringes upon the borders of their garments (Numb. 15.38.) vvhichwhich our Saviour calls Phylacteries (Math. 23.5.) theſe were ribands of blue ſilke, or as ſome ſay, ſcroles of parchment upon which the law being firſt wrought or written, and then bound upon their garments, they were to looke upon it, and remember all the commandements of the Lord (Num. 15.39.Vaniſſimi profecto phariſaei illi, qui cum ipſi non ſervarent in corde manda…a, at membranulas decalogi complicantes & quaſi coronā capiri facientes. phylacterium eoc ſua proprictate, Cuſtodit… rium eſt. Bold.) Now, ſaith Chriſt, they make broad their Phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their Garments; as much of the lavv as you vvill upon thei… Clothes, but none of it in their hearts. Thus the proud Scribes and Phariſees went about as it were Clothed with the vvord of God, but his vvord was farre from their hearts, nor did it appeare in their lives; it is a meere vanity to have much of the law in our bookes, while vve neglect to keepe it in our hearts, and act it in our wayes. The former is good, but it doth no good without the latter. The want of this, the laying up the vvord in the heart, cauſeth the great want of Saints in the things of God; and as many looſe that Grace which they ſeemed to have, ſo many are at a loſſe in the uſe of that Grace which they have, becauſe they have not laid up the vvord of God in their hearts ſo carefully as they ought. We ſay proverbially, Sure bind and ſure find; They who would ſurely finde the p. 229comfort of the word of God when they need it, had need to bind it ſure, when they receive it.