Exposition of Job 22-26, Commentary · Chapter 22

Exposition of Job 22-26 · Commentary · Chapter 22

p. 1JOB, Chap. 22. Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4.

1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite anſwered and ſaid,

2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as hee that is wiſe may be profitable unto himſelfe?

3. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righous? or is it gain to him that thou makeſt thy ways perfect?

4. Will he reprove thee for feare of thee? or will he enter with thee into judgement?

ELIPHAZ now enters his third and laſt conteſt with Job; in which ſome tell us that he behaveth himſelfe like a man who ſeekes Victory rather then Truth: who though he hath been ſufficiently anſwered, yet will not ſeem to be overcome; yea that he takes up the ſame weapons to maintain this third, with which hee maintain'd his two former Encounters; The firſt in the fourth and fifth Chapters, and the ſecond in the 15^th. as if he were reſolved to contradict, p. 2though he could not confute the reaſons wherewith Job had made his defence.

But as ſuch a carriage as this in Diſputation is altogether vaine in it ſelfe, ſo it is moſt uncomely in a wiſe and godly man; who ought not to refuſe truth and reaſon though ſpoken by an Adverſary, but rather modeſtly to ſit downe and confeſſe his own errour and miſtaking: And therefore though Eliphaz in this anſwer or triplication doth but roule the ſame ſtone, and move upon the ſame hinge in generall; ſtill adjudging Job to ſuffer for his ſinne, and to be puniſht as an evill doer; yet he puts all into a new method, and varies the ſceane or manner of his argumentation, which may be reduced to this forme; as if Eliphaz had ſaid: O Job! if thou ſuffereſt all theſe evills for ſome cauſe (as certainely thou doſt, for theſe things could not come by chance, but by the wiſe diſpoſure and providence of God) then that cauſe or reaſon for which thou ſuffereſt, muſt either be found in God or in thy ſelfe: If thou ſayeſt the reaſon is in God, and that he doth it by his prerogative, thou doſt raſhly intrude thy ſelfe into his ſecrets, and art over-bold or curious in ſearching into his hidden counſells; and when thou haſt made out thy conjectures, we may as eaſily denie as thou doſt affirm: but if thou haſt recourſe to, and refl…cteſt upon thy owne ſelfe for the cauſe of thy ſorrows and ſufferings, ſurely thou canſt finde out or pitch upon nothing elſe but thy ſinfulneſſe and abounding tranſgreſſions, which while thou refuſeſt to acknowledg, thou doſt but harden thy heart againſt God, and groweſt impatient under the rebukes of his afflicting hand, therefore I admoniſh thee to repent, &c. This ſeems to be the ſumme of that whole diſcourſe which Eliphaz gives in this Chapter, as will further appear in the explication of the parts.

Againe we may contract his ſcope and give it in this briefe; Job having conſtantly affirmed againſt his friends, that God equally afflicts the righteous and the wicked: and having ſaid (which might have gained reſpect to what he was about to ſay) that hee pleaded for God (Chap. 21.4. As for me, is my complaint to man, or for man, no, it is to God, or in Gods behalf.) Hereupon Eliphaz taxes him with this preſumption, as if he would needs undertake to be a patron for God, and ſo to bring him in ſome advantage, or to ſtand him in ſtead, for the maintaining of his cauſe; therefore he begins his ſpeech with this chiding expoſtulation; Can man be profitable unto God? or (ſuppoſe p. 3thou wert (which I ſhall preſently diſprove) as thou haſt often boaſted, righteous, yet) is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?

This ſeems to be the intent of the whole Chapter, in which we may further take notice of two diſtinct parts. The firſt is reprehenſory, Eliphaz reproves and rebukes Job ſorely, to the end of the 20. verſe.

The ſecond is hortatory; Eliphaz moveth Job earneſtly to repentance, in which he coucheth many Promiſes, and gives Aſſurance that it ſhall not be in vaine, from the 20^th ver. to the end of the Chapter; Acquaint now thy ſelfe with him, and be at peace, thereby good ſhall come unto thee, &c.

The firſt part, his reprehenſion begins at the ſecond verſ.

V. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God?

There are three readings of theſe words. Firſt thus, Can a man be compared to God? Numquid Deo comparari poteſt homo etiam cum perfectae fuerit ſcientiae. Vulg.Some labour much in the defence of this reading, but I ſhall not ſtay upon it. For though it be a truth that man cannot be compared to God, how wiſe or how good ſoever he is. What's the wiſdome or the goodneſſe of man to God? Yet the Originall Text doth not freely yeeld it ſelfe up to that tranſlation which bears this truth.

2. Maſter Broughton renders thus. Can the humane wight teach the Omnipotent? that word which we render to be profitable, he,Quidam verbum foreign pro docere exponunt in utroque hamiſtichio. Merc. to Teach; The Chaldee Paraphraſe favours this tranſlation, and ſome render it ſo in both parts of the verſe; Can a man teach God, As he that is wiſe may teach himſelfe? If a man ſhould be ſo bold to take upon him to teach God, would God regard his teachings? but I ſhall paſſe by this alſo, eſpecially conſidering that Eliphaz had no reaſon to tax Job with ſuch a Preſumption, as if he had taken upon him to direct God how to order his affaires; when as Job himſelfe (Chap. 21. v. 22.) had ſtrongly repreſſed and condemned ſuch a boldneſſe. Shall any teach God knowledge? Job having ſo lately exalted God above mans teaching (as was ſhewed in opening that verſe) it is not probable that Eliphaz ſhould reprove him, as conceiting himſelfe wiſe enough to teach God: Or that he thought Job either had done, or was about to doe that which with his laſt breath almoſt, he confeſſed no man could do.

The third is our reading, Can a man be profitable unto God? Can a man? he doth not mean an ordinary weak, ſickly, frail man; but a man, yea any man at his beſt: the word here uſed p. 4notes a man in his health, ſtrength, and glory; a man in the flower and perfection not only of his naturall abilities, but in the richeſt furniture and array of his acquired, yea inſpired abilities. Take this man, a man of theſe atttainments, a man thus accompliſht, and Can he be profitable to God? For as when the Pſalmiſt ſaith (Pſal. 33.17.) A horſe is a vaine thing to ſave a man; By the horſe there, wee are not to underſtand a leane, poor, weak, ſlow-pac'd horſe, or a ſtrong, ſwift horſe unman'd; Such a horſe indeed is a very vain thing to ſave a man by; Such a horſe may do a man more hurt then help when hee comes into danger; but the Pſalmiſt means a horſe of the greateſt ſtrength, courage, and ſwiftneſſe: A horſe exactly man'd, and taught all his poſtures, even ſuch a horſe is a vaine thing to ſave a man. Againe, when the Scripture ſaith, Chriſt came to ſave ſinners, we muſt not underſtand it of leſſer, lower, or of the ordinary ſort of ſinners only, but even of the higheſt and the greateſt, for ſuch Jeſus Chriſt came to ſave as well as the leaſt of ſinners. So here when 'tis ſaid, Can a man be profitable to God? we muſt expound it of the higheſt, of the learnedſt, of the holieſt, of the beſt of men; Can a man be profitable unto God? The word is El, The ſtrong God; Can the ſtrongeſt man be profitable unto the ſtrong, the mighty, the omnipotent, the Almighty God? Can he be profitable? Can he bring any advantage, gaine, or profit to God? Should he reaſon with unprofitable talke (ſaith Eliphaz. Chap. 15.3.) or with words that bring in no Profit? A word of the ſame root, ſignifies a Treaſurer, who is a keeper of publique Profits (Eſay 22.15.) Goe, get thee unto this Treaſurer, even unto Shebna. Can a man be profitable? Thus Eliphaz reproves Job for inſiſting ſo often upon his own innocency, as if that were an Advantage to God? As if he had ſaid, how holy or righteous ſoever any man is, the Lord receives no advantage by him. So that Eliphaz (it ſeems) apprehended Job truſting or boaſting of ſomewhat in himſelfe, as if he had thought God his debtor, or that hee had done ſomewhat for which God was beholding to him. And upon this ground, that God is debtor, or beholding to no man; Eliphaz undertakes Job: And though his ſuppoſition was falſe, yet his poſition was true, and gives us this profitable obſervation, That the beſt of men cannot oblige God, or merit any thing at his hand.

p. 5That which is our duty to doe, cannot merit when we have done it. We cannot oblige either God or man by performing our owne obligation. Thus Chriſt argues, Luk. 17.7. Which of you having a ſervant ploughing or feeding Cattell, will ſay unto him by and by when he is come from the field, goe and ſit downe to meate? And will not ſay unto him, make ready wherewith I may ſup, and gird thy ſelfe, and ſerve me, till I have eaten and drunken, and afterward thou ſhalt eate and drinke. Doth he thanke that ſervant becauſe he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewiſe yee, when yee have done all theſe things which are commanded you, ſay, wee are unprofitable ſervants, we have done that which was our duty to doe. Where Chriſt proves, that becauſe the ſervant had done no more then was his duty to doe, therefore he did not merit in doing it. When you have done all that is commanded you, ſay yee are unprofitable ſervants. He that doth all thoſe things that are commanded him, is a man indeed, a man of worth, a man of men, yet (let that be granted that he reacheth to the utmoſt line of the Command) he is an unprofitable ſervant, he hath but done his duty.

There is another Parable in this Goſpel of Luke that ſeems to be ſomewhat oppoſite to this (Chap. 12. v. 36, 37.) And ye your ſelves be like unto men that waite for their Lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Bleſſed are thoſe ſervants, w…om when the Lord cometh, he ſhall finde ſo watching, that is, at their worke. Watching is not meant here of a bare waking, or not being aſleep, for a man may watch, in that ſenſe, and yet be as bad as a ſleeper: To be found awake, and yet idle, to be found awake yet doing nothing, is as blameable as to be found aſleep: So that to be found watching, is to be found intent upon, and labouring in the work of the Lord. Bleſſed be thoſe ſervants whom when their Lord cometh he ſhall find ſo watching) what wil he do? Verily I ſay unto you, that he ſhall gird himſelfe, and make them to ſit down to meate, and will come forth to ſerve them. In the 17^th Chap. Chriſt ſaith; If a ſervant have been hard at worke in the ſervice of his Lord, even as a man that is come from Plow, or from feeding his Cattell, yet his Maſter doth not ſay to him, ſit downe to meate, but firſt bids him gird him ſelf and ſerve him, and afterward goe to meat. But here 'tis ſaid, the Lord preſently p. 6girds himſelf, and makes his ſervants ſit down to meat, and will come and ſerve them: ſo that here he ſpeaks, as if the Lord were much beholding to theſe ſervants, whereas before hee ſpeaks of them as unprofitable ſervants, to whom he was not at all beholding.

For the clearing of theſe two Parables, we are to diſtinguiſh them by their ſcopes. The ſcope of the Parable in the 12^th Chapter is to ſhew, that the diligent ſervant ſhall receive much from the hands of the Lord, or that the labour of the diligent ſervant ſhall not be in vaine, or unprofitable to him.

But the ſcope of the Parable in the 17^th Cha. is to ſhew, that the moſt diligent ſervant cannot doe any thing that is profitable unto his Lord. He may do that which may be profitable to himſelfe, but he can do nothing that can be profitable to his Lord, that's the ſcope of the 17^th Chapter, which falls in fully with the Text, and Obſervation that I am now upon. There is a wide difference between theſe two parables. To ſhew what a diligent ſervant may expect, is one thing, and what the moſt diligent ſervant can challenge or require is another. For indeed thoſe ſervants in the 12^th Chapter, to whom the Lord adminiſters the Supper, or to whom he miniſters at Supper, muſt ſay that they are unprofitable ſervants to the Lord; though they are to acknowledg (to the praiſe of their Lord) that his ſervice hath not been unprofitable unto them, and they muſt ſay ſo upon theſe Conſiderations.

Firſt he is their Lord, they his ſervants, not their owne (1 Cor. 6.20.) Yee are bought with a price, yee are not your owne, therefore glorifie God in your bodies & in your ſpirits which are Gods. God is the owner of our bodies and ſpirits, our ſelves are the Lords. Now if we our ſelves, our bodies, and our ſpirits are the Lords, then much more are our ſervices his. If the perſon be anothers, all the work done by him muſt be his too.

Secondly, the houſe wherein theſe ſervants are feaſted is the Lords. The whole fabrick of heaven and earth is his houſe, He hath ſet it up to entertain and feaſt his people in.

Thirdly, All the cheere and good things with which the Lord feaſteth his ſervants (all the comforts which grace holds out in this life, or glory in the next life) are of his owne proviſion, the whole furniture of the Table is of his coſt and p. 7charge, therefore they are obliged to their Lord, not their Lord to them; he is indeed profitable unto them, but they are not profitable unto him: They by their ſloath and idleneſſe might deſerve to be ſent ſupperleſſe and hungry to bed, but by all their pains and diligence they could not deſerve their Supper; Can a man be profitable unto God?

Secondly, Obſerve, That God is abſolutely Independent and Perfect in him ſelfe.

If there be an impoſſibility that man ſhould be profitable unto God, then he is Self-ſufficient, and altogether Independent, in reference to man: He that cannot receive any addition is perfect in himſelfe, and he that is ſelf-ſufficient, needs not: to receive any addition from another, is an argument of imperfection. And ſeing God neither receives, nor can receive any thing from another, he muſt needs be perfect in himſelf. David (Pſal. 16.2.) ſpeaking of himſelfe (as the type of Chriſt) ſaith, O my ſoule, thou haſt ſaid unto the Lord, thou art my Lord (that is, thou art my Portion and my All) but my goodneſſe extendeth not to thee, I am not able to doe any good which reacheth to thy benefit, or encreaſeth thy happineſs, for thou art mine. In the 50^th Pſalm the Lord aſſerts this his own independency; If I were hungry, I would not tel thee, for the world is mine & the fulneſſe thereof. If I had any hunger (that is, any defect upon me) I need not go to the creature to aske a ſupply, I could ſupply my ſelfe if there were any need, but there's none: The Lord is infinitely above all hunger, above all wants and defects whatſoever. He indeed threatens Idolaters, that he will famiſh all their gods (Zeph. 2.11.) Idols ſhall be hungry, they ſhal be famiſht, and have none to adminiſter any thing to them. This the Lord doth, when hee with-draws their reſpect and worſhip, that name and reputation which once they had in the world from them; worſhip is the food of Idols, that keeps liveleſſe Idols (as it were) alive, and therefore falſ gods are famiſhed, when their falſe worſhip is caſt downe; but who can famiſh the Lord? If I were hungry, &c. I would not tell you; Can man be profitable unto God?

But it may be objected; Cannot a man be profitable to God? is man no advantage, no help to him? why then (Judg. 5.23.) Sings Deborah, Curſe ye Meroz, ſaid the Angel of the Lord, p. 8curſe yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof, becauſe they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord againſt the mighty. It ſhould ſeem then that the Lord had need of the help of theſe inhabitants of Meroz, and if they had come forth, it had been an advantage to him, why elſe were they curſed for not coming forth to the help of the Lord?

I anſwer, man is ſaid to help the Lord, when he helps in the Lords cauſe. Perſonally the Lord needeth not my helpe, but the Lord may be helped relatively, in his Cauſe, and in his people. Thus we help the Lord, when we help man, when we help the Church, and people of God; It is our honour as well as our duty, to help his People, and give aſſiſtance in his Cauſe; This the Lord takes ſo well at our hands, that he reckons it as help given to himſelf.

Againe, if wee conſider the help as given to the Lords people, we are not to conceive that the Lord needed the helpe of theſe men of Meroz, as if hee could not helpe them himſelfe without the aſſiſtance or ayd of man. For when he ſeeth that there is no man, then his owne arme brings ſalvation, Iſa. 59.16. 'Tis the duty of man to come forth and draw his ſword in the Lords quarrell againſt the mighty, but the Lord needeth not the ſword of man to ſubdue the mightieſt.

Secondly, It may be objected; Cannot man be profitable unto God? he ſpeaks of the Church of the Jewes, in ſuch language as implies them a profit to him. Exod. 19.5. Now if yee will obey my voyce indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ſhall ye be a peculiar treaſure unto me above all people. And is there no profit in a treaſure? Again, Deut. 32.9. The Lords portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Hath a man no profit by his portion? no advantage by his Inheritance? Now if the Lords People be his Portion, his Inheritance, his Treaſure, his peculiar ſpecial treaſure, how then can it be ſaid, they are no profit, no advantage to him?

I anſwer, the Lords people are his treaſure, not becauſe they enrich him, but becauſe he hath a high eſteem of them. The Lords People are his treaſure, not becauſe they profit him, but becauſe he protects them: If I ſay to a man, you ſhal be a treaſure to me; I may do it, not becauſe I expect any profit from him, but becauſe I have a high eſteem of him, and reſolve p. 9to protect and defend him as I do my own portion and treaſure; In this ſenſe doth the Lord ſay of his People, Yee are my treaſure. We eſteem treaſure, and treaſures are under protection, leſt any take them from us. Thus the Lord ſpeaks of his People, not that he hath any profit or gaine by them, as men who ordinarily have Portions and Inheritances in Fields or Houſes which are their ſtock and livelihood. Indeed there is a Revenue which the Lord hath by his People as they are his portion; that is, a Revenue of glory and honour, not a revenue of profit. But if you ſay glory and honour is profit, and an advantage to man, is it not then an advantage to God to be glorified by man?

I anſwer, It is no advantage to God when he is glorified by man. Our glorifying of God doth not add any glory to him that he had not, but it is only the ſetting forth of that glory which he had; there is no encreaſe of his fullneſſe by all the honour and glory that the creature gives him. We are commanded to glorifie God. (Matth. 5.16. Let your light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven.) But God doth not receive any additionall glory by us, how much or how clearly ſoever our light ſhineth before men. A candle adds more light to the Sun, then all the creatures in the world can adde to the glory of God, when they have ſtudied his glory, and laboured to glorifie him to the utmoſt all their dayes.

Thirdly, that of David may be yet objected, Pſal. 4.3. The Lord hath ſet apart for himſelfe the man that is godly. And is ſo, then it ſeems he intends to make ſome profit of him; it is an alluſion unto thoſe that vend wares: A Merchant looks upon this and that commodity, and then ſaith this is for my turn, this I like, ſet it apart for me. Seeing then the Lo…d ſets the godly apart for himſelfe, it ſounds as if he meant to make ſome gaine or advantage by him.

I anſwer, the meaning of that Scripture is not, that God ſets a godly man apart as one that he gets profit by, but as one that he intends to beſtow mercy upon; or he ſets him apart for ſervice, not for gaine; The Lord ſerves his own ends by the ſervice of man every day, and ſets apart the godly man for his ſpeciall ſervice.

p. 10Yet a little further, I ſhall demonſtrate that a man cannot be profitable to God.

Firſt, God had all perfection before man was, therefore man cannot profit God. Pſal. 90.2. From everlaſting, and to everlaſting thou art God, shat is, thou art infinite in glory and excellency from everlaſting. God was God as much before there was a creature, as he hath been ever ſince the creatures were; therefore creatures adde nothing at all to him.

2. All the goodneſſe and profitableneſs of man comes from God, therefore no profit goes unto God from man: that's the Apoſtles argument, Acts 17.25. where he ſhews that man cannot advantage God, no not by worſhip. He is not worſhipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing. What, doe you think God calleth for your worſhip, becauſe he needs your worſhip? or as if hee could not tell how to be without your worſhip? Nothing leſſe; Seeing he giveth to all life and breath & all things. He that gives all things to all men, needs nothing of any man: heres the Apoſtles argument, the Lord giveth out all things, life, breath, and all comforts whatſoever to all men, therefore he needs nothing of any man, no not the worſhip of any man. 1 Cor. 4.7. The Apoſtle aſſigns that reaſon againſt boaſting: What haſt thou that thou haſt not received, wherefore then doſt thou boaſt? When do men boaſt? even when they think they have done God a good turn. What haſt thou that thou haſt not received? therefore why doſt thou boaſt as if thou hadſt not received it. What can he receive of us from whom we receive our all? And though wee muſt returne all to him in a way of thankefulneſſe and duty, yet God needs not that we ſhould return any thing to him in a way of largeſſe or ſupply.

3. Take this demonſtration of it; they who live much in God, even they (upon the matter) need little or nothing of the creature; they (upon the matter) are Independent as to the creature who depend fully upon the Creator. The good or evill of this world is not much to them, who are much with God. They have but little to do with the creature, and can do well enough without the creature. (Hab. 3.17.) Although the figtree ſhall not bloſſome, neither ſhall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the Olive ſhall faile, and the fields ſhall yeeld no meate; the flock ſhall be cut off from the fold, and there ſhall be no herd in p. 11the ſtalls; yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my ſalvation. As if he had ſaid, what if all creature comforts are taken away from me, I can live upon God alone. The life of a Believer is much above the creature, how much more is the life of the Creator? The Apoſtle (2 Cor. 6.10.) ſpeaking of himſelf, ſaith, as having nothing, & yet poſſeſſing all things. If Paul by the high actings of his faith & dependencies upon God could ſay he poſſeſſed all things, while he was as having nothing in the creature. Surely God hath all, when he hath nothing of or from the creature; He may ſay in the ſtricteſt ſenſe, having nothing (of theſe things) and yet poſſeſſing all things. Lay theſe two obſervations together.

Firſt, That the Creature cannot oblige God.

Secondly, That God is Independent, abſolute, perfect without the creature, and the reſult of both will riſe up in theſe eight concluſions.

Firſt, this will follow, That we ſhould not murmure, nor be diſcontented with our Eſtate whatſoever it is, why? we are not profitable unto God, we have deſerved nothing at his hand. Diſcontent ariſeth from pride, from an opinion that we are not anſwered according to our worth; we ſhould never be diſcontented, were we convinced that we are altogether worthleſſe. Do but ſit down in this thought that man cannot be profitable unto God in any ſtate, and then be diſcontented with your ſtate if you can.

Secondly, If the creature cannot be profitable unto God, Then, all that God doth for man, yea for Angells, proceedeth from his free grace. We give him nothing afore-hand, nor any thing afterward, therefore it is grace before, and grace after grace in all. We receive grace when we have no grace, and we receive more grace when we have it; yet by the grace we have we do not deſerve to receive more; As we received the firſt grace, meerly of gracc, ſo we doe the ſecond. No man is aforehand with God; if any think they are, let them ſhew their Bills, what they have brought in, and it ſhall be acknowledged. Rom. 11.35, 36. Who hath firſt given, and it ſhall be recompenſed to him again? For, of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen.

Thirdly, If man cannot be profitable unto God, then as p. 12none ſhould dare to come to God in their owne worthineſſe, ſo none ſhould feare to come to God becauſe of their unworthineſs. We ſhould not be diſcouraged, though as yet dead and fruitleſs, though vain and unbelieving; The worſt of men ſhould not keep off from God, becauſe they are unprofitable, ſeing the beſt cannot profit him. If we have don much it is nothing to the Lord: and if we have done nothing, it is no barr to the Lords doing much for us. God will not turn us back becauſe we bring him nothing, nay he invites us to come without any thing (Eſay 55.1.) Ho every one that thirſteth come to the waters, buy, &c. Here is buying, but for what? for profit? no, but come buy wine & milk without money and without price. God doth not expect any profit; there is a kind of buying, but its not for money, nor for money worth. As the Lord ſometimes ſells his people, ſo he alwayes ſels his graces and comforts, for nought (Pſal. 44.12.) Thou ſelleſt thy people for nought, and doſt not encreaſe thy wealth by their price. That is, thou leaveſt thy people under miſeries and afflictions, by which it doth not appeare that thou getteſt any honour. Now as the Lord doth ſometimes ſell his people, ſo he alſo ſells his mercy and grace to his people (as to any deſert of theirs) for nought; hee ſells without money and without price, therefore be not diſcourag'd if you have nothing of your own of any worth to preſent unto him. Say not, Wherewith ſhall we come before the Lord? The poorer you come in your owne thoughts, the richer you ſhall returne; For he filleth the hungry with good things, but the rich he ſendeth empty away.

Fourthly, If man cannot be profitable unto God, then our gifts and parts, yea our holineſſe and graces do not make us neceſſary unto God. God may ſay unto the great Ones of the Earth, I have no need of you, and to the rich I have no need of you, and to the wiſe, I have no need of you; yea he may ſay unto the godly and to the holy, I have no need of you neither. There is no creature neceſſary to God, ſeeing he cannot only (as we ſay) live, but live in the heights of happineſſe without the Creature.

Fiftly, If no man can be profitable unto God, then whatſoever God requires of us, he aims at our profit, and not at his own; all is for us, or for our good, which will appear more fully in the p. 13opening the n…xt clauſe; He that is wiſe may he profitable to himſelf. The Lord hath deſigned all our wiſdom and obedience to our own benefit: So Moſes ſpake to the people of Iſrael (Deu. 6.24.) The Lord commanded us to doe all theſe ſtatutes, to feare the Lord our God for our good alwayes, that he might preſerve us alive, as it is at this day. It is not for the Lords good, but it is for our good that he commands, and we obey. And as the Lord commanded all things in the Law for our good, not for his own: ſo he commands us to believe the Goſpel not for his good, but for our own; he is not to be ſaved by it, it is we that are to be ſaved by it. He doth not call us to work as men do their ſervants, that he might play the good husband, and get ſome profit by keeping us hard at labour. Indeed the Lord keepeth his ſervants hard at labour night and day, they muſt be continually upon duty: But he doth it not (as I may ſay) to play the good husband, to encreaſe his ſtock by it, but it is for our profit. That which Chriſt ſpeaks (Mar. 2.27.) about the Sabboth, is true of all other the commands of God, we are apt to think, that God requires a ſeaventh day, becauſe it is for his profit and advantage; no ſaith Chriſt, the Lord hath not an eye to himſelfe, but to man; The Sabboth was made for man; that is, for mans advantage, that he might look heaven ward, that he might worke in the things which concern his owne bleſſedneſſe, therefore hath the Lord appointed him a reſting day. The Sabboth was made for man, and not man for the Sabboth.

Sixtly, Then our diſobedience cannot hurt God, our ſinn… cannot diſadvantage him, impaire his bleſſedneſſe, o… diminiſh his glory. As mans obedience is no profit, ſo his diſobedience is no diſprofit to God. Sinners ſhall be puniſhed, as they who have wronged and diſhonoured God, they ſhall be dealt with as ſuch: But really, all the ſinnes of the world doe not bring any damage or diſadvantage to God; Elihu is expreſſe to this point, in the 35. Chap. of this Book, verſ. 6, 7. If thou ſinneſt, what doſt thou againſt him? (Every ſin is againſt the mind of God, but no ſinn is againſt the happineſſe of God) or if thy tranſgreſſions be multiplyed, what doſt thou unto him? is God impair'd by it? Surely no, God doth not looſe a pinn from his ſleeve (as I may ſay) by all the ſinnes committed in p. 14the world; He hath no dependance at all upon our obedience for his bleſſedneſs; our ſins cannot hurt him, as our obedience cannot help him, which Elihu ſhews in the next verſe; If thou be righteous, what giveſt thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Seventhly, hence ſee the honour of God, that hath made ſo many creatures, and man eſpecially of whom himſelfe hath no need, that hath ſo many to ſerve him, and yet needs none of their ſervices. Give God this glory: Wee think thoſe men are very glorious and honouurable who have but as much of the creature as will ſerve thier turn; all creatures are the Lords, yet he is not neceſſitated to ſerve his turn by any of them.

Eightly, then, ſee what an obligation lyeth upon us continually to bleſſe God, to be thankfull to him, to walk humbly with him, who gives us ſo many profits, when as we doe not profit him at all. God prizeth that highly by which himſelf hath no benefit; hee prizes the actings of faith and holineſſe highly, but he hath no advantage by them: God gives us profit by theſe, though himſelfe be not profited, though he is not the better by any thing we do, yet we are the better; The Lord binds himſelf by promiſe, that the leaſt good we do in ſincerity ſhall have a good reward; He that gives but a cup of cold water to a Diſciple in the name of a Diſciple, ſhall not loſe his reward. But if we give thouſands of Gold and Silver to poore Diſciples, what profit hath God by it? And yet though none of the profit comes to his hand, yet he reckons it as if all were put into his hand. All the charity and compaſſion ſhewed to his people, Chriſt taketh to himſelf (Matth. 25.) In that yee have done it unto theſe, ye have done it unto me. Chriſt had no need of alms, of viſiting or cloathing, yet he counts it as done to himſelfe, when we do it to any of his.

Can a man be profitable to God? as he that is wiſe may be profitable to himſelfe?

Some give the meaning of the words thus: Doth it follow, that a man can be profitable unto God, becauſe a wiſe man may be profitable to himſelfe? our reading reaches the ſame ſenſe. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wiſe may be profitable to himſelf? It doth not follow, becauſe A man may p. 15profit another man, or profit himſelfe, that therefore he may profit God. That's the ſumme of the argument.foreign Intellexit prudens fuit, per Metonymiam faelix proſper fuit, quod prudentibus omnia feliciter cedant; prudentiam faelicitas fere ſequitur.

As he that is wi…e.

The word in the root of it ſignifies to Underſtand, to be Prudent; and by a Metonymie to be happy, or to proſper, becauſe uſually affaires ſucceed well and proſper in the hands of wiſe men; and happineſſe uſually followes wiſedome; therefore to be wiſe, and to be profitable, are ſignified by one and the ſame word in the Hebrew. So in this Text, He that is wiſe is profitable to himſelfe, that is, his affaires ſhall proſper. We finde this Title prefixt to divers Pſalms, Maſchil, Maſchil, intelligens prudens, carmen erudiens ode didaſcalica. In titulis Pſalmorum ter & decies legitur.which is as much as A teaching Pſalme, a Pſalm making wiſe, a Pſalm for Inſtruction. This Title is given thoſe Pſalms, which as they have ſome extraordinary matter, ſo uſually they are Pſalmes of complaint under affliction; and the reaſon of that is, becauſe there is much inſtruction in correction, much light of holy knowledge is to be had in the School of the Croſſe: therefore uſually thoſe Pſalms that deſcribe the afflictions of the Church, are called Maſchil, Pſalms of Inſtruction.Schola crucis, Schola lucis. Luth.

He that is wiſe, and inſtructs: or he that is wiſe as having received inſtruction, may be profitable to himſelfe. All wiſedome is not profitable to man, for there is a wiſedome of which the Scripture ſaith, that God will deſtroy it; a man cannot profit himſelfe by that; and there is a wiſedome which is earthly ſenſuall and devilliſh (Jam. 3.15.) A man (be he never ſo wiſe according to this wiſedome) ſhall not profit himſelfe by it. There are a ſort of wiſe men whom the Lord will take in their craftineſſe (1 Cor. 3.19.) and how can ſuch profit themſelves by their wiſedome? There are wiſe men whoſe thoughts the Lord knoweth to be but vaine, that is, unprofitable, therefore theſe cannot profit themſelves: Then what is that wiſedome which Eliphaz means when he ſaith, He that is wiſe may be profitable to himſelfe?

I anſwer, The wiſe man here intended is not the man that is politickly wiſe, worldly wiſe, carnally or craftily wiſe, but the man ſpiritually wiſe, his wiſedome will bring him in profit. He that is guided by holy and godly wiſedome, ſhall reap the benefit and eat the fruit of it. We have ſuch wiſdome p. 16deſcribed (Pſal. 111.10.) The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wiſedome, a good underſtanding have all they that keep his Commandements; he doth not ſay, a good underſtanding have all they that know his Commandements, for many may know the Commandements, and yet not have a good underſtanding; but they have a good underſtanding indeed that do his Commandements. And when the Pſalmiſt ſaith, The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wiſedome, the word Beginning ſignifies not on…ly the firſt ſtep or entrance into a thing, but the head or hight of it; ſo that Beginning is as much as chief, or principall, the beſt wiſedome, the chief, the top wiſdome, the head wiſdome, or the head of wiſdome, is the fear of the Lord. Job gives the ſame deſcription of wiſdome, in the laſt words of the twenty-eighth Chapter, Behold the fear of the Lord that is wiſedome, and to depart from evill that is underſtanding. Would you know what is true wiſedome, 'tis the fear of the Lord: would ye know who is wiſe? The godly man is the truly wiſe man, yea he is the onelyonly wiſe man.

But then it may be queſtioned, May a wiſe man be profitable to himſelfe? Doth not the Apoſtle ſay (Rom. 14.7.) None of us liveth to himſelfe, &c. Then how can a man be wiſe to himſelfe? And doth not the Apoſtle give the rule (2 Cor. 5.15.) Chriſt dyed for all, that they which live ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves: If we may not live to our ſelves, how then doth he ſay here, that the wiſe man is profitable to himſelf? He that is profitable to himſelf, lives to himſelf, doth he not?

I anſwer, Firſt, the wiſe man muſt not make his own profit the end or the deſigne of his wiſedome, but he may look upon his own profit as that which will be the iſſue, frui…, and conſ…quent of his wiſedome. A carnall man looks to and loves his work for the rewards ſake: A godly man may look to and love his reward for the works ſake. (Prov. 9.12.) If thou be wiſe thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelf, that is, the fruit or the good of thy wiſedome will drop into thy owne boſome. A wiſe man may look for his advantage in the end of his worke, though he is not to make his own advantage the end of his work. We are not to make either temporal or eternal advantages, the end of our wiſedome; but we may look upon them as fruits and effects that God leads us to by the exerciſe of wiſedome.

p. 17Secondly, I anſwer, a wiſe man cannot be profitable to himſelfe as the founder of his own happineſſe, or as having a ſufficiency in himſelfe to make himſelf happy; but a wiſe man may be a means or an inſtrument of his owne happineſſe; and walking in the way of wiſedome, he walks in the way to his own happineſſe. Thus he that is godly wiſe, or that feareth God, may be profitable to himſelfe.

Hence Obſerve, He that is truly wiſe, godly and holy, ſhall find fruit and benefit by it.

The Apoſtle (1 Tim. 4.8.) aſſureth us that Godlineſſe is profitable for all things. The greateſt gain in the world is Godlineſſe, It hath the promiſes of this life and of that which is to come. Whatſoever drops out of any promiſe of the Goſpel, fals into the lap of a goly man; the promiſes are his, and therefore the good of the promiſe is his. When the promiſes open at any time, and give forth their vertue, they muſt needs give it forth to him that is wiſe, to him that is godly, for godlineſſe hath the promiſes. When the Apoſtle had rebuk'd a ſort of men that made godlineſſe onelyonly a ſtalking-horſ to get gain, he preſently adds, But Godlineſſe is great gaine, if a man be content with what he hath. Godlineſſe it ſelfe is great gaine, if we have no more, but godlineſſe brings in gaine, abundance of gaine, beſides it ſelfe. (Matth. 6.35.) Seeke firſt the Kingdome of God, and the righteouſneſſe thereof, and all theſe things ſhall be added (or caſt in as an advantage) to you. The Apoſtle (Rom. 6.21.) puts a kind of holy ſcorne upon ſinners, come, tell me, What fruit had you of thoſe things whereof you are now aſhamed? What fruit have you by your folly, pride, worldlineſſe, envy, what fruit have you found in theſe things? Bring me in an account of your gaine by trading in any ſin. The end of theſe things is death; there is no great profit in that. But now being made free from ſin, and become ſervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holineſs, and the end everlaſting life. Here are fruits good ſtore, and all good fruits both for here and hereafter. We can never want fruit our ſelves, while we are bringing forth fruit unto God: All obedience is attended with a bleſſing, and though as was toucht before, we cannot be the founders of our own bleſſedneſſe, nor muſt we meerly deſigne our own happineſſe, or aime p. 18at our owne pro… … that is mercenary ſervice) yet we may look at our owne happineſſe and profit, yea and Lay up for our ſelves a good foundation, as Paul adviſeth rich men (1 Tim. 6.1….) We then make the beſt of our riches, when we lay up for our ſelves a good foundation. But can a man lay a foundation of his happineſſe in his riches? what a rotten foundation will that be? what hay and ſtubble (in this ſenſe) will gold and ſilver be? What's the meaning of it then when the Apoſtle ſaith, Laying up for your ſelves a good foundation?

I anſwer, we do it by the right improvement of riches (for he ſpeaks there to rich men) not that we can lay any foundation to build upon beſide Jeſus Chriſt, for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid, even Jeſus Chriſt; but when our hearts are not glued to the creature, but we uſe them in a holy manner, here's our laying up a good foundation. A godly wiſe man may look upon his right improvement of worldly riches, as an effect of the grace and love of Chriſt dwelling in his heart; and thus he may be ſaid to lay up for himſelfe a good foundation. And further, a beleever may looke upon his worldly profits as a fruit of the ſame grace, the Lord having promiſed that he will bleſſe and provide for him, ſo that every way a wiſe man may be profitable to himſelfe. Thus Eliphaz hath at once aſſerted a poſſibility for a man to be profitable to himſelfe, and denyed any poſſibility that a man can be profitable unto God, which he further explaines in the next words.

Verſ. 3. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or is it any gaine to him that thou makeſt thy way perfect?

In the former Verſe Eliphaz denyed in generall that God receiveth any benefit from man: In this third Verſe he ſpeaks the ſame thing, but ſomewhat more diſtinctly, denying firſt that he receives any pleaſure which might add to his bleſſedneſſe, or ſecondly any gaine which might add to his abundance. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Is it any gaine to him that thou makeſt thy way perfect? As if he had ſaid. Is the bleſſedneſſe of God encreaſed by thy righteouſneſſe? p. 19Or doth the perfection of thy wayes augment his treaſure? Is he either the happier or the richer by any thing thou art or canſt doe? That's the ſcope and ſence of the words in generall.

Is it any pleaſure?

The word which we Tranſlate Pleaſure, ſignifies the will, foreign Notat voluntatem cum complacentia, vel acquieſcentia.and becauſe it is ſo great a pleaſure unto man to have his wil, therefore the ſame w…rd ſignifieth both pleaſure and the will. So the word is uſed (Pſal. 1.2.) Bleſſed is the man whoſe delight is in the Law of God; that is, whoſe will is there, or who takes pleaſure in the Law of God, his will being reſolved into the will of God. Then we take pleaſure and delight in a thing when we conforme to it, or cloſe with it. The judgment of God is ſo expreſſed upon Coniah (Jer. 22.28.) Is this man Coniah a deſpiſed broken Idol? Vas in quo non eſt voluntas.Is he a veſſel wherein there is no pleaſure? A Veſſel for the loweſt uſe, as 'tis interpreted, ver. 21. A veſſel in which there is no complacency, it is onelyonly for neceſſity. So the word is taken alſo (Prov. 3.15.) He is more precious then Rubies, all the things thou canſt deſire (or have pleaſure in) are not to be compared to him. And againe, (Iſa. 58.13.) If thou forbeare to do thy pleaſure upon mine holy day. What is the pleaſure of a carnal man upon the Sabboth, upon the holy day of God? It is to doe his own will, and not the will of God. If thou forbear to doe thine own pleaſure, that is, thine own will upon my holy day. Thus here, Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? foreign, &c. Sept.The Septuagint Tranſlate ſomewhat differently, What cares the Almighty if thou art unblameable in thy wayes? Thus a man uſually ſpeaks of that wherein he hath no pleaſure, What care I for it? Is it any pleaſure, &c.

That thou art righteous.

Righteouſneſſe is two-fold: Firſt of Juſtification (ſo ſome underſtand it here) Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art juſtified? Or ſecondly there is a righteouſneſſe in Converſation, ſo moſt underſtand it here; Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art holy? Which is the ſame with the latter clauſe of the Text, That thou makeſt thy way perfect.

Further, the word ſignifies to plead our own juſtice, as wel as to have a juſtice or righteouſneſſe of our own. And thus it p. 20may be Expounded in this place.An oblectationi eſt omnipotenti quod juſtificas te? Jun. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous, that is, that Thou doſt juſtifie thy ſelf or (as Mr. Broughton) pleadeſt juſtice. Doſt thou juſtifie thy ſelfe, or ſtand upon thine owne integrity, and then think to pleaſe God,Se juſtificare non tam eſt juſtum eſſe quam contendere & conari adverſus calumnias & ſcelera ſibi objecta & ex ratione coram judice reſpondere. or to carry the day againſt man, upon thoſe tearms? Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty? That word fully hits the deſign of Eliphaz, it ſignifies both Almighty and All-ſufficient, one that hath all in his own compa…, that needs not goe out of himſelfe to fetch in any ſupplies or aid from abroad. He is ſelf-ſufficient, and he hath a ſufficiency for all others. Is it any pleaſure to this Almighty one, that thou doſt thus juſtifie thy ſelfe?

Or is it any gaine to him that thou makeſt thy way perfect?

As it is no pleaſure, ſo no gaine. The ſecond Verſe before opened clears the mind of this clauſe. What there he calleth profit, is here called gaine, in different words: And the word here uſed is rendred indifferently both gaine and profit. (Gen. 37.26.) When Joſeph was caſt into the pit, Judah ſaid, What profit is it to ſlay our Brother, let us ſell him; let us make gaine of him that way, ſlaying him wil be no profit to us. And as it ſignifies gain, ſo covetouſnes, & the reaſon is becauſe covetouſnes hath gaine for its object, covetouſneſſe provokes men to ſeek gain. Jethro (Exod. 18.21.) gives councel that Magiſtrates ſhould be Men fearing God and hating covetouſneſſe, or hating gaine, that is not onelyonly all covetous practices, but inordinate deſires of gaine, for theſe lead into unlawful wayes of gaine, even to the perverting of Juſtice.

Is it any gaine to him that thou makeſt [thy way] perfect? That is, thy life, thy converſation, thy courſe; what though thou ſtriveſt after the higheſt attainments of grace, the pureſt purity of life, is this any gaine to the Lord? The Septuagint render, That thou makeſt thy way ſimple. The ſimple, ſincere, plain way is the perfect way. The perfection of our way is the ſimplicity, ſincerity, and uprightneſſe of it.

Another reads, Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thy way is undefiled, Or cleane, that thou doeſt ſweep and waſh thy way, ſo that there is no ſpot to be ſeen upon it. (Pſal. 119.1.) Bleſſed are the undefiled or perfect in the way. The ſeverall p. 21parts of this Pſalm begin with a new Letter,Alphabetarius eſt hic Pſalmus, oſtendens parvulos ab ipſis ſtatim elementis & pueritia, infarmandos eſſe ad pietatem. Hilar. according to the order of the Hebrew Alphabet, intimating that it ought to be learned even of Children, as one of the Ancients infers from it. The undefiled in the way are ſuch (properly) as have been holy or pure from their youth, ſuch as did never corrupt their wayes. Timothy is ſaid from a Child to learn the Scriptures. Suppoſe thy way thus perfect, that none could tax thee with any groſſe ſin, even from thy Child-hood, could this be any gaine to the Almighty?

There is yet another Tranſlation,Aut an lucro quod integras aſſeris vias tuas. Iun. which implyeth not only the ſtudy of holineſſe, but a boaſting in holineſſe, Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou doeſt juſtifie thy ſelfe? Or is it any gaine to him that thou doſt affirm thy wayes are perfect? So it fals in with the third rendring of the former clauſe.

For the underſtanding and further clearing of theſe words, I ſhall draw them forth into diſtinct Propoſitions, which will be as ſo many Obſervations from the Text. It may ſeem a very Paradox to aſſert that it is no pleaſure to the Almighty that a man makes his way perfect, therefore take the ſenſe firſt in three Affirmative Propoſitions, and then in three that are Negative.

Firſt, The Lord hath pleaſure in us as we are righteous in Chriſt. Yea he loves to hear us boaſt of this righteouſneſſe, and glory in it; and the more we doe ſo, the more pleaſure he taketh in it. (Iſa. 45.25.) Surely ſhall one ſay, in the Lord have I righteouſnes, even to him ſhall men come, &c. In the Lord ſhall all the ſeed of Iſrael be juſtified and ſhall glory. The ſeed of Iſrael are righteous in the Lord, and glory in that righteouſneſſe; yea the Lord is pleaſed to hear them glorying in that righteouſneſſe, for that's the righteouſneſſe of his Son, in whom he is well pleaſed, (Mat. 3.…7.) And becauſe the Church is cloathed with this righteouſneſſe, therefore ſhe is called The Lords delight, (Iſai. 62.4.) Thou ſhalt no more be called forſaken, neither ſhall thy Land any more be termed deſolate, but thou ſhalt be called Hephzibah, & thy land Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee. Thou ſhalt be called my delight, or my pleaſure is in her. The word of the Text, the Lords pleaſure is in the Church, and therefore the Lords pleaſure is in the Church, becauſ the Church is adorned and beautified with the righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt; this is p. 22it which cauſeth the Lord to call his Church Hephzibah, My pleaſure is in her. When Eliphaz enquireth, Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? We may anſwer, the Lord hath pleaſure in this righteouſneſſe, and as he tels the Church, ſo every perticular Believer, his delight and pleaſure is in him.

Secondly, God takes pleaſure alſo in us as we are righteous in Converſation. David (Pſal. 147.10, 11.) gives a clear proof of it both in the negative and in the affirmative. The Lord delighteth not in the ſtrength of a Horſe, he taketh not pleaſure in the leggs of a man. The Lords delight is neither in Horſes nor in men, neither in their ſtrength, nor in their beauty: wherein is the Lords pleaſure then? The next words ſhew us where, He takes pleaſure in them that feare him and hope in his mercy. This Scripture ſeems to ſpeak directly contrary to Eliphaz in Job, he ſaith, Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? But David ſaith, The Lord takes pleaſure in thoſe that feare him; therefore we muſt not underſtand Eliphaz in this ſenſe, as if the Lord had no delight or contentment at all in the holineſſe of his people, as if it were all one to him whether they are holy or unholy: There is a Generation who ſay, that all actions are alike, and that it is all one before God, whether men be righteous or unrighteous, whether they doe good or evil: wo to them that underſtand this Scripture in ſuch a corrupt ſenſe, for the Lord doth not onelyonly hate iniquity, but he is Of purer eyes then to behold any iniquity. He hath no pleaſure either in unrighteouſneſſe, or in the unrighteous, but both righteouſneſſe and the righteous are his pleaſure. There are three things which I ſhall touch for the confirmation of it.

Firſt, the Lord cannot but take pleaſure in his own Image: Now that righteouſneſſe which is implanted in us, and put forth by us, the righteouſneſſe of our natures and of our actions, as we are regenerate, is nothing elſe but the Image of God renewed upon us. Seeing then God cannot but take pleaſure in his own Image, therefore it is a wickedneſſe to think that God takes no pleaſure in a righteous man or in his righteouſneſſe.

Secondly, as this righteouſneſſe is the image of God in us, ſo it is the very workmanſhip of God upon us (Epheſ. 2.10.) p. 23For we are his workmanſhip; we are ſo not only firſt in our naturall capacity, as we are men, and ſecondly in our civil capacity as ſuch or ſuch men, high or low, rich or poor, but alſo (which is the thing intended by the Apoſtle) in our ſpiritual capacity as Saints. Thus we are the workmanſhip of God, created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we ſhould walk in them. The ſame Apoſtle ſaith againe, He that hath wrought us for this ſelfe ſame thing is God, (2 Cor. 5.5.) Is it poſſible that God ſhould have no pleaſure in his own works? We read in the firſt of Geneſis, that when he had made the world, the Lord ſaw all that he had made, and behold it was very good. God hath an All-ſeeing eye, he alwayes beholdeth all things, but when 'tis ſaid, he ſaw all that he had made, this imports a ſpecial act of God, after the manner of men, who ſtrictly view and behold what they have done, delighting in it; Thus the Lord ſaw all that he had made, he (as it were) came to view his own work, he ſaw and behold it was very good, he took pleaſure in it. Now if God took pleaſure in that ſtructure and fabrick of the world, the firſt Creation, how much more doth he take pleaſure in that holineſſe which he hath wrought in the hearts of his people, which is a ſecond creation? and that's a more curious and noble ſtructure then this viſible world is. The new Creation is more excellent then the old. Therfore the Lord cannot but delight in a righteous perſon for he is his workmanſhip. What Job (Ch. 14.15.) aſsures himſelfe of, is moſt true in this reſpect. Thou wilt have a deſire to the worke of thine hands. Job ſpeaks there of his outward man: my body (he means) was made by thee, 'tis the work of thy hands and thou wilt fetch it back again, thou wilt redeem it from the duſt. Whatſoever hath the workmanſhip of God upon it, he hath pleaſure in it as it is his work, and a ſpeciall pleaſure in that, which (as any work of Grace is) is his ſpeciall work.

Thirdly, this Conſideration ſhews that the Lord muſt take pleaſure in a righteous perſon, becauſe he bears the form of his will revealed in his word. Holineſſe is our conformity to the will of God: Now the Lord cannot but take pleaſure in thoſe who conforme to his will. Samuel tels Saul (1 Sam. 15.22. and there he uſeth this word in the Text) Hath the Lord p. 24as great delight in Burnt-offrings and ſacrifices, as in obeying the voyce of the Lord? God gave thee a word, a Command, to which he expected thy conformity, but thou haſt thought to pleaſe the Lord with Sacrifices, which he commanded thee not, this was thy miſtake and thy folly. We honour God when we do his will, ſurely then he muſt needs take pleaſure in thoſe that doe it. Man takes pleaſure when he can have his will (though it be a corrupt and ſinfull will) fulfilled: It cannot but be a pleaſure to God when his holy will is fulfilled, or done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thus we ſee the ſecond Propnſition cleared, for the underſtanding of theſe words, That as the Lord takes pleaſure in thoſe who are righteous by the imputed righteouſneſſe of his Son, ſo even in thoſe alſo who are reghteous by the Implanted righteouſneſſe or holineſſe of his ſpirit.

Thirdly, God takes pleaſure to ſee a ſincere and upright perſon juſtifie himſelfe, or plead his owne juſtice againſt all the falſe accuſations and ſuſpitions of men. The Lord likes it well to hear a man who is falſly accuſed, to ſtand up and maintaine his own innocency, yea it is our duty, and we are bound in conſcience to maintain our own innocency. So David in the ſeventh Pſalm and in the eighteenth Pſalm juſtified himſelfe againſt Saul. And thus Job all along in this Book juſtified himſelfe againſt the opinion of his friends; in this ſenſe God takes pleaſure, when we are ſo righteous in all our dealings, and perfect in all our wayes, that we dare encounter whoſoever ſpeaks the contrary, and can waſh off all the aſperſions which either miſguided and miſtaken friends, or profeſſed Enemies caſt upon us. You have now had thoſe three affirmative Propoſitions for the underſtanding of the Text. Take three more in the Negative.

Firſt, God hath no pleaſure to ſee us juſtifie our ſelves before him, or to plead our own righteouſneſſe with him, yea he is extreamly diſpleaſed at it. This ſome conceive the chief thing which Eliphaz aimed at. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou doeſt juſtifie thy ſelfe? No, thou doſt highly provoke him in doing ſo, to plead with or to juſtifie our ſelves before God that we are righteous, is worſe then all our unrighteouſneſſe, for this overthrowes the whole deſign of the Goſpel, which is (1 Cor. p. 251.29.) That no fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence, but be that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And (Rom. 3.19, 20.) The Law convinceth all, That all the world may become guilty before God, therefore by the deeds of the Law there ſhall be no fleſh juſtified in his ſight. God will have every mouth ſtopped, or cry guilty, and therefore for any one to open his mouth and juſtifie himſelfe before God, is to overthrow the Goſpel. They are ignorant of the righteouſneſſe of God, who goe about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſſe (Rom. 10.3.) And as God hath no pleaſure in them who boaſt of their righteouſneſſe to juſtifie themſelves before him, ſo

Secondly, God hath no pleaſure in them who boaſt of their owne righteouſneſſe, and contemne others. Though a man may aſſert the righteouſneſſe of his Converſation againſt all them who queſtion it; yet God reſents it highly when any proclaim their own righteouſneſſe to the deſpiſing of others. Chriſt ſpeaks a Parable againſt thoſe (in the 18^th of Luke, v. 9, 10, 11.) who truſted in themſelves that they were righteous, and deſpiſed others. Two men went up into the Temple to pray, the one a Phariſee, the other a Publican: The Phariſee ſtood and prayed thus with himſelfe, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, adulterers, unjuſt, or even as this Publican. Here was one that advanced his owne active righteouſneſſe, and he did it with the contempt of another, I am not as this Publican. The Lord takes no pleaſure in this, yea the Lord is highly diſpleaſed with this. And (Iſa 65.5.) the Prophet repreſents the Lords indignation againſt this phariſaicall ſpirit in dreadful eloquence, Stand by thy ſelfe, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou. Thus they pleaded their righteouſnes in contempt of others. Theſe (ſaith the Lord) are a ſmoak in my noſe (that is, greevous, and diſpleaſing) a fire that burneth all the day.

Thirdly, God hath no pleaſure at all in any of our righteouſneſſe, either in the righteouſneſſe of our Juſtification, or the righteouſneſſe of our Sanctification, as the leaſt addition to his owne happineſs. The reaſon of it is, becauſe (as was ſhewed from the former Verſe) God is ſelf-ſufficient, and hath no dependance at all upon the Creature: So that what pleaſure ſoever the Lord hath in the righteouſneſſe of our Juſtification, or of our Sanctification, we cannot put it to this account, that we add any thing to his happines.

p. 26All the pleaſure which God taketh is in himſelfe, or in the fulfilling of his owne good pleaſure in Chriſt.

And therefore the work which Jeſus was to doe on Earth, is called the pleaſure of God (Iſa. 53.10.Deus nullis rebus quae extra ipſum ſunt tangitur aut mutatur.) It pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe him, he hath put him to grief, when thou ſhalt make his ſoule an offering for ſin, he ſhall ſee his ſeed, he ſhall prolong his dayes, and the pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in his hand. That pleaſure of the Lord was the work which the Lord put into his hand, or which he gave him to doe, even the bringing about his eternal purpoſe, for the recovery of loſt man; that's a work in which the Lord takes pleaſure, ſo much pleaſure, that the Prophet calleth it His pleaſure. And thus the Apoſtle ſpeaks (Eph. 1.5, 6.) Having predeſtinated us to the adoption of Children, by Jeſus Chriſt, according to the good pleaſure of his owne will, &c. The good pleaſure of God is onelyonly in his owne will, that's his pleaſure. The Lord delights to ſee his will accompliſht in the ſaving of ſinners, as well as in the obedience of Saints, that's a part of the good will of God: why doth he take pleaſure in the obedience of Saints, even becauſe his own will is done. It's not any thing in us that doth it. So when he ſaves us, the pleaſure which he takes is in the fulfilling of his owne will, rather then in our ſalvation. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?

Verſ. 4. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? Or will he enter with thee into judgement?

The Queſtion is to be reſolved into this negative, He will not reprove thee for fear of thee, &c.

Will he reprove thee?

foreign arguit redarguit, corripuit, judicavit.The word ſignifies firſt to argue or diſpute, and ſo to convince by the authority of reaſon.

Secondly, to plead, ſo to convince by evidence of the Law and fact (Mich. 6.2.) Hear yee O Mountaines the Lords Controverſie, and ye ſtrong foundations of the Earth, for the Lord hath a controverſie with his people, and he will plead with Iſrael. The Mountaines and the ſtrong foundations of the earth, are the great men of the earth, or Magiſtratical powers, with theſe p. 27the Lord threatens a Controverſie, and that he will plead or argue his cauſe with them.

Thirdly, it ſignifies to argue or plead not with words onelyonly, but with blowes, to reprove with correction. Job 5.17. Happy is the man whom thou correcteſt. The word which here we render reprove, is there rendred to correct, which is reproving by blowes.

Fourthly, Some tranſlate it to evidence, to evince, and determine: Thus it is ſaid (Gen. 20.16.) that Abimilech reproved Sarah, that is, gave evidence that ſhe had a husband: And Abrahams Servant ſaid (Gen. 24.44.) She that ſaith to me, both drink thou, and I will alſo draw for thy Camels, let her be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed for my Maſters Son. That is, let this token be an evidence to me, that it is ſhe whom thou haſt appointed for his wife. Some here take it ſo, Will God evidence or determine concerning thee, by thy feare, or the worſhip which thou giveſt him, That thou art righteous. We expreſſe it fully enough, Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?

Or will he enter with thee into judgement?

Both theſe expreſſions are of the ſame ſence; and theſe words [for fear of thee] may be read in the cloſe of the Verſe, Will he reprove thee, or will he enter with thee into judgment for fear of thee?

Feare may be taken here two wayes: Either firſt Actively, or ſecondly Paſſively.

Take it Actively, and ſo it notes the Fear of Job, Putaſne te plecti ob religionē tuam.Will he reprove thee becauſe of thy Feare? And then by his Fear we are to underſtand his Religiouſneſſe or Holineſſe; ſo Mr. Broughton, Would he reprove thee for thy Religion?

Take this Fear Paſſively,An de religione tua argueret te? Iun. and then it implyeth a Fear which God himſelfe might be thought to have of him; as if Eliphaz had ſaid, God is not afraid of thee. The Prophet ſaith (Iſa. 51.12.) Who art thou that thou ſhouldeſt be afraid of a man, &c.Quis vel hoc deſipiens ſentiat, quod Dominus ex timore nos arguat & ex metu judicium ſuum contra nos proponat. Greg. Much more may we ſay, who or what is man that God ſhould be afraid of him? One of the Ancients following this Interpretation, profeſſeth that no fit or comely ſenſe can be given of theſe words, but concludes that Eliphaz ſpake very fooliſhly and groſly, or as a man forſaken & left of God: For (ſaith he) can any one imagine ſuch a thing as this, that Job ſhould have a thought p. 28that God was afraid of him? But we may very well accommodate the ſenſe in either of theſe Conſiderations of Fear, whether Actively, or Paſſively, and judicious Interpreters carry it both wayes. Let us weigh it a little in both.

P…taſne, quod ille te affligat, quia… religi…ſus ſis & Dei timeus ac integer ut d… te ipſe predicas, minime vero, quiu potius quod ſis irreligioſus. Merc.Firſt Actively, as Fear is taken for the Fear which Joh feared, that is, for his religion and worſhip, or the exerciſe of it, then the meaning is this, Doſt thou think that God doth puniſh thee for thy goodneſſe, or becauſe thou art righteous? No, it is becauſe thou art irreligious: Is not thine iniquity great, and thy ſin infinite? As he ſpeaks out in the n…xt words, Doeſt thou think that God puniſhes thee for thy holineſſe? No, he can find ſins enow to doe it for. And Eliphaz might ſpeak to ſuch a ſenſe (I conceive) becauſe Job pleaded his integrity ſo much; as if he ſhould ſay, Never think that God afflicts thee for thy holineſſe, or righteouſneſſe, but rather acknowledge thy ſins and thy wickedneſſe to be the cauſe of thy afflictions, Are not thine iniquities manifeſt?

There is a tru…h in this, God doth correct many who fear him, but he doth not correct …ny one for fearing of him; many holy perſons are afflicted, but no man was ever afflicted for his holineſſe. God hath made many promiſes to the godly man, that he will reward him, and doe him good. Say to the righteous it ſhall be well with him. Godlineſſe is profitable for all things, having …he promiſes of this life, and of that which is to come. Therefore no man needs feare that God will hurt him for his holineſſe: though a holy man may receive many rods and ſcourges from God, yet holineſſe never received the leaſt ſcourge from God.

Numquid ex timore tuo judicabit te? Deus quando te judicabit, non reſpiciet ad timorem tuum tantum & connivebit ad mala quae feceris. Hoc fine ſubijcit, nonne malum tuum amplum eſt? oſtendit autem nullam pietatem hominis eſſe perfectam, ut mae juſtus judicari a deo poſſit. Coc.Againe, as fear is taken Actively for Religion, or for holineſſe, the ſenſe may be given thus, in purſuance of the fourth ſignification of the word Reprove, before …xplained, When God comes to judge thee, or when he declares what thou art, he will not look to thy fear onelyonly, to thy profeſſion of Religion, and holineſſe, and over-look or wink at thy ſins; and therefore he preſently ſubjoynes, Is not thy wickedneſſe great? Hereby arguing, that no mans piety is ſo perfect, that thereby he can be accounted juſt or righteous in the ſight of God, or that a mans profeſſion, yea and practice of Religion is of no value, either to eſcape the puniſhment of his ſin, or to deſerve a reward at the hands of God. Some expound that (Pſal. 50.8.) in a paralel ſenſe to this, the Original word being the p. 29ſame. I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices (which is the ſame with Fear in the Text, according to this Interpretation, being put for all outward worſhip or religiouſneſſe) or for thy burnt-offrings continually before me; For thoſe words, to have been, which our Tranſlators ſupply, may be left out, and the ſenſe remain perfect: Or if thoſe words be continued, then the negative particle not, is (as in many Scriptures it is) to be reaſſumed out of the firſt part of the Verſe, and the whole read thus, I wil not reprove thee for thy ſacrifices, or for thy Burnt-offrings not to have been continually before me. That is, I will not charge thee with a neglect of outward duty or worſhip, the inward and ſpiritual (of which he ſpeaks, ver. 14.Eliphazo propoſitum eſt oſtendere quod religio hominis non proſit ad demerendum deum, vel peccati paenam evadendā. Coc.) being that which is moſt pleaſing unto me. Now as to the paraleling of this place in the Pſalms, with the ſence of Job's Text now under hand, we muſt read them thus, I will not judge thee for thy Sacrifices, that is, when I determine concerning thy righteouſneſſe, I will not doe it by having an eye to or reſpecting thy Sacrifices, thy religious courſe and exerciſe of holines, though thou haſt bin much yea even continually converſant in them; I ſhall only argue and declare thee righteous as thou truſteſt in me and by Faith takeſt hold of my Covenant. Thus as the Lord is conceived ſaying in the Pſalm, I will not judge or declare thee righteous for thy Sacrifices, ſo here Eliphaz, will he (that is certainly he will not) judge or declare thee righteous for thy feare? And ſo the latter part of the Verſe may receive the ſame Expoſition, Will he enter with thee into judgment, namely for thy feare? Will God deale with thee upon the account of thy piety? And when he comes to juſtifie thee, will he impute that to thee? Or when God enters into judgement with thee, will he ſuffer thee to preſent thy fear, thy piety, or goodneſſe to him, and ſo thereby anſwer his plea, or take away the action which he brings againſt thee? When God enters with us into judgement, we may boldly plead our intereſt or Faith in the Mediator, but we muſt not plead our fear, the Grace or Holineſſe either of our perſons, or of our ſervices.

Thus we ſee the Doctrine of the Text according to this Expoſition, and the Active ſignification of the word Feare, carrieth in it the very life and ſpirit of the Goſpel. All the worth p. 30and merit of our works as to righteouſneſſe, is nul'd and laid proſtrate, and we taught to glory in nothing but the free gift and grace of God by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.

Secondly, As Fear is taken paſſively, Will he reprove thee for feare of thee? That is, is God afraid of thee, doth he pick quarrels with thee for fear of thee? Or ſeek occaſions againſt thee when there is none? only leſt thou ſhouldeſt ſtand in his way, or be a detriment to him. This appears plainly to be the ſenſe of our Tranſlators.

Whence Obſerve, God is above the feare of the Creature.

As in the former Verſe God is above any advantages or hopes that the Creature can give him, ſo he is above the feare of any hurt that the creature can doe him. As the goodneſſe or righteouſneſſe of man cannot benefit the Lord, ſo the wickedneſſe and ſinfulneſſe of man cannot at all impaire the eternall glory and happineſſe of the Lord. Though the wickedneſſe of man be a darkening to the manifeſtations of his glory (and for that wicked men ſhall be judged) yet as to his eſſential glory all the wickedneſſe in the world cannot darken that, nor be the leaſt abatement to it. Will he reprove thee for feare of thee? No, man cannot hurt the Lord by all his wickedneſſe, and therefore

The puniſhment which God layeth upon wicked men is not after the manner of men. God doth not puniſh as man puniſheth.

Eliphaz here ſpeaks of that w^ch is often indeed a true ground among men why they reprove or puniſh other men. Some reprove others upon a vaine fear of them, and ſome upon a juſt fear of them. Why did the Jews accuſe and reprove Chriſt? Was it not for fear of him? at leaſt they pretended a fear, why elſe were they ſo haſty to have Jeſus Chriſt brought to judgement? (John 12.47, 48.) Then gathered the chief Prieſts and Phariſees a Councel, and ſaid, what doe we? for this man doth many Miracles, if we let him thus alone, all men will beleeve on him, and the Romanes ſhall come and take away both our place and Nation. They Crucified Chriſt for fear (though it was but a vain fear) that he would be the ruine of their ſtate; the Romanes muſt needs come and deſtroy them if they let him alone. p. 31Feare makes men cruell, and they are moſt ready to hurt others, who continually ſuſpect hurt from others. It hath been an ancient Obſervation, that Cowards are murtherous and revengefull; while a man fears that ſuch a man will be his ruine, he ruines him if he can, and removes that out of his way which he ſuppoſeth ſtanding in the way of his owne ſafety. Why did Pharaoh give Command to ſlay the Male-Children of the Jews, and oppreſſe that people? It was upon a vaine or cowardly fear, Come let us deale wiſely with them, leſt they multiply, and it come to paſſe that when there falleth out any warre, they joyne alſo with our enemyes, and fight againſt us, and ſo get them up out of the Land, (Ex. 1.10) It is ſayd at the 7^th verſe of that Chap. that the children of Iſrael were fruitfull and (God fullfilling herein his promiſe made to Abraham) encreaſed aboundantly, and multiplyed and waxed exceeding mighty, and the Land was filled with them. When God thus caſt a gratious eye upon them, Pharoah and his Councellers caſt a jelous eye upon them; and began to ſuſpect their multiplying might at laſt diminiſh him, that their riſing might prove his ruine. Therefore upon reaſon of ſtate he muſt find out a way to ſuppreſs and keepe them under as ſlaves and bondmen, whom his Anceſtors received as welcom gueſts, and had to that day, enjoyed as faithful friends. Pharoah being captivated with this feare, ſaw no way to free himſelfe, but by taking away the freedome of that whole People. As ſome through the prevalency of their owne feares dare not doe juſtice, ſo others through the prevalency of feare doe that which is unjuſt. Take one inſtance more, why did Herod (Matth. 2.) ſend out to ſlay all the Children? It was for fear of the King of the Jewes, he was afraid of Chriſt, and therefore that he might murther him, he gave that horrible ſentence to ſlay all the Infants. Again, ſome reprove and judge upon a due fear, for as Tirants and wicked men are full of fear becauſe full of cruelty, and have ſuſpitious thoughts that others will wrong them, becauſe they have a mind to wrong every man: ſo juſt and righteous Magiſtrates when they ſee evil working, they muſt reprove and puniſh it leſt it ſpread to the endangering of the publick Peace. This is a juſt fear, and ſuch as becomes a man, even a man of courage and integrity; p. 32ſuch may feare that if ſeditious ſpirits be let alone,Veriſſimum eſt illud, quod inter argumentā dum aſſumit Eliphaz, ex timore frequenter naſci aut vehementius accendi ſolere ſeveritatem in irrogando ſupplicio Pined. they will undermine a whole Nation, and deſtroy thouſands. A Magiſtrate reproves and Judges Theeves and Murtherers out of fear that if they encreaſe no man ſhall live quietly. Such as either openly or ſecretly contrive evil againſt a Nation, the Magiſtrate from a juſt ground of fear deals with them & reproves leaſt they ſhould diſturb or infect the whole.

But the Lord doth not reprove any man for fear of him, he is of ſuch infinite ſtrength and ſtability, ſo far out of the reach of all the plots and contrivances of the wicked, that he needs not call them to account leſt they ſhould hurt his ſtate, pull him out of his Throne, ſpoile his Kingdome, or get his Dominion from him; the Lord is not afraid of any of theſe things, but the true reaſon why the Lord reproves wicked men, is, becauſe he hates their iniquities, and is a God of truth and judgment. Though Magiſtrates may puniſh not only out of the love of Righteouſneſſe and Judgment, but becauſe they fear a State may be ruin'd if they do it not, yet the Lord hath none of this fear, in regard of his State, but he doth it meerly out of love to juſtice, and as a hater of wickedneſſe.

He reproves man becauſe he hath ſinned againſt him, not becauſe he is afraid of him, as Eliphaz ſhews in the words which follow.