Exposition of Job 22-26, Commentary · Chapter 22 · Verse 5
Verſ. 5. Is not thy wickedneſſe great?
The queſtion may be taken two wayes; either conjecturally, and doubtingly, or aſſertively, and affirmingly. Uſually in Scripture ſuch queſtions are reſolved into aſſertions and ſo divers Interpreters reſolve this here; Is not thy wickedneſſe great? That is, I conclude againſt thee, that thy wickedneſſe is great, and that thy iniquities are infinite; ſo Mr Broughton renders; Doubtleſſe thy evill is great. Others conceive it more cleare to the minde of the Text, that this queſtion ſhould be interpreted conjecturally;Non tam haec ei ex profeſſo obijcit, quam cogitandum ei relinquit, num haec fecerit. Merc. Is not thy wickedneſſe great? That is, may we not ſuppoſe, that thy wickedneſſe is great? may we not from (at leaſt) probable grounds thinke thus of thee? And that, Firſt, from the generall ſtate of man by nature, mans heart being ſinfull he may ſinne, and ſinne (as it were) without bounds, greatly. There is no man (ſayth Solomon, 1 Kings 8. 46.) that liveth, and ſinneth not; Solomon puts it as a parentheſis in his prayer, but it is ſuch a parentheſis, as hoocks in all man kinde, it takes all in, Who is there that ſinneth not? ſo (Pro. 20.9.) Who can ſay I am cleane from my ſinne? Now upon this generall ground Eliphaz might ſuppoſe, Is not thy wickedneſſe great? All men have this in their nature, and haſt not thou made improvement of it in thy life? All men being ſinfull by nature, art not thou extreamely ſinfull in practiſe?
Againe, He might make the ſuppoſition upon this ground, his preſent condition, or his affliction; thou art greatly afflicted, thy afflictions are not of an ordinary ſiſe, or meaſure, therefore is not thy wickedneſſe great? and thine iniquity beyond the ordinary meaſure? Upon this common rule he might ſuppoſe his ſin very great; for uſually God doth proportion, and meaſure out puniſhments by our ſinnes. Thy ſufferings are very great, therefore are not thy ſinnes great too? Thus he might ſpeake conjecturally upon both theſe conſiderations; And yet if we conſider how poſitively he ſpeaks of particulars at the 6th and 7th verſes, &c: Thou haſt taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and ſtripped the naked of their cloathing, &c. He gives us but too much ground to thinke, that he did more then barely conjecture, while he ſayd; Is not thy wickedneſſe great?
The word which we render wickedneſſe, foreign malum tuū vox Hebraea pertinet ad improbitatē quandam & impudentiam, contra jus & aequum omnia conculcantem.is by ſome ſpecially expounded of that wickedneſſe which hath a kinde of impudence in it, and which doth not onelyonly breake, tranſgreſſe, or ſtep over the Law, but ſpurns againſt it; every man that ſinneth ſteppeth over the Law, over the line, but there are ſome that kicke at it, ſome who trample upon it, yea they would deſtroy it; ſo ſome highten the emphaſis of the word.
Againe, the word is rendred by others as ſignifying the evill of puniſhment in this part of the verſe, and not the evill of ſinne; Is not thy affliction great, therefore thy iniquity is infinite. Malitia in ſacris interdū eſt afflictio, aerumna, vexatio, pro malo paenae non culpae accipit. Rab: Lev:The Greeke word (Matth. 6.34.) anſwers this, Sufficient to the day is the evill thereof, that is, the trouble, and the ſorrow of it: (Amos 3.6.) Is there any evill in the Citie which the Lord hath not done? So here, Is not thy evill great, thy evill of puniſhment? therefore thy iniquity is infinite. But I rather fix it upon the former: though the word ſometimes ſignifies the evill of affliction, yet here I ſhall take it for the evill of ſinne, or as we tranſlate, wickedneſſe, which denotes not ordinary but great ſinne; for though every wicked man be a ſinner, yet every ſinner is not properly a wicked man.
Further, wickedneſſe in the former, and iniquity in the latter part of the verſe, may be thus diſtinguiſhed; wickedneſſe ſpecially reſpects thoſe acts by which we hurt, and wrong others, iniquitie, thoſe in which we paſſe by or neglect the duty which we owe to others;Malitiam dicit plurimam, ſed iniquitates infinitas, quia in pluribus peccat homo omittendo quam committendo. Aquin. and therefore Eliphaz calls his wickedneſſe great, but his iniquities infinite; becauſe ſinnes of omiſſion are more in number then ſinnes of commiſſion; Man fayles oftner by not doing the good required, then by doing the evill forbidden. Nature can eaſier forbeare that which it likes, or pleaſeth it, then be converſant in that which it likes not, or with which it is diſpleaſed.
Is not thy wickedneſſe great?
The word ſignifies both magnitude and multitude, and it may be taken both wayes here, for great in bulke, and great in number.
But it may be ſaid, whoſe wickedneſſe is not great? or is any ſinne little? Why then doth Eliphaz faſten this upon Job, Is not thy wickedneſſe great?
I anſwer, firſt, that it is unbecoming any man, to ſay his finnes are little; we ſhould not little, or leſſen our ſinnes, or have low thoughts of them; as wee ought not to have low thoughts of any of the mercies of God, but to thinke them all great to us, yea too great for us; ſo we ſhould not have light thoughts of any of our ſinnes, but judge the leaſt of them great, and the lighteſt of them heavy; yea even too great and too heavy for us to beare. Nor doth any thing more greaten a mans ſinne, then his opinion that it is little.
Secondly, I anſwer, that indeed no ſinne is little; in the leaſt ſinne that ever was committed, there is a greatneſſe, as committed againſt the great God, as it is a breach of the Law, and an abuſe of the love of the Great God. Nevertheleſſe, though every ſinne, thus conſidered, is great, yet comparatively ſome ſinnes are but little, and ſinnes being weighed one with the other, we may give this diſtinction of them into little and great, light and heavy. And as ſome Godly men are faithfull and feare God above many, ſo ſome wicked men are ſinfull and diſhonour God above many. Is not thy wickedneſſe great?
Hence note; 'Tis our duty not onelyonly to take notice of our ſinnes, but of the greatneſſe and degree of our ſinnes.
Eliphaz doth well to put Job upon that enquirie, Is not thy wickedneſſe Great? Though he did ill ſo groundleſly to ſuſpect, much more to conclude that it was ſo. When Moſes (Exod. 32.31.) interceded for the people, after they had made the golden Calfe, he makes report of their ſin to God in the fulleſt aggravation of it; O, this people have ſinned a great ſinne, and have made them Gods of Gold; he doth not onelyonly confeſſe in their behalfe, that they had ſinned, but they had ſinned greatly, They have (ſayth he) ſinned a ſin, that's more then to doe a thing that is ſinfull, and which is yet more, They have ſinned a great ſin, and which is moſt of all, they (though they have been taught and have profeſſed that God made them) have made them gods of Gold. David makes this the ground why he did beg pardon of his ſin (Pſal. 25.11.) Pardon mine iniquitie for it is great. As we are to looke upon the greatneſſe of ſinne, to humble our ſoules with godly ſorrow, ſo we are to looke upon the greatneſſe of ſinne when wee ſue to the Lord for pardon; pardon my ſinne for it is great; our very ſencibleneſſe that our ſinne is great, is a prevayling argument with God to pardon it; and our inſencibleneſſe that our ſinnes are great, gives the greateſt ſtop to the pardon of them. And as every ſinne hath the more need of pardon, by how much the greater it is, ſo God will have the more glory in pardoning it, by how much the greater it is. The great wounds, and ſickneſſes of the Patient have the more need of curing, and if a Phycitian cure a great wound, or ſickneſſe, he hath the more honour by the cure. Now that we may take the trueſt meaſure of our ſinnes, we muſt looke upon them, firſt in their nature and kinde, of what ſort they are, and to what they relate in their commiſſion; ſecondly, in their circumſtances, when, how, and in what manner they have been committed. That ſinne which is but little in the nature of it, may be a very great one in the circumſtances of it. As there are ſome mercies which we receive from God, little in their kinde, yet great in their circumſtances, and very obligeing; ſo are our ſinnes. Some finnes are very horrid in their owne nature, they lay the conſcience waſt, and eate out the very principles of Godlineſſe, ſuch are Atheiſme, Blaſphemy, and Idolatry. The ſinne of the people of Iſrael in making Gods of Gold, how deteſtable was it? a golden God, what an ugly ſight is that? and indeed there are many ſinnes which by how much they have the more externall beauty and glory upon them, the more ugly and filthy they are. Other ſinnes are ſmall in their kinde, yet by additionall conſiderations they ſwell into an immenſe vaſtneſſe, and become out of meaſure finfull.
For Inſtance, firſt to ſinne againſt light, that is, not onelyonly to commit a knowne ſinne, but to commit it knowingly. (Tis poſſible, that while we know ſuch a thing to be a ſinne, yet to doe it unknowingly, or not to know that we have done it; He that knoweth it is a ſinne to tell any untruth, may yet tell one and not know it: But) when we doe that which is a knowne ſin, and likewiſe know that we doe it, then we have no cloake for our ſinne.
Secondly, To ſinne againſt many received mercies, greatens it exceedingly; Thus the Lord aggravates the ſinne of David, I have done thus, and thus, for thee, and if this had been to little, I would moreover have given thee ſuch and ſuch things; Wherefore haſt thou deſpiſed the commandement of the Lord to doe evill in his ſight, 2 Sam. 12.8, 9.
Thirdly, It greatens ſinne when continued in after warnings, and renewed admonitions; He that being often reproved hardneth his necke, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and that without remedy, (Prov. 29.1.) The Greatneſſe of his puniſhment, (he ſhall be (not afflicted, but) deſtroyed) the quicknes of it (he ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed) the irrecoverablenes of it (and that without remedy) all theſe with one conſent vote the greatnes of that ſin, whatſoever it be in its kinde, which is perſiſted in after perſwaſion to deſiſt and depart from it. The Church is commanded to paſſe her extreameſt cenſure upon that offending brother, who having been told his fault; firſt, by that brother alone whom he hath offended; ſecondly, by him and two more aſſociated as witneſſes; thirdly, then, by the Church gathered in the name of Chriſt. (Matth. 18.16, 17.) But if be will not heare thee, then take one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witneſſes, every word may be eſtabliſhed: and if he ſhall neglect to heare them, tell it to the Church: but if he neglect to heare the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publicane. It is dangerous enough to ſin againſt a rule, but tis more dangerous to ſin againſt a reproofe; eſpecially againſt the reproofe of a whole Church.
Fourthly, When we ſinne in the ſight of judgements upon our ſelves, or others, whether for the ſame, or other ſinnes: This is as if a theife ſhould ſteale before the Judge, or under the gibbet, while he ſeeth others arraigned or executed for ſtealing. It is very evill to ſin againſt judgements threatned, but it is far worſe to ſin againſt Judgements executed. That wrath which is revealed from heaven againſt all unrighteouſneſſe to the eare in the word of God, ſhould ſtop us from ſin, much more that which is revealed to the eye in the workes of God.
Fiftly, When we ſinne againſt our owne promiſes not to ſinne, when our owne words condemne us, as well as the word of God, this ſtaynes every ſinne with a double guilt.
Sixtly, The greatening of a ſinne is from the repeating of it after it hath been repented of. To fall into any ſinne out of which we have riſen, makes our fall the more grievous; when a ſinner lickes up his owne vomit, when he builds againe the things which he had deſtroyed, he makes himſelfe a tranſgreſſor indeed. They who repent not cannot expect mercy, what remaines then for them but a certain fearefull expectation of Judgement, who repent of their repentings?
Seventhly, Sin is greatly encreaſed when acted with deliberation; to be hurried into a ſinne though great, is not ſo great as to doe a leſſe evill conſultively, or to adviſe upon it and doe it; ſome ſinne for want of advice, many ſinne againſt advice, and not a few ſin with advice, that is, adviſedly. Tis hard to finde out a way to give them comfort, who ſinne with counſell. They who are wiſe to doe evill, or who doe evill as a piece of their wiſdome (ſuch every deliberate action is eſteemed to be) will be found the greateſt fooles. All ſin is folly, but thoſe ſins have moſt of the foole in them, which we thinke, we doe wiſely. In all theſe caſes, we may well ſay to any man, as Eliphaz here to Job; Is not thy wickedneſſe great?
And thine iniquitie infinite.
foreign perverſitas & non finis iniquitatibus tuis. Heb. foreign. 70. Rebellio aeterna. Vatabl.The word which we tranſlate iniquitie, implyeth perverſeneſſe, or frowardneſſe in ſinning; Is not thine iniquity infinite. The Hebrew is, There is no end to thy iniquity, or thou doſt commit iniquity without end. The Septuagint render it thus; Are not thy iniquities ſo many that they cannot be numbred? are they not innumerable? Another thus; Is not thy rebellion eternall? And ſo the ſence reacheth eyther the multiplication of acts, or the continuation of time. Our reading is comprehenſive of both; Is not thine iniquity infinite?
But how could Eliphaz make ſuch a ſuppoſition as this? ſeeing there is nothing infinite but God, and it is altogether impoſſible that there ſhould be two infinites. The heavens cannot hold two Sunnes, much leſſe can the world hold two infinites. God is The onelyonly Infinite; therefore ſinne is not infinite as God is infinite; Firſt, that is infinite which is without end; ſecondly, that is infinite which is without bound, in both God is infinite; As he had no beginning, ſo he ſhall have no end or period of his being; He is infinite in reference to duration or time; and he is infinite in reference to place or extent; He fills heaven and earth; and the heaven of heavens cannot containe him. The Hebrew phraſe in the Text, without end, anſwers our tranſlation, infinite; for infinite is that which hath no bounds or end. So then in a ſtrict and proper ſence, there is nothing infinite but God. And infinity runneth through all the titles of God, he is infinite in power, infinite in wiſdome, juſtice, righteouſneſſe, and mercy; It remaines then to be further conſidered, how we may underſtand this queſtion, Is not thine iniquitie infinite?
I anſwer, ſin is not infinite properly, yet in a vulgar ſence, ſinne may be called infinite, for according to common acception, we call that infinite which is very great, or which exceeds all ordinary bounds, though not all bounds; onelyonly that is properly infinite which exceeds all bounds, but we uſually ſay, that is infinite which exceeds ordinary bounds. Thus ſome mens ſins onelyonly are infinite. For though every ſin be a breaking of the bounds which God hath ſet us, eyther in exceſſe or in defect; yet they who ſin after a common rate or proportion of ſinning, may be ſaid to keepe their bounds in ſinning. For what the Apoſtle ſpeakes of ſome tryalls and Temptations (1 Cor. 10.13.) the ſame may be ſaid of ſome ſinnes and tranſgreſſions, that they are common to man. But they who ſin (as the Prophet ſpeakes) with a high hand, or with both hands greedily, they who draw iniquitie with coards of vanitie, and ſin as i… were with cart-ropes, theſe doe not onelyonly breake the everlaſting bounds of the Law, but the ordinary bounds of ſin. Their ſins are not common (in the act, though the principle be) to man; They ſin as few men ever ſinned, they ſin like devills rather then like men, and therefore (under this notion) their ſin is deſervedly called infinite.
Secondly, We may ſay, that ſin hath an infiniteneſſe in it in reference to the object, God, and ſo not onelyonly a great ſin, and many ſins, but ſmall ſinnes, or any one ſinne may be ſaid to have an infiniteneſſe in it, becauſe it is committed againſt an infinite God. And hence it is that nothing can expiate ſinne but what hath an infiniteneſſe in it; the leaſt ſin, calls for the bloud of Chriſt to take it away, which bloud hath a kinde of infinity in it; for though the ſufferings and bloud of Chriſt were not properly infinite, becauſe they were the ſufferings of the humane nature, yet the divine nature ſhed forth an infinite worth and value upon his ſufferings; and therefore we are ſayd to be redeemed (or purchaſed) by the bloud of God (Act. 20.28.) that is, by the bloud of that perſon who is God, though the humane nature onelyonly was capable of having bloud ſhed. Thus we may ſay, that the leaſt ſin, with reſpect to the object is infinite, God himſelfe being offended and wronged by every ſin.
Thirdly, As this infiniteneſſe may be conſidered in reference to the extent of any one ſinne (that reaching as high as God) ſo to the number, or rather to the numberleſs of our ſins. There is an Arithmeticall as well as a Geometricall infinity in ſin. Thus the Septuagint (as was ſayd before) render the Text; Are not thine iniquities innumerable? That hath a kinde of infinity which cannot be numbred; but cannot our ſinnes be numbred? are they infinite in number?
I anſwer, ſinnes may be conſidered two wayes: firſt, in their ſpecies and kinds; ſecondly, in their acts, if we conſider ſinnes in their ſpecies and kinds, ſo they are not innumerable, for it is poſſible to number up all the ſeverall heads, diviſions, and kinds of ſinne; but if we conſider ſin in reference to acts, ſo every mans ſins are innumerable; yet this innumerablenes of ſins in reference to acts, may be conſidered either abſolutely, or as to us. The acts of ſin, are not abſolutely or in themſelves innumerable, but as to us they are innumerable: they are more then any man can number. John ſayth, (Rev. 7.9.) After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number (beſides thoſe that were ſealed of every Tribe,) of all Nations, and kindreds, &c.) This great multitude was not in it ſelfe without number, but as to mans arithmeticke it was, no man could number it. The haires of our head, and the ſands of the Sea, are numerable to God, but to us innumerable. David (Pſal. 40.12.) ſpeakes firſt of innumerable evills, and then of innumerable ſinnes; innumerable evills compaſſe me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, ſo that I am not able to looke up: they are more then the haires of my head, therefore my heart faileth me; when he ſayth, they are more then the haires of my head, his meaning is, they are innumerable; I can no more tell the ſumme of my ſinnes, then the ſumme of my hayres. Chriſt to aſſure his Diſciples in time of their afflictions and ſufferings, that he will take care of them, tells them; The very hayres of your head are all numbred, (Mat. 10.30.) As if he had ſayd, ſeing God taketh care of thoſe inconſiderable (not parts, but) excrements of the body, ſurely then he will take care of thoſe more noble parts of your bodies, and moſt of all of that moſt noble part of you, (which is your all) your ſoules. The hayres of our heads are innumerable to us, but God numbers them. The ſins of our hearts and lives are all numbred by God. Thou telleſt my wandrings, (ſayth holy David, Pſal. 56.8.) he meanes it of his wandrings by perſecution, and 'tis as true of his wandrings by tranſgreſſion. But what man knowes the errors or wandrings eyther of his heart or life (Pſal. 19.12.) He that hath feweſt ſins, hath more then he can number; and therefore every mans ſins are to him, in number infinite.
Fourthly, Iniquities may he called infinite in reference to the will, or the ſpirit of him that committeth thoſe iniquities: thoſe ſinnes are without bounds, to which man would never ſet a bound. The natural man would never end ſinning, therefore his ſins are without end, or infinite. The Prophet (Jer. 13.27.) ſpeakes reproveingly to that people in the name of the Lord; I have ſeene thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdneſſe of thy whoredome, and thine abominations on the hills in the feilds; wo unto thee, O Jeruſalem, wilt thou not be made cleane, when ſhall it once be? As if be had ſaid; O Jeruſalem, thou haſt no will to be made cleane, or thou wouldeſt never be cleane, if thou mighteſt have thy will; When ſhall it once be? The time is yet to come when thou wouldeſt have it to be ſo; thou haſt a mind to pollute thy ſelfe ſtill, but no minde to waſh thy ſelfe from thy pollution. The ſins of a perſon or people are then infinite, or without end, when they diſcover that they have no minde to leave ſinning. A godly mans deſires to doe good are infinite, and ſo are the deſires of a wicked man to doe evill. This Prophet had ſpoken to Jeruſalem in the ſame language (Chap. 4.14.) How long ſhall vaine thoughts lodge in thee? when wilt thou be weary of theſe lodgers, when wilt thou bid theſe gueſts be gone, whom thou haſt thus long bid welcome? The Church of God doth ſometimes ſuffer evill to lodge very long in her, even in the middeſt of her, as it were, at her very heart; but the world lodgeth or lieth (continually) in evill (1 Joh. 5.19.) and there (as it is the world) it will lie for ever, ſoakt and ſteept in evill. Some give this as one reaſon to juſtifie the infinitneſſe or everlaſtingneſſe of the puniſhment that is laid upon impenitent ſinners in hell. The damned are under endleſſe ſufferings, becauſe they would have ſinned without end;Vellet ſine fine vivere ut poſſet ſine fine peccare. Greg. A wicked man would live long, yea he would have no end of his life here, he would live ever, that he might ſinne ever; therefore the Lord giveth him a life, not ſuch a one as he would have, but ſuch a one as he deſerves to have, which is indeed a death for ever. They dye eternally for ſin, who would have lived eternally in ſin. Take a Scripture or two more to illuſtrate this way of the infinity of mans ſinne, (Jer. 8.5.) Why is this people of Jeruſalem ſlidden back, by a perpetuall back-ſliding; they hold faſt deceite, they refuſe to returne; Here are three phraſes noting this one thing. Firſt, They hold faſt deceit; ſecondly, They refuſed to returne; thirdly, Their's was a perpetuall back-ſliding, or as ſome reade it, an eternall rebellion, an obſtinate rebellion, a ſtrong and mighty rebellion; the Seventy call it, an impudent ſhameleſſe rebellion: all theſe are proper Epithites of that obſtinacy, and ſetledneſſe of reſolution, which is in the heart of man by nature to continue in ſinne; yet there is a further rendering of the words, which as the Originall will beare, ſo it hath an elegancy in it, Why is this people of Jeruſalem ſlidden backe by a conquering, or a prevailing back-ſliding? A perpetuall back-ſliding hath conqueſt or triumph attributed to it upon a twofold conſideration; firſt, in reference to other ſinnes; finall obſtinacy, or impenitency lifts up its head above all other ſinnes, and ſits as King among them; impenitency under any ſin committed, is greater then the ſin committed; not to repent of the evill we have done, is worſe then the evill which we doe. Impenitency ſeales the ſoule under condemnation. Repentance conquers ſin, but impenitency is the conquering ſin. Secondly, 'tis called a triumphing or conquering ſinne, becauſe it ſeemes (as it were) to carry the day againſt the mercy and goodneſſe of God, that's a ſad conqueſt indeed; not that any ſinne, no nor impenitency for ſinne, exceeds the mercy and goodneſſe of God; for his thoughts of mercy are as high above our acts of ſin, as they are above our thoughts of his mercy, & that is as high as the heaven is in compariſon of the earth. (Iſa. 55.9.) But the mercy of the Lord is ſaid to be overcome by perpetuall backſlidings, becauſe the Lord will not be mercifull to ſuch; thus final impenitency may be called a triumphing or conquering ſin, ſeing the mercy of God ſeemes to yeeld unto it; They will not humble themſelves to ſeeke mercy, yea they ſlight and deſpiſe mercy, therefore they ſhall not finde mercy. The Prophet Jeremie repreſents the LORD thus expoſtulating againe with the Jewiſh Nation (Chap. 5.22, 23.) Feare ye not me, ſayth the Lord, will yee not tremble at my preſence, which have placed the ſand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot paſſe it, and though the waves thereof toſſe themſelves, yet can they not prevaile, and though they roare, yet can they not paſſe over it; but this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart, they are revolted and gone. The words, as I conceive, have theſe two things in them; firſt, that the Lord is to be feared who doth ſuch things, who ſets bounds to the Sea, &c. Secondly, that the wickedneſſe of mans heart is admirable, or rather that we are to be aſtoniſhed at the wickedneſſe of mans heart, which is more boyſterous and diſobedient, then the raging waves of the Sea. The Lord ſets bounds to the waves of the Sea, which waves in their owne nature are altogether boundleſſe; liquid waves have no bounds of their owne, yet the Lord having put bounds to them, they are kept in bounds; The ſand bounds the Sea, ſo that though the waves thereof toſſe, they cannot prevaile, though they roare they cannot paſſe over; but this people have revolted, and are gone; As if he had ſaid, I the Lord have put a bound to the Sea, I have alſo ſet a bound to the wickedneſſe of mans heart; what is that? my Word, my Law. The Law of God is a moral bound to ſtop and keepe in compaſſe the raging waves of mans corruption. God doth not alwayes put an externall bound by ſword and judgement to ſtop men whether they will or no from ſinne, but he alwayes puts a morall bound to ſtop them; this is ſuppoſed in the Text, I put a bound to the Sea, to the Sea alſo of mans heart, to the wickedneſſe that is there, but this people are revolted and gone, they have broken all my bounds, even that perpetuall decree of my righteous Law. Now as when the Sea breaks its bounds, the waters flow infinitely, there is no ſtopping them; ſo when the heart of man breaks bounds, revolts and is gone, he ſinnes infinitely, he makes no end of ſinning. By theſe Scriptures we may underſtand in what ſenſe the iniquities of wicked men may be ſayd to be infinite; though nothing is infinite in a ſtrict and proper ſence, but God himſelfe.
Is not thy wickedneſſe great, and thine iniquitie infinite?
But hath Job given Eliphaz any juſt occaſion of this ſurmiſe, that his ſin was in this ſence infinite? Did he ever obſerve eyther wickedneſſe in generall, or thoſe particular wickedneſſes which he preſently enumerates, taking a pledge, denying reliefe of the poore, ſtripping the naked, &c? had he ſeene any of theſe evills acted by Job? certainly he had not; Job was a man of another frame of life then theſe things import; theſe blacke lines and colours would never make the picture of Jobs heart or life; this is as ill a draught of a man as could be made; yet Eliphaz puts all this upon Job, at leaſt by ſuppoſition; is it not thus? but what reaſon had he for this ſuppoſition? none but this, the greatneſſe of his affliction; the infinite troubles that were upon him; God ſet no bounds to Jobs ſorrows, therefore he thought Job had ſinned beyond all bounds.
Hence obſerve; Wee are ready to judge their ſinnes great, who are the greateſt ſufferers.
Though we know nothing by them, though we can charge nothing upon them, yet this thought riſeth naturally in us, when we ſee any under great and extraordinary ſufferings, ſurely they are great, and extraordinary ſinners. The worſt of ſinners never ſuffered more in this world, then the beſt of Saints; Witnes thoſe Jewiſh Worthyes, whoſe torments are reported by the Author to the Hebrewes (Chap. 11.37.) and as theſe were adjudged to ſuffer, becauſe they were thought the worſt of ſinners, ſo, doubtleſſe, many who ſaw them ſuffer thought them ſuch, though they knew nothing done by them to make them ſuch. Read alſo this Spirit (Luk. 13.2. Act. 28.4.) This hath been formerly obſerved from other paſſages in this booke, and therefore I onelyonly touch it, and paſſe away.
Againe, Eliphaz ſeemes to take Job off from the wrong ground of his ſufferings, and tells him, though he looked to other reaſons, yet the true reaſon was the greatneſſe of his wickedneſſe, and the numberleſnes of his iniquities.
Hence obſerve; That few thinke of, or hitt upon any other cauſe of ſuffering but ſinne.
Sin is ſo much and ſo often the cauſe of ſuffering, that we doe it no wrong to ſuſpect it as the cauſe of all ſufferings; and it is indeed one kinds of cauſe (cauſa ſine qua non) of all our ſufferings; ſo that we can hardly wrong ſin by this ſuſpition, but we may eaſily wrong both God and man by it. When the blind man came before Chriſt, his Diſciples asked him, ſaying; Maſter, who did ſin, this man or his parents, that he was borne blind; they could hit upon nothing but ſin, why the man was borne blind, (Joh. 9.2.) But at the third verſe, Chriſt anſwered, Neither hath this man ſinned, nor his parents; he vindicates both from this ſuſpition. What man was this? and who were his parents, that they ſinned not? were they cleane from ſinne? not ſo neyther, but the meaning of Chriſt is this, neither hath this man ſinned, nor his parents, ſo, as that eyther his ſin or theirs ſhould be reckoned the ſpeciall cauſe why he was borne blind. There was ſomewhat elſe in it, which the Diſciples tooke no notice of, nor did they underſtand. Chriſt doth not deny but that a mans owne ſinne, and the ſin of his parents may be a cauſe of blindneſſe; but neither the one nor the other was the cauſe in that mans caſe; as if Chriſt had ſayd; Can you thinke of nothing elſe why a man is afflicted but onelyonly his ſinne? There are many other cauſes of ſuffering beſides that. The cauſe why ſome ſuffer, is the tryall of their graces. The cauſe why many ſuffer, is to beare witneſſe to the truth, and to encourage others both in the profeſſion of it, and in perſecutions for it. And Chriſt particularly aſſignes another cauſe of the ſufferings of the blind man, That the worke of God might be made manifeſt in him: That the worke of God in his power and mercy might be ſeene in reſtoring this man to his fight, therefore was he borne without the power of ſeing. The blindnes of that man was an occaſion to make a very glorious diſcovery of God. Much of God had not been ſo eminently ſeene at that time, if that man had alwayes ſeene. Many are caſt downe upon beds of ſickneſſe, or into a ſtate of poverty, that the worke of God in rayſing them up to health and plenty may be made manifeſt. The deſigne of God lookes beyond the ſin of man in the afflictions of moſt men, yet man ſeldome lookes beyond it.
Thirdly, Note from the whole verſe; That we are more ready to judge the ſinnes of others great, then our owne.
Is not thy wickedneſſe great, and thine iniquities infinite? Eliphaz might have ſayd as much of himſelfe and his owne ſinne; and it had been but a duty to have done ſo; we ſhould not aggravate the ſins of others, nor extenuate or leſſen our owne, we ſhould not ſet the ſinnes of others in open light, nor provide coverings for our owne, yet moſt commonly we run the contrary courſe: we have a favourable opinion, and excuſes ready for what we have done, while we have hard thoughts of, and give harſh cenſures upon what others doe; our owne ſins we can call moats, and the ſins of others beames. The better any man is, the better he judges others, and the worſe of himſelfe; Paul ſpake no complement, while he ſayd, that he was leſſe then the leaſt of all Saints, and the chiefe of ſinners; uſually they who are the ſevereſt obſervers and cenſurers of others, eyther flatter, or have not well obſerved themſelves.
Fourthly.
Foraſmuch as Eliphaz ſeing Job under great ſufferings, ſayth to him; Is not thy wickedneſſe great? The counſell in it ſelfe was ſeaſonable.
Hence obſerve; That in time of ſuffering, it is good both to put our ſelves and others upon inquiry about our ſinnes.
So the Prophet (Lam. 3.39, 40.) Why doth a living man complaine, a man for the puniſhment of his ſins? Let us ſearch and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord; times of afflictions ſhould be times of inquiſition, when the Lord is ſmiting, we ſhould be ſearching; when we have received many wounds, it is time for us to be ſuſpecting our ſelves of many ſinnes; and the counſell of others is not to be rejected, when ſeing us in ſorrow, they adviſe us to conſider what our ſinnes are, how great, and how many. For though we ſhould be tender in preſſing thoſe who are under the load and burden of affliction, with the burden of their ſinnes, yet they who are ſo, ſhall doe well and wiſely to preſſe it upon themſelves.
Fiftly, Whereas Eliphaz ſayth; Is not thy wickedneſſe great, and thine iniquitie infinite? and in the next verſe, concludes upon it; Thou haſt taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, &c. All which were but conjectures and ſuſpitions.
Obſerve; That ſuppoſitions and conjectures are no fit grounds, upon which to build a judgement concerning the faultines of others.
We muſt not Cenſure upon, I heare ſo, I ſuppoſe ſo, I thinke ſo, but upon, I know it is ſo; many have run into great ſinne by judging the ſins of others Great. Judge not (ſaith our Saviour, Matth. 7.1.) that ye be not judged. He ſpeakes not againſt all judgement, but eyther, firſt, againſt ſevere and harſh judging, or ſecondly, againſt falſe judging, or thirdly, againſt inconſiderate and raſh judging. When we judge without due ground, not knowing the why or wherefore of our Judgement, take heed of ſuch judging, that ye be not judged, that is, leſt having judged others unduely, ye receive your due in Judgement. Eliphaz had nothing upon knowledge to charge Job for, yet while he queſtions, Is not thy wickedneſſe great? He doth more then ſeemingly conclude that his ſin was very great, and his iniquities infinite. And in the next verſe in ſtead of querying, he comes to peremptory concluding;