Exposition of Job 22-26, Commentary · Chapter 22 · Verse 7
Verſ. 7.
Thou haſt not given water to the weary to drinke, thou haſt withheld bread from the hungry.
Thou haſt not given water to the weary.
Water is a very Common thing, and the word which is here uſed takes in all naturall waters, the whole Element of water. Seing then water is not under lock & key, but lyes open to all commers, how comes it to be any mans gift? I anſwer, firſt, If we underſtand the words literally & ſtrictly, yet ſomtimes & eſpecially in ſome places to give a cup of water to drinke, or a bucket of water to waſh in, is no ſmall charity to a wearied traveller. But ſecondly (I conceive) Job is taxed with not giving water, to ſhew his refuſing to doe the ſmalleſt charity. So wee finde it expreſſed (Matth. 10.42.) when Jeſus Chriſt would aſſure us that the leaſt office of love or reſpect which we doe to a diſtreſſed Saint, to a Beleever upon that account as he is a Beleever,Non inania in eos etiam levia quae ſub frigidae aquae nomine deſignat officia eſſe decerint. Hilar. ſhall be rewarded, hee gives it in this language; Whoſoever ſhall give to drinke to one of theſe little ones a Cup of Cold water onelyonly in the name of a Diſciple, verily I ſay unto you, hee ſhall not loſe his reward. As by one of theſe little ones, he meanes any, the leaſt of Beleevers, or righteous Perſons; ſo by the gift that he ſpeaks of, water, or Cold water, a Cup of Cold water, he meanes the leaſt of favours. Cold water is a cheape commodity, and a little cold water, onelyonly a cup of it, cannot (as ſome things cannot becauſe they are worth ſo much) be prized, becauſe it is worth ſo little, yet he that gives but this little thing, this (almoſt) nothing in the name of a Diſciple, hee ſhall not loſe his reward. So here to ſet forth the hardneſs of Jobs heart (as Eliphaz conceived) he puts it in theſe termes, Thou haſt not given water, (no not cold water) to thoſe that are weary; As if he had ſaid, thou haſt not onelyonly denyed a feaſt, or a banquet of wine, which might put thee to ſome coſt and charges, but thou haſt denyed then, water, cold water, which is not chargeable at all, which doth not ſo much as put thee to the coſt of a little fire to heat it, or of any ingredient to mix with it, thou haſt denyed them this cheapeſt charity.—venit viliſſima rerum Hîc aqua, Horat. Sat: 1. An old Poet (ſpeaking of a place where water was ſold) ſaith; That which is loweſt prized, a thing of no price, water, is ſold here. Thus farre haſt thou, O Job, (ſaith Eliphaz) fallen below the Law of love; Thou haſt not given water; And to whom did he not give it. The next word anſwers that Querie, To the weary.
That is, thou haſt not given water to them to whom it doth moſt properly belong, or who had perfect need of it, the weary, the thirſty. There are ſome to whom wee may very well refuſe to give water, or any other refreſhment of nature; they have enough, if not too much already, not onelyonly in poſſeſſion, as the rich, but in uſe or abuſe rather, as the intemperate and the drunken; To give water to ſuch is to powre water into the Sea; but thou haſt not given it to the weary, not to thoſe who are like the dry and parched ground.
In that the matter of charity is placed in water, obſerve; That charity is accepted, and uncharitablenes condemned in the ſmalleſt matter.
It is not the quantity of the gift, but the affection of the giver, it is not the quantity of that which is denyed to be given, but the heart of him that denyes it, which the Lord takes notice of: be it much or be it little that is given, if it be given with an honeſt and willing minde, the Lord accepts it, and be it much or be it little that is denyed, if it be denyed with a churliſh and uncharitable ſpirit, the Lord is diſpleaſed with it: and the leſſe that is which is denyed, the more ſinfull is the denyal, & the more is the Lord diſpleaſed with it. When cruſts or crums of bread, which fall from our Table, are denyed, when a cup of cold water is denyed, how cold is charity? and is it not crumbled into a leſſer nothing then thoſe crums? Wee ſhould honour the Lord with our ſubſtance, and our charity ſhould not onelyonly have coſt in it, but liberality in it, how doe they honor God with their ſubſtance, who will hardly give to him (that is, to his poor) the ſhadow of their ſubſtance? If the Lord ſhould command us to give ſome great thing, to teſtifie our charity, ſhould we not doe it? how much more when he ſaith give but water to the weary for my ſake, and I account you charitable.
Secondly, Note; That Churliſh and hard hearted Perſons ſtick at ſmall matters as well as at great.
It is ſuppoſed (Acts 5.15.) that the very ſhadow of Peter was healing to the ſicke. There are ſome ſo hard-hearted, that they would hardly beſtow their ſhadow upon the poore to doe them good. It troubles them to part with the leaſt Imaginable Benefit, or to doe the leaſt Imaginable courteſie, not onelyonly great things, but ſmall things, even the ſmalleſt things, the chippings of their loafe, the parings of their apple, yea the very huskes which their ſwine eate (as the letter of the Parable concerning the prodigal intimates, Luk. 15.16.) are ſtuck at as too much for them who have nothing. And thus the heart of a wicked man is ſtated to the whole buſineſſe of obedience; his heart is as much againſt obedience in a ſmall matter, as in a great, he is ſo farre from ſwallowing the camell of holy duty, that he ſtraines at the very gnats of it; and if a mans ſpirit be againſt obedience it ſelfe in its owne nature, if his ſpirit be unſutable to it, let it be a duty of the leaſt or loweſt degree, he cannot but ſticke at it. The ſervants of Naaman the Aſſyrian ſayd to him; Had the Prophet bid thee doe ſome great matter, wouldeſt thou not have done it? how much more when he ſaith unto thee, Waſh in Jordan and be cleane. There is a reaſon why wee ſhould rather doe ſmall things then great as to the outward act, but, I ſay, if the ſpirit of a man be croſſe-grayn'd and lie againſt the duty, he is as unfit and as back-ward to doe a little as to doe a great deale; he will not ſo much as give water to God or man, or if he doe give it, he doth not give it with a heart let out in love to God, or in compaſſion to the moſt needy man. It is a hard matter with him to give or doe at all, but it is an impoſſible matter for him to give or doe with a ready or chearefull minde. Thus the Covetous man, the hard-hearted worldling cannot give ſo much as water: a worldly man never thinks that himſelfe hath enough of the world, and he never thinks that others have too little, when he is full he thinks all others are full enough too. Such narrow-hearted creatures the Prophet Iſayah deſcribes (Chap. 32.6, 7.) who as they practiſe hypocriſie and utter error againſt the Lord, ſo they practiſe oppreſſion and utter cruelty againſt man, to make empty the ſoule of the hungry, and to cauſe the drinke of the thirſty to fayle. The Inſtruments alſo of the Churle are evill. What Inſtruments doth he meane? Some ſay, the inſtruments of his commerce, his weights and meaſures, he pincheth the poore there, that's true, thoſe inſtruments of the churliſh Merchant or Tradſman are evill. Yet wee may rather expound it more largely for all the meanes, whether perſons or things, whether agents & under-officers, or courſes and devices, which the churliſh man uſeth as inſtruments to compaſſe and bring about his purpoſes; all theſe ſavour of himſelfe, they are evill, that is, falſe, treacherous, and lying in waite to deceive. For (as it followe) He deviſeth wicked devices to deſtroy the poore with lying words, even when the needy ſpeaketh right, or (as wee put in the margin) when he ſpeaketh againſt the poore in Judgement.
Thirdly, Note; That a little is much reckoned upon by thoſe that are in need, or have nothing.
Water is a welcome mercy to the thirſty, to the weary, to thoſe who are ready to dye with heate and travell. The rich man in hell would have been glad of a drop of water to coole his tongue. Sicera the General of Jabins Army, beggs of Jael, to give him a little water, for (ſaith he) I am thirſty. (Judg. 4.19.) The full ſoule loathes the hony-Combe, that which is ſweet and delicious the full ſtomack loathes it, but they that are weary, hungry and thirſty, a piece of bread, a Cup of water, how pleaſant! how ſweet! Such are glad of any thing, who are in want of all things. Much is little to them who have much, a little is much to them who have but little. The weary will thanke you more for water, then the wanton will for wine. The weary asked but for water to drinke, and could not get it, thou wouldeſt not give it.
Fourthly, Eliphaz deſcribing a wicked man, fixes moſt upon this ſinne, his unmercifulneſſe to the poore. And there is a generall truth in it.
That to be without Compaſſion to the poore, is the marke of a wicked man.
They who have found the compaſſion of God to their own ſoules (as every godly man hath) cannot ſhut up the bowels of their compaſſion towards the pined body of man. The Apoſtle John puts the queſtion (1 Ep: 3.17.) How dwelleth the love of God in him, that doth ſo? The love of God, eyther as taken for the love of God to us, or for our love to God, dwelleth not in him, in whom there dwells no love to man. Now, if the love of God dwell not in a man, God dwelleth not in him, and if God dwell not in him, Satan doth; and what can he be called but wicked, in whom the wicked, or the evill one dwelleth? Thus the wicked Edomites dealt with the people of God, when they were wearied in their March thorow the Wilderneſſe. Wee read the children of Iſrael thus beſpeaking the Edomites (Numb. 20.17, 18, 19.) Let us paſs I pray thee thorow thy Country, wee will not paſs thorow the fields, or thorow the vineyards, neither will wee drinke of the water of the wells, &c. wee will put you to no trouble, no charge, wee will be content with the common waters which we finde abroad, this is all that wee deſire when wee ſhall be weary and thirſty in our travells. And Edom ſaid unto him, Thou ſhalt not paſs by mee, leaſt I Cutt thee off with the ſword: And the Children of Iſrael ſayd unto him, wee will goe by the high way, and if I and my Cattell drinke of thy water, I will pay thee for it, I will onelyonly (without doeing any thing elſe) goe thorow on my feet. See what a ſpirit Edom was of; when Iſrael put it to the loweſt, wee will drinke none of the water of your wells, or if we doe we will pay for it; No, Edom was ſo hard-hearted, that he would neyther give, nor ſell them water; they ſhall not have it eyther of free coſt, or for money; thus uncompaſſionate was hee towards a People that were travelling, that were weary and thirſty. The Inhabitants of Tema are commended for their tendernes to men in diſtreſſe (Iſa. 21. 14.) They brought water to him that was thirſty, they prevented with their bread him that fled; They gave water and bread unasked; The wants of the diſtreſſed moved them, though they made no motion for the ſupply of their wants. They act moſt like God who prevent us with their favours. Even the light of nature leads to it. How unnatural then are they who deny water to them who being weary and thirſty begge for it! The mercy of God by Jeſus Chriſt is highly Commended to us upon this Conſideration, that he gives it not onelyonly in bounty, but in Compaſſion, there is not onelyonly liberality, but there is a pity in it: therefore he ſaith (Matth. 11.28.) Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you reſt. To give eaſe and refreſhment to thoſe that are weary and heavy laden, hath not onelyonly bounty & liberality, but Pity and Compaſſion in it. (Pſal. 136.23.) Thanks to God who hath remembred us in our low Eſtate. It is an act of grace for God to remember us in our higheſt Eſtate, in our moſt flouriſhing Eſtate, but to remember us in our low Eſtate, then to give us in refreſhings and Comforts, this is a clearer act of Grace. As it is ſaid (Pſ. 68.9.) Thou O God, didſt ſend a plentifull raine, whereby thou didſt confirme thine inheritance when it was weary. As the goodneſſe of God is moſt ſeene in giving water to the weary, ſo is the wickedneſſe of man in denying it. Eliphaz urgeth Job further with this uncharitableneſſe.
And thou haſt withholdden bread from the hungry.
He gave no water, and he withheld bread. The word is ſometimes rendred to hide, to deny, Verbum foreign ſignificat, abſcondere, negare, fraudare. Subtrahebas ei ſi habebat, & prohibebas ſi non habebat, i. e. nolebas ei panem dare. D…us. Eſurientium ſubſtraxiſti fructum panis. Ambr.and ſometimes to deceive a man of that which is due to him. Our tranſlation (Thou haſt withholden) carries that ſence in it; Properly we are ſayd to withhold onelyonly that from a man which he hath a right to; Thou haſt withholden Bread from the hungry. As hunger and thirſt are put for all manner of Extreamity; ſo bread and water are put for all manner of ſupplyes generally. The Greekes and ſome Latines Interpret this ſtrictly of a morſell of bread, Thou haſt withholden a morſell of bread, as the rich man in the Goſpel did, Lazarus deſired but the crummes that fell from his Table, but could not get them. So here, thou haſt withholdden not onelyonly a full Table, but a morſell of Bread; This latter clauſe and the former are of the ſame ſence, yet from that word withholden, which Implyeth a wrong done to the poore, note firſt; That the poore have a right in what rich men have.
And if they withhold all from them, they ſhall be condemned, not onelyonly as uncharitable and illiberall, but as oppreſſors and unjuſt; not onelyonly as not having given them reliefe, but as not having done them right. (Prov. 3.27.) Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the Power of thy hand to doe it. A thing is due upon a double account; firſt, by the Law of Juſtice; ſecondly, by the Law of Love: I conceive here that the Proverb is to be underſtood of a dueneſs, not by the Lawes of Common Juſtice (as if a man have his brothers Eſtate in his hand, he cannot withhold it from him without tranſgreſſing the Law of Juſtice) but of a dueneſs by the Law of Love, or more ſtrictly by the Law of Charity: thus 'tis a duty to doe good to thoſe that are in want; it is not onelyonly a favour that wee ſhew to them when wee releive them, but there is a duty in it which wee owe to God, who hath commanded that their poverty ſhould be ſupplyed by the plenty & abundance which he hath given to others. If therefore it be demanded, who are they to whom this doing of good is due? I anſwer, not onelyonly they to whom thou art endebted in Juſtice, witnes thy hand and ſeale; but even they to whom thou art endebted in charity, witnes their want and need. The poore have a right to what we are able to give, and can conveniently ſpare; yea ſometimes their right may lye ſomewhat beyond the line of our conveniency. So then there is a poynt of Juſtice in it, as well as of charity in releiving the poore; and if (as the next words in Solomon imply) it be ſinfull to delay them till to morrow, it muſt needes be a wickednes to deny them for ever. Therefore the ſame Solomon (Prov. 22.2.) ſpeaking of the poore and the rich puts them together; The rich and poore meet together, the Lord is the maker of them all; Now the Lord is the maker of the poore and of the rich, not only in their naturall conſtitution, as they are men conſiſting of body and ſoule, (ſo indeed he hath made the poor as well as the rich, and they are both alike the worke of his hands) but the Lord is the maker of them in that capacity or ſtate wherein they are, he makes the rich man and the poore man, that is, hee makes the one rich, and the other poore, he … the maker of them both, and Solomon (I conceive) puts that in to ſhew firſt, that poore men ſhould not envy the rich man, why? for the Lord hath made him rich; why ſhould thine Eye be Evill, becauſe the Lords Eye is good?
And againe, that the rich man ſhould not deſpiſe the poore, or withdraw the bowells of his Compaſſion from them, the Lord could have made thee poore too if hee had pleaſed, therefore be Compaſſionate towards them, for the Lord is the maker of you both. And this anſwers that objection commonly given by ſome, why, are not my goods my owne, may I not do with them as I pleaſe? I have not ſtolne them, I have wronged no man in the obtaining them; it is well when men can ſay thus, that they have done no wrong in getting riches: but this is no argument (how juſtly ſoever any man hath got his Eſtate) that he ſhould keepe it all to himſelfe, and not give a portion to thoſe that are in want. The rich man withholds what is due to the poor, when he withholds releife from them. It is true your Eſtate is your owne, it is yours, no man can challenge or claime it from you; I, but God can claime it from you; you are poſſeſſors and maſters of your Eſtate in reference unto men, but you are but Stewards and Servants of your Eſtate in reference unto God. Now a Stewards buiſineſſe (you know) is not only to receive and lay up the Eſtate of his Lord or Maſter, but 'tis his buiſines alſo to pay or lay out according as he receives command or order from his Lord; thus it is in this Caſe; Rich men are but Stewards to the Lord in reference to all that they have; Therefore as they receive from him, and partake of the fullnes of the Earth which is his (for the Earth is the Lords and the fullnes thereof) ſo they muſt iſſue it according to his order and command: Now he hath left a ſtanding order for all times, that the rich ſhould diſtribute to the neceſſities of the poore and hungry. Rich men muſt not thinke themſelves Stewards onelyonly to receive in, but alſo to pay out what their Lord calls for, and therefore as they would give a good account of their Stewardſhip at the great Audit day, let them take heed how they withhold bread from the hungry. I might ſhew further, that the rich are not onelyonly obliged to give, or that it is their duty to give, but that they ought to give chearfully and readily, not upon conſtraint (2 Cor. 9.7.) that they ought to give liberally and bountifully, no… with reſtraint, and that they ought to give ſincerely, not thinking thereby eyther to merit at the hand of God, or to get the praiſe of men.
Secondly, From the matter of this charge, Thou haſt withholden bread from the hungry, we may obſerve, That Not to doe good, or the omiſſion of doing good to the poore, renders us culpable as well as the doing or Commiſſion of that which is evill or injurious to them.
Not to releive the poore is a ſin as well at to injure or oppreſſe the poore, yea not to releive hath injurie and oppreſſion in it. The reaſon of it is cleare from the former poynt, becauſe the poore have a right to ſo much of a rich mans eſtate as is a releife of their preſſing neceſſities, to preſerve them from periſhing. And every man muſt acknowledge that to deny any man his right (by what title ſoever that right ariſeth) is to oppreſſe him. Nor is it enough to give them good words (which yet is more then ſome will give) unleſſe we doe them good. (Jam. 2.15, 16.) If a Brother or a Siſter be naked, and deſtitute of dayly food, and one of you ſay unto them depart in peace, be warmed and filled, yet notwithſtanding yee give them not thoſe things which are needfull to the body, what doth it profit? Though you give them good words, yet if you give them no ſupply, what doth it profit? Wee may underſtand it two wayes.
Firſt, What doth it profit the poore? Can they feed upon your good words? or will your good words cloath them? what doth it profit them if yee ſay be fed and be cloathed, if you give them neyther food nor rayment.
Secondly, What profit is it to you who ſay ſo? will God take it well at your hands, that you have ſpoken kindly to the poore, when you did them no kindneſſe? therefore withhold not thy hand, &c. And if it be ſo great a ſin to withhold our bread from the hungry, what is it to take their bread from them? Eliphaz having thus taxed Job with neglect of the poore, he proceeds in the next verſe to taxe him with an undue and partiall reſpect to the rich. As he was rigid to to them who had nothing, ſo he was indulgent to thoſe who had enough, if not more then enough, before.