Exposition of Job 22-26, Commentary · Chapter 25
JOB, CHAP. 25. Verſ. 4, 5, 6.
How then can man be Juſtified with God? or how can man be clean that is borne of a woman?
Behold, even to the Moon and it ſhineth not, yea the Stars are not pure in his ſight.
How much leſs man that is a worme, and the ſon of man which is a worme.
IN this context Bildad gives further check to Jobs preſumption (as hee conceived) in appealing to heaven, and in begging audience of God himſelfe, which he did (as hath been ſhewed) with earneſtnes at the 23d Chapter.
Verſ. 4. How then can man be Juſtified with God?
The words are an Inference from what he had inſiſted upon and diſcourſed before concerning the dominion and feare of God, concerning the number of his Armyes, and the ſhinings of his light every where: from all which hee concludes, How then can man be Juſtified with God? As if he had ſayd, Seeing God is ſo dreadfull, ſeeing hee is an all-powerfull, an all-ſeeing, and an all-upholding God, how dareſt thou or any man living, plead with him? or how is it poſſible for any man living to ſtand out with God and live?
How then can man be juſtified with God?
This queſtion, carrieth a ſtrong denyall, To ſay, How then can man be Juſtified with God? is more then barely to ſay, Man cannot be Juſtified with God, How can it be? is not onelyonly thus much, It cannot eaſily be, it cannot probably be, but it cannot poſſibly be, or it is Impoſſible to be; Such queſtions, how a thing may be? are uſually an anſwer that they cannot be at all. Queſtions are ſometimes put for Information or with deſire to be directed, or to have the myſtery opened how ſuch things may be. The holy virgin put ſuch a queſtion (Luk. 1.34. when the Angel had told her ſhee ſhould have a ſon) Then ſaid Mary unto the Angel, how ſhall this bee, ſeeing I know not a man? her queſtion did not Import her denyall of the thing, but her wonder at it, nor did it imply her unbeleefe, as if ſhee thought it Impoſſible to be, but her deſire to be Informed in the way and manner how it ſhould be, and to that ſence ſhee is anſwered, The holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the moſt high ſhall over-ſhadow thee.
But here (I ſay) the queſtion, (how can man be Juſtified with God? is reducible to this plaine negative propoſition; Man cannot be Juſtified with God: foreign cal…riloſus aegrotabilis, morbis morti que obno…lus; ſic latini mortalem pro homine dicunt.How can man? that is (as the word ſignifieth) miſerable man, ſickly man, weake Impotent man? and it may note not onelyonly the Impotency of his body, but of his ſpirit. Man is of a weake body at beſt, and of a more weake and ſickly ſpirit. Maſter Broughtons tranſlation reacheth both; And why ſhould ſorrowfull man plead Juſtice with the Omnipotent? Man is compaſſed about with ſorrowes, and every man is in himſelfe, what Chriſt was more eminently for us all, a man of ſorrowes, and acquainted with griefe (Iſa. 53.3.) We take the word in its general ſignification.
How then can man be Juſtified?
Bildad ſeemes (as ſome expound him) by this queſtion, to ſuſpect that Job had aſſerted a ſelfe-Juſtification, and it muſt be confeſſed that what he ſpake at the 23d Chapter, ver. 10, 11, 12. might give him ſome colour for that ſuſpicion; Hee knoweth the way that I take, when he hath tryed mee I ſhall come forth as gold. My foot hath followed his ſteps, his way have I kept and hauehave not declined, neither have I gone back from the Commandements of his lips: I have eſteemed the words of his mouth more then my neceſſary food. While Job thus aſſerted his owne Innocency and Integrity, Bildad might poſſibly ſuppoſe that hee was aſſerting his owne righteouſneſſe; and therefore not without ſome indignation hee expoſtulates the matter with him, How can man be Juſtified? that is, pronounced cleane and quit at the Throne of God. Juſtification (Conſidered in the Goſpel notion) is that gracious ſentence of God, wherein with reſpect to Chriſt apprehended by faith, hee abſolveth the beleever from ſin and death, and doth repute him juſt and righteous unto eternal life. Of this the Apoſtle treates at large in the 3d 4•• and 5th Chapters of the Epiſtle to the Romanes, and in that to the Galatians. This doctrine of free juſtification is the foundation and corner ſtone of all our comfort. For whereas there is a double change in the ſtate of a ſinner; firſt, a relative change; ſecondly, an abſolute and reall change. The one is made in ſanctification, the other in Juſtification; Sanctification is a reall change, ſubduing corruption, deſtroying the power of ſin in us; but Juſtification is not a Phyſicall or real change in the perſon, it doth not make him that is unrighteous righteous in himſelfe, nor is man at all Juſtified (in this ſence) by any ſelfe-righteouſnes, but it is onelyonly a relative change as to his ſtate. To Juſtifie is a Law-terme, ſignifying, the pronouncing or declaring of a man righteous: So that Juſtification is an act of God upon us, or towards us: Sanctification is an act of God in us. This bleſſed Grace of Sanctification alwayes followeth the grace of Juſtification, as an effect or fruit of it; and though it may eaſily be diſtinguiſhed from it, yet it can no more be ſeparated or divided from it, then heate from fire, or motion from life.
Yet I concave, that Bildad in this place doth not ſpeake of Juſtification in that ſtrict Goſpel ſence, as it imports the pronouncing of a man righteous, for the ſake of Chriſt, or as if he ſuppoſed Job looked to be pronounced righteous for his owne ſake. But Bildad ſpeakes of Juſtification here, as to ſome particular act; As for inſtance, If any man will contend with God (and that Bildad chargeth Job with) as if God had done him ſome wrong, or had afflicted him more then was need, is he able to make this plea good, and give proofe of before the Throne of God; How can man be Juſtified with God?
There is a fourefold underſtanding of that phraſe, with God.
Firſt, Thus; If any man ſhall preſume to referre himſelfe to the Judgement of God, ſhall he be juſtified? (all at laſt muſt appeare before the Judgement of God, whether they will referre themſelves to him or no; but) ſuppoſe a man referre himſelfe to God (as Job had done by appealing to him) can he be Juſtified? Will God upon the tryall & examination of his cauſe give Judgement or ſentence for him? But in this ſence it is poſſible for a man to be juſtified with God; and thus Job was juſtified by God at laſt againſt the opinion and cenſures of his three friends.
Secondly, To be Juſtified with God, is as much as this, If man come neere to, or ſet himſelfe in the preſence of God, ſhall he be juſtified? Man uſually lookes upon himſelfe at a diſtance from God, he looks upon himſelfe in his owne light, and ſo thinkes himſelfe righteous; but when he lookes upon himſelfe in the light of God, and as one that is neer God; will not all his ſpots and blemiſhes then appeare, or rather will not he himſelfe appeare all ſpot and blemiſh? When he is once with God, will he be any thing with himſelfe, but an impure and wretched creature? In this ſence Bildad might check Jobs boldnes in deſiering to come ſo neere God, even to his ſeate, which would but have made him more vile in his owne eyes, and diſcovered to him his owne impurities, as it did to the Prophet Iſayah (Chap. 6.5.) and as it did alſo to Job himſelfe, when he attained his wiſh, and got ſo neere to God, that he called it a ſeeing him with his eye (Chap: 42.5.) Then we have not a word more of pleading his cauſe before God; His mouth was ſtopt, and he abhorred himſelfe, repenting in duſt and aſhes.
Thirdly, Can man be juſtified with God? that is, if man compare himſelfe with God, an he be juſtified? one man may compare himſelfe with another and be juſtified. And thus, the f…ithfull people of God are called righteous and juſt in Scripture, comparatively, to wicked and unrighteous men. But how can any man be juſt or righteous compared with God, in compariſon of whom all our righteouſneſſe is unrighteous, and our very cleanenes filthy?
Fourthly, To be juſtified with God, is, againſt God; that is, if man ſtrive or contend with God, in any thing, as if God were too hard and ſevere towards him, eyther by withholding good from him, or bringing evill upon him; can man be juſtifyed in this contention, or will God be found to have done him any wrong? without all queſtion he will not.
From the words taken in a generall ſence obſerve.
Man hath nothing of his owne to Juſtifie him before God.
There are two things conſiderable in man; firſt, his ſinne; ſecondly, his righteouſneſſe; his worſt and his beſt; all grant man cannot be juſtified by or for his ſins, nor can he at all be juſtifyed in or for his owne righteouſneſſe. And that upon a twofold ground.
Firſt, Becauſe the beſt of his righteouſneſſe is Imperfect; and no Imperfect thing can be a ground of Juſtification and acceptance with God. For though God doth juſtifie thoſe who are imperfect, yet hee never juſtified any man upon the account of that which is Imperfect. God never tooke cockle-ſhels for payment, he muſt have pure gold, and he ſeeth wel enough what poore ſtuffe, what baſe coyne the beſt of our righteouſneſſe is, and therefore cannot admit any of it in juſtification. For the purpoſe of God is to exalt himſelfe in Juſtice as wel as in mercy by the juſtification of ſinners. And therefore the Apoſtle ſayth (Rom. 3.25, 26.) That God hath ſet forth Chriſt to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteouſneſſe (and he is not content to ſay it once, but ſaith it againe) To declare, I ſay, his righteouſneſſe, that he might be juſt, and the juſtifier of him that beleeveth in Jeſus.
Secondly, All the righteouſneſſe wrought by man is a due debt; how can wee acquit our ſelves from the evill wee have done by any good which we doe, ſeeing all the good we doe, we ought to have done, though we had never done any evill? When we have done our beſt we may be aſhamed of our doings, we do ſo poorly. But ſuppoſe we had done richly and bravely; ſuppoſe our workes (which indeed are full of droſſe) were pure gold and ſilver, were precious ſtones and Jewels, yet they are already due to God. Wee owe all and all manner of obedience as wee are creatures; And wee can never juſtifie our ſelves from our tranſgreſſions, by ſatisfying (could we reach them) our obligations. There is enough in Chriſt to juſtifie us, but there is nothing in our ſelves; All that Chriſt did was perfect, and Chriſt was under no obligation to doe any thing, but what he willingly ſubmitted to doe for us. This booke of Job beareth as great a teſtimony to this truth as any; How often doth Job diſclaime all ſelfe-Juſtification (Chap. 9.20, 21.) If I juſtifie my ſelfe, mine owne mouth ſhall condemne mee: if I ſay I am perfect, it ſhall alſo prove mee perverſe. Though I were perfect, yet would not I know my owne ſoule, I would deſpiſe my life. What can be ſayd more fully (to the tenour of the Goſpel) for the abaſement of ſelfe, and the advancement of free grace in juſtification. He ſayd indeed (Chap. 13.18.) Behold now I have ordered my cauſe. I know that I ſhall be juſtified. But he never ſayd that he ſhould be juſtified for the cauſe ſake which he had ordered. There is a twofold juſtification.
Firſt, The juſtification of a man in reference unto ſome particular act, or in his cauſe.
Secondly, The juſtification of a man in his perſon. When Job ſayd, I know that I ſhall be juſtified, his meaning was, I ſhall be juſtified, in this caſe, in this buiſines, I ſhall not be caſt as an hypocrite (for hee alwayes ſtood upon and ſtiffely maintained his integrity) or I know I ſhall be juſtified in this opinion which I conſtantly maintaine; That a righteous man may be greatly afflicted by God, while in the meane time hee ſpareth the unrighteous and the ſinner. A man may have much to juſtifie himſelfe by before God, as to a controverſie between him and man; but he hath nothing at all to juſtifie himſelfe by as to his ſtate towards God.
Againe, As theſe words are referred to Jobs complaint of the ſeverity of Gods dealings with him.
Obſerve.
Whoſoever complaines of the diſpenſations of God towards him, cannot be juſtified in it.
Thus the Jewes of old complained (Ezek. 18.25.) Ye ſay the way of the Lord is not equall. But were they juſtified in this complaint, with God? How doth the Lord expoſtulate with them, in the next words. Heare O houſe of Iſrael, is not my way equall? is not your way unequall. As if he had ſayd; All the inequality is on your part, there is none on mine. The wayes of God, how hard and grievous ſoever they may be (as they were towards Job) yet unequall or unrighteous they can never be. The uſuall dealings of God with us are full of mercy, & his ſevereſt dealings with us have no want of Juſtice. How then can man be Juſtified with God?
Or how then can he be clean that is borne of a woman?
Here's another queſtion of the ſame tenour, and in the 15th Chap: ver: 14th, Eliphaz ſpake almoſt in the ſame termes, What is man that he ſhould be clean? and hee that is borne of a woman that hee ſhould be righteous? Jobs friends beate often upon this poynt, vehemently ſuſpecting that he did over-weene his owne condition, and thought too highly of himſelfe. Whereas Job did not onelyonly freely and ingeniouſly, but with a great deale of holy rhetorique and elegancy confeſſe againſt himſelfe againe and againe, that hee neither was nor could be cleane before God; OnelyOnly hee would not admit their plea againſt him, that hee ſuffered for his uncleanenes, or that hee was uncleane becauſe he ſuffered.
Maſter Broughton tranſlates thus; Or, The borne of woman locke to be cleared. We ſay; How can hee be cleane that is borne of a woman? that is, how can hee have a nature at all cleane, or be altogether cleane in his life, who commeth into the world through a world of uncleanenes? Can the ſtreame be cleane, when the fountaine is uncleane? or the product be better then that which is produced? Man borne of a woman by natural generation (ſo Bildad is to be underſtood) comes from an uncleane fountaine, from an impure Original, and therefore, how can he be pure or cleane? What the particular Emphaſis and importance of this phraſe (To be borne of a woman) is, hath been opened already (Chap: 14.1. Chap: 15.14.) and therefore I referre the reader to thoſe texts for a further Expoſition. And ſhall here onelyonly give out this Obſervation.
All men borne of a woman by natural generation are impure and uncleane.
There was never but one man, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, borne of a woman who was not uncleane, and he was borne of a woman, not in an ordinary, but miraculous way; The holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the moſt high ſhall overſhadow thee (Luk. 1.35.) All elſe borne of a woman have been and are uncleane. It is ſayd (Gen. 5.3.) Adam lived an hundred and thirty yeares, and begat a Son in his owne likenes, after his Image, and called his name Seth. Adam begat a ſon in his owne likenes; what likenes? it is not meant of his outward likenes, of the figure or feature of his body, that was the leaſt part of the likenes there intended, in which his ſon was borne; every father begets a ſon in a humane ſhape; and we ſay the child is like his father, not onelyonly as having the ſame ſpecifical nature, but as having the perſonal figure and proportions of his father. But when it is ſayd, Adam begat a ſon in his owne likenes, in his Image, the meaning is, he begat a ſon that was a ſinner as himſelfe was, and corrupt as himſelfe was, even Seth, who was given in the place of Abel. God in the creation made man in his image after his likenes; Man by procreation begets a ſon, not in Gods image, but in his owne; And that not onelyonly like him in conſtitution as a man, but in corruption as a ſinner. David confeſſeth of himſelfe (Pſal. 51.5.) Behold I was ſhapen in Iniquity, and in ſin did my mother conceive mee. Some to avoyd the ſtrength and dint of that text, as to the proofe of the corruption of nature by propagation, put a moſt corrupt and baſe gloſſe upon it; As if David had therein onelyonly confeſſed his parents ſinfullnes or inordinate affections in begetting and conceaving him; not his owne natural ſinfulnes as begotten and conceaved. I know no better argument of the corruption of nature, then ſuch corrupt interpretations of Scripture; For doubtleſſe as Bildad here in the Text, ſo David was acquainted not onelyonly with the doctrine of original ſin, and the corruption of nature, but had found and felt the ſad effects of it in himſelfe, And from that experience could ſay, I was ſhapen in iniquity, &c. as alſo conſent to what Bildad ſaith in this place, What is man that is borne of a woman that hee ſhould be clean? doe but acknowledge that any one is borne ordinarily of a woman, and wee may conclude him to be ſinfull and uncleane. That I may make this a litle clearer, I ſhall touch at three things, which are diſtinctly conſiderable in the ſin of Adam.
Firſt, That particular act, or fact againſt the Law, which he committed in eating the forbidden fruit.
Secondly, The legal guilt that flowed from that act, both upon his perſon and upon his poſterity.
Thirdly, The naturall Corruption which as a conſequent of the former ſtayned all mankinde. Or there was firſt the tranſgreſſion of the Commandement, which was his eating the forbidden fruit; Secondly, there was the puniſhment of that tranſgreſſion, which was death inflicted for eating; thirdly, the depravation of the whole maſſe of mans nature, by which, as Bildad ſpeaks, Every man borne of a woman is uncleane. And theſe three fell upon the whole poſterity of Adam, or upon all that are borne of a woman in a threefold way.
Firſt, The very act of Adams ſin becometh ours, for wee did participate with him, and had, as it were, a hand in it, becauſe wee all were ſeminally in him; ſo that when he ſinned, wee all ſinned being in his loynes long before we were borne, as Levi paid tythes in Abraham before hee was borne (Heb. 7.9.10.) Thus wee all ſinned in his ſinning, and had a ſhare in that act of his, becauſe hee ſtood as the roote of mankinde, and as having entred a covenant with God in that capacity. For he ſinned, not onelyonly as a ſingle perſon, but as hee was the repreſentative of all mankinde, and therefore what hee did we are reckoned as doing the ſame with him.
Secondly, The guilt of that ſin is ours by particular Imputation, as the fact is ours by common participation; for as if Adam had ſtood in a ſtate of Innocency, that had redounded to us for good, ſo his fall or ſin redoundeth to us for evill.
Thirdly, There is the pravity or corruption of nature, iſſuing from that firſt ſin, and that is chiefly aymed at in the preſent text. And this is derived to us by propagation. The defilement of nature deſcendeth and paſſeth from generation to generation: therefore, how can hee that is borne of a woman be clean? and that defilement hath two things in it.
Firſt, The loſſe of original purity, or the defaceing and blotting out of the image of God in which man was created.
Secondly, A ſucceſſion of horrible deformity and diſorder, which conſiſteth, firſt, in a pronenes to all evill; ſecondly, in an impotency and weakenes, yea in an averſenes from and enmity againſt all that is good. So then, we have to doe with the very act of Adams ſin by participation, with the guilt of it by imputation, and with the filth and deformity of it by propagation: From all which it may wel be queſtioned, How can hee be cleane that is borne of a woman, and concluded, Every man borne of a woman is uncleane.
Verſ. 5. Behold, even to the Moone and it ſhineth not, and the Starres are not pure in his ſight.
In this verſe Bildad proceedeth to argue downe the preſumption (as hee conceived) of Job, by calling him to conſider thoſe things which are farre below God, and yet were farre above him; as if he had ſaid; Wilt thou contend with God, when thou canſt not contend with the Moone and Starres? they have a brightnes beyond any thing of thine, why then doeſt thou inſiſt ſo ſtiffely upon the ſhinings of thy converſation towards men, and the brightnes of thine integrity towards God?
Behold, even to the Moone and it ſhineth not.
There is a twofold underſtanding of theſe words; firſt, ſome expound them by deſcending; as if Bildad had ſpoken thus; Behold O Job, and be both aſhamed of and aſtoniſhed at thy owne folly, in venturing upon a tryal before God, who is of ſuch infinite purity, that while he looketh upon all theſe heavenly lights that are above the Moone, even to or as low as the Moone, which (as Aſtronomers teach) is the loweſt of all the planets, it ſhineth not, there is no brightnes, no beauty in any of them; They are all in compariſon of God but clouds and darkenes, but clods of earth and dirt. And if they ſhine not in the eye of God, ſurely much leſſe doeſt thou, who art a worme, and but a clod of moving or breathing earth?
Secondly, Others expound it by aſcending. As if Bildad had ſpoken thus; Behold, O Job, and tremble at thy preſumption in deſiring that God ſhould take ſo exact a ſcrutiny of thee & of thy cauſe; for look upon all the parts of the inferiour viſible world, look upon all their glories and excellencies, and look not only upon thoſe things that are creeping here upon the Earth, but lift up thine eyes as high as the Moone it ſelfe, Behold even to the Moone (which is, as it were the boundary between the upper and the lower world; The Moone being the loweſt of the upper world, and the higheſt of the lower world, now ſaith Bildad, ſurveigh the world up to the Moone) and it ſhineth not.
But doth not the Moone ſhine? yes! the Moone ſhineth, the Moone is that leſſer light which was made to rule the night (Gen. 1.16.) Why then doth hee ſay it ſhineth not? the meaning is onelyonly this, that Moone-light, and Sun-light, that all creature-light is no light, nor their ſhining to be called ſhining, when we ſpeake of the light and ſhinings of God himſelfe. The Moone ſhineth for the uſe and to the eye of man, but the Moone ſhineth not for any uſe to or in the eye of God. As becauſe he is light, he needeth no light, ſo becauſe there was no light till he created it, the light of the creature is nothing unto him.
The Moone and Starres ſhine, but when the Sunne is up they ſhine not, that is, not to our view; the Starres ſhine as much in the day as in the night, though wee cannot ſee them being over-powred by that greater light, the light of the Sunne; So when the glory of the Lord appeareth, both Sunne and Moone diſappeare, and are no moore ſeene.Ne luna quidem lucida eſt collata eum deo. Vatabl. The light of the world is no light where God is named; doe but ſpeake of God, and all the beauty and brightneſſe of the creature fades and is extinct. The Moone is a very beautifull creature conſidered by it ſelfe, as Job ſpeakes to ſhew how farre he was from idolizing it, notwithſtanding all that beauty wherein it appeared to him (Chap. 31.26.) If I beheld the Sunne when it ſhined, or the Moone walking in brightneſſe? that is, if I beheld eyther Sunne or Moone ſo as to adore and worſhip them; if I reckoned any thing of Moone and Sunne, in compariſon of God, if I did not judge the light of both as darknes and obſcurity in reference to him, if I did not behold them ſo as if I did not behold them, not being taken up or dazzl'd at all with their ſhining brightnes, ſcarſe at all ſeeing, not at all admiring any brightnes, but the brightnes of God, if it were not thus with me, if I ſtood not at this diſtance, and upon theſe termes with the beſt of the creatures, then, &c. It argues that there is much natural beauty in the Moone, when as Job to ſhew his ſpirituall chaſtity ſaith that the beauty of it, did not at all withdraw or ſteale away his heart from God. Indeed ſuch is the beauty of the Moone that it is uſed to ſhadow out the Church in her ſpirituall beauty (Cant. 6.10.) Who is ſhee that looketh forth as the morning, faire as the Moone; The Moone is fayre, yet ſhe hath her ſpots; But God is fayre without any ſpot, and therefore the fayrenes of the Moone is no fayrenes at all to his.
There is another reading of the words (Behold even to the Moon, and it doth not extend its tents, foreign Et non expandit lumen ſuum in modum Ten…o… Complut:or doth not extend its light like a tent; for when the light is ſpread firſt out, it is like the ſpreading of a tent upon the mountaines. To which the Prophet Joel ſeemeth to allude (Chap. 2.2.) in that phraſe; As the morning ſpread upon the mountaines. Behold to the Moone, and it doth not ſpread out its light, nor extend its tents; Our tranſlation reacheth the ſence fully; It ſhineth not; Yea the Starres are not pure in his ſight.
The Starres are ſuppoſed higher and greater then the Moone; The Starres are pure and ſplendid bodies, as hath been ſhewed from other places of this booke. So that, when Bildad ſaith, The Starres are not pure, it is not an abſolute denyall of their purity, but as himſelfe expounds it, they are not pure in the ſight of God. The Starres have neyther thoſe ſpots, nor thoſe changes which the Moone hath, they are a more cleare and a more certaine light, yet Even the Starres are not pure in his ſight, and wee may reckon the Sunne among the Starres too, though ſometimes they are ſpoken of diſtinctly, Sunne, Moone, and Starres. Thus Bildad pleads the excellency of God above the moſt excellent creatures, how much more above man, who is now caſt much behind many of the creatures, through the corruption of his nature, and is not diſparaged by being compared to the meaneſt of them. Behold, even to the Moone and it ſhineth not, and the Starres are not pure in his ſight.
Hence Obſerve.
The glory or beauty of the moſt glorious and beautifull Creatures is no glory, no beauty compared with the glory and beauty of God.
Bildad inſtancing in the moſt beautifull Creatures, takes in the beauty of all the creatures; all which is but a ray, a beame of his infinite light, but a drop of his infinite Ocean; their glory is but an effect of his, and though the meaneſt of them are perfect in their ſtate, yet the beſt of them are not perfect in degree. It was ſayd anciently; Looke upon the heavens they are beautifull, looke upon the earth that alſo is beautifull, but he that made heaven and earth is infinitely more beautifull then eyther of them both, or then both of them.
When God had finiſhed the worke of Creation, it is ſayd (Gen. 1.31.) And God ſaw all that he had made, and behold it was very good. How then is it ſayd here, that the Moone ſhineth not, and that the Starres are not pure in his ſigh?
I anſwer, Firſt as before, all things which God made were good as creatures, but nothing was as good as the Creator.
Secondly, I anſwer, the creature is not now ſo good as it was when firſt created, the ſin of man did not onelyonly pollute and ſtaine the glory of man, but of the whole creation; and therefore the Apoſtle ſayth (Rom. 8.20, 21, 22.) That the creature was made ſubject to vanity, not willingly but by reaſon of him who hath ſubjected the ſame in hope, becauſe the creature it ſelfe alſo ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God, for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in paine together untill now. From this illuſtrious context it appeares that God for mans ſin hath put the whole creation to diſgrace and ſuffering, and that all creatures are fallen from their firſt perfection by the fall of the firſt man; The very lights of heaven are made darke, and the Starres impure, by mans impurity. Now if by the ſin of man, thoſe creatures who in themſelves are ſinleſſe, even the Moone and Starres, have contracted defilement, and are not without blemiſh in the ſight of God; then how much leſſe is man (by whom they have taken this infection) free from blemiſh or infection himſelfe, as Bildad inferres in the next words and cloſe of the Chapter.
Verſ. 6. How much leſſe man that is a worme, and the ſon of man which is a worme.
As if he had ſayd, If the Sunne Moone and Starres are not pure in his ſight, how much leſſe is man pure? Nor is Bildad content to ſay how much leſs is man? but he giveth a very debaſing compariſon of man.
How much leſſe is man that is a worme,Cum precedit ſententia negativa particulae. illae. foreign commodè redduntur quanto minus. Piſc: and the ſon of man which is a worme.
How much leſſe] We may ſay alſo, how much more is man impure in his ſight; So, the original words are often rendred; as the reader may ſee in thoſe places (Prov. 11.31. Prov. 15.11.)
Bildad layeth man as low as he can, ſhewing that he is ſo farre below the Starres that hee is as low as a worme; and if the Starres be impure in the ſight of God, how much more is man a worme? What's a worme? what a darke, dull thing is a worme to a Starre? yet that is not ſo dull a thing to a Starre, as a Starre is to God, therefore if the Starres be not pure in his ſight, how much leſſe man that is a worme?
A worme is one of the meaneſt Creatures, and the word that is here uſed ſignifieth the meaneſt of wormes;foreign vermis parvus in carne aut caſeo naſcens. properly and ſtrictly thoſe little wormes which breed in fleſh, or Cheeſe, or in any other kinde of food when it is corrupted. The word is uſed (Exod. 16.24.) where it is ſaid of the Manna that was reſerved contrary to the command of God, That it bred wormes; ſuch a worme is man; and Bildad is not content to ſay this once, but he ſaith it againe.
And the ſon of man which is a worme.
Here is the ſame thing doubled; And 'tis doubled by Bildad to aſſure us of the truth and certainty of of it; as if he had ſaid, I am not afraid to averr what I have ſpoken, I have ſaid it, and I ſay it againe, how much leſſe man, who is a worme, and the ſon of man which is a worme.
The ſon of man; that is, any man, high or low, rich or poore, learned or unlearned, they who are at greateſt diſtance in themſelves meete all in this, They are wormes. To be called the ſon of man, imports the meanenes of man, and minds man of his weaknes and frailty. Ezekiel the Prophet is often ſpoken to by the Lord in this ſtile, Son of man; the reaſon given by ſome is this, becauſe hee was a man often rapt up in the viſions of God, or had the viſions of God ſent downe to him, hee was a man that lived ſo much in heaven, that hee might even forget that hee was of the earth, therefore the Lord mindes him often of his Original, by calling him, Son of man, Son of man; ſo here, Bildad mindeth man of the meanenes of his birth, he is but the ſon of man. Some proud men have drawne their pedigree from the Gods, or from the Starres. Alexander the Great would be called the ſon of Jupiter, which was to ſay the ſon of the Sunne, hee did not like to be called the ſon of man, though as he was ſo, ſo he was ſoone after convinced and confeſſed that he was ſo.
And the ſon of man which is a worme.
foreign vermis magnus & parvus. qui ab omnibus teritur & contunditur.Wee expreſſe this latter branch by the ſame word worme in our Engliſh, but the Hebrew ſpeakes it in a different word; and Maſter Broughtn renders it differently in the Engliſh, and the ſon of man a vermin. The word ſignifieth both ſmall and great wormes, all ſorts of wormes or vermine; here's the ſtate of man; and how can hee who is ſuch a worme ſtand before God, in his purity, when the Sunne Moone and Starres are impure before him?
Againe, wee may take notice that Bildad doth not ſay, man is like a worme, but is a worme. 'Tis not ſpoken by way of ſimilitude, but of aſſertion.
Hence obſerve.
Man is a very poore thing.
So poore a thing that hee is twice in this Text called a worme; the loweſt things ſerve for a Compariſon and beare the likenes of the higheſt and greateſt men in the world; man is but a worme, and the ſon of man, is no better, a worme or vermin. As it ſheweth the excellency of God, that nothing is ſo good, ſo great, ſo perfect, that is worthy to be compared with him (Iſa. 40.18.) To whom will yee liken God? or what likenes will yee compare unto him? Looke over all the Excellencyes that are in the Creature, is there any thing that lookes like God? that hath any excellency or beauty comparatively to him? And againe (Iſa. 46.5.) To whom will yee liken mee, and make mee equall, and compare mee, that wee may be like? that is, there is nothing that you can compare or make mee like unto, I am above all compariſon — Now (I ſay) as it ſhewes the excellency of God, that there is nothing worthy to be compared to him, ſo it ſhewes the meanenes of man, that there is nothing ſo unworthy but that he may be compared to it, and that without wrong or diſparagement. The Scripture doth as it were ſtrive for Compariſons, to ſet forth the weaknes, the poorenes, the worthleſnes of man; hee is compared to, yea called duſt (Gen. 3.19.) Duſt thou art, and to duſt thou ſhalt returne. Hee is compared to the graſſe of the feild that groweth to day, but withereth or is cut downe to morrow (Iſa. 40.6) Hee is compar'd unto a ſhadow that hath nothing of Entity or ſubſtance, and therefore continueth not but vaniſheth away (Job 14.2.) Hee is compar'd to that which is leſſe then a ſhadow, even to that which is, as I may ſay, the nothingnes of all things, vanity; and thus hee is called when at his beſt or in his beſt eſtate (Pſal. 39.5.) Further, man is not onelyonly nothing and leſſe then nothing, but that which is worſe then nothing a ly, hee is naturally under ſuch diſgrace, that he is the very word of diſgrace, a ly. Surely (ſaith David, Pſal. 62.9.) men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a ly. Nor doth the Lord ſpeake thus of ſingle perſons onelyonly, but of Nations, and not onelyonly of this or that Nation, but of all Nations; take mankind in a cluſter, or as bundled up together; not onelyonly is this or that man, this or that Nation, but all men and all Nations before him are as nothing, and are counted to him leſſe then nothing and vanity (Iſa. 40.17.) They are not onelyonly duſt, but (which is the lighteſt and moſt inconſiderable duſt) the duſt of the ballance, and that the ſmalleſt duſt of the ballance (Iſa. 40.15.) they are not onelyonly a drop, but the drop of a bucket, which is but the drop of a drop. The ſimilitude in the Text layeth man low enough, He is a worme. When the Lord would ſpeake of his people at the loweſt rate in reference to the opinion which they had of themſelves, or which others had of them, hee calls them a worme, (Iſa. 41.14.) Feare not thou worme Jacob, and yee men of Iſrael: God doth not ſpeake this to the diſparagement, or to the diſcouragement of Jacob, but to the comfort of Jacob; As if he had ſaid, though thou art a worm, though thou art thus low, thus mean, humbly in thy own thoughts, contemptuouſly in the thoughts of others, yet feare not, yea all ſhall have cauſe to be afraid of thee, for though thou art a worme, yet thou ſhalt threſh the nations and beate them ſmall &c. As National Jacob then, ſo perſonal Jacob, or Jacob in perſon before was but a worme in his owne eyes. (Gen. 32.10.) I am not worthy of the leaſt of all the mercies (or I am leſſe then all the mercies) and of all the truth which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy ſervant, for with my ſtaffe I paſſed over this Jordan; that is, I came over in a very poore manner, all my ſtate was but a ſtaffe. Here Jacob in perſon ſpake of himſelfe as a worme; and when wee ſpeake thus like wormes, wee ſpeake moſt like Saints. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſpake thus of himſelfe, as for our ſakes he became poore and emptyed himſelfe, as for our ſakes he tooke upon him the forme of a ſervant, and was made in the likenes of man. (Pſal. 22.6.) I am a worme and no man, a reproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people. O how low did Chriſt eſteeme and ſet himſelfe, as, and while he ſtood in the place of ſinners? He not onelyonly confeſſed that he was a worme, becauſe a man, but that he was a worme and no man. How then ought every ſinfull man to abaſe himſelfe and ſay, I am a worme and no man. Man is a worme in a five-fold reſpect.
Firſt, Looke upon his original and conſtitution, hee is from the earth as the worme is.
Secondly, Looke upon him in his natural ſtate and condition, hee liveth upon the earth and earthly things, as wormes doe.
Thirdly, Hee is a worme, becauſe continually ſubject to danger, every foot may cruſh him.
Fourthly, As the worme is very ſubject to danger, ſo likewiſe unable to reſiſt, or make defence; the worme is a naked creature, and weares no armes, neyther offenſive nor defenſive. Such a one is man, a worme, unable to defend himſelfe, unleſſe the Lord be his ſhield and a defence to him round about.
Fifthly, Man is a worme, for hee muſt ſhortly returne into the Earth where the wormes are houſed; hee is going to wormes, as a worme, and when he comes to the grave it will be worme to worme. As the Lord ſayd, Duſt thou art and to duſt thou ſhalt returne; ſo wee may ſay, a worme thou art, and to wormes thou ſhalt returne. Thus wee ſee man is a poore thing, a very poore thing, and hence I ſhall make foure or five briefe inferences.
Firſt, Let no man be proud, or have high thoughts of himſelfe; the ſon of man is but a worme; O why doth man ſwel above the clouds, or proudly make his neſt among the Starres, when as he muſt ſhortly fall among the clods, and as he is a worme, ſo be eaten up of wormes.
Secondly, Let men take heed of adorning one another with great words and flattering titles, let us take heed of having the perſons of men in admiration; it is as vaine a thing, for any man to give great flattering titles to others, as it is to have high thoughts of himſelfe. The titles which the Spirit of God gives to man, are humbling titles, a flower, a ſhadow, &c. any thing which may keep downe his ſpirit and abate ſelfe-valuations; we ſhould learne as to thinke of our ſelves, ſo to ſpeake of other men as the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh. As he doth not paint man out with praiſes, nor ſpeake of him as Courtiers (whoſe hearts are the ſhops of complements, and their tongues the venters of them) doe of Princes. So neyther ſhould we: There are two extreames which wee ſhould labour exceedingly to avoyd in our references to men; and yet moſt men walke in one of theſe extreames towards men. Firſt, we ſhould take heed or reproaching, vilifying, and deſpiſing others; for though it be a duty for every man to thinke meanely of himſelfe, and to ſay of himſelfe, I am a worme; and though wee may lawfully thinke and ſay ſo of all men, as to the general truth of the propoſition, yet it is ſo farre from being a duty, that it is not at all lawfull to call any man worme, with reproach and contempt of the meanenes of his perſon. Secondly, we ſhould take heed of flattering and daubing others, as thoſe Tyrians did Herod, crying out it is the voyce of God and not of man (Acts 12.22.) whereas God to ſhew their miſtake, and that he was indeed but a worme, ſmote him, and he was eaten up of wormes. Elihu concludes and reſolves excellently to this poynt (Job 32.21, 22.) Let me not, I pray you, accept any mans perſon, neyther let me give flattering titles unto man, for I know not to give flattering titles, in ſo doing my maker would ſoone take me away. As God tooke away Herod for receaving flattering titles, ſo they who give them are in danger to be taken away by God.
Thirdly, Be not Envious at others; what if another have a little more glory, riches, beauty, ſtrength, power, then thou haſt, what though he have a little more knowledge, and be a little higher in gifts then others, yet hee is but a worme ſtill; what's man but a worme, and what's the ſon of man, (the beſt of men) but a worme? why ſhould a worme Envy a worme, what though ſome men are ſilke wormes, a little better furniſhed and richer then others in mind and body, yet they are but wormes in ſilke, and many who appeare ſo, are but Glow-wormes, which ſhine a little but have no conſiſtence.
Fourthly, Let the ſons of men take heed of vexing one another; why ſhould wormes riſe up againſt wormes, why ſhould wormes deſtroy wormes cruelly, bloodily? Wee are all weake as wormes, let us therefore engage that little ſtrength wee have, for the ſupporting, not for the ruining of one another. Wee uſually have ſo much tendernes towards wormes in kinde, that when wee ſee them crawling upō the ground, we avoyd treading upon them; yet how doe men purpoſely tread upon wormes in likenes. All men are wormes in likenes, we ſhould not willingly tread upon or hurt any man. But poore men, and men of low degree, are more wormes then rich men, and men in high places are, therefore take heed of oppreſſing the poore, for that is indeed, a treading upon wormes. And though while you tread upon wormes the weake and needy, they cannot (as Chriſt ſpeakes of ſwine, Math. 7.6.) turne againe and rent you, yet if you doe ſo, God, the ſtrong God will turne upon you and teare you while there is none to deliver.
Laſtly, Take this inference from it.
Man by ſin is much degraded and fallen below himſelfe.
Man by ſin is become inferiour to the meaneſt creatures, who was once above all viſible creatures: man in the ſtate of Creation was the chiefe piece of the viſible world, hee was next to the Angels, who are of the Inviſible world, but now man is fallen very low, he is levell'd with the loweſt of the Creatures, a worme; not onelyonly doe the heavenly bodyes exceed him in beauty, but even the earthly bodyes, the beaſts of the field, and the worme that crawles upon the earth, and lives in the bowels of it, is good enough to make compariſon with him. See what man hath loſt by ſin! ſee how hee is degraded and fallen from his ſtate and ſtatelynes! yea I may ſay that man by ſin is not onelyonly fallen from that ſtate and ſtatelynes wherein he was created, but he is fallen below the ſtate of the loweſt creature. Man (by ſin) is not onelyonly a worme but worſe then a worme; A worme is not capable of morall polution; a toad hath naturall poyſon, but man hath morall poyſon in him, which is worſe then naturall poyſon; and which makes the condition of man yet more vile, his moral poyſon (ſin I meane) is to him naturall. It is his miſery and his diſhonour that he hath it, and it is his greater miſery and diſhonour, that he loves it, and that it is not ſo much his diſeaſe as his deſire: and as the firſt ſin, the ſin of nature hath debaſed all mankinde at once; ſo every man that goeth on in and multiplyeth (with deſire) the acts of ſin, debaſeth himſelfe yet more, and maketh himſelfe not onelyonly lower then the worme, which is the loweſt of living things, but even lower then the loweſt things that have no life. Senceleſſe liveleſſe creatures are better then ſinfull men, ſuch I meane as live in ſin, and better it had been for any never to have had a being, or not to have lived at all, then to dye in ſin.
Seeing then ſin hath degraded us, and placed us among and below the wormes, who were once next to Angels, how are we engaged to Jeſus Chriſt, who by becoming a worme for us, hath raiſed us to be heyres of bleſſedneſs with the holy Angels for ever, and hath lifted us up to that hight of honour, that even the holy Angels miniſter to us as long as we are here. And how ſhould we ſtrive to raiſe our ſelves up higher and higher in the Improvement of all that grace which is freely offered to us in Chriſt, even to our dayly converſation in heaven, and our ſitting together in heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes (Eph. 2.16.) It is ſad for any man who is but a worme, to be lifted up in himſelfe, but it is the duty of every man to ſtrive that he may be lifted up, not onelyonly above the wormes, but above the heavens. Wee may quickly ſin in ſeeking our owne exaltation in a worldly, But the more we ſeeke our exaltation in a heavenly ſtate, the more holy, yea the more humble we are. Wee never act as thoſe who know they are but wormes here on earth, till we have an ambition to be like the Angels who are in heaven.
Thus I have opened and done with this third, and that a very ſhort diſcourſe of Bildad in this Chapter, wherein he hath ſpoken Excellently as to the generall truth, in exalting God and humbling man, yet he is upon the old miſtake, Concluding Job a ſelfe-Juſtifier, yea a contender with God; Whereas indeed his thoughts were as low as his ſtate or perſon, in reference to any conceit of righteouſneſſe in himſelfe, or of any boldnes in charging God with the leaſt unrighteouſneſſe (though there was much ſeverity) in his dealings with him.