Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4
Ambrose, who is also for the mystical sense, upon V. 8. That are ready to stir up Leviathan, saith, That this is spoken of Christ, who he saw was to encounter with the Devil, and to overcome him: For by Leviathan, the Devil is commonly by the Fathers understood, Job 40. And Christ is spoken of as ready to stir him up. They that follow the literal sense say, That Job herein calleth upon the wicked, that work by the Devil, to curse that night, or such as go a fishing, because a Whale is called Leviathan, but have no good success, and therefore curse such a night or day, as unlucky. From hence to V. 14. There is nothing difficult touching the literal sense: And upon this. Then should I have been at rest with Kings and Counselors of the Earth. It is said, the meaning is, I should not have been in worse case then others my fellow Kings and Princes, who being dead and laid in their Sepulchers feel no such pangs as I do. Then V. 17. There the wicked cease from tumult, that is, Either are made to be quiet, and cease from their wicked practices: Or the righteous are no more disquieted by them; whereas whilst they live here, they are always like the raging tumultuating, and can never cease raising up troubles against them.
The man whose way God hath hidden &c. That is, The way of going out of this life, which he desireth to do: But he findeth no means to get out; As one going upon the way, and coming at an hedge, through which he cannot break.
I sigh before I eat. That is, I am so full of sorrow, that even when I take my repast, I do it not without sighing and lamenting. The meaning of this is plain, The thing that I feared is come upon me. I lived not so in prosperity, but I expected this day then; for I knew the uncertainty, and mutability of these worldly things: And therefore this hath not come upon me, for my confidence in worldly things. And since I was afflicted in my Children, whom I lost, and my Servants and Cattle, I murmured not, nor complained against God, whereby I might provoke him, to lay this Judgment more upon me, I did silently and quietly bear all my losses, as it appeareth by that which he said before, and yet • o what another heavy Judgment hath befallen me, & I see no end of it. And hitherto according to the literal sense and morals made hereupon: Something also hath been touched upon, concerning the Allegorical from Job to Christ, which may well hold, if we make such an application in general, but not so particularly, as Gregory doth. Job was a figure of Christ, as was before said in his Name and Country, if we look at their signification: As also in his extrem poverty to which he was brought from great riches, although so just a man, that none was like him upon the Earth. He was also assaulted by the Devils temptations, being hungry and alone in the Wilderness, and that not once, but sundry times; as the Devil stired up Jobs Wife, and by her assaulted him being in pain, and alone, there being neither Children nor Servants about him, and then his friends by their invectives against him, laying to his charge hypocrisy, as the Pharisees likewise stirred up by the Devil, laid to his charge, that he was a deceiver and wrought by Belzebub. Again he was filled by his harsh usage and sufferings beginning to seize upon him, about the time of his great passion upon the Cross, with such anguish, that it drove him into an Agony, which made him sweat such a sweat, as never was heard of, even drops of blood; and after this, as despairing, to cry out, Eli, Eli, Lama sabactthany. When yet he neither sinned by the heat of impatience, or the chill coldness of pusillanimity, or fear, as Job cried out against the day of his Birth, and as impatient of living longer, not in a sinful way, but as under a show hereof, uttering mystical things for our instruction, as may appear from that which hath been said. How the allegory holdeth afterwards in the end, which the Lord made, shall be by his assistance shown toward the end of this Book.
CHAP IIII.
THen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said. If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou then be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?
Here before I begin to speak upon the words of Eliphaz, something would be said upon the signification of his Name, and the names of his other two Friends, upon which Gregory thus: These three set forth Heretics, who begin to speak smoothly at the first, as if they meant no hurt to him, to whom they speak, but only good, to purchase his benevolous attention, but soon come to speak words which much hurt the hearer, and greatly trouble him, that we may beware of them, and not be drawn by [Note.] the enticing words of their eloquence. Eliphaz signifieth The contempt of God, Bildad oldness alone, Zophar the dissipator of speculation: And by these three Names are aptly set forth three evil qualities in Heretics, which were the grounds of all their wicked heresies: For first they are proud and despise the plain and simple Truth commonly taught according to the word of God, and so do in effect despise God. Secondly, they have only the old Man with his deceitful heart in them, and nothing of the new, guided by the Spirit of God. Thirdly, They disperse and scatter abroad their own speculations for truths, pretending sometime the light of Revelations to make them the more acceptable: according to all which Popish Heretics proceed. for they despising the single word of God, the Canonical Scriptures, as insufficient, adjoin hereunto, to ground their Errors upon, Apocriphals, Traditions of men, and many Inventions, for the better setting forth of the public Worship of God, which in the Ceremonies by them devised, would be naked and contemptible. Secondly, They are set a work thus to do by their own deceitful hearts carrying them on through the covetousness and pride that is in them. Thirdly, How many revelations have been by them pretended to confirm their imaginary purgatory, their superstition about the invocation of Saints departed, and the adoration of Images, and the single life of Priests? Neither do the Anabaptists differ much from them herein; for they pretend new lights and revelations, and are manifestly led by the old man, making them to despise God and his ways, going in crooked ways of their own, and not in the known ways of the Church of God.
Touching the speech of Eliphaz, Some, saith Ferus, think, that he spake but deceitfully, when he pretended his unwillingness to grieve Job by that which he should say, and his conscience enforcing him hereunto: But because it is not a friends part, when he heareth his friend in his misery breaking out into impatient speeches, as if God had dealt worse by him, then he deserved, [Note.] to hold his peace, but to tell him plainly of his fault, that he may repent, and use more patience: He rather thinketh, that Eliphaz spake in part as he ought to do, and as it is our part to do in the like case, that is, Not by the way of flattery to be silent, if we see cause of speaking by reproof to our dearest friends; only in judging and charging him for his sufferings, not to be the man that he took him to be, but hypocritical and wicked, what a show soever he made, this is sinful and uncharitable, yea although, the person afflicted uttereth words of impatience, through the infirmity of the flesh, in the extremity of his pain: But for reproving any sin in our friends, we have a Precept. Math. 18, And Solomon saith, That the wounds of a loving Friend are better then the kisses of an Enemy: Moreover, our zeal for God, and to vindicate his justice in all his doings, ought to be such, as not now to be silent, but to speak, least we be proved such as love men more then God. Thus Ferus and that rightly: But for so much as Job sinned not by impatience anymore now, then formerly, as hath been before shown; Eliphaz did him wrong in all that he said, yet not wittingly: For he loved him dearly, and came out of love to comfort him; but through ignorance, and I doubt not, but by the instigation of Satan, to vex Job yet more, for which as for men sinning out of ignorance, the Lord commanded, that Sacrifices should be offered both for him and the rest of his friends: To proceed in the words of Eliphaz, V. 3.
Behold, Thou hast instructed many, and strengthened the weak hands, &c. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee and thou art troubled.
Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, the uprightness of thy ways, thy hope? In reproving Job, He first beginneth with laying to his charge, his not following his own instructions, given to others in the time of their misery; in that he himself now was so faint-hearted, that he thought that the check, Physician heal thyself, might rightly be given unto him: And Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum: It is a shame for him that reproveth, and teacheth others, to fault in the same thing himself. If Job had done so indeed, he might well have been blamed; or who soever doth so, as the Scribes and Pharisees, [Note.] that said and did not; for now thou art condemned out of thine own mouth. But if Job had been impatient in such extreme misery, whereas in his health and prosperity, he comforted others, and happily reproved them, for their impatient speeches; that which rightly could have been gathered herefrom, were nothing else, but that a man in health and prosperity knoweth not his own weakness, although he truly feareth God, til he is brought to the trial. For many think, as Peter, to be very courageous then: But coming to be tried, their strength to stand is nothing, as it [Note.] was with him; yea and it is not to be doubted, but that these men themselves, if they had been tried, as Job was, would have been much more impatient, then he seemed to be. They sinned therefore in this, that they dealt not with him, as considering themselves, and their own weakness; as is commanded: If any man be fallen by infirmity, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, least thou also be tempted. For the next word V. 6. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, &c. In saying thus, he doth as it were deride him, for the words last uttered by him, Chap. 3. 25. 28. Where he spake of his fear and confidence, and rest through hope, and quiet living, as if he had said, Art thou not ashamed to speak of these things and yet makest such impatient exclamations for being quiet, fearing God, and trusting in him, rather casting away his fear, living sinfully; so that thou mightest justly instead of being confident, despair now; and instead of being quiet, be full of trouble, as thou art. Herein then, Eliphaz sinned again by judging righteous Job to be a wicked man: And that this is his meaning, the next words, V. 7. do declare.
Who ever perished being innocent? And where were the righteous cut off? He committed then the great sin, of judging his Brother, of which it is said, Judge not, that ye be not judged. And how shalt, thou that judgest another, escape the judgment of God? For in regard of ones being smitten, to judge that he is wicked, and not innocent and righteous; is to condemn many righteous men: As Abel, who was cut off by Cain, Joseph, that was cast into a Dungeon, David, that was persecuted by Saul: And Abimelech slain, with eighty Priests more by Doeg in one day. Here before I proceed any further, in the speeches of these men, it is necessary, that I resolve a question, in what account they are to be had, whether as divine and true, and to be grounded upon, as other sayings in the holy Scripture, or human, as coming from wise men, who by their wit and study, had attained to the knowledge to speak thus: The reason of this question is, Because, in many things, they contrary Job, and are said by God himself not to have spoken so rightly as Job, and if not so rightly, then some things spoken by them were not true, and therefore not divine, nor spoken by the spirit, as it is said of all the canonical Scriptures, that they were. To this it is to be answered by distinguishing: Some of their speeches came from their own darkened understanding and blind reason: As namely these which are by Job contradicted, and wherein they apply things truly spoken in the Thesis against him from hence to convince him of wickedness and hypocrisy. Some of them again set forth things concerning God and divinity aright: Some Philosophy, both moral and natural, the former of which are to be thought to have come from God, who put those words into their mouths, as he did many divine and prophetical sayings, into the mouth of Balaam: And afterwards it is said of Caiaphas, that in saying, it is necessary That one man should die, and not all the Nation perish. That he spake not this of himself, but being high Priest, that year he prophesied. The speeches uttered by them against Job, by way of inference from the truths delivered by their mouths, came altogether from themselves, and the instigation of Satan, that Job might be the more grieved, and, if it were possible, provoked to speak rashly and impatiently, and so to sin, which was the thing, that Satan endeavored with all earnestness: For the approving of the truths of God which they uttered, to have come from the spirit of God make the citations of them by the Pen-men of the holy Scriptures, as V. 8. of this Chap. is cited, Prov. 22. 8, Hos. 10. 11. V. 18 2. Pet. 2. 4. And many sayings more throughout this book, as may be seen all along, by the quotations upon the Margin: For if they had not come from God, they should not have been alleged, as authoritative, or proving. Origen also to prove them to come from God, saith, That the sayings of Job's faithful friends should not certainly have been by Job committed to writing in his sacred book, unless they had come from the spirit of God, and were profitable for us to read. Yea Moses himself citeth some passages of theirs: As namely, that of dwelling without fear, chap. 22. 19. Levite 26. 5. and that of resting, and none terrifying, chap. 11. 19. and that of not accepting persons, Job 34. 19. Deut. 10. 17. whereby it also appeareth, that the book of Job was written first of all other books of Scripture, and it is more confirmed, that he lived about the time of Jacob, whose daughter Dinah, he is said before to have married. Now to return again to Eliphaz the Temanite: the country, of which he was, had the name from Teman, the sone of Esan, of whom Eliphaz came, and Jerome saith, that he was the King of the Temannites, in the land of the Gebalites, although in the Hebrew tongue all the south parts were called Teman. To proceed according to the words of this Eliphaz. V. 8. 9. are plain V. 10.
The roaring of the Lion, the voice of the fierce Lion, and the teeth of the young Lions are broken. For fierce Lion, the vulg. hath Lioness, and for young Lions, Lions whelps. But herein the sense is more respected, then the proper signification of the words: For the Lioness, when she hath whelps, is noted to be more fierce then the Lion, and what are young Lions, but Lions whelps? These words are by Eliphaz uttered further, to aggravate Jobs wickedness, for which he had said before, that although he pretended holiness, and had been hitherto blessed: Yet now a spirit from the Lord had blown upon him, V. 9. and that so powerfully, as that now he could play the Lion no more; either terrifying his Subjects, by his roaring, or tearing of them with his teeth, which were now hereby broken: So that he could neither act the roaring Lions part himself, nor his wife the part of the fierce Lioness, nor his children, who were as young Lions, tear cruelly with their teeth: For they were broken by the fall of the house upon them, as was before shown: And not ceasing here, he prosecuteth the same allegory of a Lion, further V. 11. Thus to the piercing of his heart, with bitter words he did insult over him.
Here Eliphaz to confirm his reproachful speeches against Job, findeth that he had a Revelation from God, as Ferus saith, so likewise Lyra, Isodor and Clarius. Some think that it was the Devil, who thus deluded him; he thinking that God had whispered these things unto him, whilst he was by night thinking upon Jobs case, and why, he being so just a man suffered such grievous things: then Satan, that he might with the more authority, as from God, confound Job, appeared thus unto him pretending to be a good spirit.
Lastly, Some others will have it a true revelation from God, because the things spoken are most true, but by Eliphaz ill applied against godly Job. So Gregory, Carthusianus, Burgensis contra Lyranum, and Calvin, who saith that Eliphaz was an excellent man, and that God vouchsafed sometime to speak unto him, as appeareth by that which he here uttereth. And to this do I assent, for such speeches could not come from the Devil or from an ordinary but a prime man and enabled by God to instruct others in his truth. But what is it that he saith? A thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received little thereof.
It may seem to be no secret, that God only is perfectly righteous, saith Calvin, and all men unrighteous in comparison of him, as here followeth, Vers. 17. But he calleth it a secret, because it is hidden from many proud men, who if they outstrip other men, who live most wickedly, think themselves most righteous persons, that God should do them wrong, if he should lay his judgments upon them: and he saith he heard a little of it, he taketh not upon him any perfection of knowledge, although he were an eminent [Note.] man for this, yet he heard and understood but a littlerto the reproof of those, that knowing but little of the word of God, yet take upon them to [Note.] have Knowledge, yea enough to teach others and think, that they have no need now to learn anymore, thus coming to despise all teaching. V. 14.
Fear came upon me, and Trembling, which made all my Bones to shake.
And this he saith was in the Uisions of the night, verse. 13. Such terror doth God strike into men in declaring his will unto them that it may be efficacions in them, as it is not, unless they feel the power of his Majesty that speaketh, as also was shown by giving the Law to the so great terror of Israel, and by the fear that came upon Moses himself, of whom it is said that he trembled and feared. And Daniel fell down as dead for fear; and Ezekiel and John who wrote the Revelation: and this is the course, that the Lord taketh under the Gospel for the converting of sinners, as we may see in Saul, he was smitten down to the ground and trembled, and then the Lord spake unto him by Ananias: and he cometh not nigh to any but to such as he makes to tremble at his word.
Then first beginneth grace to work, when a man is made to fear by God's voice from heaven hearing his word, as it is said, that Josia did, and his heart melted within him, V. 15. 16.
Then a spirit passed before my face, but I could not discern the form thereof, an Image was before mine eyes, there was silence and I heard a voice. The spirit here by some is thought to be an Angel, by others more probably a wind, as it befell Elijah, to whom after a strong wind came a soft and still voice, and in such a wind the spirit came upon the Apostles Act. 2. The likeness not to be discerned showeth, that it is not God's will, that he should by man be represented by an image, so that to do this is an abomination and instead of showing himself wise that doth so, a showing of himself a fool and in danger to be given over to a reprobate sense as the Apostle showeth. Whereas he saith, There was silence, this is spoken to show that he heard well so much as he here uttereth, that was then spoken in the silent night, there being no noise to hinder his hearing: And hereby we are taught in silence to hearken to the word of God, or else we are likely to carry but little [Note.] of it away; or to profit little thereby, as it commonly happeneth to most hearers, when they are at a Sermon the world maketh such a noise in their hearts, speaking to them of other things, profits, businesses, pleasures of the World, or the Devil by his suggestions, that they cannot hear to remember, insomuch as that being asked, what was treated upon, they are able to say just nothing.
Shall a mortal man be more just then God? shall he be more pure then his Maker?
Behold, he puts his trust in his servants, and his Angels be charged with folly. The Vulg. Shall he be justified in comparison of God? And this indeed is the meaning, although a man be never so just, yet in comparison of God's, his righteousness is nothing, and therefore God is to be acknowledged just and righteous in all his doings, when he proceedeth most severely against his most righteous servants. He hath no trust in his servants, Vulg. They that serve him, are not stable. That is, his good Angels that serve him, are not stable by their own strength, but by God's stablishing of them to stand, when others fell, and for many of the very Angels they fell indeed, and are charged with folly, that is, Sin to eternity. Calvin will have nothing spoken of the Angels, that fell here, but only of them that stood; because the word folly, is not significant enough, to set forth their horrible sinning, but because he maketh two sorts of them, the one of such as serve him still, the other of these, that long ago were charged; I conceive it to be plain, that the evil Angels are meant by Angels, and as thus meant, Saint Peter seemeth to speak from hence, saying, God spared not the Angels that sinned. For what was his not sparing of them, but charging them with sin, which is folly, as i • is he • e called; with Calvin standeth Vatablus and Cajetan; But Olympiodorus Ch •• sostome, and Athanasius, and generally all ancient writers, both Latin and Greek, hold that the Angels which fell, are meant. How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, wh • a • e crushed before the moth? For out of the dust was man made; and his body, the house of his soul, is but of red earth or clay, for which the Apostle calleth them, earthly Tabernacles, which seemeth to be taken from hence and to a garment eaten by moths: that is, Man for his frailty, compared by David, which he took also from this place. And Hosea saith, in the name of the Lord, I will be a moth to the house of Judah, and Ephraim. Whereby is intimated his being consumed, till that he be brought to dust for his sins, and the frailty of dealing with man by destroying him, as having much less strength, when he sinneth to subsist.
They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish forever, without any regarding it. Here he further showeth the misery of men that justify themselves, as not worthy to be so ill dealt withal, in regard of the righteousness, which they conceive to be in themselves; God's judgments seizing upon them, they are made known to be vile, how excellent soever they seemed formerly to have been. For the moral observations of Gregory, first, from Eliphaz his Exordium, wherein he praiseth Job for teaching others, what an excellent man Job was, that he who was set to detract from him, yet gave him this high commendation, that being of so great dignity, implying much employment, yet he took time to instruct and teach others; and the commendations of adversaries are most sure proofs, because by the power of the truth forced from their mouths: And this doth greatly commend a man of wisdom indeed, that notwithstanding, all worldly incumbrances, he is intent to teaching and instructing of the ignorant, and confirming in faith and obedience to God, and patience. Secondly, From these words, Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, the perfection of thy ways? That he was endued with four cardinal virtues, which in whom soever they are, makes him excellent indeed; fortitude founded upon the fear of God, being without it but rashness; and patience with hope added to fortitude, without which it cannot be durable; with all these uprightness concurring; the glory of God being in sincerity sought in all these, and not a man's own vain glory. Thirdly, That Heretics speak some things truly, that they may be the better believed in that, which they say erroneously.
Fourthly, From these words, They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same, &c. that God sometimes suffereth wicked men long, before that he proceedeth in Judgment against them: for plowing and sowing, and after that reaping, implieth a long time as is betwixt sowing seed and the harvest, wherein it is reaped; but in the end a wind shall come to scatter them, as the Psalmist saith, as the dust which the wind bloweth away. Sometimes God punisheth sooner in the acting of Wickedness, that he may not seem not to regard the evil doings of men; and sometimes he forbeareth to punish till sin is come to be full ripe, as in the Amorites, or till the day of Judgment, that we might certainly expect that time, and be confirmed in our patient bearing the wrongs done to us by the wicked, being assured that they shall be reckoned with for all, and be judged accordingly. Fifthly, By the roaring of the Lyon, the austerity of the man being understood, by the Lyoness, the garrulity of the wise, and by the teeth of Lions whelps, the edacity of Jobs Children, because they feasted one another so much, and by the Leopard, as he hath it, for the old Lyon, which is spotted, and variously coloured, that Heretics exult great, if they can find such vices mingled with virtues in the Orthodox, as tending much to their disgrace and giving them advantage, as they do indeed, that we may take heed of such mixtures of Alms-deeds with vain-glory, of zeal with merciless rigor, or of covetousness with pious performances and temperance. Sixthly, upon these words, It was said to me in secret, that Heretics to purchase the more credit to their erroueous teaching, find revelations which they have had secretly, whereof none else, but he alone that teacheth, is a witness: and hereby they challenge unto themselves no ordinary, but extraordinary knowledge, exceeding that, which is in other men: and they also seek secret places, wherein they may vent their errors, there being none present, as in the public place, whereby they may be confuted, and thus many simple souls are perverted by them, so that there are these three fignes of an Heretical Teacher.
First, That he pretendeth revelations.
Secondly, He challengeth to himself more knowledge then in other men.
Thirdly, He lurketh in secret places, in private houses, in corners, as the Prophet saith, that thy teachers shall not be. 7. Upon the same words, A word came to me in secret, what is this word, saith he? but that of which it is said, In the beginning was the word & that word was God, and took flesh. And this word cometh in the night, when there is no noise, but all things are quiet, to show, that he must cease from worldly things that would receive this word into his Heart: and he saith, that he heard a little thereof, to intimate the defectiveness of our knowledge in this great mystery of Christ's incarnation: and by the fear coming upon him is set forth, as I touched before, how the word first works in the heart towards conversion: and the same word was an Image, yet not distinctly to be discerned, because the Son is the Image of the Father, but till the spirit cometh, of which he speaketh next, not so well to be discerned, by which spirit is meant the Holy Ghost coming down at the feast of Pentecost, compared to a gentle air, because bringing great tranquility into the minds of those that receive him. 8. Upon these words, His Angels he charged with folly. These Angels may be also expounded of his Ministers according to Revel. 1. and Mal. 2. 7. even these are not without sin, as James saith, In many things we sin all, and Paul, Not as though I were perfect: and they dwell in clay houses that are weak in respect of grace: and are founded upon the dust, that is, have hearts dustied with evil cogitations, from which they can never in this life be clean swept: and what is the moth, but that which is bred in the garment, and then corrupteth it, the sin bred in the flesh, whereby destruction cometh. Dangerous then is the case of the fleshly, and unregenerate, that is, they, in whom sin increaseth daily instead of being mortified: For of such it is added further, They are destroyed from morning to evening, they perish forever without any regarding it. They are said to be destroyed from morning to evening, When by the daily increasing of their sins they lay a foundation of everlasting destruction, Heaping up (as it were) wrath against the day of wrath. And none of them is said to regard it: That is, in great security they go on thus to do, till the foresaid inevitable destruction cometh upon them, to declare which further, it is added, verse. 21. They die without wisdom, being without all providence, as fools, till their fatal blow cometh, so that they may enjoy the present pleasure, or profit of sin, not regarding what sufferings attend them afterwards.
Lastly, For these words, Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? He following the Vulg. But they which shall remain shall be taken out of them, Expounds them thus; When they are thus destroyed, the Elect who are as the left and neglected ones of them, shall be taken out from amongst them, and carried up to remain ever with the Lord. For these are, as the rejected servant of the Amalekite, upon whom David lighted in his way, who was weak and almost dead, but by • im refreshed, he went with David as a guide, who came upon the • host of the Amalekites, and slew and spoiled them. So the elect of God are dealt with here as most despicable, but Christ takes and saveth them, and useth them as Guides, by setting them up for Preachers and Leaders, as it were in their Sermons, denouncing this judgment to come amongst them, after which he followeth, and adjudgeth them all to destruction. Thus he, and the Heb. will bear this reading, the word being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying first to remain, and then to excel: whereas it may seem to make against this, that these words are inserted amongst the other, as tending all to set forth one matter: He answereth, it is not unusual in holy Scripture in speaking of one thing, suddenly to interpose some-what touching another, and then to return again to speak more of that which went before; to prove which, he instanceth in 1 Tim. 5. 22, 23, 24. Thomas Aquinas followeth him, but Lyra understandeth it as meant, that none of them shall finally escape: But as some here are destroyed, so all the rest at the last day shall be. Calvin and some others will have the excellency of the same men meant, which at the last vanisheth all: And that of being destroyed from morning to evening of this life, waxing shorter every day till we die.
CHAP. V.
CAll now, if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn?
Here the Jesuit thinks is a manifest proof, that it is no new thing to call upon the Saints departed, but was done even in Jobs time: But this ground is altogether sandy. For the word rendered Saints here, signifieth either Angels, as Augustine hath it, or holy persons living still in this world, as the Jesuit himself acknowledgeth. Moreover, Gregory acknowledgeth none other to be called upon here meant, but God, and the Saints are mentioned to him in derision, as if it were a ridiculons thing to cal to them departed out of this life, who cannot hear us: For Abraham, saith the Prophet, knoweth us not, and Isaac is ignorant of us. But to whom should a Roman Catholic rather hearken, then to one, and that the famous of their own Bishops? The meaning of this bitter scoff is, that if he believed him not, that he had such a revelation as he said, and he would not consent to that which he had spoken as true, but would still persist in his exclamations, as if he had been by God wronged; that he should pray to God, and see if he could prevail an answer from him to convince Eliphaz of falsehood, or to justify himself so terribly punished, and so impatient under his punishment. And if he should think that any of God's Angels, or servants upon earth, being called to take his part, would do it, this were absurd for him to try, for surely none would stand for him; or if he should think of any Saint in Heaven to call to him, this were ridiculous.
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
I have seen the foolish taking root, and suddenly I cursed his habitation.
This saying, howsoever mis-applied against holy Job, containeth a truth in it: For wrath through impatience and envy at the better estate, wherein others are, is a great sin, and destroyeth the image of God in a man, who speaketh and doth all things without passion, and therefore wisely and righteously, which he cannot, do that through passion, is blinded in his mind by unadvised anger. Thus also Solomon in his Proverbs condemneth him for a fool that is soon angry, or continueth herein, of which see more upon that Book. Touching Envy, he in whom this vice is, envieth another, because he thinks him better then he, as Cain envied Abel, and Josephs brethren, him, and Saul, David; and thus he condemneth himself as little in virtue, and unworthy to be spared. Now to be preserved from this dangerous evil, [Note.] to which we are provoked by the love of worldly things, (For everyone would have the best of these: and because he cannot, but seeth another have better then he, envy is stirred up in him.) We must labor to have our hearts taken up with heavenly things, wherein there will be no streightning to any man, but everyone shall hereof have his fill, one as well as another; the more come to partake hereof, they being the more enlarged, that everyone may have enough; for the love of heavenly things will take us off from the love of earthly, and not loving them, although we want, we shall not envy those that have, because we have far better, able to suffice any soul, in comparison of which these are but as dross and dung.
I have seen the wicked taking root. That is, seeming as a deep rooted tree, to stand firmly, because in great prosperity. And I suddenly cursed his habitation: That is, I did ominously speak or think, that such a man's house would come to ruin: For the word is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which is used elsewhere to set forth cursing, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to divine ominously. And so it is also said by David, I have seen the wicked flourishing as a green bay tree, and by and by his place was nowhere to be seen. Thus also Gregory, who morally by him deeply rooted, understandeth the earthly, according to that of our Lord, That which is of the earth is earthly. Because trees are rooted in the earth, and the [Note.] foolish Worldling by having his mind set upon things here below, is said to be thus rooted; but his Excellency, as he rendereth it, and the word also may signify accursed, to what estate soever he attaineth in this world, it shall be turned into a cursed condition, and so shall suddenly vanish, when he cometh to be judged, as if it had never been. And mystically by the foolish, he understandeth the Jews that were so malicious and envious against Christ; They, how deeply soever rooted in the land of Canaan, by their continuance there, and by promises made to their Fore-fathers; yet for their malicious persecuting of Christ to the death, were by God's curse expelled, and all their glory in having God for their Father and Protector, is turned into dishonor, shame, and contempt.
His children also are far from safety, they are crushed in the gate, and there is none to deliver them. This was manifestly spoken by him of Job's children, who were crushed by the house falling upon them: Whereas it is said, In the gate, hereby Judgment, whereby it fell thus out unto them, is denoted, because the gate of a City of old was the place of Judgment: And hereby it is shown, that at the last day, when the Lord shall sit upon his Judgment-seat, all the wicked, and their children like unto them in condition, shall be crushed, that is, destroyed, sentence being denounced then against them, as Mat. 25. Go ye cursed into hell fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; For such only are counted the children of the wicked. If any seeing their fathers wickedness, turn there-from, the Lord hath promised that they shall not die, but live. The gate also, which is a place to go out at, may set forth Death, by which, as by a gate or door, men go out of this life; And herein all the wicked are crushed, that escaped all their life time before, it being to them [Note.] the gate leading to Hell, but to the Elect, to Heaven, all whose sufferings are now at an end, and their joys begin, which never shall have end, as it was with Lazarus, of whom, and Dives being dead, it is said, Now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Whose harvest the hungry shall eat, and taketh it out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance. Vulg. And the armed shall snatch it away, and the thirsty shall drink up his riches. But there is no reason, if the sense of the word be respected, to render it The armed, in the Nominative case, for it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifying out of thorns, or arms sharp as thorns, whereby it is defended; and so the meaning is, the harvest of the wicked, that is, their abundance, although never so strongly guarded by men and arms, whereby it is hedged about as with thick growing thorns, that a man would think it impossible for any to come at it: Yet hungry and poor men, by God's just judgment, shall break through, and make a prey hereof: And of hedging Job about, Satan spake before in this sense, Chap. 14. And for the next words, the word rendered robbers, by Vulg. thirsty, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which if it be derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth thirsty, if from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying hair, Thieves, and Robbers: Because the Arabians and Sabaeans, who were Robbers, living in Desarts, went naked, and wore their hair long, to cover their bodies: and this is rather to be followed, although because such thirst after gain, and the goods of other men, not going out in Bands so much to fight to get victory, as to take preys▪ that other rendering may seem tolerable, especially, because hungering was spoken of before: And here coming to speak of the same goods, which go there under the similitude of an harvest, to be taken and eaten, here they are propounded as drink to be swallowed or drunk, thirsting hereafter most aptly agreeth. And in all this he aimed at Job to grieve him the more, by setting him forth as the wicked man, who was thus dealt withal, his Cattle being strongly guarded by his servants; yet the Sabaeans coming out in bands, slew his servants, and took them away. Whence we may truly note in general, although he in applying it to Job sinned greatly, that no safe keeping of wicked men's goods will avail, if they be [Note.] put in iron chests strongly locked, and strong places, and guarded also by men and arms, will keep them from Robbers, when God beginneth to animadvert against, and to punish them for their unjust scraping of them together. As Croesus could not have his goods defended, when Cyrus came, nor the Tyrians theirs against Nebuchadnezzar, or Alexander, or the Babylonians theirs against the Medes and Persians. From hence Gregory raiseth this Moral; The hungry taking away, and eating the rich man's Harvest, as out of thorns, that is, with much difficulty: And the thirsty drinking up their riches, set forth such as are more dull of understanding, in comparison of others, that are more ripe witted, and quick of apprehension: For these having abundance of knowledge, to which they easily attain, have, as it were, an harvest to be reaped to feed and enrich their souls much; but because they have no hearts affected with the things that they know; the dull of understanding, hungering and thirsting after this Harvest, and treasure of wisdom, in time attain unto it, and there these witty ones have it taken away, as it were from them, being in the midst of their knowledge, left poor and destitute of all true wisdom and understanding, and so becoming miserable, as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, saying that he was rich, and needed nothing, is pronounced to be poor, miserable, blind, and naked.
Although affliction cometh not out of the dust, nor trouble springeth out of the ground: Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. The vulg. Nothing is done upon earth without cause, neither doth grief rise out of the ground. But herein the sense is more respected then the words, which are Hebr. as in N. T. For this is the meaning, Afflictions and Sufferings come not to men without cause, they spring not up out of the dust or earth, as herbs, and thorns, and nettles, naturally, there is a further cause hereof to be looked at in the man himself that suffereth, namely, his own sins, which be the seeds from which miseries spring. Chrysostom and Olympiodorus turn the sense another way, thus: The earth is not sensible of pain, and therefore it is not incident unto it: But man is, yea every man, and therefore it is by him patiently to be borne, and not to be counted a just cause of murmuring and complaining, for he is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. It is a thing by all men to be expected, and therefore Job should have patiently born it, saying with another, I think nothing incident to man, strange to me. But the meaning before given and followed by others is best, and hereunto agree these words very well, thus: Man being a sinner, is borne and brought forth into this world to suffer trouble and misery, his corruption by nature carrieth him hereunto, as the sparks are naturally carried upward: The Vulg. hath it, Labor is for man: Man is born for labor, and birds for flying. Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the children of a burning coal, or of an arrow, which because it hath feathers, Jerome rendereth by feathered or winged Fowls. For the word, flee upward, it is Heb. Shall be lifted up in fleeing. And they who render it by Birds, give this sense, as Birds which naturally have wings are for fleeing, this is that which God hath appointed them to, to flee about, and so to get their living: So man coming into the world with hands, and having, when he is grown up, understanding accordingly, is taught hereby, that God would have him to labor for his living, and not to seek to gather wealth by oppression and wrong: And if he doth not, but being a Prince, playeth the Tyrant or Lyon, as was before said, tearing from his Subjects, then he hereby layeth a foundation of affliction and sorrow to himself, which cometh not out of the dust, as was said before, that is, through no fault of his; but here is the evident reason of his being brought to such misery, his oppressions. And this we may rest in, as fully satisfying, being also the same in effect, which I said before: Or if it liketh thee not so well to render it Birds, take it for Arrows, as the word also signifieth, or for sparks of fire, which have nothing else to do but to flee aloft: But because labor for living is here compared with fleeing, and the Birds of the Air only flee about thus, not sparks or arrows, I still hold as before, that there is none Exposition to that made by Birds. And being thus understood, it agreeth best with his other vexing speeches before going, and specially that, Chap. 4. 10. But howsoever in his sense erroneously applied, yet continuing in its truth, which all Oppressors [Note.] had need to think upon; as they would not have affliction and sorrow in the end, the fruit of their covetous accumulating earthly treasures. Gregory hereupon saith, Affliction cometh not from the dust, nor trouble from the earth: When it is dry, and so becometh barren, or over wet, or the fruit thereof blasted or mildewed, or Vermin be bred that eat up all; but men's sins are the cause of these judgments from the earth: And man is born to labor, and birds to fleeing upward, that is, man, who hath nothing in him but nature, hath toil and travel in getting and keeping the goods of this world; but they that are as birds by an heavenly conversation, flee aloft, and are not so intent to this labor, but even neglect them in comparison: Yea, and the afflictions which they suffer, they turn into an occasion of being the more heavenly minded: and so being mounted up above this world, they are not moved at the evils hereof, but joyfully suffer all things.
I would seek unto God, and to God would I commit my cause: Which doth great things, and unsearchable, &c. Olympiod. thinketh this to be spoken by way of ostentation; as if he had said, I for my part will bless God, for that I am not such an one as have laid a foundation to myself of sorrow and misery by oppressions, and so am preserved therefrom; but this is both contrary to the words, I would seek, not I would praise, and savors not of the spirit whereby Elihu spake, out of presumption, as the Pharisees prayer, Luc. 18. Wherefore others better either take the meaning to be: If I were in thy case, I would not speak, as one that found myself grieved out of a conceit, that God had dealt more hardly with me then I have deserved; Or else do thou (O Job) what thou wilt, cry out still if thou wilt against the day wherein thou wert born. But if I were in thy case, I would humble myself to God, that he would pardon my sins, & take his plagues away from me, for he is not inexorable, but most merciful, and able to do wonderfully for thy restitution, both to health, wealth, and children again: And this is his meanng, the words following, verse. 10, 11. do declare. He giveth rain, &c. to set up on high those that be low, that they who mourn may be exalted to safety.
For the phrase of making it to rain upon the good and the bad, is used by our Lord to show prosperity and increase by God's blessing in the • e outward things. Gregory upon these words, Who doth great things and unsearchable, marvelous things, saith, that many things which God daily doth marvelously, no man admireth, but the like being done rarely, are by all men admired, as the raising of a man from the dead is wondered at by a • l; but the birth and coming of a man into the world, which is a greater wonder, no man admireth: and I call it greater, because the making of that which was not, is a greater work then the repairing again of that which was: Water tu • ned by Christ into Wine all admired, but that out of the moisture of the earth drawn through the Vine grapes, and Wine should come, no man admireth, and yet it is as wonderful a work as the other: And the loaves multiplied by Christ for the feeding of so many were admired; but the like being daily done by the corns sown into the ground, of one many coming, is not admired. The commonness of things take away our admiration, or counting them wonderful. Many more wonderful works of God also there are, for which they are said to be innumerable. His works are also said to be unsearchable, because man cannot sin out the reason of them, to believe even the most wonderful of them past or to come we are bound: But to inquire into the reason is not safe, but prejudicial to our faith, as the creating of all things of nothing, and the raising of the dead again at the last day, this we are to believe and admire: But for the reason hereof we ought no further to inquire; but this should be a reason sufficient for us, because he made all men at the first, when they were not before, therefore such as have been, he can doubtless make again out of the same matter. For his making it to rain, verse. 11. this he expoundeth of his doctrine, which is elsewhere said to come down as rain: And the next words, verse. 12. To lift up on high those that be low. Of the Apostles, and as abjects in this world, but shall be at the Resurrection lifted up on high by being set upon 12. Thrones, to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel. They also, and the like unto them were the mourners, which shall be comforted.
He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
This saying is alleged, 1 Cor. 3. 19. and thereby appeareth to have come from the spirit of God, and not much unlike unto it is Isa. 44. 25. and therefore see the Exposition there, only we may take notice of some examples brought by Gregory for the illustration hereof. Joseph's brethren were so wise, that they thought to frustrate his dreams, but their counsels took no effect. And Saul thought to circumvent David by giving him his daughter to wife, but all in vain. Yea, Jonah hmiselfe, when he thought to deal wisely in disobeying God, was taken and cast into the Sea.
They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noon day as in the night.
This is by Gregory expounded as prophetical, touching the Jews, who having Christ amongst them shining clearly as the day light, by teaching and miracles, yet had their understandings so darkened, that they saw him not to be the Messiah, but groped after him, when they said, How long dost thou keep us in doubt, if thou beest the Christ, tell us. And in this sense Jeremiah saith, The sun went down to them, when it was yet day. And Isaiah in their person, We have stumbled at noon day as in the dark.
But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth. Who is the poor man here first spoken of? but Christ, of whom it is said, that he made himself poor to make us rich. He was saved from the sword of the wicked Jews, when as although he was crucified, yet he rose again the third day: and the same that is called the sword, is also called the mouth, because the mouths of the wicked Jews crying out, crucify, crucify him, were as swords drawn forth against him. And therefore it is said, The sons of men, their tongues are arrows, and their mouth as a sharp sword. And there is a generatlon whose teeth are as spears and knives. The poor that have hope now, are the Disciples of Christ, who when they saw him risen again, were filled with comfort, but the mouths of the wicked Jews were not yet stopped, for they still cried out against him; but they shall be stopped, When at the last day they shall see him whom they have pierced come in Judgment to their inevitable destruction: And so shall all their mouths be, who having received the knowledge of his truth, yet sin willingly, and so crucify him over again, piercing him as it were with their oaths and imprecations, corrupt communications, and other wickednesses of their tongues, or lives. Morally also by those [Note.] that meet with darkness in the day, understand the wicked envious men who envy the righteous, and seek some occasion of detracting from them: But going about this, a black darkness overspreadeth them, so that they can find nothing against him, yet they grope for something whereof to accuse them. As the Sodomites coming about the house of just Lot were smitten with blindness, and groaped about to find the door, but could not enter or find it: So they seeking some door at which they may enter an accusation against the righteous, can find none, as men in the dark: For God saveth the poor from their sword and their mouth, that is, so that they cannot prevail to make them sin, whereby to have any advantage against them, either by violence or fraud, seeking by flattering speeches or promises to pervert them, or to bring them out of the right way. And these poor ones be the humble whom God teacheth, and to whom he giveth grace, that they can have none advantage against them, but are in these their wicked enterprises finally confounded, and shall have their mouths stopped, when their judgment shall be denounced, and they have no time anymore to speak against them as now commonly they do, or seek to do.
Behold, happy is the man whom the Lord correcteth, therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. See the same, Prov. 3. 12. with a reason,
For he maketh soar, and bindeth up, he woundeth, and his hands make whole. Of this see Hos. 6. 1. Deut. 32. 39.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven there shall none come near thee. By six saith Gregory, understand all the troubles of this life, set forth by this number, because the world was made in six days, and this world is full of trouble, therefore we must expect trouble after trouble here to the end of this mortal life: but God will deliver his servants out of them all. Yea, and when the seventh cometh at the end of this world, the day of judgment, which shall be the most terrible time of all others to all the wicked, that shall not touch thee; but then shall the day of thy rest begin, which never shall have an end. Some not observing the distinction here made of six, from the seventh, but putting them together, say, innumerable troubles are hereby meant, to which even the best are subject in this life, but they shall be delivered out of them all; the number of seven being put for very many, but when seven are not named together, but six and then the seventh, we must not confound what God hath distinguished; as neither Hos. 1. where it is said, for three transgressions and for four, but by three, some lesser sins and fewer are to be understood, by four more and greater sins, being now grown to the full: Therefore Gregory herein is to be hearkened to, and whereas some think, that the evils hereafter named, V. 20. 21. 22. may be taken for the seven here spoken of, if V. 24. be added, six being in the 20. 21 22. and one in that, Gregory without observing this number, saith, That having spoken of his not being touched with the seven, meaning, that instead of being touched, now for a reward of his patient bearing of the troubles of this life, he shall come to perpetual rest; he setteth forth the troubles of this life, against all which he shall be safe, by the graces wherewith he shall be endued.
In famine he shall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the Sword. That is, If there be a famine of the word, of which Amos speaketh, and hereupon the flesh getteth strength, fighteth against the spirit; such, grace shall be given to such as seek to God, as was before said: That they shall be free from all danger coming hereby, when as the wicked shall be overcome, and incur the danger of death, V. 21. Thou shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. This is spoken to show, That whereas some being preserved from the temptations of the flesh, even when Vision faileth through persecution, yet being assaulted, either with the flatteries of the tongue, or violence offered unto them, are not able to stand; yet the faithful Servants of God that seek to him shall, and neither flatteries, nor threatenings shall prevail against them, for they knowing, that they shall be variously assaulted, have the food of the word in them against this famine: The grace of continency against the fightings of the flesh, patience against the sword of the tongue, and the love of heavenly things, taking up the heart against sufferings, in our Goods or Bodies. V. 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh. That is, At the last day, when judgment as destruction and famine shall seize upon the wicked; which is so said of them, because they shall not see Christ anymore, who is the bread of life, and therefore being shut out from him, what can come to him but famine and torment; the Servants of God shall be the joy of their hearts; live and be with him forever. And thou shalt not fear the beast of the field, that is, The temptations of the Devil, who is called a Beast, because he tempted Eve by the Serpent, the subtlest of all beasts: But him the righteous shall not fear at the day of death, when chiefly he seeketh whom he may devour as a roaring Lion, the wicked; with whom he hath prevailed by his allurements in their life, may well fear him in their death; as ready to make a prey of their Souls: But to the righteous, it shall be as the Prophet Isaiah saith, An evil Beast shall not pass through thee. They that have feared God in their life time, shall not in their death fear the Devil; but such as casting away his fear, have been drawn by the flesh or the Devil to sin, now shall fear the death, to which he shall take them away forever.
Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. So almost a like passage, Hos. 2. 18. the meaning is, saith Gregory, The faithful, who are by Peter set forth, by the name of living stones, shall be joined in league unto thee; in associating thyself with whom thou shalt have much delight, and the beasts of the field are either Devils, as was before said, or fleshly lusts, which coming upon us, as raging beasts: For the more the faithful are assaulted by either, the more do they seek to God; and so they are not able to hurt them as enemies, but to benefit them by occasioning a firm peace betwixt God and them, who loveth and beareth greatest favor to them that seek most unto him in time of trouble; when he is ready to hear, and we forget him, to be torn in pieces, there being none to deliver them: Hitherto Gregory is moralizing, but according to the literal sense, here are the greatest judgments, that befall men in this life, reckoned up, famine and the sword; and destruction making desolate, such as that which cometh by the sword and the famine, through pestilence, which commonly followeth after, and by evil beasts, as the Lions, that destroyed the Assyrians; from all these he saith, That the man, who seeketh to God, shall be preserved; the like unto which, David hath, Psalm 91. And for these words; Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field. As I am not satisfied with the moral sense given, so it is most difficult to determine, what is meant hereby: Some understand, strong men, whose strength is as that of stones; contrary to which Job saith, afterwards of himself; My strength is not as the strength of stones; and if it be taken thus, the meaning is: That instead of strong enemies, he should have strong and firm friends, to stand continually to him, some understand, stones set for boundaries of Lands, land-marks, to be in league with which is, hold a man's land, without being encroached upon by enemies; some understand patience making a man to stand firmly in adversity, howsoever shot at. Some, thou shalt be so safe in thy going, as that, though thou goest amongst the stones of the field, thou shalt not stumble nor be hurt hereby, as if they had made a league with thee, not to hurt thee, as often times they did some others, in those rocky countries: And this I prefer, for it is in regard of hurt by stones or by beasts, that he saith thus: And it is promised, where preservation of the faithful, from pestilence and war is spoken off; That the Angels shall bear thee in their hands, least thou dash thy foot against a stone, and Lapides, stones, have their name, Laedendo pedes, hurting the feet: That of Thomas Aquinas, which is so applauded by some, then falls to the ground, that the very stony ground should be fruitful to him, which used to be barren to others; yet there is one exposition more, which I will bring, that may not seem unfit; and that is, That the stones shall not cry out against thee, as it is said, they shall against him, that buildeth a City by blood, The stones of the wall shall cry out against him. For even the Earth and stones of the earth, have a voice to cry out against, and to complain against oppressors; as also we may see against Cain, that the earth that received his Brothers blood at his hands, did: But if thou beest no Oppressor, but art just in all thy dealings, thou shalt be as it were in league with the stones in this regard, nothing shall rise up, to accuse thee, but rather speak for thee; Thou shalt know, that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, and thou shalt visit thy Habitation, and shalt not sin. The vulg. Thou shalt visit thy species, thy kind, another man Like unto thee, as Gregory expoundeth it: and this reading also the Hebrew will bear, for what is another man's body, but such an habitation as thine is, weak and infirm as an earthen vessel, and may be called thine, because his flesh is thine own flesh, as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh, Break thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor wandering into thy house, and despise not thine own flesh. Or bring the poor cast out, into thine house. Not such as voluntarily prefer a vagabonds life, go about the country begging, who by giving harbor to them, are too much encouraged to go on in this idle course of life, to the filling of the Land with confusion; whereas such should rather be chastised, and sent back to their own habitation, as is by good law provided: But what is it that he saith, Thou shalt see thy Tabernacle in peace? it is, Thou shalt have peace in this life, if abhorring from rapine and wrong, thou dost that which is just and right in all things, whilst thou so journest in the body, as in a Tabernacle, as the Apostle calleth it, the peace of good conscience towards God and men. And if thou adjoynest hereunto, visiting the poor and weak, called thy habitation, for the reason aforesaid, giving relief to the one, and supporting and helping up the other, as it is required, Gal. 6. 1. thou shalt not fin, and so not be prejudiced for want of doing this also, in respect of everlasting peace in Heaven. And because nothing is of more force, then this consideration, that such are as ourselves, to move to mercy, he saith, Thou shalt visit thy kind, as the Apostle doth, Considering thyself, least thou also be tempted. And our Lord, as ye would that men should do unto you, so do ye to them; wherein the same Apostle was a notable example, who saith, That he became as weak to the weak, and all things to all men, that he might win some, considering himself in them, and how he would have been condescended to in the like case. Thou shalt know also, that thy seed shall be great, and thy offspring as the grass of the Earth. To say nothing of Gregory's morals here, as being too far fetched, in saying; Thou shalt know, he meaneth, thou shalt see by experience the increase of thy posterity, which shall be a goodly offspring, as the green grass growing out of the earth, putteth a beauty hereupon: so thou shalt have children again fair and comely, and they shall be great, and mighty upon earth, as also the Psalmist speaketh, of the seed of the righteous. And thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, as a shock of Corn cometh in his season. Wherein he spake rightly, as the sequel at the end of this book showeth, for Job had again both sons and daughters, and wherewithal to make them great, for his estate was doubled; and his daughters were most beautiful women, and he lived after the turning of his captivity 140 years, and having given Inheritances to his daughters amongst their brethren, he died full of days.
CHAP. VI.
THen Job answered and said, O! that my greifes were thoroughly weighed and my calamity laid in the balances together. Having heard his friend Eliphaz charging him for his seeming impatient under his sufferings, to be a wicked man, and one, who though he had formerly seemed most righteous, yet appeared to God to be an hypocrite, doing otherewise then he made profession, or else God would not have dealt so severely by him, as he did; having I say heard all this to his greater vexation, Job now answereth, as if he had said, I confess indeed that I have shown much impatience in the speeches, that I have uttered, if they be looked at, as they sound, which I ought not to have done. But O! that ye could see how I am afflicted, even much more then appeareth outwardly to the eye in my soul and inward parts, because that here I feel nothing to make me look up to God as a merciful Father unto me, but a severe Judge against me; so that I feel in my soul as it were, the terrors of Hel upon earth: And these being thus weighed, would seem heavier then the sands of the sea shore, and therefore importable by any creature, so that I want words to express my miseries, which he meaneth by saying, My words are swallowed up. For that he meaneth, his inward sufferings, besides his outward, the next words do declare, V. 4. The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison thereof drinketh up my spirit, the terrors thereof set themselves in array against me. That is, I feel the effects of God's wrath in my heart, as arrows pei • cing and galling it, yea poisoned arrows, which are most mortal: And are shot by most cruel enemies, desiring that none who are thus wounded, should escape, [Note.] but die a tormenting death, and whilst it is thus with me, I am beset as it were, with an army; from which there is none escaping, but I must needs perish forever: Whence note, How great the severity of God's wrath is, and shall be towards the wicked: for if Job so just a man be thus dealt [Note.] with, and being under it but for a time, judgeth the burden thereof intolerable, what shall become of the wicked who shall bear the burden of his most heavy wrath forever and ever: And therefore let us all repent and serve the Lord with reverence, that we may never feel the weight of this burden: And because Job was for a time in this desperate estate, but [Note.] at length delivered and comforted, let no faithful fervant of God, if he be under such temptations, utterly despair, but looking to his example, certainly expect by faith a joyful issue; the rather now, because Job, who is propounded to us for a pattern, had: There was no example before this, from whence he could take the like comfort; but we have both this and Christ's, and diverse more, whereby we may be comforted: But because [Note.] there is so great danger of falling into desperation, under such grievous temptations, let us pray to God, as Christ hath taught us, saying, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And let it terrify us from every gross sin, as that of Cain and Judas; and the like; being assured that if Job were so pressed down by despair, who lived in no such sin, but most righteously in all things: We shall fall into a desperate most doleful condition in the end, and never be delivered, but perish everlastingly; as the wicked men before named did: Pray we then with David both, Keep me Lord from presumptuons sinning; and again if we have so sinned: Purge me from this heinous and bloody fact; And enter not into Judgment with me. And correct me, but not in thy fury. Which who is able to bear? The allegorical exposition made hereupon by Gregory, that by the balance Christ is to be understood, and that weighing the sins of all men, in whose person he speaketh, in this balance, is, by his suffering death • for them, whereby their weightiness appeared; this I say seemeth not to me so solid, and therefore I pass it over: For that which he objecteth against those that will not receive a mystical sense here, if these things be not mystically to be understood, what sense shall we give of these words, V. 7. The things which my soul refused to touch, are my sorrowful meat. If his friends galling speeches shall be thought to be meant hereby, we must condemn him for a very proud man in his prosperity; therefore no literal sense will hold good, but we must seek out a mystical, which is, That the Apostles, who before the coming of Christ, and by his death bringing salvation to the Gentiles, would have nothing to do with them, nor before they were better instructed in the person of Peter; yet after this should make them as it were, their mear, filling them by preaching repentance unto them, and eating them by baptizing them, and giving the Communion to them, believing in Christ, being incorporated into the same body with them, as the meat is, when it is eaten and digested into our bodies: But this expounded, saith he, it agreeth very well, and aptly followeth that of meat to be eaten without salt, and the white of an egg having no taste in it; for so the Gentiles before grace coming into their hearts, set forth by salt, were as meat without a taste, and not to be eaten; but now well tasted meat, and it is called sorrowful meat, because the Jews being rejected, when they were called, made the Apostles sorrowful, as Paul showeth, whom we may hear speaking for them all, I have continual heaviness for the Jews. And by the Ass an unclean beast, he meaneth the Gentiles, and by the Ox, a clean beast, the Jews: But Ferus hath an exposition, making the sense good, without any allegory thus. O, that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my cal amity laid in the balances. In saying which, he doth not as it may seem by the Vulg. lat. O, that my sins were laid in the balance. Complain as if his sufferings were greater then his sins; for the most righteous man cannot say so, because the least sins that he comitteth, are greater then the greatest sufferings that God layeth upon him in this world; for which David in the name of the faithful acknowledgeth: That God rewardeth us not according to our sins, but even in judging us here, showeth us mercy. His meaning therefore is, I may seem to you, yea I perceive by the greatness of my sufferings, that thou Eliphaz gatherest, that I am no ordinary, but a greater sinner, then thou art, and that I have hidden my wickedness under the vayl of hypocrisy: But O! That thou couldest see into my heart, and there thou shouldest find, that I have served God in sincerity, and therefore, although I acknowledge myself to be a sinner, yet thou wouldest not measure my sins by my calamities, but wouldest think upon some other course, whereas by doing otherwise, thou puttest not my sins and my miseries into an equal balance, judging of them by the heavy weight of my sufferings, whereas thou wouldest if thou knewest me thoroughly, judge so hardly of my case: Whence note, that they put the calamities of godly [Note.] men into an unequal balance, that judged them to have sinned so foully, as they may seem by the greatness hereof to have done, that we may beware of this rash judging, that we be not Judged. For these words, Doth the wild Ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the Ox over his fodder? His meaning in thus saying, is, ye know that if an Ass brayeth or an Ox loweth, they want somewhat, and are ready to look what it may be, to supply them herewith, but to me, although ye come in the name of friends, ye are not so loving, ye search not into the cause of my complaints; but presently hearing me cry out for anguish of spirit ye condemn me for a wicked man.
Can that which is unsavory, be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
The things which my Soul refused to touch, are now my sorrowful meat. That is, i • a man cannot eat stinking meat, as that is, which is not salted, or the white of an egg without it, in which for the freshness there is no taste; How do ye think, that I wanting inward consolation, how that I am thus outwardly pressed with misery should bear it, especially, yea instead of comforting me, upon discerning my case aright, laying more load upon me by your most uncharitable censures: But now it is my meat which I would not touch, that is, now ye feed me with such meat, such sorrowcausing fruit cometh from your mouth, as is most distasteful unto me, and hereby my trouble is yet more increased, for honey of which I have most [Note.] need, ye giving me gall and poison, which not only I, but all men so much abhor from, that they will not touch it with their hands; and herein he goeth on in his similitude, from an Ox; whom when his Master feedeth with good fodder, when he heareth him low, Eliphaz by his tart invective against him fed him with most distasteful and pernicious food. A warning to all men, when they see a good man in distress, of whom by his works they can judge none otherwise, to take heed how they judge and censure him, for in so doing, they give him poison, as it were for meat, breeding of dangerous distempers in him prejudicial to the life of soul, although no such effect was hereby wrought in patient Job, yet such sin in an high degree against love.
That it would please God to destroy me, that he would loose his hand and cut me off. Here Ferus layeth some impatience upon Job, in that after the manner of other men in despair, that God would now never be reconciled unto him again, or take off his judgments, he prayeth that he would not lingeringly destroy him, but soon dispatch him and rid him out of this mortal life, and so of all his miseries at once: And God left Job thus to speak, that we might know how little our strength is, when we are pressed with miseries and feel no comfort, and therefore not judge others, who seem to be more [Note.] impatient then we think; that we, if we were in the like case, would be; For even holy Job now seeketh, as despairing to be cut off. Gregory better, Job prayeth thus to God, fearing least if he should be spared, and live still and enjoy prosperity again, he should by the temptation hereof be brought into worse case for his soul, then now by all his afflictions he was: He doth therefore as a patient to the Surgeon, having his soars launched, but not all the corrupt matter yet come out, bidding him, cut me deeper, leave no corruption behind, although goeth away withal: And that this is his meaning, the next words show. Then should I yet have comfort, I would harden myself in sorrow, let him not spare, for I have not concealed the words of the holy one. Gregory: Neither will I contradict the words of the holy. And because he saith, Let him loose his hand and cut me off. For hereby he intimateth, that he was still held in life by God's hand having fast hold, as it were upon him, that he could not by all his sufferings, be deprived of his bodily life, and by this hand he had been upheld in so prosperous an estate formerly, but now he desireth that it might be loosed, and he might be let fall into the grave, rather then to be restored into the dangerous estate of prosperity anymore: For what comfort is there to a man, that dieth in despair? Or is this the voice of one despairing, that saith, He concealed not God's word ctc? that is, Behaved not himself so, as if casting God's words behind his back, he made no use of them, to live and speak according to the same; as the man, that had one Talent, and hid it in a napkin, made no use of it: For which it was both taken from him, and he was cast into utter darkness; For the rendering of the words by Contradicted, I see no reason for that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying nothing but to conceal, or to hide, yet there is the same sense, because to hear God's words, and to do contrary, is to contradict them; for there is a denying of God and his word in our deeds, although in our speeches we confess and deny him not. But Job meaneth not, that he did not speak or do, as if no such words had come to his ears only, but that he brought them forth for the instruction and edification of others; as Eliphaz before testified of him, and it appeareth both in the first and second chapters: for what were the words which he there in his greatest sufferings brought forth? but the words of the most holy God to his great praise, when he smarted fore. Is my strength as the strength of stones, or my flesh as brass? Having spoken of his strength, V. 11. What is my strength that I should hope? Now he compareth it with that of stones and of brass, upon which if heavy burdens be laid, they can bear them; but man's weakness is such, that he being loaden with a load, like the sands of the Sea shore, as he said before, that he cannot, but must be crushed hereby in pieces and die: and therefore having such load laid upon him, what hope could he have of living any longer here? and therefore he desireth, that he may not be spared, but be soon dispatched out of this life, but for the reason before spoken of: Here Gregory giveth no other sense, but this allegorical. My strength is not as the strength of those men, that be stupid as stones feeling nothing; or of those that under afflictions are sonorous as [Note.] brass, the one sort not being brought by any sufferings to speak by confessing their sins, but their hearts are so hardened, that they lie and say nothing this way, howsoever they hardly cry out of their pain; others sound out loud cries unto God for mercy and pardon, and profess themselves very sorrowful for their sins, and make serious promises of amending their lives; but being delivered, they appear to have been but as sounding brass: Of which the Apostle speaketh, saying, I were as a sounding brass or a tinkling Cymball. As the Prophet doth of the other, where he saith. I will take away their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. And this sense he approveth by the words following. Is not my help in me, is wisdom driven quite from me? Vulg. My help is not me. Lo here saith Gregory, he spake not before that he was not hard hearted, as some others who be like stones, or a man that made a sound of words only, as a man of brass; as ascribing anything to himself, for this had been pride and vainglory, and so enough to make him to be left of God and so to have his grace turned into sin; but he acknowledgeth that he was therein holpen by God, and had it not of himself, as we must all acknowledge, if we see any difference betwixt ourselves and others, we must think upon that of the Apostle. Who made thee to differ? And of the Psalmist saying. Our help cometh from the Lord. And this reading is favored by the Hebrew, which is word for word. And if no help in me, which may be thus supplied, and if it be thus as I have said, V. 12. there is no help in me, whereby I am made not to be such, then the help whereby cometh from God, and so the wisdom required in those that shall be saved, is not gone away from me: But the words being also rendered, Help is not in me, agree well to the literal exposition first made, if I be weak, and have not so great strength, I confess, that I have no help in myself to stand under this heavy weight, neither am I wise enough to know how to stand, being shaken with so terrible temptations, yet the allegory of Gregory is of good use for instruction, which made me not to pass it over in silence.
To him that is afflicted pity should be shown from his friend, but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. Now Job cometh to complain of Eliphaz, who did not by him like a friend and therefore not as one that feared almighty God, for such are not ready to censure their Brethren in misery as wicked; in whom they saw no such thing before, but all signs of piety, as could not but be seen in Job; for in this case it is the part of a true friend, and one that feareth God, to judge the best, that such a man is not made a spectacle of misery, because he is a greater sinner, but either to try his patience, or [Note.] that others might see in him, the uncertainty of worldly things, even in the best, when they abound with them, and therefore make no other account of them whether they be riches, or health, or comelyness; and not to think themselves happy in having these, or glory in them, but account this only their happiness, that they know God to serve and obey him, because he hath far greater riches in store for those, that do so, according to that Come and follow me and thou shalt have riches in Heaven. He that doth otherwise feareth not God, and his wrath, that shall be upon him, when he shall judge all those, that uncharitably judge others. Gregory saith, That he is the friend here spoken of who feareth not God, that acknowledgeth not any benefit, to be an afflicted one, and therefore despiseth the afflicted, and he calleth the same sort of men, Brethren like brooks that pass away. V. 15. Because brooks are made of waters, running down hills into valeys, where the heat of the Sun coming, they are soon dried up; so they that despise the afflicted, are but false Brethren; who for a time are as a brook running full by prosperity, but by the heat of God's judgments this their prosperity is made to vanish all away, and they are in misery forever.
Which are blackish by reason of the Ice, &c. Vulg. They that fear the hoary frost, the snow shall fall upon them, Heb. The obscured from the frost or ice, upon them the snow shall fall. The meaning being, that hide themselves for fear of sufferings upon earth, upon them judgments shall come from above, that shall be worse for them by far, because the froast is upon the earth by the coldness of the air here below, and snow falleth from above, and herein he goeth on in the allegory of Brookes, that run away; they that are such, with whom all friendship is gone, when they see their Brethren in misery, they seeking as it were through a worldly fear to obscure themselves, judging such sufferings to be arguments of God's wrath against the wicked, they do but hide themselves from lesser evils, and the greater shall fall upon them, they fear sufferings by men below; but judgments shall come upon them from God above, and this is the same in effect with that, which followeth V. 17. 18. Of their dissolving when they wax hot, and vanishing out of their place, whereby it is meant, that as the snow aforesaid, these men that are so wedded to worldly things by the foresaid heat of God's wrath, shall utterly perish.
The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. Vulg. Consider the paths of Teman, the journeys of Saba and wait a little. Which is by Gregory expounded by the south, as Teman signifieth, and a net as Saba thus; consider the ways of them that are in prosperity, upon whom none but the warm and favorable South-wind bloweth: and if ye expect a while, ye shall find them entangled and taken in a net, that is, ensnared by their wicked deeds, which by their prosperous going on, they have been made bold to commit. And what shall be the issue hereof? verily nothing but confusion and shame in the end, as verse. 20. Ferus expoundeth the whole passage thus: Ye (O my friends haply fear, that if ye should show yourselves friendly to me, it would prove some cost unto you to relieve me in my want, and therefore to award the detriment that thus might come unto you, ye take occasion from my sufferings to censure me as a most wicked man, and unworthy to have anything done for me; but know, that in being moved by this fear, ye do but put yourselves upon a greater danger, viz. of God's judgments from above, against which no unmerciful person shall be able to stand, Who seeth his brother in want, and relieveth him not. Or according to another rendering more agreeable to the Hebrew, whereby they are compared to the ice covered with snow, such men are as ice covered with snow, for the present hard and firm, so that a man may go upon it; but the heat of the Sun coming, all this firmness goeth away and cometh to nothing: so the unmerciful rich man seemeth to have a firm and durable estate, to which he may trust, but his wealth melteth, and then he that trusted to it, sinketh, and is drowned. For the next words, verse. 19. he saith, according to the Heb. it is, They looked on the troops of Tema, and the comings out of Seba, that is, the doings of the Chaldeans and Sabaeans against Job, in taking away his Cattle, and slaying his servants, as a judgment of God coming upon me for my wickedness, thinking them rather to be justified then me; but this he showeth, Vers. 20. should be to their confusion. So they that are lead by the present condition wherein they see the wicked and the righteous, these prosperous and merry, them crying and lamenting, judge them therefore worst, and [Note.] these better, shall in the end go to confusion, as the Egyptians in Pharaoh's Army, pursuing the Israelites, crying and sorrowing, were drowned in the red Sea, and they passed through upon dry land: And the old world of wicked unbelievers looking upon their own prosperity, when Noah entered into the Ark, and at his foolish fearfulnes in their judgment, condemned him as ridiculous and contemptible, and those that believing God, went in with him, but these were saved, and they all drowned. If the N. Tr. be followed, The troops of Tema looked, I know not how a good sense may be given of these words, but being rendered, They looked, meaning these his censorious friends the sense given is very good; for the Chaldeans, that before were said to make out 3. Bands, dwelt south, as Tema signifieth.
For now ye are nothing, ye see my casting down, and are afraid. Heb. Now ye are not. These words co-hering so with the former, as that they cannot well be expounded apart, give me occasion to look back again to them, ver. 19. 20. which some expound, as if the allegory from a brook begun, verse. 15. were still proceeded in, and not any new matter were laid to their charge, as if they justified the Chaldees, and Sabaeans, and condemned him, but would have them to consider how it was with those people's travelling upon the way, when they came at places where brooks used to run, hoping to find water, they found none, the sandy dryness of the ground being such, that all the rain that fell was seen drunk up and consumed, this they seeing, were confounded. And likewise ye, when I hoped that upon your coming to me, being my friends, that I should have comfort from you, instead whereof ye were ashamed to own me anymore as a friend, for which in this Vers. 21. he addeth, Now ye are not. That is, the men which I expected ye would be unto me; but seeing me thus impoverish'd, ye feared that your coming might turn to some prejudice unto you, I taking this opportunity to ask something for the supply of my wants; to prevent which, ye have behaved yourselves so strangely towards me in your detracting and reproachful words against me. And this sense is confirmed, verse. 22. Did I say bring unto me, or give a reward of your substance, or deliver me from the enemies hand, or redeem me from the hand of the mighty. He neither in this his great poverty begged for sustenance, or that they would take upon them the charge of setting forth men to help him to his goods taken away again.
Teach me, and I will hold my peace, &c. That is, whereas ye object wickedness to me, be plain with me, and tell me, if ye know any evil by me in word or deed, tell me what it is, help my ignorance herein, who know nothing by myself for which ye speak so bitterly against me.
How forcible are right words, but what doth your arguing reprove? Ye imagine to reprove words, the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind. Vulg. Why have ye detracted from the words of truth, when as there is none of you that can reprove me? And the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth either to strengthen, or to speak evil, and the next words are, Heb. Which of you in reproving, can reprove me? And thus the meaning is plain, instead of making me by your speeches to see any sin, for which the Lord should be so severe against me, ye have done nothing but corrupted the truth, and the words by me spoken according to the same: If it be otherwise, speak any o • you, and prove that I have not spoken rightly. Vers. 26. Ye frame speeches only to reprove, and bring forth words against the wind. Heb. And against the wind words of despair: For it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 coming of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to despair. Job thereforefore meaneth not, that he had spoken desperately, but reproveth the desperate speaking of Elihu, devising words against that which he had said to no purpose in truth, and therefore he herein reproveth him, and vilifyeth his sayings, as if they were but disputings against the wind, a beating of the empty air.
Ye over-whelm the fatherless, and dig a pit for your friend. He setteth forth himself by the name of the fatherless, because he was now as the fatherless, without any to protect him; and they combine together so to lade him with calumnies, as that they did hereby, as it were, undermine him, that he might fall into despair, and perish. Vers. 28, 29, 30. He exhorteth them to be more considerate in their speeches, and to lay nothing to his charge, but what they were able to make good, promising, that he for his part would speak no lie, but the truth in all things, and he dissuadeth them from going on in the way of contention, which hindereth from seeing into the truth.
CHAP. VII.
IS there not an appointed time to man upon earth, are not his days as the days of an hireling?
Having by the words before going prepared his friends to attend patiently, and to judge righteously of his words, now he approveth that which he had said before, Chap. 3. touching his desire to die, and not to have his miserable life still prolonged. And to this he compareth himself, and man, leading his life in misery here, to an hireling, whose labor is great and soar, and there-he desireth the coming on of the night, as also doth every poor servant, that he may rest his weary body, and the hireling have his wages paid him. So it must not be thought unreasonable and wicked for a man living in misery, to come to the night of death, being to such, if he feareth God, as Job did, far more comfortable then life, for the happy remuneration which he shall then have in the kingdom of heaven, although not out of merit but mercy, verse. 3. In way of declaring his own miseries, he saith, I am made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed unto me. As if he had said, I am in worse case then the poorest hireling; for when he after the toil and pains of the day, goeth to rest at night, he sleepeth quietly, but my nights are no better to me then my days, they are wearisome and tiring also.
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust, my skin broken and become loathsome: Which he speaketh for the filthy and sore disease that was upon him: For the words of verse. 1. Is there not an appointed time to man? The Vulg. hath it, The life of man is a warfare upon earth. Heb. Is there not a warfare to man? or an appointed time? For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth both, but it is most commonly expounded by warfare, and take it to be a description of man's life in general, which is set forth by three comparisons.
1. To a Soldier, who is in continual danger.
2. To an Hireling, that laboreth and toyleth in all weathers. 3. To a servant, a slave, whose life is most miserable of all others, and therefore as good [Note.] Soldiers let us fight manfully against all our spiritual enemies, the World, the Flesh, & the Devil, and let us labor faithfully in our places and callings, whilst life and strength lasteth, and not stand idle; and let us with all diligence serve the Lord, because although servants, by so doing we are made his free-men: and as valiant Soldiers, when we have overcome, we shall be crowned, and as faithful laborers in God's vineyard, at the end of the day of this life we shall have our hire, as those laborers in the Vineyard, and as good servants be bidden to enter into our Masters joy, and in the midst of the greatest heat of all • adversities, we patiently bearing the burdens laid upon us shall be under the shadow of the Almighty, and have refreshing hereby. Thus for the general; but howsoever this be true touching all men, yet more in Job, who is to be thought more particularly thus to lament his own most afflicted condition: for he, as a Soldier, did bear the piercing of God's arrows, as he spake before, and as an hireling or servant, had a greater weight laid upon him then he was able to bear, a weight heavier then the sands of the Sea shore. And to him in particular agree the complaints following, verse. 3, 4, 5. And whereas he speaks of man in the third person, this is not unusual in holy Scripture, when one speaketh of himself, as 2 Cor. 12. And Job beginneth his Book in like manner, Chap. 1. As for verse. 3, 4, 5. Ferus applieth them also to man in general, thus: He passeth months in vanity, because oft times he laboreth, and his labor taketh not effect: And he saith at night, when will it be morning, because he is uncertain, when he goeth to bed, whether he shall live to the morning, or in the morning, whether he shall live till night, upon such uncertainties he goeth. And well may every man say, that he is clothed with dustand worms, &c. For so shall it be with him, when death cometh, if he escapeth coming into the like condition before. And whereas verse. 6. it is said, My days are swifter then a Weavers shuttle, my life is spent without hope. This was true, as he conceived in him, there was no hope, but that he must die of this grievous disease, and that soon; and it is true of every mortal man, he is but of short continuance in this life, but his glass runneth out a pace every day. Vers. 7. Having made his apology in respect of that, which he was judged to have spoken rashly, Chap. 3. Now he maketh his complaint and prayer to God, from whom he acknowledged all his misery to come.
O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. From hence to the 11. verse. he in effect prayeth to God for mercy to be shown unto him, to bring him again out of the misery wherein he was, moving for this in consideration, that if he were once gone out of this world, the time would be too late to do anything for him in this world anymore, since, that after death he should be but like a cloud dissolved, which now is nothing, and as the wind past and gone; for so it is with him that is departed hence, he shall here be seen no more: As also David saith, Psa. 39. That we may not think it strange, that so righteous a man as Job should speak thus despairingly, as if he thought that all happiness was at an end, when his mortal life was ended. Gregory speaketh excellently upon those words, Vers. 6. My days are spent without hope. This is indeed the case of wicked carnal men, when this life is gone, all is gone from them; because although they hear of the happiness of the life to come, yet they believe it not, and so it is as nothing to them; but Job and other faithful persons, who have pleaded so much to have their lives spared upon the same grounds, as it may seem by their words, spoke in a far divers sense, for their minds being ever upon the life to come, •• regard of which they set light by this life, and the things hereof, say they shall die without hope of any happiness here to be attained, where even in prosperity they have seen and counted all worldly things vain and transitory, and overcoming have trodden them under their feet. And to the same effect are the next words, wherein he turneth himself to God, saying, Remember th •• my life is as a wind, &c. I so account it, and therefore set not my heart upon it, as worldlings do, who imagine it to be a stable thing, and are affected to it accordingly, but the Elect see it, and to be as it is, as a wind that passeth away, and returneth nowhere, and to the same effect he speaketh on, V. 8. 9. 10. And hereupon he concludeth, saying,
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth, but I will speak in the bitterness of my spirit. That is, with sorrow and anguish of heart I will confess my sins; Wicked Reprobates also, sometimes confess their Sins, but it is with godly Sorrow for them, and so they are he that openeth his wound, but layeth on no plaster, and by this means the wounds made by sin are more putrefied and grow more dangerous; but he that confesseth, and lamenteth them in a godly manner, openeth them, and applieth a medicine to them to heal them: And I say, In a godly manner, in the phrase of the Apostle, because Ahab and Judas were sorrowful, but it was in regard of the punishment, not of the sins committed by them, they that have anguish and vexation for their sins shall have comfort, as our Lord saith, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Am I a sea, or a Whale that thou settest a watch over me? Vulg. That thou campassest me with a prison: Whereby Gregory understandeth, that which keepeth a man strait, that he cannot so freely fight against all his sins, as he would, or be enlarged more in virtue, to run the race of God's Commandments, so David prayeth also, Bring my Soul out of prison to confess to thy name. And to a sea are the wicked compared, such as Job was not, because fleshly and rebellious notions are continually rising in their carnal minds; To a whale the Devil, who maketh his habitation in them, making them more dangerously to arise to overturn the ship of the Church, and drown it amidst the waves thereof: But both they and he are straightened as it were by imprisoning, so that they cannot do against the faithful always as they would, which oft times appeareth, when God by his judgments represseth them, so that of what strength soever they be, and what preparations soever they make, they cannot prevail, but are confounded in their enterprises; as Pharaoh pursuing the Children of Israel into the red sea was drowned, and Sanacherib coming against Hezekiah, was miraculously [Note.] smitten in his host, and perished, a great comfort to the people of God in all straits by their enemies coming to fight against them, remember we in this case that we have a God that is able to restrain the most potent Whale, the powerful Devils, and the sea of the wicked, their great multitudes from overflowing, to drown and destroy his Servants, that we may put our trust in him. Now Job in speaking thus of himself, meaneth; that seeing that he was not as a sea or whale, having motions rising in his mind, putting him on to do mischief, but his motions were good and godly, to proceed further in virtue; The Lord should not by restraining him from greater increases herein any way discourage or hinder him by dealing hardly by him: That the wicked are as a sea, as hath been said, See Isaiah 57. ult. and the Leviathan or whale, both in this book and elsewhere spoken of, set for the Devil, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth prison as well as custody, or a watch to keep a man. When I say my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint.
Then thou scarest me with dreams, &c. What is meant here by bed or couch, saith Gregory, but a man's receding from things outwardly suffered or enjoyed into his own heart and inward meditations. For s in the song of Solomon it is said, I sought him in my bed whom my Soul loveth: Job then meaneth, that being pressed with misery as he was, he retired to inward meditations, touching God and himself, and doing so, when he thought to find comfort, he perceived the severity of God to be so great against sin, and that he will come at the last day in such a terrible manner to punish it, that this proved to him as fearful dreams and visions in the night, so that instead of being comforted he was deterred, as men commonly are by fearful dreams and apparitions, because the Judge then will proceed most strictly against sin, and punish it most severely, without respect of persons; for when a godly man thinketh with himself of his sins, they all come to his mind, that ever he hath done, and then the devil is at hand to aggravat them against him, and hereby he is greatly terified. For as other be dreams, that come from God, as the dreams of Pharaoh his chief Butler and Baker, and of Pharaoh, which Joseph interpreted, so there be delusory dreams, that come from the Devil, for which it is forbidden to regard, as Divinations, so dreams, and dreams are said to make many to err. Some dreams also come of much business, and some of thought and care taking about things to come. As Daniel saith of Nebuchadnezzar, that when the thoughts of his head troubled him, he saw an image, &c. And by delusory dreams, it was that Job was terrified, which come from the Devil, God permitting it; and therefore he saith, Thou scarest me with dreams, when he speaketh to the Lord: For the literal sense it is plain, he meaneth that he took no rest night or day, as he partly touched before, Vers. 4. and his terrors by night were in respect of the arrows of God spoken of, Chap. 6. that pierced him within For the allegorical sense given by Gregory it is very good, and showeth the fears that come by sin [Note.] for which when a man suffereth outwardly, and thinketh to have comfort inwardly from God against them, shall be more increased, so that the sinner if he well considereth it, can have no rest or comfort in his affliction outwardly or inwardly, and therefore is in a most miserable condition; For if Job a most holy man found rerrour within, where he thought to have had rest, what shall gross sinners that are spots and blots amongst Christians do.
So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather then life.
The vulg. Suspension, or hanging for strangling, whereupon Gregory, the soul is suspended when it is elevated or lifted up above these worldly things, And my bones choose death, so the vulg. for these words; And death rather then life; and that rightly, for the word is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth my bones, and hereby strength of the body or flesh is meant, the mortification whereof having the mind lifted up to things above, he here intimateth that he desired, and indeed it is, for by being heavenly minded, the flesh or members are brought to have the lesser strength, yea to such weakness as if they were dead; a good allegory, but the literal meaning is, that being in this misery [Note.] within and without, he preferred the taking away of his breath by the prevailing of his Boils, and consequently death before the savity of his Body, and strengthening of it again, by having of his Disease healed.
I loath it, I would not live always, let me alone, for my days are vaniry.
What is man that thou shouldst magnify him, &c. Man being elevated in his mind, as was before said, although he hath temporal goods, yet he vilifieth them in comparison of heavenly things, not desiring to live in pleasure by them, or to have his life prolonged, that he might enjoy them more time, for he looks upon the days of this life, as vanity and vexation of spirit, for which he desireth God to let him alone, as the vulg. hath it, not to spare him in respect of life and prosperity, and then V. 7. he argueth to this purpose.
What is man that thou shouldst magnify him? that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him, and visit him every morning, and try him every moment? That man being so vain a thing and this his life, why is he so set up, as thy favourite in respect of worldly things, having wealth, honor, & dignity here: Yea thou visitest him every morning: What is the morning but the light, which riseth after the dark night, so God visiteth his elect every morning, when he enlighteneth them by his Grace, who were before in the darkness of unrighteousness and sin, but now by his grace are brought into the light of Righteousness, faith, and holiness: But because God by coming to us by his grace promotes virtue in us, and by receding suffereth us to be shaken by temptation, and therefore after visiting every morning spoken of, he saith, Thou tryest bim every moment; For if we were not after grace entering into our hearts, shaken by temptations, we would be ready to think that we had this of ourselves, and not of the gift of God, and so to be proud, but by being thus shaken we are humbled, as Paul saith of himself, 2 Cor. 12. For in temptation finding our own weakness, we see what need we have of God's help, and so flee to him in prayer.
How long wilt thou not depart from me? nor let me alone till I swallow my spittle? Here letting pass that of Gregory as over curious about his spittle. I, with others, take the meaning to be, as if he had said, spare me from my pains, which make me even like unto one that is ready to dy, who cannot get his spittle either to go down or to come up, wherein he desireth some liberty again; to which effect also David speaketh, saying, O spare me that I may recover strength. And of God's setting his heart upon man, and magnifying him V. 8. Using the same interrogation.
I have sinned, what shall I do to thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark unto thee, so that I am a burden to myself. Now Job to show that he did not in all his sayings before justify himself, confesseth, I have sinned; The word rendered Preserver is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by vulg. rendered Keeper, as it signifieth properly such a keeping, as of a watchman standing upon a Tower to look unto, and to observe all things hostily attempted, or done, that there may be an opposition made there against in due time, and to this do the next words most aptly agree: Why hast thou set me as a mark; or as the vul. hath it, an Adversary: Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 one coming against, that is, an Enemy. The meaning is, I acknowledge myself to be a sinner, and therefore worthy of the judgments which have befallen me; but what wouldst thou have me to do, that hast and dost so diligently look at the sins of men, that I have not done, for I have patiently born thy judgments, justified thy proceedings against me in so great severity, given thee praise in the midst of all my grievous sufferings, and my heart hath always been to serve thee in truth, and to flee all sin, & now I confess myself yet to be a sinner, what wouldst thou have me Lord to do more? or what can I do more to procure thy favor again towards me even as a poor debtor, that not being able to satisfy his Creditor, but humbleth himself unto him, & is ready to do what in him lieth to the uttermost, in way of satisfying him, as that Debtor, Matt. 18. So Job pleadeth before the Lord, as the master, who is kind to his servant indebted; that although in 10000. Talents is to him, so he would be pleased to show honor to him, and not to deal by him as an enemy, persisting still by his Judgments to make out against him, for if he should so do, he had no joy in living any longer here, but his life was a great and importable burden to him, that made him to complain insuch bitterness as before. The Talmudists make bold here to change the sentence thus. I am a burden to thee; And the Sept. Tr. likewise; which Aug. following saith, why hast thou set me against thee, that I should against thee and so be a burden to thee, greiving thee so with my speeches, speak that thou canst not bear them, but the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to me.
Why dost not thou pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now I shall sleep in the dust, thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be Having confessed his sins, he now craveth pardon, and useth this as an argument to move the Lord hereunto, and that speedily removing his grievous sufferings from him, whereby he was now ready to sink and die, least if he did not, it would be too late; For if death once cometh, although it be set forth by sleep, yet herein it is not like unto natural sleep, which although it be all night, yet a man waketh in the morning, and so from morning to morning again, but he being once dead, waketh so no more to live in this world, and therefore if the Lord will save him alive, he must do it without delay, before that death striketh him, if not, but he be once departed, he is not to be found here anymore, how diligently soever sought for; he meaneth not, that he shall never be found, or come forth from the dust again, for at the last day he shall, and so Job believed, for he saith, I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c. To conclude, in that he speaketh of God as a watchman, diligently observing our sins, to come against us, therefore note. First, That we are nowhere hid from his sight, as is also taught, Psal. 139. [Note.] That we may always walk as in his presence. Secondly, That we ought to flee sin, as making God our enemy, and to count us his enemies. Thirdly, Not only grosser but even lesser sins in the best livers are marked by God, and therefore we have all need to confess and crave pardon of our sins, as being otherwise liable to death. Fourthly, That we may come into favor and be p • rdoned, we must do as Job did, suffer affliction with patience, justify God in all our sufferings, and even therefore bless his holy name, &c. as it is said before.
CHAP. VIII.
HOW long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall thy words be as a strong wind? Now Bildad the second of the three friends of Job, that came to visit him, speaketh, being according to his name a wicked kinsman, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from whence cometh 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is wicked, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is an uncle. He begineth with accusing Job for his using so many words, as he did in the two Chapters before going, to justify himself, as if he thought, that by his speech he were able, like a blustering strong wind, to bear down all others, that should speak against him,
Doth God pervert judgment? and doth the Almighty pervert justice? if thy Children have sinned against him, &c,
He consenteth with Eliphaz, who spake first, in laying to Jobs charge and to his children's, some great sin although to other men unknown, for which they being now cut off, he complained as if he were wronged, and for other plagues of God upon him; That which Bildad saith here is true; God will not pervert Judgment or justice, but constantly execute both, and although Job could not be found fault withal for his muttering out anything against God's just proceedings, yet many there are that may and ought to be reproved therefore, viz. All wicked men who although they be worthily plagued for their foul sins, yet being smitten, murmur against God and cry out of his severity: [Note.] For Job is approved by God himself to have been a most just man, and therefore not one now judged for his sins but only tried in his patience, so that whatsoever he spake it is justifiable, as coming from one full of grace and virtue, but not in others who are wicked: Bildad then and his fellows erred in speaking thus to Job, all the things spoken by them are most true, and are written for our instruction. Touching Jobs children spoken of, Vers. 4. He mentioneth their example to them, that by it he might be stirred up to repent, and that speedily, which is a most pious admonition to wicked [Note.] men indeed, but misapplied to Job; For by the example of the Galileans slain in sacrificing and of the men upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell, Christ, also admonisheth the Jews, to repent speedily, threatening that otherwise they should all likewise perish: Jobs Children were eating and drinking, and thought little of dying when they did, yet by one blow of the house falling they were all slain; so it may be with others, and therefore to delay repentance is dangerous: And as for Job, he seemeth further to argue thus, they being taken away suddenly; thou hast been spared, and thy life heitherto saved, to what end is this: But that thou mightest be better prepared before thy death, and so much more every other man ought to [Note.] make this use of his life prolonged, when others are cut off suddenly, to fall presently to repenting and praying to God, for which he saith, (Betimes) thou wouldest seek to God betimes. And then showing, what the life of the penitent now henceforth is, he addeth, If thou wert pure and upright, he would awake for thee. For hereby it is shown, that penitent persons live purely; after that they turn by true repentance, how soever they have formerly lived: And such as do so if they be in misery, as they have betimes turned unto God, so he will soon turn their misery into prosperity again; which is set forth in his saying: Surely he would now awake for [Note.] thee, and make the habitation of the righteous prosperous. As thy habitation, whilst thou continuest in thy sin, was miserable; so being turned into righteousness, it shall be prosperous: Thou being blessed, both in thy house and in all that thou hast: Although thy beginning were small; yet thy latter end shall greatly increase, Wherein he speaketh as it were, prophetically, touching Jobs future great prosperity, for so it is shown to have fallen out to him, at the end of this book. As was noted before upon the speech of Eliphaz, the spirit guiding their tongues to speak thus truly, as afterwards the tongue of Caiaphas, to speak of Christ's death.
Inquire I pray thee of former ages, &c. here and V. 9. 10. Bildad appealeth to the experience of God's doings in most ancient times, for if this be looked unto, we shall find that God, with whom there is never any variableness or shadow of change, always blessed and shown mercy to such, as sought unto him, being pure and righteous, and therefore it is certainly to be hoped, that towards all penitent persons, he will do so still. Ferus upon these and the words before going, saith very well; Bildad reasoneth from worldly prosperity, to purity and righteousness of life, and contrariwise from adversity to wickedness and sinfulness, as if there were no true godly man that is in misery here, or wicked man in prosperity, and of this he seeks to bring proof from the experience of all most ancient times: As if he had said, believe it Job, no righteous man ever suffered, as thou dost; and if thou wilt not believe it for our sayings, yet believe it for the testimony of all Antiquity, wherein he well ascribeth authority to them ancient, for God commandeth to honor the anci • nts, and provoketh his people oftentimes to attend to the doings of their fathers, and the experience that they had of God's goodness towards them, that is, such of them as feared him, as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Noah and Enoch. He doth not yet hereby so commend the authority of ancientest or oldest of men unto us, as if their sayings were authentical always, for some old men are not so wise, as even children, witness the Preacher, who saith, A poor wise child is better then a foolish old King. But where antiquity and wisdom concur, such are to be preferred before child-hood, or men of few years, although wise also: But in appealing to the ancientest, he meaneth not so much those, that were of times more ancient then ourselves, although many hundreds of [Note.] years, but the first of the Church of God, that were in the world: For Quod primum verum. And the Roman Catholics of these times glory much in the Church of Rome, that was when Saint Peter sat Bishop there; upon this bearing themselves, as the only Catholic Church, and they allege, as a reason of the authority of their Church, the antiquity of it, pretending it to be as ancient as Peter, and the rest of the Apostles; and the very same that then it was, but when they come to prove it, they go no higher then to about a thousand years ago, the teachers of which antiquity are not of sufficient authority to confirm anything, but only of tohse that were first, sent out to preach the Gospel: For Bildads reasoning from the prosperity of the godly, and contrariwise, to righteousness or wickedness, it is a deceitful reasoning: For many times the wicked are in prosperity here, and the righteous in adversity; and adversity is good for them, and continual prosperity evil: But whereas he saith upon these words, If thou wouldst seek God betimes, and he would awake for thee, he noteth, That a man whilst he liveth in sin is a sleep; and then he must not expect, [Note.] but that God should be asleep to him; that is, not protect him from judgments and miseries: But when he awakes, from this sleep, according to that of the Apostle, Awake thou that sleepest. God will awake to him, to protect and save him, from misery and to advance him to felicity.
Can the rush grow up without mire? or the flag without water? Whilst it is yet in his greeness and is not cut down, it withereth, &c. So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrites hope shall perish. After an argument from the experience of antiquity, Bildad here addeth another argument from a similitude taken from rushes and flags; to prove that wicked men shall not constantly enjoy prosperity, but soon fade away: And Jerome saith, That it was a thing, to which the Syrians and Phylistims were naturally much addicted, from natural things to illustrate the truth touching others, like unto them concerning men: The scope of this similitude is to show, that hypocrites, who cover over wickedness with an outward show of holiness; may for a time flourish in worldly prosperity, above and before others: But as the rush or flag being grown to a certain height, without ever yielding any fruit, wither again; so it is to be expected, that hypocrites should do; who forgetting God, and not out of conscience toward [Note.] him, practice piety, but for their own worldly ends, they wanting all solydity of grace, and shooting forth thus only as it were by means of mire and water, the base and transitory things of this life, their own nature and not grace putting them on herein. Ferus will have the force of the reason to lie in this: That as the rush and flag, grow not but in watery and miry places, in dry and firm Grounds, if they should be set therein, they would wither; so the wicked hypocrite, in prosperity, makes a great show of piety, but in adversity, or being hardly entreated therefore, he hath no courage, so much as to make a show anymore: But contrariwise by his impatience and murmuring against God, he breaketh our, making the hollowness of his heart to appear to all men; and herein he aimed at the making of Job's case odious, whom he thought now to be such: And he saith further, Whose hope shall be cut off, and his trust as a spiders web: he shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand, &c. For the spider makes his web in great and high houses, and that very curiously and artificially, but it is soon swept down, so the wicked working very subtly, all their works, both their wealth and piety soon vanisheth.
He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his Garden. In expounding this, and V. 17. 18. 19. There is great difference amongst Expositors; the ancients following the vulg. Lat. which hath Ortus for Hortus, rising for garden. Expound all of the wicked hitherto spoken of, thus: He is green and flourishing before the sun, with his burning and drying heat cometh; but this is only in his springing up at the first, as was touched before, V. 12. But now it is more at large declared, how being thus green as it were, by prosperity: He withereth, V. 17. His roots are wrapped about the heap, and he seeth the place of stones. Hereby he is made to wither; the mire or water wherein he grew, being dried up, towards the end of summer, and made hard as stony ground; he begineth to wither for want of moisture at his roots, V. 18. If he destroy him from his place, it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee; that is, The sun having thus made the flag to wither, shall bring it to that pass; that for the total making of it to die, and wither away: It saith, as it were, (speech by a Prosopopeia being ascribed to it) I have not seen thee anymore; the old rushes or flags come to be green no more, but others grow up in the room thereof: One generation passing and another succeeding; and this is the joy, that these natural things of so short a continuance have, as is said, V. 19. And so one wicked generation being cut off, yet another springeth up to the worlds end. Others that keep to the original, wherein it is a Garden, V. 16. Expound it of the righteous, as if Bildad having done speaking of the wicked hypocrite; came now to the true hearted just man, to make good either way his assertion, as touching the momentary prosperity of the wicked, so of the constant and enduring prosperity of the righteous: He groweth not as it were, in the mire or water of marrish ground, but as in a garden, in a fruitful soil, standing pleasantly in the sun, and by reason thereof prospering the better, and shooting forth his branches; his children that live and grow up with him, to his greater comfort, V. 17. His roots are wrapped about the heap, and he seeth the place of stones. that is, He is deeply rooted, as it were, his roots being multiplied into an heap, one infolded in another; a description of a tree that stands most firmly; then in saying, He seeth the place of stones. It is meant, seeing hardship to be endured, such a man is not hereby terrified, but patiently beareth it: And whereas V. 18. it is said. If he destroy him from his place, he shall say, I have not seen thee. It is meant, that the just may be as it were destroyed, either by having his boughs cut off, as it is done to a tree, or vine being pruned, or cut off by the, roots, yet in a short time, as a tree shooteth • ut branches again, from the body or root thereof, and groweth again; so shall he have children, and come to a prosperous estate again, as if he had never seen or felt any such strokes cutting him down, V. 19. This is the joy of his way, & out of the earth shall others grow, that is, Thus the just in his way, hath joy of prosperity restored again; and out of him thus cut down to the ground, by losses of goods and children, shall other children come; and of them more to make him flourish from Generation to Generation: A very apt exposition, and such, as then which, we shall need to seek none other; And so the next words agree very well, V. 20. Behold, God will not cast away the perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers; as if he had said, Hereby it appeareth, that although the righteous man may fall into adversity, as Job did; yet he if he be just may have hope of being restored, but the wicked being so proceeded against; are without all hope of ever being restored again, V. 21. Till he fill thy lips with laughing, &c. He will not cast away the perfect, but give him by his final prospering again, after affliction, cause of joy and gladness again forever: And then shame and confusion shall come to the wicked that hated, and spake despitefully against him in his misery: And his dwelling place or house shall come to naught. Wherein it is worth the considerring, how truly all this fell out, touching Job and these his friends; he was restored, and they by God's reproving them: Confounded and put to shame. As it appeareth, Chap. 42. 7.
CHAP. IX.
I Know it is so, but how should man be just with God? If he should contend with him, he were not able to answer him one of a thousand. Here Job to the last words of Bildad and those, Chap. 8. 3. Where he justified God in all his doings: The same now doth Job in a more ample manner, in saying, How should man be just with God? He meaneth not, that no man is just, even in God's account; for God himself had before testified of him, that he was a just man: But in comparison of the just God, whose justice is without any the least spot or stain, no man is just: But what meaneth this, Not answer him one of a thousand. Verily, that if God should put a thousand questions to him about his righteousness, in so many particulars, he could not in any one of these justify himself; so V. 12. and 14. He more expressly speaking of the same effect again, saith, I cannot answer him, therefore they err, that hereby understand God's answering man, as if he had said, Man is so much inferior to God, that if he would contend and question within him, he would contemn him, and not think him worthy of any answer, but to be severely censured for his audaciousness.
Who removeth mountains, and they know it not. Here Job to approve what he had said, V. 4. of God's power and wisdom, against which therefore there is no contending for man, beginneth to instance in some particulars, whereby it may appear to be infinite: And he beginneth with the mountains, which are so great and firmly set, that none but an Almighty power can remove them: For which Christ also speaketh hereof, as an act of the greatest power that is, saying, If ye have faith, and say to this mountain, be removed, &c. And Paul likewise, If I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains. For the doing of this mighty work, Dionisius thinketh, That in thus speaking, he aimeth at that which was done in the time of Noah his flood, when the waters with their mighty force galled and bare down many great mountains; others, because this is only conjectural, hold that it is spoken of those, that sometimes in earth-quakes have been removed, as sometime was done in this our Land, in Herefordshire; or by saying he removeth he meaneth, can remove, and will at the last day, when even the Heavens shall be dissolved and melt away with heat, and the whole earth and mountains thereof shall be burnt up.
Which commandeth the Sun and it riseth not, and sealeth up the stars. Here God's almighty power is further proved, by his ruling over the Sun and the Stars, which when he pseaseth, is stayed in the course thereof, as in the days of Joshua: And he can make the Stars also to stand still, as if sealed up; as he then did by the Moon, the Sun, Stand still in Gibeon, and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon, an whole day. Which alone spreadeth out the Heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea. Here is another argument of the same, he made the Heavens by his power and wisdom; and the Seas most violently carried with irresistable force, the waves whereof are lifted up by most impeteous winds, he suppresseth and stayeth, as by treading them under his feet, so that they can pass no further, V. 9. Which maketh Arcturus, the Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the South: Acturus hath the name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from congregating or gathering together, because it is a constellation gathering the winds as it were together, when it ariseth and making great tempests. Orion hath the names 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying inconstant: And from hence the ninth month amongst the Hebrews was called Araslen, which answered to our November; when this constellation ariseth making the weather very inconstant and windy: The Pleiades, by the Greeks called Hyades, from raining, by Pliny, or haedi, succulae, Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are a constellation, which when it ariseth, causeth much rain; it is which we commonly call the seven Stars, or Charleswain: And of these it is also spoken, Amos 5. 3. Which seems to be taken from hence, and of the spreading of the Heavens by his power, Ps. 104. And these constellations in particular, are spoken of as made by him, to prove his infinite power; there being none in the world, that can stop their influences upon earth, or know before of the violent tempests, or superabounding rains caused hereby, to save themselves herefrom: And the like is to be held, Of the chambers of the south: By Vulg. Interiora austri, the more inward parts of the south, where diverse other stars are, that appear not to us, and yet have their influences also: The scope of capitulating all this is, that infirm and wretched man, might not once mutter against God's doings, howsoever he dealeth by him; as if he were unjustly dealt withal, because this doth only provoke him more, as is not the way to stop the course of his judgments against us; for this is to be done, only by humbling ourselves before him, and confessing [Note.] our sins, and that he is just in all his ways, and righteous in all his works; because the most righteous man is a sinner: And we are worthy for our least sins, of all the judgments that can befall us in this world; and it is good for us, if we be afflicted and judged here, that we may not perish together with the world, such judgments being but fatherly chastisements, and tokens of God's love towards us. Loe he goeth by me and I see him not, he passeth by me and I perceive him not. Here after other arguments before going to make all men to fear God, for his almighty power and wisdom, another is added to strike such terror into us, as not to dare to quarrel with him about any of his doings towards us, for he is invisible: And therefore whether he be coming in love and favor in his judgments, or passing away in displeasure, we know not; for sometimes he judgeth severely, as I said before in great love and mercy, for the good of those that are judged; and sometime in wrath, his judging in this world being a forerunner and beginning of everlasting destruction▪ And whether he judgeth the one way [Note.] or the other; man commonly knoweth not, and therefore seeing our soarest afflictions may be effects of love, there is no cause why we should speak against God therefore, but patiently and humbly submit to his stroke; yea we have a promise of blessing by afflictions, if in time of affliction we do so. Prov. 3. 12. Whereas otherwise we may justly fear that he is passing away, and that we shall never enjoy his love or favor, but perish under his hand everlastingly; if it be taken as it is by some, for his being always nigh unto us, passing and repassing daily, but yet unseen: Nothing is hereby meant, but his invisibility; although he be always near to everyone of us: For in him we live, move, and have our being; and he is about all our paths, and about all our ways: If it be thus taken, he is to be understood, as proceeding from speaking of his power shown in the things aforesaid, to his omnipresence, although invisible, that we may take heed what we say of him, in any extremity or misery; for although we see him not, yet he both seeth and heareth us: As a circumspect Judge that goeth obscured under some disguise, and so heareth and seeth what is spoken or done, by those [Note.] that are to be judged by him: Wherefore neither in suffering, nor at any other time are we to think, we may in the dark or in seenet, do or speak what we will, but that the Judge is nere, even by us; that we may fear to speak or do any evil.
If he take away, who can hinder him, or say unto him what dost then. If God withdraweth not his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. the Vulg. If he suddenly asketh, who can answer him. But the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used, signify to snatch away, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from whence cometh the word rendered answer, signifieth, to turn; and so the meaning is: Who can repel or turn him back: Wherein Job plainly alludeth to the taking away of his Children, Servants, and Cattle; against which, being God's act, it was not fast for him to cavel or to object anything, as it is not for any other man. In his calling God's taking away, his snatching; he speaketh after the manner of natural men, who are ready, when they sustain great losses, to impute Lion-like, and tyrannical dealing to God, as if he were not led by justice, but by his own will without cause to vex men: But if there be any, that dare think or speak thus; or some being by his hand put to so great loss, think to provide for themselves, that they will not suffer the like, but hold up their estates better, those proud ones, called here proud helpers, shall be made to stoop, this their insolency shall cause their ruin: To which effect Calvin speaketh the Vulg. For proud helpers, hath it, Qui portant orbem, That bear up the world, but the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth, Latus broad, and so it is, Helpers of latitude: That is, of the largest extent, either in power, or by an elate mind, and so the meaning is, none are so mighty, or so high conceited of their own ability, but if he be angry he will make them to stoop under him, as not being able to bear his wrath. Or by these mighty helpers we may understand the mountains, Earth and Heaven before spoken of, which may be called helps of Latitude for their large extent, and ones helping another, the Heavens the Earth, with the influences thereof making it fruitful, and the earth men with the fruits thereof, for even these shall stoop in the day of God's anger, at the day of judgment, when all shall be dissolved: Therefore he inferreth, that he much more must needs be unable to deal with him, or to plead against him, to make his plea good, alhtough he should use the choicest words that might be devised. Whereupon he concludeth, that if he were righteous, he would not thus answer by way of pleading his own righteousness, but make his supplication to his Judge. Herein teaching us to do likewise, accounting our own righteousness nothing, but his grace in all, for salvation and deliverance from all evil.
If I had called and he had answered me, ye • would I not believe that he had hearkened to my voice. Some think these words to have been spoken despairingly; but others better, that this is spoken in way of answer to that of Bildad, Chap. 8. 5. If thou wouldst make thy supplication to him; If thou wert pure; Now to this he saith, If trusting hereunto I had prayed, and he had answered me, I should not have believed that he had hearkened unto me, the reason whereof was given before: That neither he, nor any man living, can thus plead in prayer with him, but trusting only to his goodness and mercy. For a man may pray, having some trust in his own righteousness, and be heard for some worldly thing, of which he standeth in need, and yet he cannot hereby gather, that the Lord beareth a favor to him, because both he denieth these things sometimes to his favorites, and granteth them to such as are out of favor with him, and soon after teareth him, as it were with a tempest, as here followeth,
He breaketh me with a tempost, and multiply th • my wounds without cause. Vulg. He will break, and so it is Heb. that is, If I should plead before him as pure, although I might temporally, or for a time be delivered, yet I should not finally escape destruction, although I should give him none other cause. Whereby we may see upon what danger of being torn in pieces by God's [Note.] judgments they put themselves, that justify themselves, ascribing perfect righteousness to themselves, how holy soever they be, as the proud Pharisee, Luk. 18. Olympiod understandeth these words of God's multiplying his wounds without cause in the same sense, that the same words were spoken by God to Satan, when he charged him against Jobs first sufferings, that he had stirred him up against him in vain, or without cause, Ch. 2. That is, thou multiplyest my wounds to try me and prove me, when thou needest not so to do, for without thus trying my patience, thou knowest me very well: So that in saying thus, Philip gathereth, that Job now perceived that the Lord was thus rerrible to him in his judgments, for naught also, but to try his patience. Howsoever, it was certainly a great measure of humility in Job, to extenuate his own worth so much, being by God's own testimony a perfect man, to whom no man upon earth then was equal, and to ascribe all goodness to God alone, wholly and only depending hereupon, and not as the Papists do, partly upon grace, and partly upon works.
Although I were perfect, I would not know my soul, but would despise my own life. The 18, 19, 20. verses need no explication, considering the premises, and what hath been said upon the like: Only verse. 20. in saying, if I should justify myself, my own mouth would condemn me, is as if he had said, I should in speaking show myself proud by speaking in my own praise, and detracting from God's justice. For these words, having in the former disclaimed perfection in himself, now he saith, If I were perfect, I would not look at that, or regard it, being in the midst of those miseries, as thinking therefore to be delivered and preserved alive in this world, or have anything that I desire: Yea, I rather hate this life, that I may be rid of it, and through God's goodness, to which alone I trust, attain to everlasting life.
This is one thing, therefore I said it, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. That is, that which I have said already is one thing, God only is just, every man in comparison of him unrighteous, or imperfect; therefore in destroying, that is, laying his judgments upon the good, as well as the bad, in this world, he cannot be spoken against. He meaneth not, as Isidorus conceiveth, that he hath no more regard to keep the Just from destruction then the wicked, as not caring whether men be just and reighteous in their lives and dealings, or not: for which to clear Job, he saith, that he speaks in the person of a natural man. But there needs no such shift here, for it is no more in effect then that which is said, Chap. 9. 1. All things fall out alike unto all. And by Ezek. I will destroy the righteous, together with the wicked. Although for divers ends, them for correction, and that they may be more sanctified, these that being by no means reformed, they may be the more justly condemned forever, as desperate sinners.
If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. The Vul. If he scourgeth, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the punishments of the innocent: But here is no word signifying Not, and the word rendered scourge, is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Scourge: Not to leave this then, and to hold us to N. Tr. the meaning is, when as the scourge or judgment of God slay the wicked suddenly, but the innocent, that is, they that are of an unblameable life, are by God's judgments brought under killing miseries, and there long held for their trial, but their lives are spared: He, that is, the wicked, derideth them for their suffering of these things, as men no more, or less accounted of by God, then they be, and thus these words answer most aptly to those before going, ver. 22. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked: But when as the perfect or innocent man, who is innocent in comparison of him, is under fore affliction a long time; and the wicked man, who for the present escapeth, yet shall certainly be destroyed, and that upon the sudden, if not sooner; yet at the day of Judgment, the wicked, that looketh only at things present, derideth him, as hath been before said. Some by the Scourge understand the Devil, who is God's instrument to slay the wicked, and to afflict the righteous, as he did Job for his trial, and that a long time, this is matter of mirth and derision to him: And some understanding it of God, of whom Job speaketh hitherto, expound these words, as if Job prayed herein, that for so much as it was his will to destroy both the righteous and the wicked, that he would not put this difference, destroying the bodily life of the wicked suddenly, without prolonging their pain and misery here, and contrariwise keep the Just under suffering so long, as that the wicked thinking them now utterly forsaken by God, should take occasion to laugh at, and deride them. But forsomuch as here no word implying a prayer, and the wicked and not the Devil were spoken of in the words before going, the first Exposition is to be preferred as most genuine.
The earth is given into the hands of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the Judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? This is spoken against Jobs friends, who were Princes and Judges of the earth, in whose hands the earth, that is, earthly things▪ being in abundance when he was in want, and suffered so grievously; they as men blinded by God, judged unjustly of him: For in saying, He covereth the faces of the Judges thereof, the blind-folding of them is meant, that they being in prosperity could not judge aright of others, the servants of God being in misery & he puteth it to them to answer, if they can, if they shall deny this, who it is, by whom they, and others like unto them are continued in prosperity, whereupon they take occasion to insult and censure so injuriously, them that be in misery: And thus understood, it aptly followeth after the complaint against the wicked, deriding the righteous in their sufferings, verse. 23. As if he had said, they laugh at them indeed, but it is because God that dealeth so favourably with them in the mean season, hath thus put a covering upon their eyes, as it were, not to see how to judge aright of the miserable.
Now my days are swifter then a Post, they flee away, &c. That is, although I deny not, but assert the equity and justice of God in all his doings, and ascribe no righteousness to myself, yet give me leave to lament my miseries, and some-what to ease myself whilst I live, by complaining of the shortness of my worldly felicity. He had before compared the life of man for the swift passing of it away, to a Weavers Shuttle, now he compareth to one riding Post, the fleeing of an Eagle, and the Ships sailing most swiftly upon the Sea.
If I say I will make my complaint, &c. I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know thou wilt not hold me innocent. That is, when I think to suppress my grief, and not to speak anymore, I am not able to contain myself; for even so doing I fear, lest by the continuation of my sorrows, and God's hand upon me, I should be yet rather thought by other men not to be innocent, but a most wicked man, they being hereby more confirmed in this opinion touching me, and I also fear myself to be able to hold out in my faith, and not to have it turned into desperation hereby.
If I be wicked, why then labor I in vain? This is by Vatablus referred to laboring with God in Prayer, as Bildad persuaded him, as if he had said, Why should I apply myself to God in prayer, seeing this would be but vain, for so much as he heareth not the wicked, but the righteous only. Cajetan referreth it to his assiduity formerly used from time to time, by sacrificing and praying, even to sanctify his children; for this had been vain for him to have done, his person not being accepted; as it could not be, if he were wicked. But against this it may be excepted; thou (O Job) didst then indeed labor in vain, witness the judgment that fell upon all thy children: And against the former, that Bildad did not only persuade him to pray, but also to be pure; and against both, because he speaketh of something present, not past: Why do I labor in vain? Olympiod. therefore best saith; Why do I labor under my sufferings, being so great and grievous so long, and am not suddenly cut off, as is used to be done to the wicked and reprobates? Seeing this is a course which God taketh with his Elect, who are accepted before him, thus trying and purifying, and making them to shine more; but for wicked reprobates it is Labor irrictus, to deal thus with them who are unreformable by any sufferings. A thing to be noted by God's servants for their comfort in all [Note.] their miseries, when they are most tedious, by their long continuance unto them, being patiently born, and righteous dealing still being ascribed to God, together with praise even when he taketh away; for this certainly argueth that they are not wicked, but such as are precious in his sight, as gold, which he will not finally loose.
If I wash me with snow water, and make my hands never so clean, &c. Here again Job by another comparison showeth, that all thoughts of justifying himself to God in any of his speeches before used, were far from him; For let a man be as clean as possibly he can, yet God seeth foulness still in him, as in one that lieth in a duty ditch, if he looketh upon him with the eye of justice, although in his mercy he seeth none iniquity in Jacob, nor sin in Israel; that is, in such as humbly confess their sins, as is expressed by the Prophet David, Psal. 32. 1, 2, 3. The Vulg. to express the meaning of these words, Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch, hath it, Sordibus intinges me, according to that which I have already said. By the ditch also we may understand the Grave, where men wear no clothes anymore; yea clothes are said by a Prosopopeia, to abhor to touch them, so that it is the greatest expression of filthiness that can be, even as of a dead corps, that lieth rotting in the Grave, of which our Lord, speaking of whited Sepulchers, saith, Within they are full of rottenness and dead men's bones. To which effect also the Prophet saith, Our righteousness is as filthy rags.
He is not a man as I am, that I should answer him: Nor is there any days-man, &c. After other reasons, proving that it was not for him to contend with God, here he reasoneth further from hence, that God was not as a man, but so high and excellent above man, that who so shall think to hold any Plea against him, shall be sure to be over-matched.
Let him take away his rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me. So would I speak and not fear him, but it is not so with me. That is, I am now under his rod, which makes me that I dare not speak anything by way of pleading with him, I am so terrified hereby, and astonished at it, through a conscience of my own vileness in his sight; but oh, that it would please him to deliver me from this my misery, then I should hence gather, that he accepteth of me, and should be confident and bold to speak unto him by my prayers and praises, as I have formerly done; but yet it is not so with me, and therefore I fear and tremble to speak unto him. But to you if I speak, I hope that he will not be offended with me, to justify myself against your foul calumnies, as a Judge, when men contend by words before him, some laying wickedness to another's charge, and the other defending his innocence against them. Whence note, that the judgments of God and temptations do so work upon the spirits of his most righteous servants, that their faith is much shaken [Note.] hereby, and their hope to Godward is not so firm, but they are inclining to despair, yet being here-from again delivered, they take unto them their wonted confidence and boldness again, as being now fully persuaded of his grace towards them: and therefore trusting to this, let us not utterly despair for any trials or temptations, but certainly expect to be restored. Allegorically by the mountains and earth removed, saith Gregory, understand the Apostles rejected, and gone from amongst the Jews, and by the earth removed their expulsion out of their country, and by the Sun restrained from the course, their spiritual darkness; all light of the Sun and Stars, that is, of the truth hidden from their eyes. By the stretching out of the heavens, the stretching out of the heavenly light of the Gospel to all Countries and Nations, when as before the light was straightened, shining in Judea only: And by his treading upon the Sea, which is raging, God repressing and curbing of the violent motions, both of Jews and Heathens, against his Church, so that although she were hereby endangered as a ship upon the Sea, yet they could not drown her. Touching Arcturus, Orion, the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south, we are not to think, that Job spake of God's making these to confirm the imaginations of Astrologers, who devised these names, and tell fabulous thing, of them; but hereby are other things concerning the Church to be understood, by Arcturus, or the bright seven stars arising in Autumn, whereupon variable weather and winds follow; The seven Churches, called Seven golden Candlesticks, Rev. 1. which shone most brightly; by Orion, causing tempests in the midst of Winter, persecutions by Heathens raised, making many Martyrs, who were by them violently shaken and destroyed, when they remained yet frozen hard, as it were, by the hardness of their hearts in sin and infidelity. But after this in the spring arise the Hyades, or Pleyades, when a flourishing time like the Spring followed to the Church, persecutions being appeased, and peace enjoyed.
Then lastly, he mentioneth his making of the chambers of the South, or the inner parts thereof; by the South, meaning Heaven, because it is warm and comfortable, from the inner parts whereof cometh down the holy Ghost into the hearts of the faithful, heating them by elevating their minds to divine contemplation, whereby they are chambered, as it were, amidst the joys of heaven, where in the secret of the most high are all the Saints departed out of this life. Whereas he saith, He goeth by me, and I see him not. It is meant, that men even enlightened here are so blind, that they see not to what those things that befall them tend, but count sometimes those to be good for them which are evil, and those evil that are good, as the gift of knowledge, tongues, or prophesying, which to some tend to their greater damnation, as Mat. 7. 21. 1 Cor. 13. and afflictions & miseries in this life, which to some tend to glory, in the life to come to the increase thereof, but the end of all, and whereunto they tend is unknown yet unto them, for man's inability to resist God, or to hinder him. Moses hindered him from slaying the Israelites, and Aaron by offering Incense stayed the Plague, and Phineas by doing execution upon Zimri and Cosby. But it is to be understood, that it is meant, no man by his own power can withstand God's judgments, but such as have power from him so to do, as these men had. Under whom they that bear up the world are bowed: That is, the Kings of the Nations, for who bear up the world in their several Kingdoms but they, for which a King in Greek is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , quasi, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the foundation of the people. Now these are bowed, when they are bowed to the obedience of the Gospel, the Jews, that would not, being destroyed, and there being none able, when the time of their rejection came, to resist. For these words, Mine own garments shall ahhorre me.
By garments understand the body, which is as a garment to the soul, by abhorring me, making me to be abhorred, as is said of Judas, that he possessed the Field called Acheldama, that is, made others to possess it, for he being dead could not possess it. And the body makes a man abhorred, when by the lusts hereof he is drawn to sin, although contrary to the intention of his mind, whereby he washeth his hands, as it were, with snow water, as Paul also complaineth, Rom. 7.
Lastly, by his rod, of which he saith, Let him take his rod away from me, understand the Law, with the terror thereof, which is done only by CHRIST, in whom we can look up to God, and speak to him without all slavish fear, but under the Law we cannot. As the child of the Shunamite, when Gehazi the servant of Elishah sent with his staff, laid it upon the face thereof, shown no sign of life, but lay dead still; yet Elishah coming, and spreading himself upon it, and then walking and doing it again, the child sneezed seven times, and then received life and comfort. So Moses coming with the staff or rod of the Law, there is no life or heart to speak: But Christ coming, and taking our nature upon him, whereby he did, as it were, spread himself upon us, then walking too and fro, teaching and doing Miracles, and after this dying for us, his hands and feet being extended upon the Cross, we by the Spirit with his seven-fold graces are revived, and come boldly to the Throne of Grace, pleading with him for the effect of CHRIST'S passions in us, Adoption, and Glorification.
CHAP. X.
MY Soul is weary of my life, I will leave my complaint upon myself, &c. The vulg. Dimittam adversus me eloquium meum, I will let my speech go against myself; Expounded by Gregory thus, It irks my soul that my life is so sinful, as to bring so great Judgments upon me; I will therefore not excuse, but accuse myself; wherein we are also taught what to do, and not when we have done evil and God meets with us by his Judgments, o • we are accused and in danger to be punished, therefore to deny the evil which we have done, as the manner of most is: And because some speak in confessing their sins, or telling of them without all grief therefore; yea rather glorying and delighting to recount them, he addeth further, I will [Note.] speak in the bitterness of my Soul, As everyone must do that would have pardon. Against glorying in sin which is our shame, see Phillip. 3. 21. The Hebrew is, I will leave my words of complaint upon me: To the same effect; For he that doth so complain of his own evil deserts, and consequently against himself.
And the next words follow well after these, being thus understood.
I will say unto God, do not condemn me, show me wherefore thou contendest with me. Seeing I confess all the fault for which I suffer is in myself (O Lord) do not thou proceed still against me, but now that I do, as thou requirest of sinners, show me wherefore thou still proceedest in thy Judgments against me, and dost not release me from them, that if there be any other thing by me to be done, I may apply myself unto it and recover thy favor; a speech much like unto that Ch. 7. 20. for the just Judge of all the world will not smite without a cause, therefore not the poor, the work of his own hands, as it followeth, V. 3.
Neither will he help the counsel of the wicked. Whereby he meaneth his wicked friends, who conspired together to lay some gross sins to his charge, arguing from the Judgments upon him, thar he must needs be notoriously wicked before God, and if his plagues should still continue, they would be confirmed in their evil opinion against him.
Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as a man seeth? Gregory, who by the wicked spoken of, V. 3. understandeth the devil taking occasion by afflictions to drive the servants of God to sin, & so into the danger of everlasting death, which he cannot otherwise effect to make them as miserable as himself; and the former words, Seems it good to thee to oppress the Poor: as if he had said, I know it doth not, but thou seest some cause of these my Suffrings, which I do not, and for this I grieve; He I say expoundeth this of V. 4. Thus, if thou hadst eyes like a man to see nothing till it were done, and wert in thy time and days like a man of short continuance, made in time, and so cut off again in a short time, and not from everlasting to everlasting, knowing all things to come from Eternity, and not as man who cannot know things so; because he cannot know but after he hath a being, I should not marvel a • thy pursuing me with thy Judgments to prove me, but now it amazeth and troubleth me much, to think why thou thus tryest me, being so well known unto thee; even before I was born. Thus also August. and Tho: Aquinas Polichron. and many more. V. 7.
Thou knowest that I am not wicked, and none can deliver me out of thy hands.
The vulg. joining it by a copulative to the former verse, renders it, And thou mayst know that I am not wicked. Hebr. It is upon thy knowledge, without any copulative, Job appealeth here out of the clearness of his conscience to God himself, seeking to move him hereby, not to try him further by his judgments, since he knew, that he had not a wicked, but an upright heart; as God had testified of him, chap. 1. 1. Yea and since he was tried by so soar sufferings, nothing wicked proceeded from him: For the words adjoined, None can deliver out of thy hands. It is as if he had said, Thus thou knowest it to be with me, that I have no wicked heart, but for this I expect not to be delivered; for thou canst still find matter in me, for which to lay thy hands upon me: But the more I submit myself, acknowledging nothing of worth in me, for which to be delivered; the more mild shouldest thou be in thy dealings towards me, as a Lion to a man crouching to him. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me round about. Because nothing in himself was of force to plead for deliverance in regard of it, he now useth another argument from God's own work, which he was, therefore he hoped that he would not destroy him anymore, then his own work, which none will do: And in this we may have great confidence, that are truly faithful, seeing as the Apostle saith: We are his work-manship created unto good works in Christ Jesus. Hast not thou poured me out like milk, and curdled me out like cheese? Having said, V. 9. That he had made him of clay, wherein he alludeth to the making of the first man, now he speaks of the generation of men, coming of the seed of man; like white milk and coagulated in time together into flesh, which he speaketh of, to move the Lord to take care now of his preservation, and that he might not be destroyed: But that he would tender his own work so admirably framed, as it is even the body of man; of which it is spoken, Psal. 139.
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and fenced me with bones and sinews. Both this and that of milk made into cheese, is by Gregory expounded allegorically, besides the literal sense thus: Thou hast made me out of the milk of which I first came, into a new form of spiritual conversation. As the cheese made out of milk is now a new thing, and although I have flesh, and consist of flesh, yet thou hast strengthened me against this my weakness, in regard of sin, as with bones and sinews, the flesh is strengthened to stand, and to do that, which otherwise it could not: For it is not so much to plead that a man may not be destroyed, because God hath made his body; for so he hath made the bodies of Beasts that perish: But this is a strange plea and prevalent with him, that he hath wrought a work of grace, a spiritual work in him, to the making of him a new man: Wherefore he more expressly speaketh of this also, V. 12.
Thou hast given me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. For in saying thus, he meaneth, not only the inliving of his body with a reasonable soul, as he doth to all men: But also a spiritual life and grace; for which his bodily life hath been heitherto also preserved, with which Satan would have been dealing, as we may see by these words, chap. 2. Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life. But the Lord charged him, when he put all that he had into his hands, to spare his life: Gregory understandeth it altogether of the life spiritual, saith: That life and favor or grace, are joined together; because, this life is not given to any, but to such as have grace to leave their sins: Yet it standeth in dying to sin, and living to righteousness, and to live in sin is to be dead, and this life thus attained is not upheld, but by further visitation of his spirit with grace, from which the regenerate to this spiritual life, are continually suplpyed. According to which Jerome speaketh notably: God is always a giver, it is not enough, that he giveth me his grace; unless he always give asupply thereof. V. 13.
And these things hast thou hid in thy heart; I know that this is with thee. The vulg. Sci • quod universorum memineris. Expounded by Gregory: Thou hast it I know in thy heart, to pardon and release me from these my sufferings, although thou hast not yet laid it open; for thou wilt in thy due time be mindful of all men, in all parts of the World, that shall believe in thee, and walk uprightly before thee; which is a thing, that thou yet concealest, but will in thy good time reveal: And hereby he thinketh, [Note.] that the vocation of the Gentiles, and not of the posterity of Abraham only is implied. And he gathereth, that men may know the favor that God beareth towards them; howsoever for the present they be under grievous miseries, and that even by his afflicting them, when as in uprightness of heart they serve him and walk before him: For this is a certain sign of he fatherly love. But the new Translat. is word for word, according to the Hebrew; so that he being too much led by the Vulg. lat. fell upon this exposition without ground here: The meaning then is nothing else, but what I suffer, is by thy secret counsel and decree come to pass, thy love being never the lesser towards me: And the same is true touching all God's faithful Servants, that none may despair under their sufferings; but now gather more assuredly that God loveth them, and therefore the issue of them all, [Note.] shall be joyful and comfortable: And if it be so, what is to be thought of their Tenet that say, No man can know whether he be beloved of God, and shall be saved or not? when as Job knew it, and Paul, who therefore saith, I have fought a good fight, now remaineth the Crown of righteousness: Which the righteous Judge will bestow upon me, And John. We know that we are the Sons of God, &c. But by the way, God dealeth with his Servants, as Joseph with his Brethren, who concealed his brotherly affection for a time, and dealt roughly with them, but in the end, he could contain no longer, but shown it to their exceeding great comfort and joy.
If I sin, thou markest me, and wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. The vulg. If I have sinned, and thou hast spared me for an hour: Why dost not th •• suffer me to be clean from mine iniquity? Hebr. If I have sinned, and thou hast, marked me, and if thou hast not cleansed me from mine iniquity; If I be wicked woe is to me. And the sense is plain: If thou proceedest against me with these thy judgments, as against a wicked man for his wickedness, then woe is to me; I am in a sinful and miserable condition indeed: And hereby two things are intimated, First, That the righteousness of the best man, standeth in this, that God hath cleansed him from his sins, justifying him by faith in Christ, and so forgiving them all unto him; and not in this, that he is without sin, or that God marketh not his sins. Secondly, He that suffereth as an evil doer, asinner, and so accounted before God, is in a most miserable case, woe is unto him; for he both suffereth in present, and shall [Note.] suffer in future forever. And such are all they, that murmur against God in their sufferings; as if they were not worthy to be so dealt withal: But on the contrary side afflictions suffered, which have this effect to cleanse from sin, wherein a man hath formerly lived; or if he hath not so lived, yet to make him know, that he is not without sin; and therefore to justify God in all his doings towards him, blessed and happy is he; that we may take heed, that we bring not this woe upon us, either by living licentiously, or by setting our mouths or hearts against Heaven, whatsoever we suffer; or not being cleansed hereby from our sins, because this is a certain sign that God cleanseth thee not, if by his rod thou be • t not cleansed, to live in his fear for all times to come. If I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head, I am full of confusion, therefore see thou mine affliction. The vulg. Saturatus afflictione, & miseria Heb. Being full of confusion, and the sight, of my misery, or see my misery, that is, See thou o Lord: Here Job falleth again to complaing of his misery, seeing this to be the case, that whether a man be wicked or righteous, he must suffer much misery: The wicked by the woe, that shall further be to him, besides his miseries here: And the righteous by abundance of miseries in this life, for which he saith, that he will not lift up his head, that is, By being conceited well of himself, which were intolerable pride, and would be a means to make the Lord to increase them yet more: As followeth, V. 16. It increaseth, thou huntest me as a fierce Lion, and again: Thou showest thyself marvelous upon me. The vulg. And for pride thou wilt take me as it were a Lion, and returning thou dost marvelously torment me. The word rendered increaseth, or for pride is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying either to be proud, or to increase: But because it is a Verb and not a Noun, it is best rendered Increaseth: And the next words show how, viz. God pursuing him, as a fierce Lion, against whom what can a poor weak man do? The Sept. Whom many Greek writers follow, hath it: I am taken as a fierce Lion, whom the hunters persue, with many wounds, till they have destroyed him: For the last words of the verse, Hebr. It is, Thou shalt make thyself wonderful upon me. Whereby God's various dealing towards him, is set forth, as indeed it was, in that after tearing him like a Lion with his judgments, he turned his captivity so wonderfully, as he did, chap. 42. and therefore the Vulg. mistook the matter rendering it, mirabiliter me crucias. For in these words, Job showeth rather again, what a confidence he had, that God returning to him in mercy, would do wonderfully for him in the end; the word turning here, and the turning of his captivity, there so aptly answering the one to the other, to approve this exposition.
Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and renewest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me. A great difference is here amongst Expositors, who the witnesses be, that he here speaketh of: Some saying, That the Devil is meant, who first stood against Job, chap 1. and 2. Some these his friends, who came to visit him, who came not without God's providence to lay such things to his charge as they did, and some his dolorous sufferings from whence, as from witnesses men gather, that he was wicked, because that otherwise he should not have had them laid upon him, for stupendous judgments declare oft times, as witnesses, that the man whom they be fall is some way notorious: Thus Augustine whom most follow, and indeed he speaketh most probably: Yet the friends of Job would not be excluded from bearing a part in this Testimony, for they together with his judgments made war, as it were upon him, per 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , by word fighting with him, as immediately followeth: And in speaking thus he allu death, to the manner in Courts; wherein the Judge examineth witnesses against prisoners, and then proceedeth to denounce judgment, and to execute them accordingly, by the hands of his Executioners, who are as his Soldiers to slay them. Verse 18. 19. are to the same effect, that he spake, chap. 3. 11. Thus, Job like a man almost distracted by sufferings, sometime turneth himself one way and sometime another; seeking by all means some ease to his grieved mind. For the verses following, to the end of the chapter, V. 20. 21. 22. There is nothing in them, but a repetition of speeches before uttered by him, of the shortness of his days, craving therefore to be spared a little before his going hence, and no more returning, into a Land of darkness, and confusion; that is, The dark places of the Earth, where his body must lie and become worms-meat and dust, promiscuously mingled with other bodies: for that he speaketh only of his body, is declared, chap. 19. 26.
CHAP. XI.
HHere Zophar the Naamathite, the other two friends of Job being answered, taketh his turn to vex him further by his speeches also: Naamah was a City in the Land of Uz, eighteen miles from Jobs pyramis, saith Adricomius, from thence he was called the Naamathite, because the Prince thereof: It signifieth fair, and Zophar. speculator, a watcher: He first beginneth with a bitter exordium, V. 2. Should not a multitude of words be answered, and V. 3. Sould thy lies make men hold their peace &c. V. 4. Thou hast said, my doctrine is pure, I am clean in thine eyes. In which three verses, he layeth threefold sins to his charge, as Ferus noteth. First, Vain multiplying of words, which is such a sin, that Solomon saith: Who so useth many words, there is more hope of a fool then of him. It implieth selfconceitedness, in regard of a man's own wisdom; as if he alone could speak [Note.] to the purpose, and all others were bound in silence to hear him: This is to sin with the tongue, and to be unruly herein, as is said Jam. 3. And therefore by all men to be taken heed of, the greater prater being the most fool, contrary to which it is said, That man is wise, that speaketh few words. But Job is unjustly accused for this, because his words were not multiplied out of an affection to speak much, but out of his anguish and grief of spirit, for his long continued intolerable sufferings, in which to utter many words, if they be true, and tend to the easing of his own mind, and the instruction of others, as Jobs did, are not vain or sinful. Secondly he chargeth him with lies, and blasphemies against God, which is another most abominable sin, as of which the Devil is the father; and of liars it is said: That they shall be shut out of the new Jerusalem, with dogs and witches. Thirdly, With pride and arrogancy, for justifying of himself, because he spake, as if he thought himself more hardly dealt withal, then he was worthy: For this is intolerable pride in any man, since whatsoever judgments God layeth upon the most just man that is, are laid upon him deservedly, for so much as he is not without sin, as Job confessed of himself, both, chap. 7. and 10. Only it is to be understood, that although he be worthy in himself considered, yet being considered as faithful, and so in Christ and [Note.] Christ in him, he is not worthy of such sufferings: wherefore it is to be held, that they are not punishments of his sins, so that it cannot hence be gathered, that he is a great sinner and an hypocrite, but trials of his faith and patience, working a far more surpassing weight of glory unto him. Zophar then was the liar, and not Job, in anything that he had spoken: But this is the condition of the best in this World; yea of Christ himself, to be thus evil spoken of by wicked detractors: And therefore no faithful person ought to be dismayed at it, but comforted, according to that of our Lord. Blessed are ye, when all men speak all manner of evil of you falsely, great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the Prophets that were before you: And Paul was called a babbler.
Oh! That God would speak, and open his lips against thee.
That he would show thee the secrets of wisdom; and that they are double to that which is: Know therefore that God exacteth less of thee, then thine iniquity deserveth. Having charged him with the foul faults before spoken of: Now he insinuateth another way into him, to persuade him to change his mind, and to assent to him and his fellows; and to confess, that he was so great a sinner under the vayl of hypocrisy, as his fellows and he had charged him to be: And this is a notable cunning of wicked Heretics to mention God, as approving of their errors, if by speaking he would from [Note.] Heaven declare himself plainly, that we may heed of those that labor this way to work upon us, when by right reason they are able to evince nothing, which they say: The vulg. For these words, Double to that which is, hath Quod multiplex est lex ejus, Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doubles to the being, that is, manifold more, then is by thee apprehended: As is further intimated, V. 7 Canst thou by searching find out God? That is, in his ways; as if he had said, no man can: And therefore as being ignorant of his doing, he ought to think that just which he doth, although he cannot tell, how it should be: And how obscured his ways are, and beyond man's capacity to comprehend, he further declareth, V. 8, 9, And therefore whatsoever he doth unto him, it were best for him to be silent: For to oppose his doings in word or deed, is most vain, V. 10. If a man knoweth not his own sins, God knoweth them, and findeth him out to punish him. For vain man would be wise, although he be born like a wild Ass colt. The vulg. He thinks himself to be born as a wild Ass colt, Expounded very well by Gregory thus. As a wild Ass colt not used to the yoke, runneth up and down the large fields and Woods at his pleasure, and when he is weary lieth down, and thus doth form day today: So man by nature is licentious, running as his lusts carry him, to all manner of sin; and giveth not over running till he is weary, he will not be held in by any reins, or kept to do the work he should by any yoke, which the Lord by teaching seeks to put upon him: But against this Job is exhorted, V. 13. Many promises being propounded to move him, and who so will not, is threatened V. 20. Some great judgment or sickness shall come upon him, to tame him; whereby he shall be made even like unto one dying for fear, and ready to give up the Ghost: As that fierce persecutor Saul was dealt with, when the posted from one place to another, persecuting the Church of Christ: But being smit down and terrified, he was calmefyed, and said: Lord what wouldest thou have me to do?
Thus Gregory, and the reading followed by him, best giveth the sense, although by the New Translat. the words are best rendered, according to the Hebrew word: And this is a good admonition to all men, that are swayed by the corruption of their nature, although misapplied to this holy man Job; let libertines then that will do what they lust, and be bound [Note.] by none of God's bands, but break all them asunder, think upon this, what a wild and asse-like race they run; and what grievous judgments hange over their heads, therefore in this World to tame them, and if they be not so brought into better order, what greater judgments shall seise upon them forever in the life to come, or rather the second death.
To come now to the Exhortation made, to such as are in the case aforesaid, V. 13. If thou wilt prepare thy heart, stretch out thy hands unto him, &c. But all that he saith, in exhorting him to prayer, and propounding the blessings, that should ensue hereupon, is but to the same effect, with that of Eliphaz, chap. 5. 8. 9. 10. &c. But Gregory following the Vulg. Lat. Thou hast hardened thy heart, Tu firmasti cor tuum, Expounds this verse, as a continuation of his reprehension, but the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth first and chiefly to prepare, although it signifieth to hold on stiffly and stoutly also, and the conjunction 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is if, not but, as there it is rendered: So that he plainly tometh in these words, to instruct him, what is best in the case in which he was to be done, that he might come out of it, viz. To prepare his heart and to pray unto God: And withal, because God heareth not sinners, to put the iniquity in him far away by confessing it, and not suffering it to dwell in his Tabernacles; that is, renewing it anymore: Four excellent things, as Ferus noteth, To be commended to all men, that it may [Note.] be well with them, to get a sanctified heart, to pray with stretched out hands, to confess and be sorry for their sins, and to hate them so, as not to give them entertainment anymore, or in their Tabernacles, that is, houses, to tolerate sin: And then he subjoineth double the number of blessings that shall be upon him, that doth thus: First Thou shalt lift up thy face without spot. Secondly, Be steadfast and not fear; without spot, none of thy lesser sins, which through human fraielty thou fallest into, being imputed unto thee, but perfect righteousness: And the fear of damnation and God's wrath shall be taken away, there being now no wavering through unbelief, as it is said of Abraham: Where note, that the wicked, who through faith make themselves sure of God's acceptation, notwithstanding their going on in sin, have no true faith indeed, but their [Note.] steadfast believing is carnal presumption, because their believing followeth, upon the putting away of iniquity, as was aforesaid, not only in themselves, but their families also; they therefore that do such things, and favor them that do, are rather then faithful, given over to a reprobate sense, which makes them yet without fear of death.
3. Thou shalt forget thy misery, or if not, remember it, but as waters that pass away. There shall be no sense of sorrow for bodily sufferings, but being by faith looked upon as trials, and tokens of God's love, there shall be more joy then sorrow; and when thou art set free from them again, thou shalt look upon them, but as Noah upon the Flood, when it was past, with thankfulness to God, who hath brought thee out of so great dangers, offering sacrifice therefore as he did.
4. Thine age shall be clearer then the noon day, thou shalt shine forth as the morning.
Hereupon Gregory, who upon the words before going, Like waters passed away, saith, that such are all the miseries of this life to the faithful, whose hearts are already in heaven, they count them as already past, because they are sure even when they suffer, they are but as waters, soon flowing away, and after a while, no new supply of any such shall come upon them anymore. He I say, upon these saith, that although the faithful servants of God look upon afflictions as waters passed away, yet they work something upon them whilst they suffer them, being made stiff, as it were, as a man lying in Winter, or in the night in the cold water. Therefore to comfort here-against, it is further added, Thine age shall be clearer then the noon day, &c. That is, as after the night, the shining light of the Sun soon followeth, at the least at noon day, which is towards the evening, and after the next night followeth another bright shining morning: so after the night of affliction shall come, although it be some time long first, the light of consolation: and as miseries come on again, more timely comfort, till that bright shining morning shall come at the last, after which it shall be all day, and no night more forever.
5. Thou shalt be secure because there is hope, thou shalt dig about thee, and take thy rest in safety. Vulg. Thou shalt have confidence, hope being set before thee. That is, saith the same Gregory, by temptations thy confidence shall be increased in hope of greater joy to come; for the more a man suffereth that is in God's favor, the greater shall be his reward in the world to come, according to that of our Lord; Great is your reward in heaven. And the Psalmist setteth forth the joy to come after sorrow, saying, They that go forth weeping, and sow their seed, shall come rejoicing, and bring their sheaves with them. But what is meant by saying, Thou shalt dig about thee, and then rest in safety? Either being resolved to die, and that in dying, a Crown shall be attained, as Paul saith, Now remaineth the crown of righteousness, &c. Thou art already digged into the ground, as it were, and so sleepest securely in respect of bodily dangers; or else thou shalt dig and rest securely, is, as much as if he had said, as they that dig cast out the earth in the inner parts of the earth▪ so thou digging by laboring about it to expel the love of earthly things and worldly cares out of thy mind, having once done this, shalt rest securely, there being nothing to trouble or wake thee, as there is in the minds of the worldly minded, especially if they be in danger of sustaining any great loss. For the former of these Expositions, it is made upon the Vulg. rendering the words thus, Defessus dormies secure: The Heb. word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth also, thou hast digged, or explorasti, thou hast tried. Junius renders it, exploratus es, Thou art tried. And if we take it so, the sense will be plain, doing the things before spoken of, thou shalt have sure confidence in God, which shall not deceive thee, thou art found to be right, or thou hast tried; thou art as sure that it shall be thus with thee, as if thou hadst already found it by experience. Divers other Expositions are brought, 1. Cajetan reading it, Thou shalt dig, that is, thy servants shall work abroad in the fields, digging, or otherwise laboring without being in danger of violence by enemies coming upon them.
2. Eugubinus, Thou shalt dig, as it were, by searching to find out how to do all things for the best, and shalt in all prosper.
3. Dyonisius, and Thomas Aquinas, When thou art laid in the ground, being dead, thou shalt by none be disturbed.
4. Tygur, interpretation, Thou shalt be secure, as they that lie within trenches made round about them.
5. Rabbi David: Thou shalt dig only about the City, and not need to make any walls about it for thy security. If it be rendered by digging, that of the Tygurine Interpreters is to be preferred for the literal sense, and that of Gregory is a good Allegory; but I take it to be best to render it by exploration or trial, as the sense hath been given before. Hitherto five great blessings, and this fifth may be distinguished into three.
1. Thou shalt be confident. 2. Thou hast tried, or digged. 3. Thou shalt [ 6. 7.] rest in safety, and when thou liest down, none shall make thee afraid. So that here are seven benefits.
8. Many shall make suite to thee. In such high and honorable place shalt thou be, that many others shall seek unto thee to have thy countenance and favor. And these eight may be reduced all to four, according to the four virtues before going: 1. A good name, and unblemished. 2. Secure and safe living, to which that of verse. 18. and 19. may be also referred. 3. For sufferings, to look upon them as shortly past and gone. 4. Exceeding great comfort, as the noon day light shining most brightly, and after this a morning of endless comfort.
But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, but their hope shall be as of one giving up the ghost. That is, their light and comfort shall be darkness and misery, and their dangers shall be great, and take effect against them: and if they have any hope to be delivered, it shall be but like the hope of a dying man, who although he hopeth that he shall live, yet he shall surely die: So what hope soever such have, when they are ready to depart, of living eternally, it shall be frustrated. The Vulg. hath for the last words, Their hope is an abomination to the soul. Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifying, exsufflatio animae, the breathing out of the soul, or the giving up of the ghost, as in the N. Tr. Gregory by the eyes understandeth the intention of the mind, according to which our Lord saith, The light of the body is the eye. And what is the intention of the wicked worldlings, but to get worldly things in abundance, and to enjoy them always? but of this he shall be disappointed, although here for a time he hath plenty, and denieth nothing that is pleasant to himself, against poverty he getteth riches, against contempt he [Note.] getteth honors, against sadness, sports and delights, against appetite to his meat failing, variety of dainties, for all things he findeth a refuge. But whilst he is thus doing, this life runneth away, and death cometh, and then he hath no refuge more against the wrathful countenance of the strict Judge, there he is alone before the Judge to have the sentence of everlasting damnation denounced against him: and where is his hope now? it utterly faileth, and his soul perisheth forever. Then upon the sudden pleasure is withdrawn, the sin run into for pleasures sake remaineth, and they learn by perishing miserably that they held perishing things; yet while they lived corporally, they ceased not to seek those hurtful things, or these things that should do them so much hurt in the end.
CHAP. XII.
ZOphar having spoken, as he thought, most wisely, and as one able to instruct Job, now he answereth him by deriding him and his fellows for their self-conceitedness, when as they had spoken nothing, but what he knew very well before, as he showeth by speaking much more, in setting forth the power and wisdom of God, then he had done. For his deriding of them V. 2.
No doubt but ye are the people, and Wisdom shall abide with you. It is commonly reproved in Scripture, as a great sin, to deride and to despise others, as in Ishmaell mocking at Isaac, Michal at David, the Children of Bethel at Elisha, and Sennacherib at Hezekiah, The Jews at Christ upon the Cross, and at his Apostles, Act. 2. and many others: But the mocking of Job was not such, but as that of Elijah mocking at Baals prophets, and of Michaiah at Ahab, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper, and of Isaiah at Idolaters to make them ashamed of their sins, and repent: so Job, that these men instead of glorying in their wisdom wherein they thought they excelled much, ashamed that they had no more wisdom to decline so gross an error, as wherein they were held touching him, judging him wicked for his bodily sufferings and the speeches that he used to defend his innocence against them; Despisers then, and mockers in general, are not hereby justified, but only the godly-wise that do it out of zeal for God's glory and against sin, and upon just cause, that they, who do, or speak evil, may being thus made ashamed, repent: As for other mockers at piety in any they are as Sennacherib, whom Isaiah challenged saying, whom hast thou despised or mocked, and [Note.] therefore threateneth him with curbing and destruction; or at misery in any of God's people, as the Babylonians and Edomites are said to have done, and therefore they are pronounced blessed that shall pay them with their own coin, destroying them and aggravating their misery with the greatest cruelty. For the pride of these men and their self-conceitedness, Gregory saith well, that it put them on to teach one more learned then themselves, and they were like men lighting upon a vessel full of liquor, pour [Note.] in more, which because it is full already, is all lost; for such speak not that others hearing them may learn of them, but as a man that hath plenty of those worldly things giveth to such as have no want, that they may be thought greatly to abound, & so be more magnified, so these men • o purchase to themselves the reputation of the teachers of Job, bestow largely upon him that of which he was full already. Pride then makes men teach those that are able to teach them, but hereof they shall reap nothing but shame although for a time they please themselves by thus their own magnifying; therefore all who are humble, if they know more then others, teach such as know less, but not presume to take upon them over the more learned, but be silent before them sitting to hear and learn yet more of them. This because proud heretics forget, they commonly set themselves to detract from the Orthodox, as ignorant, or superstitious, that they might be counted the only men of knowledge & their errors embraced: but they are like these false friends of Job, and false prophet of Baal, Zedekiah, that insulted over the true prophet Michaiah, and shall be judged accordingly, as he was, and these men had a sharp check from God in the end, so shall they if coming to themselves they make such their friends again as they have calumniated, otherwise their rebuke will be far worse, and unexpiable even by Jobs sacrificing for them; For Jobs saying, that he had wisdom as well as they, herein he shown no pride, for that he made himself not superior, but equal to them, not to magnify himself, but to pull down their pride.
I am as one mocked of his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and he answereth me: The just upright man is laughed to scorn. The vulg. He that is derided of his friend as I, shall call upon God, and he will hear him: The simplicity of the just is derided. Hebr. Derided of his neighbor, I am calling upon God. To which N. Tran. cometh nerest, but only in the last words. For he heareth me, It is, Heareth him. But both this and the vulg. come to one; Job compareth himself to a man derided, who careth not for their speeches, that deride him, but turneth him to God; as with whom innocence and uprightness is regarded, whereas by such it is mocked at, when a man is in misery, an I brought most low.
He that is ready to slip with his feet, is like a Lamp despised by them that live at ease. The vulg. A lamp despised in the thoughts of the rich, prepared for an appointed time. and Hebr. word for word the same, but only for rich 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quiet, free from trouble, enjoying prosperity, as they that have and hold their wealth, not being robbed thereof do: But the word quiet or at ease, best expresseth the meaning, because this implieth both wealth and health, which Jobs friends had, but he now wanted: And whereas N. Tran. hath it. He that is ready to slip with his foot, is a despised lamp. There is no word in the verse more but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 foot, therefore if it be rendered accordingly, no more can be made of it but thus, A lamp despised in the thoughts of the quiet, set up for a time, a foot. Of which words what else can be the meaning, if we look back to V. 4. but this? the righteous man shining in virtue, and esteemed of accordingly, is now despised as a lamp that is out; and accounted not as an head and honorable, for his virtue anymore: But as a foot despisable, his wealth being gone, and his body soar smitten, as Jobs was; but they be blind worldlings, that think thus of him, who measure men, and estimate them only according to their present worldly possessions.
Gregory saith, That the poor just man, is here compared to a Lamp extinct. Because he shineth inwardly, by the virtue of an upright heart, but outwardly is, as it were extinct, because there is nothing outward to commend him, No glorious apparel, no goodly houses, no wealth, costly fare, or attendans as the rich have: And therefore think vilely of such, as have not about them, as they have: But such a Lamp he saith, is set for an appointed time, That is, the day of Judgment, when he shall shine most brightly, even as the Sun, as the Lord speaketh: And sit upon a Throne with him as a Judge, the rich wicked, that have shined in Worldly glory for a little time, having all their glory put out forever, and thrust into utter darkness.
The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. Here Job passeth from speaking of Lamps shining by virtue to dark and black Souls, notorious for oppressions and robberies: But since they provoke God, how is it that they are full, and how is God said to bring in abundantly into their hands: Sol. He bringeth not this abundance in, as a blessing to them, but in way of judgment against others, from whom their goods be taken: Yet sometimes they have the better of it, who are robbed, and the robbers the worser, because the sins of these are thus punished, but the sins of those increased, these being stripped of their worldly goods, having occasion given them the more to distrust worldly thinsg, and to lift their hearts up to Heaven to get them a treasure there. But those by their prevailing, being hardened to go on in their sins till far greater judgments befall them: A consideration truly for all oppressors, that be in place and authority, for they are no better then Thieves and Robers, and so they are called by the Prophet, saying: