Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the Lame: A Father to the poor, the cause that I knew not I searched out: Here a third good property of a Judge, to be Eyes to the blind; that is, to see for them that they may suffer no wrong, who are simple and of little understanding, and know not how to speak for themselves, and such like also are to be understood by the lame; they are such as are not able to go by their own strength to this Warfare of contending in Law, as wanting wealth wherewithal to go against their mighty Adversaries, to withstand them in their violent proceedings against them. Herein then Job aquitted himself most worthily, in that he by this wisdom and care, that all should have justice done unto them, took their causes upon himself, seeing and going for them by providing, that they might in nothing be wronged: And thus he was not only a friend, but a Father to the poor; For what Father can do more for his Children, then that Prince, who provideth thus for the poorest and meanest of his Subjects; And in any case that was difficult, or when sin, that was secretly committed, was hard to be found out; he sifted and searched out the matter most diligently and wisely, as Solomon is said to have done in the case of the two Harlots that strove before him.
I brake the jaws of the Wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his Teeth: Here is a fourth excellent property in a Judge, as to show mercy and to judge for the oppressed and Poor, so to use severity towards wrong doers, making them to restore the things which they have wrongfully taken away, for this is to pluck the spoil out of their Teeth, wherefore such as contrariwise have teeth like spears and knifes to make a prey of the poor, under their Dominion, are monsters and not men, and must much more look to be [Note.] proceeded against, in greatest severity; by the great Judge of all the world.
Then I said I shall dy in my nest, and multiply my days as the Sand. The Sept. for the Sand hath, the Palme tree, some the Phenix, but the word signifieth the sand, and so is everywhere taken, it is an Hyperbole, it being meant very long and comfortably: Having abounded so in the Acts of Justice and Charity, for so much as God maketh all good promises to such, he was persuaded, that without being exercised with such brunts of extreme sufferings, he should after long enjoyment of peace and prosperity here, have finally departed out of this life full of riches, days, and Honor, as it is said of David, that he did; and Job himself at length is also said to have died thus, Chap. 4. and of men rich and in prosperity, it is else where spoken, as making their nests on high, and this word Nest implieth the Phenix, to be meant by the Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendered the same, for the Phenix is said to live many years, even five hundred, and then in her nest to dy by the heat of the Sun kindling a fire therein, wherewith she is burnt to ashes, and out of her ashes a long time after cometh another Phenix.
My root was spread by the waters, and the Dew lay all night upon my branches. Here Job doth further set forth his prosperity, by a similitude taken from a Tree planted by the Waters side which groweth and fructifieth abundantly, as the Righteous are described, Ps. 1.
My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand: That is, having lived many years in honor and prosperity, there was no fading or decay hereof, but I was herein like a bay Tree that is always green. And my bow was renewed, That is, my Warlike forces were strong, and rather increasing then decreasing, because a bow is an Instrument of Warr, so it is said of Josephs bow, that it abode in strength.
To me men gave ear, and waited; and kept silence at my Counsel: That is, such a gift I had in Oratory, as that my Auditors were held, as it were by the Ears, in great attention to my words, whensoever I spake; as Lucian saith of Alchides magnus, and my Counsel was attended to in all silence, as an Oracle: And this is a great gift in Kings; gaining them great love and Honor, and therefore so labored for by them all, V. 22. 23. The same thing of the Estimation, wherein he was for his Eloquence is further amplified by a comparison taken from the rain, the speeches uttered by him being as greatefull to his Auditors, as the rain to the dry and thirsty ground, so Moses, Deut. 32. 2.
If I laughed on them, they believed it not, and the light of my countenance they cast not down. Here Job further showeth, that all his carriage was so grave and reverent, able to a we all his Subjects about him, as that if at any time he laughed upon them, they feared, that it was not because he was well pleased with them, but rather in way of derision, as being offended at their doings, as zealous Elijah laughed at the Prophets of Baal, who was wont always to speak terribly against sinners: For the next words, The light of my countenance they cast not down, The Vulgar hath it. Fell not down to the ground; But against the Heb. verity, and the meaning is, if I di • at any time laugh, such an awful reverence was wrought in them by my seventy and gravity, that they did even then carry themselves reveren • lie towards me, so Vatablus: Others, they were very careful, that nothing might be done, whereby of merry I might be made sad, but sought by all means to cherish this sign of complacency in men, as men joying in it, and never accounting it any point of folly in me, as it is in many, according to the saying, By much laughter thou mayst know a Fools. V. 25. I choose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a King in the Army, and as one that comforteth the mourners. Thus also Hebrew: But Vulg. If I would go amongst them, I sat first. But the meaning is not of his going to them, but appointing them the way wherein they should go, by giving them good Laws, according to which they should live; for of a Law giver and Judge is the chief seat in all Countries; thus he showeth in times of peace, how he ha • the honor to teach, direct, and rule, then he further addeth that he dwelt as a King in the Army, in time of Warr, ordering all martial affairs, as he did the civil in time of peace, and how that as a Leader he went before them in every good way, being an example to them, whom they following might do well. Lastly, he showeth to what end or issue he did drive all his doings and sayings, Viz. To the comforting of the mourners; and this should be the aim or every Magistrate, not to prefer and make proud ill deserving favorites, [Note.] or to fill his own Coffers, but comfort such as are sad and heavy hearted, for the many sufferings under which they are, by doing them all right, and taking off all their grievances, and hitherto of the literal sense; now because all this is said to be spoken by way of Parable, Vers. 1. It seemeth, that some further matter is herein aimed at, and that saith Gregory, is to set forth the state of the Church of Christ, under the New Testament, first honorable and much attended to, and abounding with all sorts of spiritual Riches, but afterwards becoming despicable by means of Heretics corrupting the Faith divers ways, and making it odious and ridiculous, as Job sets himself forth to have been, Chap. 3. To show that Job in this Chap. setteth forth in his own person the prosperity of the Church; at the first he saith, As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was in my Tabernacle; that is, His Law in my heart to do it; for in the Tabernacle was the Ark in the secret most holy place, and in the Ark the Testimony, or two Tables of the Law: For then the Church or any faithful soul is in an happy case, when she thus hath the Law within her heart and not in her mouth only, to walk exactly according to it in all things: [Note.] But contrariwise it is a misery to have the Word of God in open view, but not in secret, as it is with Hypocrites, none talk more of it, then they, but how do they set their hearts to live according to it? O what an emptiness is there in them in respect of this secret, even in their secret thoughts.
When I washed my steps, or feet with butter. If this be understood of the feet of Christ, as Job was a tipe of Christ, as was shown at the beginning of this Book, the Preachers of the word are to be understood by his feet; because as upon feet he is carried all about the World by them, for which their sound, is said to have gone into all the earth: And how beautiful are the feet of those, that bring glad tidings of peace, &c. Their feet he washeth with butter, when he moveth the hearts of their hearers to offer liberally to their sustenance of their worldly goods: For when due [Note.] stipends are given by hearers to their Preachers, as men after weary labor are refreshed by washing of their feet, so after weariness by the labor of preaching enjoined, this beneficence of their hearers refresheth them: Not that they should preach for this end, to be thus refreshed and nourished, but that being refreshed they may preach, not that the action of preaching should pass to the intention of feeding; but that the Ministries of sustentation, may serve to the profit of preaching: So Paul saith, That he looked not at the gift, but at the fruit; that is, The grace wrought in the hearers hearts by preaching, making them to yield so fat fruits, and the washing of their foot-steps thus in butter, then was most remarkable; for they brought even all and laid it there in token of their super-abundant grace, and where they set footing, there were daily more and more converted, so that in all places they tread, as it were, upon fatness, contrary to the manner of these times, wherein they are this way far enough from fatness, all places where they come being lean and barren. But if by the feet the hearers be understood, as the Apostle speaketh both of head and feet, and other members of Christ's body, the Church then the feet of this body are washed in butter, when the Preacher hath respect to their weakness of understanding; and the wounds of their Souls by sin, that he carefully applieth himself to the enlightening and converting of them, as that being turned they are made to abound in all fruitfulness to the great comfort of their Souls, for the Rock flowing out Rivers of oil, hereby the annointing with the gifts and graces of Christ by his spirit, is set forth: For the Rock saith Paul was Christ.
When I went out to the Gate, &c. The seat which Job saith here, that he prepared, setteth forth the Pulpit, wherein the Preacher teacheth; the young men hiding themselves, light and vain persons, that fear reproof for their vanities, who will therefore be as seldom seen in the Congregation as they can, lying hid in some other places, wherein they take more delight, the old men rising up, and doing reverence are grave and sober, discreet and holy pious persons, for men are not thus spoken of always, [Note.] that be old, but such as in whom there is wisdom and gravity, as in the ancient, others although old in years, are children; for which we sometime read of children an hundred years old: And to prove this, God said to Moses, when he did bid him choose such as he knew to be Elders, in which saying he implied, that they were not such only in respect of their old age, for then he needed not to have inserted those words, for everyone knew, who were Elders thus, and it should not have been said; Such as thou knowest to be Elders. By the young men also we may understand, Heretics newly sprung up in the Church of God; by the old, such as persevered in the true faith always, the one sort hid themselves, not daring to appear, after they were confuted, and a ruling power was in the Church to suppress all such, which when it is wanting, everyone is bold to stand forth and vent his errors; the other stood up and did [Note.] reverence, applanding and resting in the determinations of the Church: A thing to be considered in these our days, wherein the frame of such government being pulled down, there is no end of the multiplying of errors: For their being silent and laying their hand upon their mouth, this also is a further explication of the same, Heretics that are bold to speak and publish their errors, when there is no Government, have their mouths stopped by the authority hereof, so that although for a time they utter heresies, and stand to the maintaining of them: As Arius who held three persons and three God's; and Sabellius one God and one Person, Mannicheus, because he found virginity praised in the Scripture, condemned marriage, and Jovinion findeth marriage allowed to all, despised virginity; yet these their errors being condemned by the Church, they were afterwards silent, and they that held with them, durst speak no more: But it is said only, they laid their hands upon their mouths, their hearts haply being still the same, that they were before; but none durst now anymore utter them: And he speaks of Captains and Nobles, that were made silent, because that even arch Heretics were put to silence, and durst not speak anymore, so as they did before.
The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me bear me witness; That is, The Preacher speaking and teaching the truth, such as believe speak all good of him, and he ordering his conversation in all things accordingly; they that see the unblamablenesse of his life, and are hereby [Note.] turned to live likewise, give him witness, by becoming such as they see him to be; the unbelievers and wicked still neither bless nor give testimony to him, but carry themselves as enemies both in word and deed; As it is said, Phil. 3. 18. That they are enemies to Christ, and therefore must needs be enemies to his faithful Ministers; and although they utter not themselves in words, but herewith bless, yet if their deeds be evil, they are convinced hereby to deny him, and not to give testimony to him; and consequently to deny God, and to be unbelievers and under damnation: Wherefore let evil speakers of their Preachers, be ashamed and fear, whatsoever their lives be, and likewise evil livers, how seemingly good soever their speeches be.
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless. This also the Church doth, when the Preacher absolveth the poor penitent sinner seeking to him, from his sins, according to the authority given him by Christ, that said, Whose sins ye forgive, they shall be forgiven. And the fatherless are delivered, when the same having before gone with the Prodigal from their heavenly Father, and so for the time were as fatherless and helpless children, are now by the preaching of the word, converted and brought home and reconciled unto him: In which terms the Apostle speaketh of conversion, for such before were without God, but now of his household.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me. Here he still goeth on in the same allegory, for who so liveth in sin, til he is converted, is ready to perish; there is but a stepped betwixt him and death for evermore: For every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, hath now the Axe laid to the roots thereof, to cut it down, that it may be cast into the fire: But he that converteth him, delivereth him from death, for He saveth a Soul, and hideth a multitude of sins; and I made the widows heart to sing for joy. Hereby the Widow, the faithful may be understood, who live in this World, as it were in widow-hood, for what is a widow but Relicta, a woman left behind of her Husband, when he dieth? So the faithful are said to be left by Christ's going away from them, when he died, but by preaching his resurrection and ascension, and coming again to take them to himself, to be always where he is; their hearts are made to rejoice.
I put on righteousness and it clothed me. That is, All manner of righteousness, for sin maketh naked, but righteousness clotheth, so that a man, who is righteous in something, but unrighteous in some other, is covered on one part, but naked on the other; and so lieth open to the peireing weapons of his spiritual enemies, as if he had no covering on him at all: Thus James saith, He that keepeth all the Commandments, and failethone point, is guilty of all. As if a City be well fenced with wales and gates; but one little door stands open, all the sencing profiteth not to defend it, because the subtle enemy seeing this, entereth it here and destroyeth it: As the Pharisee, that fasted and paid tithes duly was well senced, but only one door stood still open to the ruin of his Soul, and that was elation of mind; when he said, I am not as other men, or as this Publican. By abstinence he overcame gluttony and drunkenness, by freely paying tithes of all avarice, but in that he did not herein, Militare authori, sed elationi. That is, Fight for God the author of all good, but that when he had done so he might vaunt himself, this was his destruction, and the ruin of his City. And judgment as a diadem. The righteous Governor putteth on judgment, as a Diadem or Crown, when he keepeth Court in his own heart, and considereth of the judgment, that he is to give in any case by the law of God, which is, As ye would that men should do to you, so do ye to them. And proceedeth accordingly, not looking herein at any reward upon earth, but in Heaven, as the Crown is for the head, the highest part of the body, and not any part downward; of such Solomon saith, All his cogitations are judgments. Things being in his own heart examined, as was before said, before that he proceedeth to give judgment.
I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, &c. Of Jobs speaking thus of his own good deeds without pride; enough hath been said before, and a famous Preacher of the Gospel set forth by him, did speak also of the good things in himself, but not out of ostentation, but for the edification of others; who might learn of him, being thus revealed, which they could not do, if his Goodness had been concealed: Wherefore our Lord saith, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Now the order whereby Job proceedeth in publishing the good which he did, is to be noted; 1. He put on righteousness, then he was eyes to the blind, &c.
1. He was good himself, and then he did good to others: For whosoever is not just in his dealings, is not accepted of whatsoever he doth by his worldly Goods to others: For a man is more then his Goods; and therefore if he doth not give himself to God, what is his giving of his Goods unto him in relieving the poor? How can he be pious in giving to another, that is, By living wickedly impious to himself: For it is written; Thou shalt love thy Neighbor as thyself. And therefore he first pitieth himself that pitieth his neighbor, as the unjust dealer doth not; for how can he be good to him, that is naught to himself? Two things must necessary [Note.] concur, that we may be accepted of in doing good; the man that giveth and the thing given, both must be good; but specially the man, who is much more looked upon, then the thing given by him: Therefore he that giveth to the needy, but refreineth not from unjust dealing, giveth but his worldly Goods to God, and himself to sin, then are the branches and fruits of charity, rightly put out, when they spring from the root of justice: But what is meant by this; I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. The blind are such, as by reason of their ignorance see not which way to go; the lame such as see the way, but are not able to go in it: Wherefore the Preacher is eyes to the blind, when by his teaching he is enlightened, and feet to the lame; when they that haulted through their natural weakness, are strengthened by being made spiritual: For the flesh is said to be weak, and the Law impossible to be kept hereby, because weak: And of the Jews halting, the Apostle speaketh in his Epistle to them: Least that which is lame be turned out of the way. He doth then allegorically denote two sorts of people here, the Gentile that was blind, and the Jew that was lame; to the one of which the Church is Eyes, when they be enlightened, to the other feet, when by her teaching, they are made to come into the unity of the same true faith, and whereas the Jew went before, but as it were upon one foot only, viz. The Law and Old Testament, now the other is added also, viz. The Gospel, that going upon both, he might be lame no more.
I was a Father to the poor, He saith not a Benefactor or a friend, but a Father; to intimate, that he looked upon them with a paternal affection as upon his own Children: For some give to the poor, but are not as Fathers [Note.] to them in love; but fearing the censure of the great Judge at the last, they are moved to excercise charity towards them, but is he as he ought to be, that releiveth the poor, when he doth it more out of love then out of fear: For if this love be wanting, if I give all my Goods to the poor it is nothing: To apply this to the Church or Preacher, he is a Father to the poor in spirit, when he comforteth them out of greatest good will by telling them, that theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, as Christ teacheth. And the cause that I understood not, I diligently searched out: Here is another point of goodness, viz. for a Judge to inquire diligently, to inquire into cases before that he judgeth, that his proceeding may not be temerity but Justice; for to what end else did the great Judge say, that he would go down and see whether the wickedness of Sodom were so great, as he had heard, when as all things as well far of as near are naked, and manifest in his sight; but to teach Kings and Judges to take pains, to find out the truth in all things, so that here are all good things to be done towards men put together. 1. Justice. 2. Judgment. 3. Charity. 4. Paternall affection. 5. Pains taking to judge and determine aright, which must be in every Ruler. The last of which, viz. Searching out matters which he understandeth not, the [Note.] Rulers of these times had need to think upon, who have undertaken to judge and determine about Church Government, which is a thing not to be understood by them, but by inquiring of the Priest, whereby not one or some few whom they think good to choose are meant, but the whole body of the Ministry, of which all that desire to dispute about this point, are to be licensed to come, that upon hearing of the most eminent for learning, the Rulers may be able to determine, and settle this business aright, and this would be both a discharge of Conscience, and well satisfying to all good men, whereas the way that is now gone is unsatisfying to thousands.
I brake the jaws of the Wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his Teeth: This the Preacher doth when he converteth Souls, for the jaws of the Devil are now, as it were broken; and the Souls that were his prey, plucked away, as the Lamb plucked by David out of the mouth of the Lion, for to a Lion is the Devil compared: Who goeth about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, &c. The nest is a place of Rest, where young birds are fed and brooded by their Dammes, and therefore by it may be set forth the state of the Faithful; who although they have trouble in the world, yet they have peace with God, and rest through Faith, and Joy in tribulation; as knowing, that they are under the feathers of the Almighty; and Christ, who as an head is ready to brood all those under his Wings, whom he gathereth to him, by converting them to his Faith.
My root was spread out by the Waters, &c. The Root is an occult and hidden thing, and therefore denoteth the Heart, the waters are instructions coming as Waters from Heaven, when the Heart then secretly receiveth and meditateth upon these instructions, the Root is spread out by the Waters, And the dew fell upon my Harvest: So the vulgar, the Dew is God's Grace, the Harvest the good corn growing ripe that it may be cut down, and brought into God's Barn, the Kingdom of Heaven. For by Grace, saith Paul, I am that I am, and his grace was not in vain in me, for I labored more then they all, The Dew then is upon the Corn to be reaped in harvest, when by Grace the seed sown in the Heart groweth daily and cometh up in laboring in the work of God abundantly: For the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used, it signifieth both Messis and Ramus.
My glory was fresh or renewed in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. Then is the Glory of the Faithful renewed, when the old man being put off, the new is put on, which is righteousness and holiness, and by the bow here may be understood the word of God in the hand of the Preacher, whereby he shooteth and pierceth the Hearts of his Hearers with sorrow for their sins. For according to this it is said, He hath bent his bow and prepared his arrows, in the mystical sense; and again, with bow and arrows they shall go up thither.
To me men gave care, &c. Here the attention of the faithful, not of Heretics, to the preacher of the truth is set forth.
After my words they spake not again: For this is the property of good hearers to rest in the truth taught, and not to carp or cavil at it, And my speech dropped upon them, That is, was so moderated, as that it flowed not down faster then they were capable of it to profit thereby, but herein respect was had to the Edification to the weakest in understanding, both for the matter and manner of speaking: A thing to be noted by all Preachers that speak either in so high a strain or of such deep matters, or in such a running manner, and stand so long, that they weary their auditors, and edify [Note.] them little or nothing.
They waited for my words as for rain, &c. An excellent and necessary property of an hearer, to be even as the thirsty ground, coming with a longing desire after the word preached, through the need that he •• ndeth himself to have thereof, and the delight which he taketh therein.
If I laughed on them they believed it not, and the light of my countenance they cast not down. The Preacher is said to laugh or smile upon the people, when he is not always severely reproving them for their sins, but together with severity mingleth lenity, for if he be all lenity and pleasantness amongst them he shall be despised, if all severity he shall be hated: he must therefore so laugh that he may not be despised, but feared, and be so severe that he may not be hated but loved, and therefore all his carriage must be moderate and grave, which if it be so, when he is gentle and merry amongst them, they wi • l not think it to come from lenity or vanity to despise, but reverence him still, and so they shall not cast down the light of his countenance by counting him ridiculous and vain, which if he be profusely given to laughter, they will be ready to do.
I chose out their way and sat chief, and as a King in the Army as one that comforteth the Mourners▪ Here both the severity and lenity of a Ruler in the Church are further set forth; severity, in that he saith, As King in the Army. and Lenity in that he comforted the mourners: To show both which in the Church, there was in the Ark a rod, and a pot of Manna; a Rod to chastife sinners, and Manna to refresh the penitent, and the good Samaritan ministered to him that was wounded, Wine and Oil, wine to wash and with smart to cleanse out the Corrupt blood, and Oil to heal, and Moses • oth express abundance of love to the people of Israel, having sinned by Idolatry, when he stood before God to plead for them; when he said, pardon them; if not, blot me out of thy book, and yet when he came amongst them, the severity of a King in an Army stirring up the Levites to slay the Idolaters: And to this tendeth the saying of David: Thy Rod and thy staff comfort me. Whereunto we may add Samuel calling for thunder, and then praying for the people: For that Preachers have their Armies, see 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are mighty.
CHAP. XXX.
HAving spoken of his good Deeds in the former Chapter, and none of them who were set upon calumniating him, speaking anything by way of contradiction it is manifest, that they could not; but Job was such an [Note.] one as hath been said: Whence note, how full of virtue and goodness he was, to the shame of Christian Rulers and Governors, that have few or none of these good qualities in them, but the contrary; yet he had neither the Law of Moses to instruct him, nor the precepts of the Gospel to direct him, but only the light of nature, the Law written in his heart, as Ferus saith, although I do not herein subscribe unto him, because by many things which he speaketh, he seemeth to be endued with a supernatural light, God revealing things unto him, and if he came of Abraham, as is supposed, he might receive many divine instructions from him: but if so, Rulers and others ought to propound him to themselves, as their pattern, as one set up by God thus to speak, and thus to do, from his youth upward.
But now they that are younger then I, have me in derision, whose Fathers I would have disdained to set with the Dogs of my flock. Here the great alteration which befell Job, is set forth in respect of these worldly things; so that in his example as in a glass, we may see the immutability and inconstancy [Note.] of all worldly things, not to set our hearts upon, but counting them vanities, to seek after things solid and permanent, such as is the Kingdom of Heaven and the riches thereof: In setting forth this great alteration, he beginneth with young men's deriding him; contrary to that which they had done before in fearing and hiding themselves at his coming forth: But what meaneth he by saying; that he disdained to set their Fathers with the dogs of his flocks? For he had before spoken of himself as not disdaining, but being a Father to the Poorest: Chrisost. saith, that such as had many flocks, kept Dogs for their greater safeguard, through the coming of Wild beast upon them, and appointed some over them to provide meat for them and to feed them, which was as base an office as could be: But the Fathers of these Deriders were so vilely qualified, that he disdained to appoint such to any Office about his things, whereby they might have a living with his dogs, as the prodigal Son with the Swine, not for their poverty so much as for their vile and base conditions, and their being affected with nothing but external things, and being void of all fear of God, and compassion towards men in misery, ready rather through scoffing at them, to aggravate it, then to ease it; which maketh any soul abominable to God, and to all good men. This is morally applied by Gregory to Heretics deriding such as cleave to the truth, if they come to have any pre-eminence through the favor of worldly Rulers; and he saith, I disdained to set them with the dogs of my flock: That is, the Church disdaineth to number them being dead amongst Saints departed, who are called dogs of the flock, because by their preaching of the truth they scared away wolves and foxes, that is, spiritual Enemies from the sheep of Christ; for even they would be taken to be Defenders of these sheep, and sometime purchase fame to themselves by preaching Christ and doing miracles, for which it is said, many shall come in that day and say, We have prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils, &c. But these things prove them not Saints, but their not thinking rightly of God and his Doctrine, and their want of Love to their Brethren, and quarrelling and persecuting them, prove them wicked Heretics and unworthy to be numbered amongst faithful Pastors, whatsoever wonders they do. For when Christ would give a sign of such as are his Disciples, he gave not this for a sign, hereby shall men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye work miracles, or speak with the tongues of men and Angels; but if ye love one another of those that are in the prophetical office, but teach not, we read in the Prophets by this name of Doggs, They are all dumb Doggs, And therefore zealous and painful Preachers without any disgrace may be set forth under the name of Doggs of the flock, in the sense before spokrn of. And they are said to be young, that are Heretics in comparison of the Church, because they came out and had their birth, as it were, from the Church, according to that; They came out; from us, because they were not of us. And all these things do notoriously agree to Papists, they and their Fathers, the most arch Heretics are younger then the evangelical [Note.] Church, having their beginning in after times; no man at the first being called Papa, signifying Father, because it was forbidden, but all Pastors were Brethren: Again, great austerity of life do some of them show, and are eloquent enough, and some miracles have haply sometimes been done by them, though not so many as they boast of: But they think not rightly of God, in respect of his free grace, and the impossibility, and unlawfulness of representing him by an Image, nor of Christ being our only Mediator and Advocate, and they are in continual hostility against such, as reform from their errors, and therefore the best of them are most unworthy, and shall not be numbered amongst the Doggs of Christ flock, but contempteously turned out from having any share in the Heavenly Manna, wherewith they shall be fed in the Kingdom of Heaven: And whatsoever they brag of their antiquity, is mere vanity, for they are but younger in comparison of the true Church of God; and therefore it followeth. Whereunto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished. The vulg. The virtue of whose hands was to me as nothing, and they were thought unworthy of life. Expounded by Gregory, of their foresaid excellencies, being by the Church despised and counted as nothing: But the Hebr. and N. Tran. are all one, the sense yet being the same, the old age, which these Heretics boast of, that is, antiquity failing them, if it be well looked into: Some render the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sometime abundance, but it properly signifieth perfection, and so may well be taken for a perfect and good old age; this perisheth from the wicked, when they never attain unto it, according to the letter: And in speaking of their strength not profiting him, in this sense Job meaneth, that they were a sluggish and slothful kind of people, for which he cared not for employing them about any matter.
For want and famine they were solitary, fleeing into the wilderness, in former time desolate and wast. From whence to Vers. 8. Is a description of men for their evil qualities, exposed to all manner of misery and want, living more like wild Asses then men; and in thus describing them, he used so many words, to declare the most low, into which he was now fallen, to be a scorn and derision to such: For the literal sense, nothing needeth explication, for the typical, if Heretics be by these men figured out, they are spoken of as being in want and famine; because that although they read and study about things pertaining to God and religion, yet they are things beyond their reach, or frivolous, whereof no benefit or food cometh to their Souls, and for their going into desolate places, they not being to teach in Churches, withdraw themselves into Wildernesses, and desert places, where they may be in secret; having some whom they send out to call Disciples to them: For according to this our Lord speaketh of false Christ's and false Prophets, saith, If they say he is in the wilderness, believe it not. For their eating of herbs and the barks of Trees, Vers. 4. This the teachers of errors do, because they practice things commanded that be of least moment, but things more weighty commanded by the Law of God, they neglect to do: For this is called by Christ, a tithing of Mint and Cominand Annisseed, which are but herbs bearing seed: For barks of Trees, this setteth forth the outside of the letter, which they gnaw only u • on, but pierce not into the true meaning, from whence they may get sustenance indeed, which is in part also verified in Papists, that do the least things, observing men's traditions, but neglect the greater, being towards adulteries, curelties to Souls and Bodies most licentious, and taking the word at the letter there, where being so taken it profiteth not, Viz. In these words; Take eat, this is my Body; for the flesh profiteth nothing. And in part in our Sectaries who go to solitary places to teach, and through their shallowness can pierce no further then the bark or outside, as in the point of separating, because it is said, Seperate and come from amongst them, and in the point of Paedobaptism, because it is said, Go teach and baptize. Thus Gregory following the Vulg. Tran. And herein the next words are, They eat the roots of Juniper. Although in N. Tran. They out down mallewes by the thorns, and cut up the roots of Juniper. But their cutting in their hungerstarved estate is to eat them, and therefore it cometh all to one, and hereby is meant their aiming at worldly gain, through the covetousness of their hearts, as all Heretics do; for which a root is here spoken of, and covetousness is said to be the root of all evil, and the root of Juniper, because the branches that come from this root are pricky; and what are the sins into which they hereby fall, but as pricks causing great vexation and sorrow? for which it is said, They that will be rich, fall into many noisome and foolish lusts. And this may be taken as a note or heretics, whether Papists or Sectaries amongst us; the root, out of which their pricking branches spring, is covetousness; as will plainly appear to everyone, that looketh into the issue, to which they drive all their teaching, the Papists their doctrines of Purgatory, praying for the dead, the merit of good works, the supremacy and power to grant indulgences, &c, the new Sectaries, who are for gathering Churches, consisting of the rich and wealthy, that their gain may be the greater.
They were driven forth from amongst men, they cried after them as after a thief. Vulg. Who taking these things out of the valleys, when they had found all did run to them with crying. The word rendered, From amongst men, Hebr. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The midst, this the Vulg. Tran. taking for the middle betwixt two Mountains, rendereth it Valley, N. Tran. The midst of men; but how can this agree with the premises, wherein it is said, That they were in desert places, that did this; yet the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth expelling, and if it be rendered so, how can the rendering taking be justified? The same word also signifieth Tollere, to take: But for the last clause, no respect is had to the Original by the Vulg. In regard of the proper meaning of the words, which are as in N. Tran. but to the sense fitted to the words before going: But take me these words as they are; They cried after it, or upon the finding of it, As a Theef: For the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon him or it: And therefore may be referred to the thing taken; read we then the whole Verse thus; They took from the valley, they cried upon it as a thief. That is, These hungerstarved base men, little differing from Beasis, take their food before spoken of from valleis in the Wilderness, where if they find any little food of Hearbs or Roots, they shout for joy; as a Theef robbing upon the way, for the booty or prey gotten by him, for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth: Hereby then is set forth, the extreme want, wherein these miscreants, of whom Job complaineth, were, who • et now insulted over him in his want: And for Heretics figured out by them, the meaning is, That they, if they can find any sentence in Scripture that seemeth to make for them, for this they exult, and utter themselves accordingly, by exulting clamours, as if they had gotten the day: [Note.] And by a Valley is the Scripture set forth, because as a place, water causing fructification in the faithful, that by meditation, are planted by them.
To dwell in the clifts of the Valleis, &c. The Vulg. They dwell in the deserts of the Brooks, in the caves of the earth. Vel super gloriam. That is, A slippery place of a descent. Hebr. In the fracture of Brooks, to inhabit the holes of the dust, and the Rocks; for the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rocks, from whence cometh the word Cephas, a Stone, which was given to Peter for a name. Having shown the miserable case of these deriders, in respect of their food; now he showeth it further in respect of their habitation, which was as base and harsh as their food; and if this be applied to Heretics, they dewl in the ruptures of torrents or Brooks, or forsaken places thereof, because the things which godly Teachers leave and vilely account of in comparison, that is, Worldly things, upon them their hearts be fixed, as was partly touched before; for by the brooks of water may fruitful Teachers be well set forth, because▪ by their teaching they water, and make men fruithfull as brooks by their overflowing the Ground. And they dwell in the holes of the dust or Earth, because they act many foul wickednesses in secret, seeking thus to hide them from the Eyes of men, and upon steep rocks, from whence upon the slipping of one foot, they fall down to the bottom and perish. For thus wicked Heretics in secret do many shameful things, as Jude speaketh; and both they, and such as believe their lies, fall into damnation at the last, as Paul teacheth.
Under the bushes they brayed, and under the nettles they were gathered together. Vulg. Who rejoiced in these things, and counted it a delight to be under thorns. But N. Translat. agreeth best to the Hebrew words, only for nettles we may put thistles, and for braying, tumultuating or making a clamour, but by this noise made by them, their expressing of their joy is meant, in such poor fare, and to be under bushes instead of better shelter, which is the case of every Vagabond: If we apply it to wicked Heretics, they may be said with joy to be together under Thorns or Thistles, because worldly Goods and honor, which they seek after, are not without pricks of cares and fears mixed with their joy taken herein. For whosoever is mancipated to the world is like unto an Heifer used to the treading out of the [Note.] Corn, which cometh willingly to this work and labor, for the love of the Corn from day today. So it is said of Epharim, that he was like to an heifer that treadeth out the corn, As the Israelites that loathed Manna, and preferred the Onions of Egypt, for what is this, but slighting of spiritual [Note.] things, to go willingly about the getting of such things as afterwards cause many Tears, as the Onyon bringeth water from the Eyes, for so shall worldly Goods unjustly gotten, or chiefly beloved, do to wordlings in the End, when through gaining the World they loose their Souls, as Esau wept and cried when he saw, that for the mess of pottage so greatly Preferred by him, he lost the blessing.
They were Children of fools, yea of base men; and viler then the earthy: vulg. In terra penitus non parents, but I think it should be, Patentes, not appearing upon earth, That is, so low and base as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth, as if hidden and obscured within the earth, but upon it no way conspicuous: some saith Gregory, are as fools, but noble, as the humble, who are content to be counted fools, by that foolishness which is called the foolishness of God, yet wiser then the wisdom of men, in that they deny all human wisdom, and forsake all things for God's sake, for such are the sons of God, and shall be as Judges at the last day sitting upon Thrones with his Son: But others are fools and base also, that be worldly wise, for such nobility is baseness, as of those that lie obscurely under the Earth, having no more name upon it forever; for they only appear upon earth that show the inward virtue of their minds by their outward good doings, they appear not that do not.
But now I am their song and by word, they abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. Having thus described those his Deriders, now he proceedeth to show the disgraces, by them done unto him; wherein there is nothing, that needeth Exposition, but only by spitting in his face, he meaneth, by disgraceful words; their spitting out of their venom against him: for so in affliction the wicked are ready always to calumniate the Righteous as Hypocrites, and now shown to be without all true piety, what show soever they made of Righteousness and Holiness.
Because thou hast loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have loosed the bridle before me. The vulg. He hath opened his quiver and afflicted me, and hath put a bridle in my mouth. Hebr. My cord is loosed, and he afflicteth me, and they take away the bridle from my face. But whether it be rendered Cord or Quiver, this is to the same Effect, the meaning being, that the cause of these base men's insolencies against him, was, that God at this time shown himself to be as an Enemy to him, not sparing to let the Arrows of his displeasure to flee at him, and pierce him fore, of which he complaineth, Chap. 5. 4. Some by the loosing of his Cord, understand that whereby men were before time held and kept as it were by a cord from such irreverence and contempt: But I prefer the former which is Gregory's, who saith, the quiver keepeth the Arrows in secret till they be pulled out, and therefore, Job speaketh hereof as hereby pointing at the secrecy of God's Judgments, till he bringeth them forth, no man knowing before what he hath against him; or to what end he smiteth him, till that he in time be pleased to reveal it: They take away the bridle, That is, whereby I should be kept in, and made to refrain from speaking ought against God through impatience, for these their insolencies caused by my sufferings, make me to break out in my speech more then I should do, so am I vexed hereby of this Bridle David speaketh saying, I did hold my mouth in as by a bit or bridle: or by taking away the bridle, understand theawe in which they formerly stood being in his presence but now it was taken away ort cast off.
Upon my right hand rise the Youth, they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction. Vulg. At the right hand of the East my calamities forthwith arose: & the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth to arise or flourish, & from rising the East called Oriens hath the name, and youth or Childhood from a flower coming of this word. But for Calamities arose, Hebr. is nothing, but they arose, upon the right hand of the rising they arose, That is saith Gregor. Even from the people of God, who are set forth by the right hand calamities and sufferings came to Christ, meant by the East; as the Prophets sometime call him, for from whom came his sufferings, but from the Jews, and he is the Son of Righteousness arising in the East, and his Star was seen in the East. They push away my feet. By feet, if we understand the inferior sort of Christians who are as the feet of Christ's Body the Church; in saying thus he meaneth in the person of Christ, they, that is, the Jews partly through subtle persuasions, and partly through fear, drive many of these weak ones away from me, as they did when they made them, who a little before had cried to him Hosanna, to cry out, Crucify him, but then they brought them into the ways of their destruction, that they might all perish together as many thousands of the Jews did by the hands of the Romans, and before and after divers ways, and that not only bodily, but eternally through the same unbelief, wherein they were all bound up together even to this time.
They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper. Vulg. They have scattered my goings, they have wrought treacherously, and prevailed, and there was none to help. But Hebr. it is, There was no helper to them. And treachery spoken of in the Vulg. there no word Hebr. but it is inserted, and of the Translators own head; for the sense, it is, That they, Jobs base enemies before spoken of, put him to shame, and confounded him so by their insolencies, that he knew not which way to take; and in saying, They had no helper, he meaneth as he said before, they were miserably poor, and destitute of all worldly comforts, and blessings, whereby they should take such courage unto them, thus to triumph over him in misery, thus also Vatablus; yet some expound it thus; They need no help, they are strong enough of themselves to this: Some thus, They have none advantage or benefit hereby, but contrariwise it shall at length, redound to their own hurt, for so all the evil done by the wicked [Note.] to the righteous, shall finally work to their greater and more just condemnation: According to that of the Apostle: Be terrified in nothing by your adversaries, which to them is a cause of destruction, to you of salvation.
They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters, in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me. Here are two similitudes, whereby Job setteth forth how violently and swiftly his despisers, before spoken of, came upon him; how violently by a great stood of waters, how swiftly by wheels, that run down an hill upon such as are below over them and crushing them: Such a breach, saith Gregory, is made by all manner of sin flowing over in the Church, when the wall of Discipline and Government is pulled down, Vers. 15. He hath another similitude taken [Note.] from the wind, whereby his safety passeth away as a cloud: For all grace wherein salvation lieth, is soon blown away and the Church cometh to nothing, wherein it is thus, but is turned into a company of Sectaries, carried away by divers damnable errors, to perdition.
And now my Soul is powered out upon me, &c. Having set forth his misery, by the things which he suffered at the hands of men; now Job proceedeth further aggravating them, by showing, that within his own Soul and heart, he had also great perplexity, in regard of his bodily life, so much weakened, and his disconsolate estate to Godward, who seemed no other sometimes to him, but as a cruel enemy, as Vers. 21.
From his Soul melting and affected with intolerable trouble, he proceedeth, Vers. 17. To his bones and sinews, complaying of their being pierced and taking no rest in the night; of like things to which he spake before.
By the great force of my disease, my garment is changed, it bindeth me about, as the collar of my coat. By his garment here, his flesh and skin is to be understood, which was so wasted and shrunk, that he was hereby girt up as it were about his throat, and made almost unable to speak. Allegorically the Garment setteth forth, the Church, or Congregation of believers, many of whom through persecution were changed, turning from the faith to Judaism or Idolitry, and their Teachers almost throtled by their enemies endeavoring to keep them from speaking anymore in the name of Jesus: For of these it is said, Thou shalt be clothed with all these as with an ornament. In speaking of Christ, whose tipe Job was.
He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust ashes. That is, According to the allegory, I am in my members, that will not be changed, vilely accounted of as the very mire and dust and ashes trodenunder foot: For so the Apostle Paul saith, We are made as the filth of the World, and the ofscouring of all things.
Thou art cruel to me, &c. Here he speaketh of God as cruel, because he shown him no pity, although he suffered such grievous things, so Jeremiah 6. 23. 50. 42. It is said, Cruel and not merciful. But how could he say, that God was turned or changed to be cruel to him? For so it is, Hebr. and in Vulger Lat. When as there is with him no variableness or shadow of change, it is to be understood, that Job herein spake, as God seemed now unto him, his dealings towards him being so greatly altered as they were, before multiplying all blessings upon him, now all sorts of miseries, for to speak properly, God never changeth, but is always the same; and when he is said to repent, it is so said for men's repenting, whereupon he doth not what he threatened, or promised; for even these his variable doings at sundry times, are all by him appointed before from eternity, and they are but effects of the changes in us to evil or good.
Thou liftest me up to the wind, and causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. Here Job further aggravateth his misery, by comparing what he was now, with that which he had been formerly, then most high lifted up, for riding is often put for elevation in this World, and God is said to come upon the wings of the winds, but now as law brought down: For he looked now for nothing but death, as Vers. 23. 24.
Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, although they cry in his destruction. Vulg. But thou dost not put forth thy hand to my consumption, although they fall, thou wilt save them. But thus it differeth far from the Hebrew, which is neither according to N. Tran. nor to it: For to render it word for word, it is, Also he will not send out his hand or prayer, if at his contrition there be a cry to them. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth prayer, as well as a Tomb or Grave, but For this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendered to them, it is to be noted, that it is a feminine, and the meaning is, of avoiding • eath before spoken of, I have no hope, for I cannot by prayer prevail with him, to send out his helping hand, to pluck me out of these dangers, neither shall any others have help, if when he smiteth, they shall woman like cry out through impatience, and not patiently bear that which he layeth upon them: They that follow the Vulger Lat. are generally for this sense although God afflicteth his faithful Servants to extremity, yet it shall not finally be to their destruction but salvation.
Did not I weep for him that was in trouble. Here Job addeth one thing more, which made him marvel, that Go • did not yet commiserate him, Viz. The compassion that he had in his prosperity towards the miserable for what measure a man meteth to others, shall be measured to him again; And the merciful shall obtain mercy: Thus did David; and of Gordianu •… an Emperor one writeth, that he would weep at the beating of a boy at school: For this tenderness of heart Job expected, that he should likewise have been pitied now, but others used him clean contrariwise, a •… is said, Vers. 26.
My bowels boiled and rested not, the days of affliction prevented me. Gregory expounding this of the Church, whose bowels of compassion are moved towards his Children, that falling into sin, are indangerd • o respect of their Souls forever: But the plain meaning is, through extreme pain I had, as it were, an hot boiling within me, which extremely tormented me, and that without ceasing, a torment next unto that in Hell fire, and therefore intolerable.
I went mourning without the Sun, I stood up and cried in the Congregation. The vulg. Without favor or heat, through passion. That is, Silently, as bewailing my own death at hand, not seeing that any others were likely to do this funeral office to me: The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used may be derived either from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to heat, or from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fury or wrath cometh; if it be rendered by fury, he hereby showeth his quiet bearing of God's judgments, least by being impatient and vexing hereat he should incur his displeasure more: A good example by us all, to be followed in our sufferings. If by the Sun which is light and makes the day, but when it is away, it is night, he meaneth, in the night, he meaneth, in the night, having no respite from his sorrow day or night, Without fury I cried in the congregation. For so Gregory readeth it, dividing these words without fury, from those that went before, and putting them to these, I cried, &c. giving this for the sense, I in my prosperity went mourning to see the wickedness of men under my dominion, and when I spake and reproved these in the Congregation, I did it without fury, in great patience and moderation: And I see nothing in the Text against this reading, and if his bowels boiling, spoken of, Vers. 27. Set forth his compassion towards Sinners, all will well agree being so taken; but because all this followeth after the evil that came to him for good, Vers. 26. It is rather to be taken, as a continuation of his expressions of misery. for his crying in the Congregation, the meaning of this may be gathered, Vers. 9. where he saith; That he was a Brother to the Dragons and young Owls. Who make a doleful noise, he being one, as it were of their company, cried likewise, for the sorrow of my heart.
My skin is black upon me, my bones are burnt with heat, my harp is turned to mourning. His extreme torments, are here yet more set forth, as it were by fire: Gregory will have the falling away of many, in the time of Antichrist, set forth through the heat of his persecution, thus becoming as black and blasted; and by bones the stronger Christians, and by flesh or skin the weaker, whereat all expressions of joy by musical instruments shall cease in the Church, all that stand still being filled with sorrow and heaviness.
CHAP. XXXI.
I Have made a Covenant with mine eyes, why then should I look upon a maid? Then beginning of fleshly concupiscence is in the eyes, and the seeing thereof, and other outward senses; for hereby as by windows, evil concupiscence of all sorts is let into the mind: And therefore Jeremy saith, Death hath come up by the windows, and entered into our houses. And of lusting coming by looking with the eyes, our Lord speaketh saying, He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart. And Peter speaketh of eyes full of adultery, and John of the lust of the eyes; which is, When the World is by the eyes let in to be beloved in the heart: It was by looking upon the forbidden Fruit, that Eve sinned, and David saw Bathsheba, whereby lust was kindled; and Achan the wedge of Gold, and coveted it: Therefore to prevent evil lust in the mind, these windows must be shut, and men must not look upon that, which they may not lust after: And thus the beginnings of evil are resisted, wherefore Job was extraordinarily careful to keep his Vessel in holiness, in that he exceeded the Law of Moses, which saith, Thou shalt not commit adultery. And fulfilled the Law of Christ, by resolving against looking upon a woman to lust after her: And for any man not to do thus, is dangerous; as the next words declare, V. 2. For what portion of God is there from above, and what inheritance of the Almighty from an high? As if he had said, If I should have done otherwise, and by looking have been carried to lusting, I should have had no part or portion in God, or in his heavenly inheritance, into which no unclean thing shall enter: Yet it is to be understood, that it is one thing to be assaulted by fleshly motious in the mind, and another thing to consent by delighting herein, in the one case, a man only suffereth by an onset, but giveth the repulse; in the other he is subdued and bound: Wherefore the Apostle comforteth us in the one case, saying, No temptation hath befallen you, but human. Hereby intimating, that whilst we live here by reason of the corruption of our nature, we cannot but be tempted, yet if then we resist, it is but human, if we consent it is devilish; and instead of having any part in the inheritance on high. Destruction shall be to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity. Vulg. Alienation to the workers of iniquity. And Hebr. it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying estranging, according to which it is said of the wicked, That they be strangers from the common-wealth of Israel. And this ought to be a comfort to the righteous in their sufferings, the wicked in the mean season enjoying their pleasure, for they are but as Oxen, put into the best pastures, to be fatted against the day of slaughter, these like to Oxen kept under the yoke which shall live: To them is given whatsoever they desire here, because they are as persons desperately sick, to these the Physician is more strict, and denied things desired, that they may be healed and live, there being no hope of them, but that they must die: They go through green and pleasant ways to the pit, these through rough ways to their heavenly country; and because the wicked shall have nothing to do here, but as strangers be shut out, they are spoken of accordingly: Alienation shall be to them. That Inheritance shall be as a thing alienated from them.
Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? According to thin David speaketh, Psal. 139. And by ways, saith Gregory, Men's doings are to be understood, by steps all particular passages in the course of their lives, the most minuite of which God keeps account of, as may be gathered from that saying of our Lord; Who so is angry with his Brother unadvisedly, shall be in danger of judgment; he that saith Racha, of a council, [Note.] but he that saith thou fool, of Hell fire. So that not only the soulest reproaching in wrath is set upon the scoare, but the thought of the mind: And in this the sight of God in looking into our ways, exceedeth the seeing of all others, in that he seeth those evils in us, that we cannot see, to punish them, and to the comfort of the righteous he seeth every good thing by them done in secret to reward them.
If I have walked with vanity, or my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity: God is said to know what is in man, when he maketh him to know it, for he doth not come to know anything in time, but all things from Eternity: Thus he said to Abraham, now I know that thou fearest me, when he went to offer up his Son Isaac at his command, that is, now be it known to thee that I take notice of thy obedient mind, and declare the same unto thee, that thou mayst know it to thy comfort, and confirmation of thy faith: So Job desireth, that he might be dealt withal, that God by appearing and speaking in his behalf, might make it known to him, that notwithstanding all his sufferings he favored him, and there should be a good Issue of them: And because herein he desired but to be dealt with according to the uprightness of his heart, he prayed that he might be weighed in God's balance, which he knew was just and equal, and not in the unequal balance of men. Gregory by the balance here understandeth Christ in whom a man is weighed when he liveth according to the Example which he hath given him, according to that of Peter; Christ hath suffered for us, leaving us an example, that • e should follow in his steps. And at him Paul saith, as at the Author and finisher of our faith, we are to look, that as he looked at the glory and despised or set light by the shame, so we should do in all our sufferings; Job then in wishing that he were weighed in the balance, desireth that his life might be examined according to this pattern, either for his doing good or patiently suffering evil, or fleeing all sin so far forth, as a man yet having flesh in him as well as spirit, could do: For it is not with the best man living here as with Christ, in whom was no sin • , but in every man is sin, only in the Righteous such as Job was, it reigneth not, that the lusts of it should be by them fulfilled: It is, but it is resisted, cut off as it were to the root, but not suffered to spring up, according to that Exhortation, Let no root of bitterness spring up to trouble you.
If my step hath turned out of the way, if my heart hath walked after mine eyes, if any blot hath cleaved to my hands. After declaring his innocent and upright living, now Job cometh to purge himself by imprecation, and because he had disclaimed all going out of the way with his foot, the letting in of lust into his Heart by his Eyes, and threatened the workers of iniquity with destruction, he mentioneth these three in his conditional cursing of himself.
First, If my step hath turned out of the way, Because a man steppeth with his feet, but then doth his step turn out of the way, when an evil Cogitation arising in his mind, he consenteth to it, his Heart goeth after his Eyes, when as unawares by looking upon a maid, as was before said; his heart is inflamed with concupiscence; and a blot cleaveth to his hands, when he worketh any evil by doing any injustice or wrong, or not with his hands & goods gotten herewith help others in their necessities, for upon both these he dilateth himself further in the verses following: For both he and every good man hath evil thoughts arising in his mind, and their eyes in things, whereby the heart is tempted; but neither doth the heart follow the eyes nor the feet nor hands, when such motions are valiantly resisted. The meaning is, that Job went as far in fighting and conquering sin, as human infirmity possibly could, and so must everyone do that would have a part in God, as was before said.
Then let me sow, and another eat, yea let my offspring be rooted out. There is no difficulty in the understanding of this according to the Letter, to this judgment he layeth himself open, that is, wicked in his Heart or works, if he laboreth in tilling the ground whereof increase cometh, to have it taken away and devoured by others; as it was with the wicked Jews, of whom the Prophet in setting forth their judgments, saith, Your land strangers devour it in your presence; and as the fruits of the Earth shall not stand by him, so shall not his posterity, but be rooted out also, to make whom rich he feared not to commit so great wickedness, as they are in the Psalms often cursed in themselves and in their Children also. Allegorically this is applied to wicked Pastors and Teachers, for every Teacher is a sower of the seed of the word; but if he doth not according to that which he teacheth others, he soweth and eateth not, but others eat, into whose hearts this good seed falling moveth them to bring forth fruit, of which they have comfort, as one that is hungry of his eating good bread: For to eat is to do according to teaching, therefore he not doing, but teaching only, eateth not of that which he soweth and so is starved in his own Soul. And because they who are moved to do after a while seeing his evil Example fall from doing good again to evil as he doth, they are like to the posterity of a man accursed, which are rooted out, because they fall away again from the Grace whereby they stood, being now as trees plucked up by the roots, as Jude speaketh of [Note.] degenerating brethren. Such a Teacher is like unto the woman that was the Mother of the dead Child, which she had killed by overlaying it in her sleep, so he falling asleep in sin, contrary to his teaching, whereby he had brought forth some Children, overlayeth them as it were by the weight of his wickedness and killeth them again: But as this Mother strove with the Mother of the living Child to have it, so Preachers, that be of a wicked life strive to get such as are converted by faithful Teachers to themselves, that they may have the glory of them, but Solomon called for a Sword, and then it was soon discerned, who was the true Mother; so the strict Judge of all the World by the Sword of his Judgment at the last shall determine of this matter, rightly, the godly Preacher going away with the Glory of Children converted and living constantly, the life of Grace by his good teaching and Example, and such ambitious Teachers that live wickedly with shame and confusion forever: How aptly this of Gregory written above a 1000. years ago, agreeth to our Gatherers of Churches sprung up of late dais let any impartial Reader judge, and therefore not be seduced by them, and let them he ashamed of this their ambitious way now; that they may not be finally put to shame forever.
If my heart hath been deceived by a woman, if I have laid wait at my neighbors door, Let my wife grind to another, vulg. Let my wife be an whore to another. For this is an heinous crime; an iniquity to be punished by the judges. V. 12. It is a fire that consumeth to destruction, &c. Here Job purgeth himself from the most heinous sin of Adultery, as he had before professed his chastity in his very thoughts: For this is a far more foul sin, although very looking upon a woman to lust after her be adultery in heart, and therefore he calleth it a crime which is much more then that which is called a sin, since that no man liveth and sinneth, but the Righteous man committeth no crime; For then he is fallen from his Righteousness, as is taught, Ezek. 18. And is condemned for a Child of the Devil: For these words, An iniquity to be judged by the Judges. Vulg. Iniquitas maxima, Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Of judgments; That is, such a crime judgments, that is, alone making a man guilty of many great sins, and therefore subjecting him to many judgments: The Adulterer, saith Chrisost. is both a covetous person and a Thief; for which Adultery being spoken against by the Apostle, he addeth also theft and covetousness: And Solomon comparing an Adulterer with a Thief that stealeth for his necessity, showeth him to be more abominable, but I shall add no more here because I have more fully set forth the odiousness of this sin in my Catechism upon Com. 7.
If I did despise the cause of man servant or maid servant, when they did contend with me. Job being so admirable for continency, and other virtues that shone in him, and so blessed of God and advanced, as was said, Chap. 29. 8. 9. 10. least he should be thought yet to have been proud; especially because he spake so disdainfully of some poor men, Chap. 30. 1. 2. 3. Now he purgeth himself from this sin of pride, which is most incident to those, that are rich and in authority, especially being also eminent for other virtues: For what greater humility then to be willing to come to plead and contend in judgment with his own poor Servants, as not making account of himself to be any other by nature but as they are, and one that shall come naked before the great Judge at the last day as well as they, no difference being put between Princes and Beggers then, but all without any respect of persons, proceeded alike against, as they shall be found to have done good or evil; and that these were Jobs considerations which made him humble, appeareth, V. 14. 15.
What shall I do then when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? The vulg. to express it more, hath it, When God riseth up to judge; implying that at the day of judgment he that hath been proud and lifted up in his mind for any virtue wherewith he was endued, or for any wealth or authority that he had over other men in this world, shall not be able to answer it, but must speechless be cast as low down then as he had by pride lifted up himself on high in this world.
Did not he that made me in the womb, make him? By nature all men are alike, for the same God made all, as Solomon also saith, The rich and the poor meet together, and God is the maker of them both. Which he seemeth to have taken from this place; God did not at the first give one man dominion over another, but he bad man rule over the Beasts of the field, the Fowls of the air, and the Fishes of the Sea. But by divine providence, in regard of the sins of men, some have since been set up to rule, to whom others must be obedient, that sin might be the more suppressed, [Note.] and all things amongst men the better ordered; yet even they that are in authority, must ever remember, that it is not for themselves, that they are thus advanced, to swell in pride and to despise those over whom they rule, but for their profit and good; they being at their first coming into the World in all things like unto them, and the time shall come, when they shall again be deposed and made like the poorest, together with them to stand before God's judgment Seat: And therefore walk humbly, although by taking gravity and austerity upon them towards sinners, as necessity requireth, they bare themselves on high to the terrifying of all such, that they may be in their places reverenced, as Job had been; yet in humility of mind, making themselves equal to the lowest, not disdaining them in their just pleadings against them, or addresses to them in the way of equity and right; both then in all men must go together, continency and humility, integrity and humility, and charity and humility: For whatsoever light of virtue shineth in thee, if it be not joined with humility, it is darkness and no light, as humility without virtue, is but hypocrisy and base flattery.
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the Widows eyes to fail, &c. Having spoken of his pleading the cause of the poor, Chap. 29. Now next to his humility, he purgeth himself from all aspersion of unmercifulness, declaring, to the stopping of his calumniators mouths, his charity: And here be two points of charity. 1. Giving to the poor. 2. Doing this readily and without delay; for he made not the eyes of poor widows to fail, by long waiting for that, which they ho • ed to have given them: And herein every good Christian must be like unto Job, to give, and to give readily to those that be in necessity, according to his ability.
Or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; For from my youth he was brought up with me, and I have guided her, &c. Having spoken of his charity, and ready giving to the poor, and in particular to the widow, he here addeth, which was before omitted, the fatherless, repeating his mercy to the widow again in saying, Guided her: For towards fatherless and widows especially must mercy be shown, and charity exercised, and in what love he did this, he showeth by saying, He was brought up with me as a Father. Of which title see Chap. 29. 16.
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, &c. Of feeding the hungry he spake, Vers. 17. 18. Now of clothing the naked, which is another act of charity, Math. 25.
If I have lift up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate. Let mine arm fall from my shoulder-blade. The vulg. When I saw myself superior in the gate. That is, If any poor fatherless person, contended with me in Law, and the right was judged to be on my side, yet I took not the advantage against him, that I might have done; but considering the judgment to come, wherein if God should lift up his hand against me, and deal with me as he might in justice; I dealt by him in mercy, as I desire then to be dealt with: A notable lesson for all men that go to Law, if they have overcome, not to be extreme, to take all [Note.] the advantage by the Law given unto them; the contrary to which is most commonly practiced: And for the Gate here spoken of, where causes are judged at the entrance of Cities, Gregory noteth well, that it was to good purpose thus ordered, that men at difference should here be judged, and censured, to teach such as come to live in the City that they should live together in concord: And excellent are his motions about charity, to the poor, upon Vers. 17. 18. Following the Vulg. Wherein it is: If I despised him that passed by, because he had no clothing. And the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth as to look or see, so to see with contempt: According to Jobs example, let the rich man, who giveth clothing or food to the hungry or naked, take heed, that he overthroweth not his charity by doing it with disdain, in regard of his poor and miserable estate: For the poor to whom thou givest, are not to be looked upon only as they now are, but as they shall hereafter be in Heaven, rich and heirs of that Kingdom, and therefore, for whom thou shouldst do a little here, that when thou shalt be turned out from all thy worldly Wealth naked and poor, and from thy house here, they may be thy friends and receive thee into heavenly habitations hereafter, as the Debtors to whom the unjust Steward was beneficial did him being turned out of his stewardship: They are then to be looked upon not as base despicable persons, but as Patrons, which shall be one day able to do more for thee by far, then thou dost for them, thy giving to them being as a sowing of seed upon a faithful ground, that w • ll yield an hundred fold increase, and what is it that thou sowest, but things temporal; and what the things be reaped but eternal? Led thus being turned into Silver, and Copper into Gold. But this is not to be understood of all that be naked and hungry and poor, but with whose poverty is joined poverty of spitit, and Hunger and thirst after Righteousness, whose is the Kingdom of Heaven; and who shall have to do there, they of whom Christ saith, whereas ye did it to my poor members ye did it to me, who these poor be I have shown elsewhere.
For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. Having spoken of many good things that were in him, Continency, humility, Charity, and Equity, now Job cometh to show that all these came not from himself, but from the fear of God and his grace keeping him in continual awe, even in his prosperity, so that he durst not do any otherwise, least destruction should befall him, and the high Majesty of God, when he should appear to judge him, should prove terrible to him. For the fear of God which maketh one to flee sin and to do good, is not slavish, but filial, and a great grace of God, and the very same with love, according to that of the Psalmist, Ye that love the Lord, hate the thing that is evil.
If I have made gold my hope, &c. Here Job purgeth himself from another evil; viz. Of the Idolatry of covetousness, as the Apostle calleth it. For he that trusteth in worldly riches cannot trust in God or have him for his God, but turneth to an Idol or false God, for which it is given us in incharge, If riches increase set not thy heart thereon, And he that doth so, fixeth his hope upon the waters, which flow away, or upon that which is winged, as an Eagle that slyeth away suddenly.
If I beheld the Sun when it shined, and the Moon walling in brightness: Many have been notorious Idolaters for their worshipping of the Sun, Moon, and Stars; therefore Job having purged himself from the Idolatry of Covetousness, now purgeth himself also from all guilt in respect of this Idolatry committing with the host of Heaven, but because there seemed to be no need that he should thus purge himself, seeing there was not in any the least suspicion of his running into so gross a Crime, he being so devout a worshipper of God as he was, there must needs saith, Gregory, somewhat else be meant hereby, and that is, his not delighting in the glorious lights of this world in comparison of the everlasting light of Heaven: Although then he looked at these lights, and was hereby comforted, yet his delight herein was nothing to that, which he took in the light of God's countenance, and his favor clearly shining upon him, and yet this is not all, which is here meant, but allegorically by the Sun shining his good works are meant, for of such it is said, Let the light of your good works so shine before men, &c. Now at this shining light the faithful with Job look not when they are not in their hearts lifted up for them, but refer all to the Glory of God. By the Moon in the brightness thereof the praise of men which the faithful have for wisdom or excellent gifts, or their good deeds, and at this they look not neither, who are not hereby lifted up by pride but are still of an humble heart. Or because the light of the Sun shineth by day, and the Moon by night, it may be also understood of the praises of the Righteous and the praises of the Wicked, for the Faithful look not at the praises of the one or of the other, to be puffed up hereby, but rather are humbled and sorry, remembering him that hath said: Woe to you when all men speak well of you, &c. For thus Phermio an Orator, that was but an Heathen man, having made an Oration, and therefore praised of all men, wept, saying, That he feared he had not well spoken, because it was applauded by all: For his kissing of his hand with his mouth, this he saith, he did not, as some, who having done well applaud the works of their hands with their own mouths, there being nothing to move them so to do, but their own vain glory: But according to the letter, if by the looking at the Sun or Moon, idolatry be understood, and looking at them to worship them; by his hand kissed by his mouth, the kissing of the hand is meant, which is done with a congee, by way of reverence: For these words: If my heart hath been secretly enticed. Hereby he meant not only that he was not puffed up to carry himself proudly at anything that was good in him, nor at men's praises, or praised himself with his mouth, but that he did not so much as entertain an high thought of himself in his heart; for not only the ways before spoken of are heinous, and shall be judged, and all that walk therein, as followeth, Vers. 28. but even proud and high thoughts of a man's self, although they never break out into Action.
This were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge, for I should have denied the God that is above. Of iniquity to be judged, see before, Vers. 11. Whereas he saith, I should have denied God, the meaning is, whosoever taketh praise to himself for any good in him, or done by him, carrieth himself as the Author hereof, and so in effect denieth the true Author, God, from whom he received strength so to do. For that of the Apostle is true touching every man: What hast thou that thou hast not received: and if thou hast received it, why boastest thou thyself as if thou hadst not received it?
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him, neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. Now he cometh to another singular virtue in him, love to his very Enemies, touching which a man would wonder, how he came to know, that he ought thus to do, having not yet heard that place, Love your enemies, and those that hate you. But the Spirit of God instructed him herein, and not to curse, but bless, as the Apostle teacheth: So that Job was as one living in the time of the Gospel, long before either Law or Gospel, whereby it appeareth that the will of God, and the teaching of his Spirit was always the same, the new commandment being none other but the old, as St. John speaketh. But how may that of the Psalmist then be justified, The righteous shall rejoice at the vengeance. Gregory answereth, we must distinguish betwxit an Enemy and a wicked man; for everyone that is our Enemy is not wicked, neither is every wicked man our Enemy. Moreover it is one thing to rejoice at destruction coming to a wicked man, who if he had continued would have oppressed the faithful, and upon whose fall better men are advanced to rule and authority, and another to rejoice hereat, because he is my Enemy in particular, and therefore hated by me: For this is a wickedness, but to rejoice when wicked men fall for the sake of others righteous, that were oppressed by him, is no sin; but it is a thing whereat we ought to be effected with joy, and generally at the rooting out of the wicked, because the state of the Church is thus bettered, but we must take heed that it be not for any private enmity betwixt them and us.
If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh we cannot be satisfied.
These words are added to the former, Vers. 29, 30. further to commend his love towards those that hated him; for although he were put on by his domestics, who seeing their Master despitefully used, would have been revenged, by tearing the flesh of such his Enemies; yet he was not moved hereby, but contained and kept them in from violence using against them, as David did Joab from doing execution upon Shimei, that railed upon him; and Christ his Disciples that would have had fire called for from heaven to destroy the Samaritans that would not receive him offering to come into their City. Thus Isidor. also & Cajetan. Gregor. expoundeth it of the malignity of his own servants towards whom notwithstanding he was patient; as he shown love towards Enemies abroad, so he did towards these that were malevolous against him in his own house: wherein he saith, that Job was a type of Christ, the Jews whom he calleth his own, amongst whom he came, persecuted him, and sought his life, and could not be satisfied without crucifying him in the flesh: But others who were converted to the faith, both of Jews and Gentiles, loved and longed for that flesh of his, of which he said, My flesh is meat indeed. And in saying, When shall we be satisfied with his flesh, is intimated, that the truly faithful should think, that they had never eaten enough thereof, but still desire it from time to 〈◊〉
The stranger did not long in t •• str •• ts, but I opened my doors to the travellers. Here Job sets forth his hospitality to strangers, doing herein like unto Lot, and as the Apostle exhorteth, and the Prophet Isaiah likewise. But as Gregory saith, it is to he noted, that u •• peaketh first of his pacifick disposition towards his Enemies, and then of h •• •• spitality, because the heart must first be made clean from malice and w • a •• , and then charity is to be exercised, that we may be accepted; the person must first please God, and then he will be pleased with his doings, but not otherwise, as it is to be noted in Cain and Abel, God had respect to Abel and his Sacrifice, &c.
If I covered my trangressious, as Adam. Here another virtue in Job is set forth for our learning, not conceal or hide, but to confess our sins before men: According to that of James; Confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another.
Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families ter • ifie me? That I kept silence and went not out of the door. That is, In confessing my sins, I regarded not the shame and contempt, that I exposed myself unto, by reason of the multitude standing by to hear it; In saying which he intimateth, that such as had sinned, then used to confess their sins in the Congregation, as it is said, That they who came to Johns baptism, were with him confessing their sins, and they that had sinned by cunous arts in Ephesus, came and confessed their sins before all men, and burnt their Books: From whence yet cannot be inferred auricular confession to a Priest; but penitent confession of a man's sins, whereby others [Note.] have been scandalized in the Congregation, that the bond in sin may be loosed: For his going out of the door, it is another phrase to express the same confessing with his mouth, which is as it were a door of utterance, and then doth a man go out of his door, when he either refraineth not for shame to confess his sins openly, or to confess and stand to the truth believed; he that hideth them, doth like Adam, when he brought himself and us all into misery, and nothing is more natural to men to do likewise: But if we would be forgiven, we must not hide them either from God or man, it being better to be put to shame here for a time, then to confusion hereafter forever.
That mine adversary had written a Book. Many times before Job desired that he might come before God, and that he might have answer from him, and the like he doth now again? And here he beginneth to draw to a conclusion of his speech, so continuing it, Vers. 36. 37. Wherein he desireth nothing else in effect, but that his adversaries, and he might be judged by God speaking from Heaven, all that he had said being written in a Book, and what they had said in way of calumniating him: For so he doubted not but his adversaries themselves being the writers, if they would set down all, that he had said truly; he should be justified and they condemned: Then should he wear their calumnies as a Crown, being not disgraced, but rather honored thereby, God taking his part against them.
I would declare unto him the number of my steps, as a Prince would I go near unto him. Vulg. Throughout all my steps I will declare it, and offer it as to a Prince. The Hebrew may indifferently be rendered either way, but this last seemeth to have best sense, the meaning being, That he had such a confidence in the clearness of his conscience, to be by the Judge justified, that he would upon his appearing with all speed, offer it to that high and mighty Prince, being ready with all willingness to hear his sentence.
If my Land cry against me, or the furrows thereof complain. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or cansed the owners thereof to loose their life. Then let it bring forth Thistles instead of Wheat, and Cookle instead of Barley. This saith Gregory, is such a speech, as that it cannot be understood according to the letter, for whose land or furrows ever complained against him, for eating his own fruits growing thereupon, without laying out money for them: It must therefore be understood allegorically thus, By Job speaking this, a Rector of a Church is set forth, by this land and furrows, the People over whom he is set; some yielding him less maintenance, and some more; as the furrow yieldeth less Corn then the redge: Against that Rector then, that taketh maintenance and preacheth not diligently to his People, both rich and poor cry out as most unconscionable: For he eateth their fruits without paying money; that is, Exercising spiritual husbandry amongst them, which is the price, that as money he ought to give: And because for want of this agriculture, they from whom his maintenance cometh, loose the life of their Soul through ignorance, infidelity, and many wickednesses wherein they are left for want of illumination and sanctification by the word; he saith further, and caused the owners thereof, to loose their life. Then let me have thistles for wheat, and thorns for barley. So the Vulg. that is, Let me both be roughly handled and put to smart and pain from men; and to be accursed from God forever: And what Job here saith, shall be fulfilled, to all such Pastors as feed themselves, but labor not in this husbandry, the care whereof is committed unto them; and this Allegory from the ground to the people, is more confirmed by the parable of the Sower: When some fell upon good ground, &c. Because the ground is there expounded to be the hearers of the word: But although Gregory could find none but an allegorical sense in these words, yet other Expositors have; Job having made an end of speaking of his virtues, in all other things against the calumnies of these men, now because there might one thing more be objected against him, Viz. That he attained not to all his wealth so justly, but that there were poor laboring men, that tilled his ground, whom he had not satisfied, by paying them for their labor, as it is complained of cruel owners of Corn, Jam. 5. 1. That they who labored in reaping their fields, whose wages was kept back, cried against them; he finally purgeth himself from this: And then the crying of the land and furrows, is to be taken, as spoken by a Prosopoeia, as the earth, upon which Abel's blood was spilled, cried against Cain therefore: And for the words following; Or caused the owners thereof to loose their life. Vulg. Afflicted the Soul of the husband-men. Hebr. Made the Soul of the Owners, or Lord's thereof to fail. The meaning is, If I have taken the fruits of other men's grounds, and hereupon lived deliciously, as is the manner of many Rulers to do, and it stands them all in hand diligently to consider, whether at this day they do so or no, to the pampering of their own bodies, with their impoverishment; Then let the ground bring forth, &c. That is, let it be to me accursed so, as that I may never reap any plentiful increase of it anymore, but as Cain, When I expect wheat have Thistles, &c.
CHAP. XXXII.
BEING now to enter upon the long oration of Elihu, continued six Chapters together, because no mention hath yet been made of him amongst other of Jobs friends; it is necessary to inquire how he came to be one amongst them, and when and upon what occasion he came, and who he was: For his coming, it is conceived, that it was after that he heard of the going of the other three by consent to visit Job, they being all Kings and wise men; he thought, that he would also go to hear their conferences, not doubting, but that he should hear many wise sentences uttered amongst them, whereby he might benefit his understanding: For his person, he is set forth by his name Elihu, signifying, He is my God: Olympiodorus saith, God hearing: But wherefore he interpreteth it so, I know not, it may also be rendered, He is my strength. An excellent name, and therefore the name of many of the people of God, as of the Grand-Father of Samuel, of a certain Prince of the Tribe of Manasseh, of the Nephew of Obed-Edom, and of the brother of David: And not only his name is set down, but more then is said of any of the other three, his stock whereof he came. The Son of Barachel, a Buzite of the kindred of Ram. Whereby it seemeth, that he was by Original a Son of Nahor, the Brother of Abraham: For his Sons are said to be Hus and Buz; so Philip, Necetas, Beda, but Gregory saith, That he is called a Buzite, from a City of the Ansitidan country, and this is more probable, because he is said after this, to be of the kindred of Ram therefore an Buzite, called from the City whereof haply he was Ruler: But some, and Jerome especially place the Ansitidan region in Idumea: Touching Ram, some think, that this was one name of Abraham, first called Ram, when he was in Uz of the Chaldees, then Abram after he was come out, and God promised to exalt him, for Abram signifieth an high Father. Lastly, Abraham a Father of many Nations, for this maketh the Cald. Pharaph. which hath it, Of the kindred of Abraham. And this is followed by Jerome, Beda, and Philippus: If the question be, whether he were not of the kindred of that Ram mentioned in the genealogy of David, who came of Pharez, it is answered, no; For that Ram lived long after Gregory • upon the Name, Country, and Kindred of Elihu, allegorizeth thus, Elihu, signifying He is my God. Is the name of this arrogant man, who had the knowledge of God indeed, and boasted not a little hereof, but by reason of his pride and self-conceitedness, he was a type of all such as lift up themselves, and are proud of their knowledge; for which [Note.] he is also said to be of the kindred of Ram, Excelsus, or High, for highmindednesse, and therefore though he were the Son of Barachel, signifying, Blessed of God, yet he is a Buzite, that is contemptible, for God despiseth the proud and giveth grace to the humble; and therefore it is to be noted, That when Job was bidden to sacrifice for the other three, no sacrificing for Elihu is spoken of, but Who is this, saith the Lord, that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Where in saying, Who is this? He speaketh as to reprobates at the last day: Depart ye workers of iniquity, I know you not. A man of excellent parts then to speak, although he be herein the Son of blessing, for his eloquence and ready utterance of things pertaining to the knowledge of God, yet if he be proud, is contemptible and vile in God's account, and one for whom there is no sacrifice, as there is for those, that have gone astray through error, but afterwards have been turned: For the words of v. 1. So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes: It is not meant that he was so indeed, but in their opinion, for he confessed that he had sinned divers times: Touching Elihu it is said also, that he was angry with Job because he justified himself, and with his friends because they found not what to say more against Job, whom they had all condemned to make good their assertion, and herein he did after the manner of a man that is proud of his wit and piety, he is offended at Job as taking more holiness upon him, and ascribed more to himself then he thought was fitting, in respect of all manner of virtues, and at his friends, as thought by him to be ignorant men in comparison of himself, so proud men think none so good or so wise as themselves, in [Note.] things pertaining to God and to religion, and who so doth thus is a follower of Elihu.
Then Elihu said, I am young and ye are very old, therefore I durst not show mine opinion. Here he beginneth as if he had been full of humility, as he was younger in years, so being willing rather to hear his Elders speak, then to speak himself, which is a thing commendable in young men, but under this cloak of words lay hid much pride and vain glory, for he presently discovereth what he was, viz. one that thought himself wiser then they all, for he saith, There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the almighty giveth understanding.
Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment: For of pride and vain glory saith Gregory, there be four sorts.
First, When a man thinketh that he hath the wisdom that is in him, from himself, as he, whom the Apostle put in mind, saying, What hast thou, that thou hast not received? &c.
Secondly, when he acknowledgeth that it cometh from God; but that he was worthy of it; as the Pharisee that thanked God that he was not as the Publican, contrary to whom, as Paul, who said, by the Grace of God I am that I am.
Thirdly, when he thinketh that he hath more in him then he hath, as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, who said that he was rich and wanted nothing, yet he was poor, miserable, blind, and naked.
Fourthly, When he thinketh himself wiser then all other men, in two of which Elihu grossly faulted, for he ascribed more to himself then was in him, and despised the wisdom of others in comparison of his own, as the Pharisee also did, preferring himself: And this is to do like the Devil, who would ascend up on high above the other Angels, and set his throne besides the Throne of God, but he had a fearful fall, and so shall all the Proud have.
Least ye should say we have found out wisdom, God thrusteth him down and not man. Vulg. Deus projecit eam, & non homo. But Hebr. it is him, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth, hath reproached him; the meaning is, Elihu would now speak, and desireth to be heard by the other three, least they should think that it was not want of wisdom to answer Job that made them now silent, but they seeing that by no words of men he would have his mouth stopped, ceased therefore to speak anymore, because they would leave him to God, who alone could cast him down: Thus Isidorus.
Now he hath not directed his words against me, neither will I answer him with your speeches. Herein saith Gregory, he rightly personeth a proud hearer, who takes nothing as spoken to him, but all against the sins of other men. All the Preacher spareth not to speak against his pride, as well as against the Errors of others, for he will not believe that he is proud, but humble, and thinks himself wiser then his Teacher: For his not answering in their words, it is meant, being applied also to the arrogant in the Church, by maintaining such opinions as Heretics who are without the Church do, and opposing the truths taught in the Church by words, but by Deeds, wherein they go contrary to that which the Church teacheth from time to time.
Elihu makes a kind of rhetorical flourish, wherein he showeth Eloquence, but little matter worth the speaking upon: Whereas N. Tr. hath these words, v. 17. I will show mine opinion, the vul. hath it, I will show my knowledge▪ whereupon Greg. saith the arrogant love to speak, not for the benefit of the hearer, but show to his knowledge, of which he is most proud: But for this he is like unto a vessel without a cover, touching which the Law saith, that it shall be counted unclean, so the man that putteth himself forth to speak, that he may show all the knowledge that is in him, and keepeth not rather a cover hereupon, is judged for this to be proud, and so unclean, for it is our duty to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and not be many Masters for fear of the greater condemnation: Thus He and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 indeed signifieth my knowledge. But to utter a man's knowledge for the Edification of others, as the faithful Pastors of the Church do, is not pride, but zeal; for so he that desireth to be a Bishop, desireth a worthy work, viz. For the diligent teaching that is in such an one required, and accordingly Timothy is exhorted to preach the word, and to be instant in season and out of season.
For I am full of matter, the spirits within me constraineth me, my belly is like wine, that hath no vent, it is ready to burst like new bottles. A most high degree of pride in a young man thus to arrogate to himself as if he were a Prophet like Jeremiah, who used some such words of himself or an Apostle, for of the Apostles it is said, New Wine must be put in new vessels, otherwise they will burst: Whereas Gregory saith, that all this came from pride in Elihu, Chrisost. contrariwise praiseth him that having so much matter to utter he could so long contain himself from speaking out o • modesty and reverence to his Elders: But Chrisost, was herein in an Error, as may be gathered from the censure of GOD spoken of before; Only Vers. 21. 22. He saith well, that for respect of persons he would not use flattering titles, for so he should endanger himself to be by God cut off, who is offended at it, when a man is to teach and to set forth his truth, and to call sin in whomsoever.
CHAP. XXXIII.
HERE Elihu after the Exordium going before in general to them all, pitcheth singularly upon Job, stirring him up with patience and attention to hear him, verse. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. As he hath done before, Chap. 32. So he goeth on still, saith Gregory, in the loftiness of his mind to speak to Job in a magesteriall manner, as if he were far above him in Wisdom, and Job were not able to reason with him, whereas he saith, verse 2. My tongue hath spoken in my mouth, He meaneth that he would not speak clamourously, but as it were whisperingly to his ear in secret, then commending himself he saith, v. 3. My words shall be of the uprightness of my Heart, &c. V. 4. The spirit of the Lord hath made me, & the spirit of the Lord hath given me life. V. 6. I am formed out of the clay. In speaking which, he showeth that he was not ignorant of the manner of God's making man at the first, as it is set forth by Moses.
Thou hast said I am clean without transgression, neither is there iniquity in me. Here he beginneth to object against Job that which he had in part spoken in way of Apology to clear himself from the evil imputations laid by his friends, upon him, but not taking them in the sense wherein he spake, he vainly reproved him therefore: For Job spake thus only in regard of his great and grievous sufferings, which by doing injustice or wrong, or living in any gross sins, he had not deserved, as the Lord himself acknowledged, Chap. 2. • elling the Devil that he had stirred him up against Job without cause, so that by his punishments it was no part of the Lord's meaning to lay Job open to be a notorious sinner under the vale of piety and holiness, of which he made formerly so great a show, but only to try his faith, and patience, that the Devil might finally be confounded, and Job again more exalted.
Behold in this thou art not just, I will answer thee that God is greater then man: That is, this cannot be righteously spoken, because all men are sinners before God, and therefore being less righteous and GOD greater in righteousness, wisdom, and power, none can without sin, when they suffer, plead their innocence, or freedom from iniquity, and therefore the Righteous being smitten, should rather in silence suffer being persuaded of the righteousness of that great Judge in all his proceedings, who judgeth no man but for reasons known to himself, although unknown to man, and not cry out as being too harshly dealt withal, which indeed is true, but misapplied to Job, who cried not out, as conceiving the contrary, but being necessitated hereunto by the erroneous surmises and inferences made upon his sufferings, by these three men to render him odious to the world, as a notorious sinner.
Why strivest thou against him? for he giveth not account of his matters: For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet men perceive it not. Here Elihu showeth, how vain Job was in desiring to reason with God, as thinking if he could come to talk with him, he should soon bring him to say, that he had dealt too harshly with him, or that notwithstanding all these his Sufferings, he accounted him righteous, and would tell him the reason why he thus judged him; and so withdraw his hand from him again, and restore him to a prosperous estate. For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet men perceive it not. The vul. God speaketh once and will not repeat it the second time, Heb. He will not Cantare, sing it twice, For it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the meaning is, he speaketh in his word, and what he hath said therein, we must in all cases look at and not think further to be particularly satisfied by extraordinary answers whensoever we desire, but by the answers that God hath made to others, we are to learn his will towards us: As when Paul having a prick in the flesh; the buffetings of Satan, touching which he sought unto the Lord, he had answer, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. At this he must look that is afflicted, who is a true servant of God as he was, and be herein comforted, and likewise in all other cases, we my find what God hath once spoken, and this is all the speaking for our satisfaction, that we must expect moreover, as Gregory saith, God's speaking is by his Son JESUS CHRIST: So that when he took flesh his word came into the world, as he is by John called, and although he had formerly spoken divers ways, yet now this is his only speaking, or by his speaking once we may understand the immutability of God, both in his word, and decree, and works, he reverseth nothing unless it be upon repentance and turning from sin he spareth men from the judgments threatened, whilst they live in this world, but look what he shall speak in way of judging at the last day, shall never be reversed of God's speaking once, yea twice, see Ps. 62. 11. whereas he saith, in the present Tence, God speaketh; If it be doubted how this can be understood of the word of God, which was not yet written; or of Christ or his sentencing of men at the last day: It is easily answered, with God there is difference of times; for all are present unto him, and therefore he speaketh in the present of things future.
In a vision, in a dream, when deep sleep falleth upon men; in slumbering upon the bed. Having said, that God speaketh once, now he showeth the divers ways of his speaking, yet whatsoever he saith any of these ways is but more fully to set forth the same things that he plainly speaketh for our instruction and learning in other places: Thus Abraham had God's will revealed to him by vision, and other Prophets had visions, and Joseph had dreams, yea Pharaoh had his dream also, and Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar a vision, but things to come were herein set forth so darkly, that none but Joseph and Daniel could intepret them: but of speaking by Dreams and in the dark of the night a man being asleep in bed, the means of coming to have divine Revelations made unto men, saith Gregory, is set forth, and the dark revealing of things unto them in this world: For as a man in sleep hath his senses bound up, so the senses must be a sleep, as it were, and the desire to earthly things in him; that would understand heavenly, the mind must [Note.] not be set on things below, but on things above, from the cares of the world he must be sequestered and at rest as a man in bed, as Moses went from the Congregation up to the Mount, and being alone with God had his will revealed unto him, and he went likewise to the Ark, to consult with him thereabout from time to time. And when these ways or any other men know all that they can whilst they live here, they know but in part, and see but as in the night in comparison of that, which God knoweth touching the causes and ends of his doings in all things, and of the knowledge shall be in the life to come to all the faithful.
Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man: That is, when the mind is quiet from the noise of worldly tumults, which hindered them from hearing; then the Ears of their minds are opened, and they are reformed by his chastisements, as by most profitable discipline, that is, as in vulgar, Deliver him from pride. The meaning is; man being thus instructed by chastisement, is hereby withdrawn from the evil works, which he practiced before, and consequently from pride, which what it is else, but for a man to lift up himself in disobedience against God in refusing to be subject to him by living according to his commandments.
He keepeth back his Soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. Here is the benefit of divine discipline by chastisements, as followeth by way of explication.
He is chastened with pain upon his bed, &c. Where by Bed, Gregory underderstandeth, pleasures of sin wherein a man lieth as upon a bed, but being by chastisement healed of the corruption making him to do so, he riseth and taketh up his bed and walketh, as it is said to the disceased man whom Christ healed, which he doth, that instead of living anymore in sinful pleasure, putteth his shoulders under the burden of toilsome labor, in suffering for his manfull resisting of sin. So that his life abhorreth bread, and his Soul dainty meat: His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, And his bones stick out that were not seen his Soul draweth near to the Grave, &c. Here Elihu goeth on to show the great afflictions, whereby God disciplineth some to bring them to his Kingdom. They are so si • k and weak that their stomach quite faileth them, and so their flesh is wasted, and they come even to the brink of the pit of death. From hence that of Ps. 107. 18. seemeth to be taken: Gregory saith, that hereby the benefit coming by afflictions is shown, for thus they that before took delight in vain pleasures of this world, were so mortified unto them, that they abhorred from them all, feeding upon Godly sorrow and pensiveness in thinking upon them. For by bread Christ is sometime set forth, sometime the Doctrine of the word, sometime the grace of spiritual gifts, satisfying and refreshing the Soul; as where the Prophet saith, He that stops his Ears that that he may not hear blood, and shutteth his eyes that he may not see evil, he shall dwell in the high places, and bread shall be given to him. For what is it to stop a man's ears from hearing blood, but from being lead by the temptations of flesh and blood; and what is this bread, that shall be given to such a man, but the refreshing of spiritual grace? Sometime the doctrine of Heretics, as the Harlot representing them, saith, Hidden Bread is sweet. Sometime any corporal food, so sometime by bread is set forth carnal pleasure, as Lament. 1. A people sighing and mourning seeketh bread. That is, The delights of this life; by the flesh wasting, and bones not [Note.] seen before appearing, is also allegorically meant the same fleshly pleasure, which by affliction weareth away, and then the strength of grace set forth by bones, that could not before be seen, appeareth: For till sufferings come, it is unknown what grace is in a man, but then it is manifested, as in the Apostles being scourged and charged not to Preach anymore in the name of Jesus, then their strength in grace shown itself by their answering; We must rather obey God then you. And in that they went away rejoicing. Lastly he is said to draw near to the Grave, because by afflictions men are humbled and see into their own wickednesses, which they did not before, and how worthy are to be proceeded against in all severity and rigor, so that if they were dealt withal according to their deserts, they must needs be destroyed.
If there be a messenger with him, an Interpreter, one of a thousand, to show him his uprightness. Then he is gracious to him, and saith, Deliver him from going into the pit, I have found a ransom. Vulg. If there be an Angel speaking for him, one of the like things, that he may declare the equity of man, he will have pity on him. By Gregory expounded of Christ thus, A poor man being brought so low, as hath been said, by the sight and sense of his sins, if the Angel of the covenant, that is, Christ speaks for him, who is like unto man in one thing only altogether, and although he were also in other things alike, there was great difference betwixt him and other men: The one thing, wherein he was altogether like was, in that he was a very man, consisting of Soul and Body as man doth; borne of a woman and mortal, the things wherein he was not like, he was conceived by the overshadowing of the holy Ghost, and without sin, most holy born of a Virgin, he laid down his life, and at his own will took it up again. And this Angel speaks for sinful man repenting and believing in him, both by his blood shed for him; which as the Apostle saith, speaks better things then the blood of Abel: And by his prayer, John. 17. for his declaring of the equity or righteousness of man, that was by becoming our Righteousness, for he was made of God unto us Wisdom, righteousness, &c. For we have none of our own, but when we come by faith to be made one with him, his righteousness is made ours, none of our sins being now imputed unto us: For the next words; Then he is gracious to him, and saith, Deliver him that is going into the pit, &c. The difference in the Translations is little, and herein Christ is set forth, speaking to the Father, deliver the wretched man before spoken of, being near to the Grave, let him not die eternally, that is so turned from all pleasure-taking in sin, that he mourneth and is sorry therefore, and confesseth himself worthy to die, let not such an one die eternally, but save him, for I have paid his ransom in dying for him.
Hitherto Gregory, and the Vulg. followed by him, but the Vulg. since goeth thus, If there be an Angel speaking for him, one of a thousand; That he may declare the equity of man. Wherein it agreeth well with the Hebrew, for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth both, one speaking and an Interpreter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 An Angel or messenger. But haply Gregory's copy was false printed, Unus de similibus, being put for, Unus de mille. Whereby he was lead so to expound it; yet take we it rightly, a Speaker or Interpreter one of a thousand, it may be expounded of Christ, who is said by the Preacher to be one of a thousand: For when a man afflicted is brought so low in himself, as hath been said; he is to know that there is an Angel, a comforter above all Angels, said to be one of a thousand; wherein a certain number is put, for an uncertan, a very great number, as the Angels are said to be twenty times ten thousand; and who can this be but Christ often set forth by his name, as Mal. 4. The Angel of the Covenant; and Revel 12. 7. Michael and his Angels, and Jude's Epistle, Michael the Archangel, or Prince of Angels: Neither can any mere Angel be so called, One as God. As Michael signifieth, and Prince of Angels. For although there be orders of Angels, some Archangels, some Angels, yet of the highest order, there is not any one above the rest of his order; so that of any such it cannot be said, one of a thousand▪ The Angel then here spoken of, is neither an Angel by nature, as the Jesuits now teach, grounding hereupon the invocation of Angels, and consequently of Saints departed: For Gregory the great Bishop of Rome, as great in learning as he was, could not find any other Angel here commended unto us, but Christ: Whence note by the way, how far the Church of Rome is degenerated now from that, which it was most anciently; that none may be deceived by the pretence of antiquity: And by the judgment of the same Gregory, the main Tenet of Papists, that the Bishop of Rome is Episcopus Episcoporum, the head of the Church, and of all the Bishops thereof, and Christ's Vicar, that cannot err, is a plain making of him Antichrist, or the forerunner of Antichrist: For so in his Epistle to John Arch-Bishop of Constantinople, he saith, That whosoever taketh upon him to be universal Bishop, and Bishop of Bishops, is either Antichrist for this his pride, or his forerunner: But to leave this, the Angel here spoken of is not a Minister of the Gospel; who because he is a messenger of God, for this his office is called an Angel of the Lord, Mal. 2. 7. and Revel. 1. 2. 3. For although such an one be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an Interpreter, or Legate, or Embassador, as the word signifieth, and so Philip was to the Eunuch, and we saith Paul, As the Ambassadors of God. Yet that which is added, one of a thousand, agreeth to none but Christ, he then is the Elocutor and Interlocutor and Interpreter, above all others speaking aloud for us miserable sinners, and speaking betwixt God and us, both by his blood and prayer, as was before said; and interpreting the will of God unto us, and his most hidden mysteries, according to that, No man hath seen God at any time, but his only begotten Son hath revealed him. But Calvin and Junius, by the Interpreter here spoken of, understand a faithful Preacher, who is a rare man, and therefore called one of a thousand, that applieth the promises of the Gospel, to the comforting of one that is brought so low, as is before said; whom so doing and declaring to him being troubled about his sins, his righteousness by Christ, he ought to believe and to be comforted herein, and then it shall be so unto him indeed, and Christ's blood shall be his ransom: Again, this seemeth to make that of the Psalmist, saying, Great was the company of Preachers. And at the first there were twelve Apostles, and twelve more sent out to preach; yet admitting that touching Christ, as the principal thing intended here, his Ministers, which are as he for the comforting of a troubled Soul, are not to be excluded: And all this from, Vers. 19. to Vers. 24. seemeth to be spoken for the comfort of Job, if by confessing his sins and repenting in this low ebb of misery, he would take into the way of comfort: Whereby it appeareth, that Elihu, although conceited of himself and his own wisdom, spake by the spirit of God, and that about the greatest mystery of our Salvation: So that his speeches are to be thought none otherwise of, then as parcels of the holy Scriptures, from which as from other parts, excellent instructions may be gathered for our enlightening and comfort.
His flesh shall be fresher then the flesh of a child, he shall return to the days of his youth. That is, A poor distressed man being thus comforted by Christ is renewed, as it were, again in his age, through the grace of regeneration, as the Eagle reneweth his age by casting his bill: For so is everyone converted to the faith of Christ, being born again of the incorruptible seed of the word to endure so forever.
He shall pray to God, and he shall be favorable to him, and he shall see his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteousness. That is, Being renewed, as is afore said, he shall pray and be accepted, and finally see him as he is in everlasting glory; and that for the righteousness of the man Christ, the Intercessor before spoken of: Others may pray, that live still in sin, and not be accepted of, nor ever come to see his face, but be shut out from his presence; notwithstanding their making of many prayers unto him.
He looketh upon men, and if any man saith, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not: He will deliver his Soul from going into the pit, and his Soul shall see the light. This is the same in effect with that of the Apostle, If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive them. As the Prodigal also found it true, And David after that he had sinned, and herein he looks back again to Vers. 18. He keepeth his Soul from the pit. The vulg. Looking at men he saith, I have sinned. And so it is Hebr. And the meaning according to Gregory is; The man that repenteth him of his sins, looketh at the examples of Godly men, living before him, and finding how unlike his ways are to the ways of such men, he is humbled therefore, and confesseth his wickedness: And this argueth one, that now beginneth to have his eyes opened, as they were not before, but blind: For till that his eyes be opened, he seeth nothing in himself, of which he hath need to repent, but now he seeth the foulness of his sins, and therefore his heart is against them, and set to live righteously: And this is the beginning of righteousness in him, that was [Note.] wicked before; but there are many who confess, that they are sinners, but yet are not hereby proved to be righteous, because, if any man reproveth them therefore, they are angry with him, for how doth he repent, although he confess, that is not willing to hear wherein he hath sinned, by another in any particular, but defendeth and stiffly justifieth himself: Such then confess their sins, but believe not that they are sinners, they think by confessing there sins, to be adorned, not to be humble, to seem penitent persons, not to be: For the next words, And it profited me not. The vulg. hath, I receivid not as I was worthy; the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To adequate: So that it may be rendered as well equally, as I deserved, as it profited not, as the word also signifieth, and the Vulg. is rather to be preferred, because the true penitent person doth not only confess, that no profit cometh to him by sinning, but hurt, but also that the evil which he suffereth in this world, how great soever it be, is not so great yet as he deserveth: He that doth not so, is not truly penitent, although before he suffereth, he confesseth himself to be a sinner and worthy of all judgments; yet when he cometh to suffering, anl so is tried, he showeth that he was never truly penitent, because he murmureth, and why doth [Note.] he murmur, but because he thinks himself punished, not less, but more then he deserveth, as none truly penitent do. Touching Vers. 28. The word is to be understood of the Convert, who delivers his Soul, when by his will he worketh with the grace of God in thus repenting.
Lee all these things worketh God oftentimes with man. To bring back his Soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. The vulg. For often times, hath it, Three times, and Hebr. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Three times. Whereupon Gregory excellently saith, that there be three degrees of perplexities and troubles, through which God bringeth such men as shall be saved.
First, of leaving the sins wherein they have formerly so long lived, [ 1] which is at the time of the conversion of a sinner, for it must needs be grievous to one that hath lived and delighted long in any sin, to leave and loath it, as was noted upon v. 20. the man converted doth, it was as meat and drink unto him before, how hard therefore for him to part with it, and to make tears his meat for it, to mingle his drink with weeping, for when he thinks of turning the pleasure which he took in his former conversation comes to his mind, and the longer he hath lived therein, the faster it holdeth him. Here then ariseth grief and anxiety in the mind; the spirit calling him away from these pleasures, the flesh calling back to them: on the one side the love of a new conversation inviteth him, on the other the use of the old perverse one impugneth it, on this side the love of the heavenly country burtheneth in him, on that the carnal concupiscence in himself slayeth him: For the great pain and trouble that is in leaving sin, Christ compareth it to the cutting off of the right hand, or plucking out of the right eye, which on how great a smart and pain it is: Thus much for the first.
The second, is in time of temptation, that followeth sometime after conversion, before the strong man armed keeps the house in quiet, but now [ 2] being expelled, he laboreth by all means to enter again and repossess it; as it is said of the evil spirit gone out of a man he cometh with seven more worse then himself to enter again: And now the Devil by his Assaults most grievously terrifieth and troubleth the Soul, and conscience of a man, to the making of him to pine away in his flesh, so that his bones stick out, as verse. 21. Which two degrees are notably figured out in the Children of Israel coming out of Egypt, and after that, wandering in the Wilderness: Their coming out of Egypt was full of trouble and anguish, because so soon, as Moses moved for it; they were by Pharaoh more harshly used, then ever before: After they were come out, for a time the Lord used them gently, and would not lead them that way; in which they should see war for a time, least they should be discouraged, but having brought them through the Red Sea, and making them to see the Egyptians drowned and cast up upon the shore, soon after they were diversely assaulted and troubled, many things fell out that made them to murmur, and upon their murmuring they were macerated and consumed by divers judgments forty years together.
The third degree of perplexity is, when death draweth near; for then a [ 3] man considereth that he is near the time of giving account of all his doings before a most strict judge and if he knoweth anything in himself, he is sure that God knoweth more, and if he knoweth nothing, yet God may know something; as Paul saith, that he knew nothing by himself, yet was he not herein justified; for no man liveth so strictly, but, but he must needs acknowledge, that he is not yet without all sin, seeing James saith, In many things we sin all: and John, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And this perplexeth him greatly, he being not for this reason certain whether he shall be accepted or not, and this third is touched upon, verse. 22. but after this before a man departs out of this life, God cometh by his spirit and fully enlighteneth him, so that he beginneth already to partake of the joys of Heaven, as is concluded, Vers. 28. His life seeth light, when having prayed and humbled himself, again the light of God's countenance is lifted up upon him: And it is to be noted, that his life shall see light, not his death, for none dead in sin have this privilege, but the living and before perplexed and troubled, as hath been said. For the words following, Vers. 32. &c. Elihu having hitherto spoken most divinely, showeth himself again as he was, although inspired to speak thus for our Good and Instruction, yet a palpable Brag-adochian, and full of pride and vain-glory.
CHAP. XXXIIII.
THe ear tasteth words as the palate meat: Of this see before in the words of Job, Chapt. 12. 11. And this Elihu speaketh to prepare those that were willing enough to hear him, viz. Jobs three friends, whom he calleth wise men, v. 2. Desiring them to consider of what he was further about to say, and hereby to judge of Job whether he did not from his own words justly accuse himself for wicked, or no, as they also before had done, but yet seemed since, by more words uttered by Job, to have their mouths stopped.
Let us choose to us judgment, let us know amongst ourselves what is good: Here the proud man, that he might seem to have some humility in him, joineth himself with the other three, and like other Teachers, that be proud, [Note.] do sometimes speak words of humility, although in their hearts they lift up themselves above all others, and therefore this acquitteth them not from pride and arrogancy; whereas he saith, verse. 5. Job hath said, I am righteous, God hath taken away my judgment: Should I lie against my right? my wounds are incurable without my transgression. What the words of Job were, see Chap. 13. 18. I know I shall be justified, Chapt. 23. 10. When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold, Chap. 27. 2, As God liveth who hath removed my cause. Vers. 4. My lips shall not speak iniquity, nor my tongue deceit, &c. And in what sense they were spoken, and it will easily appear that Elihu foully perverted them, and so goeth upon an imaginary ground in his invectives against Job.
What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, &c. Wherein he bewrayeth himself not to be humble or a true Teacher, like Paul, not desirous by his speaking, if Job had said anything amiss, to bring him to repentance therefore, but one of a large conscience, that would lay more to his charge then he had spoken, and desirous rather to commend his own wit then to edify his hearer: For Paul writing to the Corinthians, in whom he had some things to reprove; beginneth first with their high commendations, and then proceedeth to reproof: But the proud Teacher omitting all the good things [Note.] that be in his Auditors, falleth upon some things only, that are amiss in them, taunting them most insolently hereby, which is the way rather to exasperate and harden them against his Reproofs, though just, then to bring them to amendment; Whereas commending that which is good in them. First maketh such away to reprove Evil, that their hearts being hereby now to love him, they can hardly do any other at his reproofs, but be ashamed and amend whatsoever is amiss in them: The like course also doth the same Apostle take, 1 Cor. 11. 2. When he would reprove some other abuses in them: For the vile taunt wherewith he taunted him, by the scorning wherein he was so ready as one that drinks in water, he meaneth his deriding of such as reproved him, and so walked with the wicked, as Psal. 1. the ungodly are noted to do.
For he saith, It profitetb a man nothing, if he should delight himself with God:
This also was not any of Jobs speeches, but gathered herefrom falsely by Elihu, to make his case the more odious, upon these his speeches so wrested, he falleth to the vindicating of God from all unrighteousness, and showeth it to be a gross fault to impute any unto him, Verse 10, 11, &c. 18, 19. In saying, There is no iniquity in God; but he rendereth, the work of man to him, and dealeth by everyone according to his ways: This is in part true, but if God's dealing in this world be meant; the other part of his speech is false: For there be righteous men, saith Solomon, to whom it falleth out as to the wicked, and wicked men to whom it cometh as to the righteous, although in the World to come, indeed everyone shall surely be rewarded according to his works: If he would herein have spoken truly, he should rather as Gregory noteth, have said; There is no iniquity in God, although he doth not render to everyone according to his works in this World. For that which is not by us understood, is not produced out of unjust balances, his judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out.
God will not condemn without cause, nor subvert judgment. This is also most true, but by Elihu misapplied, for it is one thing to condemn and another to afflict, seeing we are afflicted, that we may not be condemned, but being corrected be saved; as both Solomon teacheth, and Heb. 12. 9.
For who hath given him a charge over the Earth, and who hath disposed the whole World? That is, None hath thus done, but of his own will he made all things in a most excellent manner, and therefore he doubtless ruleth and ordereth all things, touching men most righteously.
If he setteth his heart upon man, if he draweth his spirit and breath unto him. All flesh shall soon fail, and return to ashes together. God setteth his heart upon man, saith Gregory, when he hath a mind to save him, then he draweth his spirit and breath unto him, by making him to look up only to God, and to the things of his Kingdom, and saith, Spirit and breath. Denoting hereby his inward cogitations and outward actions, because the breath is drawn by the organs of the body, which are outward; and so both in the thoughts of his heart and all his actions, he is wholly intent to him, to which when he is come, The flesh faileth. That is, Whosoever is fleshly is brought under, and the body of sin burnt, as it were, by the fire of the spirit into ashes, and so having no more strength: To express which Jeremiah saith, After that thou turnest me, I repented, and when thou shewedst me I smote upon my thigh. For what is it for a man to smite upon his thigh, but to subdue carnal concupiscence: Some take these words as spoken to prove, that God doth not deal unjustly or harshly with men, because if he would set himself thus to do, and not rule rather according to mercy, then according to his power, his might is such, as that as he gave man breath and life at the first, so he can easily withdraw it again, and when he hath done so, what is any man, but one failing and ceasing anymore to be a man, yea because now very dust; as the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth: According to the other exposition, these words: If he setteth his heart upon him. Are understood of man, setting his heart upon God, according to this; if God setteth his heart upon it, that is, upon this thing without regard of mercy as well as justice to destroy man, his breath would soon be gone and he turned to dust: And this is to be preferred, as best agreeing with the words before going.
Shall he that hateth right, govern? Wilt thou condemn him that is most just? Vulg. Can he be healed that loveth not judgment, and how dost thou so greatly condemn him that is just? The Hebr. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying either Dominari, or alligare, to bind up. As the Surgeon bindeth up a wound to heal it, and the other words are, Hating judgment, So that it may either be understood of God, and as spoken to the same effect that he spake before, or of man suffering by the stroke of God, but because the next words are: Wilt thou condemn him that is most just? Hebr. Very just. I rather take it to be spoken of God to clear him from all aspersion of injustice: And then these words serve to convince him of too great arrogancy, that dareth thus to challenge God. And this is further proved, Vers. 18. Is is fit to say to a King, Thou art wicked, &c. By an argument, A minore ad majus, and if not to a King, much less to God, in justifying of a man's self, but the Vulg. rendereth this also; Who saith to a King, an apostata. but Hebr. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is not of an Interrogation, and cannot be rendered Who, but whether or no is any man so bold with a King to say, Thou art wicked. The word Hebr. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 one without a yoke, Belial, or if 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be taken for a particle demonstrative, denoting him that was spoken of before, it may be rendered after these words most just, he saith to the King wicked. It is he that thou censurest, for whom it is free to condemn the highest amongst men, even Kings and Princes, but for opening the mouth against him, it were extreme madness in any man to do it, if he dareth to do it, he shall be sure to hear of it from him; and that therefore he is Belial, although he be a King, as thou Job hast been, if it be taken the other way, it is not true, for some men have been so bold, as to call a King so, and to tell him, Thou hast done foolishly: As Samuel did Saul, and Elijah Ahab.
How much less to him, that accepteth not the person of Prinees. Where the former words are in a smaller print, intimating that they are not in Hebr. But supplied by the Translators, to make the sense good, according to the rendering of Vers. 18. But leave we them out as the Vulg. doth, and read it, That accepteth not, &c. And then it is a reason, why he is no less bold to charge Kings with wickedness, then other men, being all his creatures, as well the highest as the lowest.
In a moment they shall die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. that is, The highest are of so little strength, if God cometh to smite them, that they die suddenly, At midnight, That is, in the darkness of ignorance and the dead sleep of sin, as it is with men commonly at midnight; so the foolish rich man in the Gospel, heard a voice saying to him; Thou fool, this night will they fetch away thy Soul from thee. And the Bridegroom cometh at midnight, and in Egypt the first born were slain at midnight, and the host of Sannacherib; and because the wicked are always passing on in this way throughout all their lives, it is said not Transibunt, saith Gregory; That is, They shall pass, but Pertransibunt, They shall pass through, and the mighty shall be taken away without hand. That is, Without seeing the hand that smiteth them; which is a divine force, invisibly cutting asunder the thread of their lives in a moment, as with their wicked hands to be seen, imbrued in blood, have through their power taken away and spoiled others. If any shall think that he may lie hid and so escape this severity, it is resolved no, the blackest darkness of midnight shall not hide him.
For he will not lay upon man more then right, that he should enter into judgment with God. Vulg. For it is no more in the power of man, that he should come to God to judgment. Hebr. He will not put upon man anymore, for it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To come into judgment with God. In expounding this, Gregory is very large, by man's coming into judgment with God, understanding that judgment, of which the Apostle saith; If ye would judge yourselves, ye should not be judged. And this is when a man keepeth court, as it were, in his own conscience, examining his evil doings, acknowledging them and condemning himself therefore, and suffering by extreme grife and sorrow in his mind for them; For in him that judgeth himself as he should, there is nothing wanting that is in a Court of justice; for the conscience accuseth, and heapeth up all the evils that a man hath done against himself, reason condemneth him, and fear bindeth him, and grief tormenteth him: If the words be thus understood, they must be taken as a prescription of a remedy against the miseries, that they shall be in, that die in darkness, sleeping as at midnight securely in their sins. That man that would not have it fall out thus unto him, must prevent that judgment, when all men shall be brought before God to judgment, by coming into judgment with him whilst he liveth here: And then this is as if he had said, whereas now man hath done evil; and no evil that he doth, lieth hid from God: This is all that God putteth upon him therefore, or requireth at his hands, that he may escape Destruction, that will otherwise suddenly come, viz. To come speedily into judgment with God, by judging himself, as hath been said: For further illustration whereof he saith, that this tormenting of ourselves by sorrow for our sins, was figured out by the fire which the Priests were commanded to kindle every morning in the Tabernacle, and to keep it continually burning; for so he that would [Note.] escape Hell fire, ought first in the morning to set himself awork about judging himself for his sins, and so mourn daily for them: And as Jeremy being in the Dungeon was bidden to put Ropes under his Arms, and old rags, that he might be lifted out and not perish there; so he that would be lifted out of the dark dungeon of sins, must take the help of God's Laws, binding them about him, rhat looking hereat be may be put to pain and sorrow, considering his miserable Estate through his breaking of them, which are so harsh, and so terribly threaten sinners, and be heaved up hereby out of this dungeon by having now more regard unto them, to live according to them; and that he may not be pained and pierced hereby unto desperation, look at old Examples of the Faithful, and how many of them have fallen and been judged and yet have had mercy again extended unto them, and so have been set in a salutiferous Estate: Thus Gregory by allegorizing, which because it is for mattr most true and useful for us, I have thus largely set down. But for the literal meaning, it is, that wicked men are not to expect further warning, before that God cometh into judgment with them to cut them off; which as he said before, shall be done suddenly, and not after the manner of men, that keep Courts of justice, apprehending, and committing and setting a day to judge Malefactors; then hearing Witnesses and pleadings, and so proceeding to judge them: And this Elihu speaketh, because Job had desired that he might come to the Throne of God, and plead his cause with him: And thus understood, we may note that now is all the time that God giveth unto man to repent; that he may escape his judgments, he will give [Note.] him no more warning by a judicial proceeding in time: But if he expecteth this, and so delayeth; he shall be deceived, and feel his stroke to his everlasting destruction before he seeth it coming, and who then is so hard hearted as not to be awakened hereby from his security to speedy repentance: Some will have the meaning to be, that God in judging men will lay no more to their charge then he justly can: Some that God hath not put it into the power of man to come and bear a part with him in judging what is fit for him to do.
He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead: As at the day of judgment innumerable men shall be cast away and broken with God's just judgments, which shall be done openly and visibly, and others received into his Kingdom, so it is now daily done, although we see it not so plainly; many that seem to be strong in Faith and Grace, either have it not in truth or fall away and perish, but others being before void of Grace, are converted, and so are set instead of them into the state of Grace and Salvation. As the Jews being rejected the Gentiles were taken into God's favor in their stead, and Judas was broken in pieces, but the thief upon the Cross, was healed and saved.
Therefore he knoweth their works and overturneth them in the night, that they are destroyed: Because God is said before to break multitudes in pieces, and he is most just; it appeareth, that he knoweth their most secret evil works, and when they know not or are not aware of it, he overthroweth them therefore. And here Gregory noteth, that the might setteth forth sin, and that by sinning men are blinded, one sin being by God's judgment, made unto them the cause of another, whereof yet they have no perceivance anymore, then a man can see colors in a dark night; and by being filled with all manner of sin and wickedness, they come to be overthrown in regard of grace, and so are destroyed everlastingly: As the Gentiles being darkened first by idolatry, were after given over to a reprobate sense: And this is the case of Believers under the Gospel, even innumerable Christians are broken in pieces, according to the phrase used, Vers. 24. For even of them many be called, but few chosen, which was before by Jeremiah, saying; The days come, that the City shall be built unto the Lord, by the Tower of Hananeel, to the gate of the corner: And the measuring line shall go over against it by the hill Gareb: the vul. Tr. Ultra normam mensurae. For what is the Lord's city here spoken of, but the Church, which cometh from the Tower Hananeel, signifying the grace of God, to the gate of the corner joining two walls, together, whereby Jews and Gentiles are set forth, who together make one Church, but the measure not staying here, goeth yet a great way further, beyond the measuring line, to show that there should be very many in the Church, who should walk by no rule, and these be the innumerable to be broken to pieces.
He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others: Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways, &c. For these words, In the open sight of others. In vulg. is, In the place of the seeing. So likewise Hebr. that is, The true faithful Servants of God, who are not in darkness but in the light, seeing and making use of these his judgments against the wicked, to fear him the more.
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? And if he hideth his face, who can behold him? Whether it be against a Nation or a man only. That is, Hereby it appeareth, that great men who are Tyrants, are smitten by God, as was before said, at the cries of the poor coming up unto him against them, because as when a man's ways please God, he shall have peace and prosperity, let men work against him what they can; but contrariwise if he for his wickedness absenteth himself, as it were, not looking now anymore with a favorable eye upon him, how can that Prince, yea or if it be a Nation, that turneth wicked, behold the light of his countenance; that is, His face turned towards him, or if any were to uphold him in such a prosperous condition; or although men be wicked, and GOD beareth with them for a time, during that time, none can overthrow their quiet: But this time being out, and their sins being full, as it was said of the Amorites, they shall not now see GOD anymore looking upon them in favor, but in wrath filling them with trouble.
That the hypocrite reign not, least the people be ensnared. Vulg. Who makes a man an hypocrite to reigning for the sins of the people. Hebr. From the reign of an hypocrite, from the snares of the people, or from a man an hypocrite reigning. Which words have reference to God's hiding of himself, Vers. 29. They being here named, from whom he hideth himself for their wickedness, Viz. The King that is an hypocrite so called, because when he was thus by the consent of the people preferred, they expected all good from him, but he proveth contrary, an Oppressor, and a ringleader in ways of vice and error; and The snares of the people. That is, From the people being thus ensnared and subjected by one that proveth contrary to their expectation, but worthily because they deserve none better: As it is said of Phocas, when he was Emperor, a certain devout man pleading with the Lord, and saying, Why dost thou make such a man Emperor? Had an answer thus, Because I could not find any worse to set over you being so wicked.
Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend anymore, &c. Proud Elihu falleth to teaching of Job again, a man wiser then himself, what he should have done upon his grievous sufferings, and to have justified himself as unworthy hereof.
Should it be according to thy mind, he will recompense it, whether thou refuse or choose, and not I, therefore speak what thou knowest. The vulg. Hath God required it, Eam, of thee, because it displeased thee; for thou begannest to speak, not I, and if thou knowest any better speak. Hebr. Shall it come from thee what he shall recompense, because thou hast refused, because thou hast chosen and not I, and what thou knowest speak. Gregory following the Vulg. saith, By these words, Hath God required it of thee, &c. He meaneth, if I have spoken otherwise, then I ought to do, thou shalt not answer for it, neither is it his will, that thou shouldst judge me therefore, though thou beest offended at it, but God shall judge me; and for thee thou hast no cause, for not I but thou begannest to speak: But herein I can see no such good sense, as to rest in it: And others following divers Translations, satisfy not in any sense given by them; but keep we close to the Hebrew, and this will appear to be the meaning: Having in the former words shown him, what he should say in all humility, now to press him to it, he putteth it to his own conscience, to say, whether he thinketh that God will be directed by him, how to deal with him, because he seemed in his speeches beforegoing, to refuse his dealings, by patiently bearing his sufferings; and to choose some other way of being dealt withal; which Elihu saith, that he would never do, neither thought he it lawful: contrary to which if Job knew anything, he willeth them to speak out, as Junius rendereth it.
Let a man of understanding tell me, and a man of wisdom hearken to me. Job hath spoken without knowledge, &c. Here insolency breaketh out again in Elihu against Job, after many things spoken by him very divinely, and all the arrogant likewise, although sometimes they speak very well, yet they soon show themselves what they are, and the pride that is in them.
My desire is, that Job may be tried to the end, because of his answers for wicked men: For he addeth rebellion to his sin, &c. The vulg. My Father, let Job be tried to the end, cease not from a man of iniquity, The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth either, My Father or my will. But I rather take it, that Elihu now turneth himself to God, seeing that all which he or the other three had said, was but lost labor towards the making of Job to humble himself, and confess his sins, he would not take of his punishments, but still hold him under, as he was well worthy: For the next words they are Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For the returns in men of wickedness. That is, His answers returned, which are common in wicked men: For although Job said nothing, it seemeth by Vers. 37. That he shown signs of derision and disdain, at all that had been spoken, which made Elihu to rage now against him, and say, He addeth rebellion to his sins, and clapeth his hands, &c.
CHAP. XXXV.
THinkest thou that to be right, that thou saidest, My righteousness is more then God's: For thou saidest, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin? This also Gregory noteth, was nowhere spoken by Job in these words, but whatsoever he spake near unto it, could not justly be reproved, as hath been before shown.
I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee. Look to the Heavens, &c. Elihu having laid a false foundation to himself, of another Oration, though it be true, which he henceforth saith, yet herein he speaketh nothing that toucheth Job, but may afford profitable instruction to us: He proveth by the highest of the Heavens, then which God is higher, that man cannot profit or hinder God, if he be righteous or wicked: For how should anything done by him reach up to God, when as they cannot reach up to these visible Heavens: We may by that which we do, profit or hurt men like to ourselves, and ourselves also; because If thou beest wise, saith Solomon, thou art wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it: And David, My goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints upon Earth: If God speaketh at any time as being troubled at men's sins, as where it is said, it grieved him at the Heart, that he had made man: this is but after the manner of men in stooping to their capacity, and not because indeed he, is subject to any passion, as men are, that we might be the more affected with our sins, for our provoking of God, and repent and turn from our sins, because our greiving of him cannot be but to our great grief, for suffering by his taking revenge upon us, and to our confusion, as Jeremiah saith, Do they provoke me to anger and not themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
By reason of the multitude of oppressions, they make the Oppressed to cry, &c. Having shown before that men may hurt or profit one another in general, now he proceedeth to declare the same more particularly. For the Oppressions here spoken of, they are not only to be understood in respect of worldly things, by taking away of which, poor men are made to cry out, but in respect of spiritual Oppressions, whereby the Soul is made poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, as the Lord saith of the Angel of the Church of Laodicea: For they oppress others this way, that by their evil Examples corrupt their minds from the sincerity of the truth, drawing them to sin and Error: For this is a more grievous Oppression then that, because [Note.] Oppressors in respect of our Goods, do but seek to invade, and deprive us of things without, wherein our happiness lieth not, these of Goodness within, in which our happiness lieth: These rage through the love of thing 〈…〉 e through the hatred of virtues, those envy that we have anything, •• e •• that we live: Those study to take away outward things that please them, these to dispute inward things that displease them. By how much therefore the life of manners excelleth the substance of things, so much the more grievous is the oppressing evil livers that offer violence to our manners: And yet to show, that there are not a few, but very many that do so, it is here said, Through the multitude of Oppressors, and for the Arm of the mighty they cry out: Which is added to show, that wicked men if they have power, what they cannot effect by evil examples, they will compel to for fear of their power ready to be used against the uncorrupted virtuous: And whereas he that seeketh to corrupt by his evil example, useth only the voice of persuasion; he that for fear will make men yield to that which is evil, speaketh by the Arm of Tyranny; whilst we see the examples of evil actions, we do but hear the noise of a Corrupter in our ears, but when by force we are compelled to sin, we feel a Tyrant in our hearts: But the minds of these that are immovably fixed in God, do as much contemn these things, as they know them to be against his will: For expecting the rewards of Eternity, they take strength from adversity, knowing that the harder fight they have, the more glorious Crown of victory they shall have: And therefore being pressed with Adversity, they increase in spiritual strength; as the fire which seemeth by blowing to be put out, hath the flame thereof increased, so they by that, through which it is thought they will be made to fall, are more strengthened.
But none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night? Having shown how men cry out for oppressions, V. 9. now he toucheth upon the cause of such impatience, and crying out, it is for want of consideration, that our sufferings come all from God; although men be the Instruments, and if they that suffer consider this, and believe in, and fear him, they shall in the night of Adversity have so great joy, that it shall make them instead of crying out to break out, into singing, as did Paul and Silas, who had been sore scourged, and immediately at midnight in prison sung a Psalm. And David having said, Thou art my refuge from the pressure that hath compassed me about, addeth, My Exultation. As to Ezek. a book was given wherein were written Lamentations, a song and woe. For what is this book, but the book of God, wherein joyful things are written, but withal heavy sufferings to be born, causing sorrow and lamentation first, and then shall follow singing for joy. Now that we may be comforted in these things, we must look to God our Maker, which we do when we consider, that he, who made that which was not, leaveth it not without Government, being made: he who made man, never leaveth him to be unjustly tormented, neither doth he suffer through neglect that to perish, that is, who created that which was not, that it might be: And this seemeth by Elihu to be spoken in answer to the question made by Job, Chapt. 21. 7. Why do the wicked live, and Tyrants oppress the poor? It is because no man looketh to his Maker, and if he would, he should have joy to alienate his sorrow that is oppressed.
Who teacheth us more then the beasts of the Earth, and makes us wiser then the fowls of Heaevn. By the Beasts of the Earth saith Gregory, we may understand sensual men who set their minds upon the base things of this world, and by the Fowls of the Air, the proud, who are elevated in their own conceits upon the wings of arrogancy, as birds that fly aloft in the air. Of the first of these the Psalmist speaketh, saying, Be not so rude and ignorant, as the horse and mule: And the Apostle, There be some whose God is their belly, their Glory their shame, that mind Earthly things. Of the other, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Pharaoh, and Diotrephes, together with the Pharisee, are Examples: Or by the beasts understand the wicked, of whom it is said, Man being in honor, understandeth not, but is like to the beasts that perish, by the fowls, Devils, who are called the Prince of the Air, and are set forth by the fowls of the air in the parable of the sower, that went out to sow. Now man who is one that knoweth God, as was before said, is taught more then these, that is, to be heavenly minded, when they are earthly, to be humble, when they are proud, to be righteous, when they are wicked, and to be godly wise, when the Devil is maliciously subtle like the Serpent: If by the beasts of the Earth, and fowls of Heaven we understand the creatures properly so called. The meaning is, although they have some understanding by the instinct of nature, for which some of them be admirable, especially the fowls of the Air, whose cries or singings are often ominous, and so be many of their doings, as of the Stork, the Crane, and the Swallow, that know to go out of cold Countries in Winter, and to come again in Summer, yet God hath put more understanding into man, so that he should not do like them, one making a prey of another, as beasts and birds of prey do, and Oppressors of whom he spake before, do likewise: But this is horrible ingratitude to God, and an intolerable abuse of this his gift of understanding.
There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men: That is, just men, who know God that made them; being oppressed by the wicked in this World, cry out unto God to be delivered, but he answereth them not by delivering them, because evil men that oppress them, are herein proud, to lift up their hands against God, in smiting of his Servants, and their success in so doing puffeth them up more and more, they taking this for a sign of God's favor, and good liking of their Tyrannicall proceedings, that their condemnation at the last may be the greater: For when the Righteous being oppressed cry unto God for deliverance, it is more for the good of these that persecute them, then through the desire that they [Note.] have to be freed from their sufferings: For sometimes when God standeth up by his power, and miraculously saveth his faithful Servants, even the most hard hearted seeing it are converted, as Nebuchadnezzar at the sight of the miraculous deliverance of the three Children whom he cast into the fiery Furnace: But if they be such, as God will not show any mercy to, he answereth not the desires of the righteous, oppressed by them, because of the intolerable pride of Persecutors, that by their success in these their wicked ways, being still lifted up higher, they might take the greater fall in the end: So that wicked persecutors are in worse [Note.] case, when they prosper in their designs against the just, then when they are stopped in their proceedings, and the just are delivered out of their hands, for now they take heart to themselves, to go on in their evil ways to inevitable destruction, whereas by being stopped, so as hath been said, they might have been converted and saved. For this it is said, Prosperity stayeth the fool. And of Antichrist, that he hath power given him to do, a thousand two hundred and sixty days, and that he maketh war with the Saints and prevaileth, and likewise of Antiochus, Epiphanes, his forerunner, or these words; For the pride of evil doers. May be expounded of those, that cry and are not heard to be delivered from their oppressions, because they are not humbled, but proud and wicked still: Some will have these words, They have none answer for the pride of evil doers. Understood thus, They of whose oppressions he spake before, are not heard to be delivered from proud oppressors, but are still kept under by them. Lastly, Some understand it of oppressors themselves, who may pray for success in their ways, or as Dives in Hell torments, but have no answer of comfort: But I rest in the first, being in all things as true, as occult and witty; and yet it may look as well at the unworthiness of those that cry for their unhumbled and unconverted hearts, in either [Note.] of which cases no man must look to prevail, although they make many prayers, and for pride of heart in such as pray in particular, and want of humility. See the example of the Pharisee, Luke 18.
Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. Vulg. For God will not hear in vain, and the Almighty will behold, or into the causes of everyone. The N. Tran. Is here most exactly according to the Hebr. And therefore Gregory's or others Expositions hereupon, are without ground: The meaning is plain, as he had yielded this as a cause, why men praying are not heard, so here he giveth a reason thereof: They are not heard because they pray unhumbled and unsanctified, and such vain men praying, God will not hear, or regard it whatsoever they say,
Although thou sayest, thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him, therefore trust thou in him. Here is incouragment for such as in humility and faith, purging their hands from sin, and extending them to do good, seek unto God, although for his long delaying to answer them, they may think, that he seeth or considereth not, as the Vulg. hath it, For there is judgment before him. That is, He will deal justly and mercifully by thee at length, yea and whilst he delaieth to answer, he is working thy cure, as the Surgeon, that is long in cutting a putrifyed soar, not seeming [Note.] to regard the desires of the pained Patient, that prayeth him to have done, but knowing what is necessary to be done for his best good, he still keepeth him under his hand; so God many times dealeth with a faithful person, whilst he thinketh, that he neglecteth him, he is curing of him; therefore saith he, Trust thou in him: Stay thyself upon this, that he knoweth what is best for thee, and therefore if he deferreth his answer, it shall be for thy good.
But now because it is not so, he hath visited his anger, yet he knoweth it not in great extremity. Vulg. For now he bringeth not in his anger, neither doth he revenge wickedness very much. Hebr. And now for his wrath is no visitation, and he knoweth not in a multitude very much, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Berashmad in multitudine valde, Or now because nothing, his anger hath visited, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may be rendaed in a very great multitude: And so it will come near to N. Tr. If by a very great multitude we understand, Of miseries. But in Vulg. both the Original is varied from, and the sense altered, which is, Because men in misery do not so; that is, Put not their trust in him, but because of his deferring to answer, fall to despair, their visitations are in wrath, and they shall not know or find God thus working for their good, although they be very much visited, or with a very great multitude of judgments and troubles in this World.
Andh itherto Elihu hath spoken well; but Vers. 16. in saying, that Job therefore multiplied words in vain, he shown again the great arrogancy of his mind.
CHAP. XXXVI
HERE Elihu resumeth that argument again, which he had in hand, Chap 35. 2. Where he challenged Job for saying, My righteousness is more then God's. Contrary to which he saith, Vers. 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. But herein again, he showeth his arrogancy, because that in way of boasting of his superbund ant knowledge, he saith thus, and Verse 2. That he hath yet more to say for God. It is the part indeed of every good Teacher to fill himself with such knowledge, to speak for God again and again, that all men may ascribe unto him the glory of most exact righteousness, and of all goodness: But herein lieth a fault, if he venteth his inostentation, [Note.] not that God may be reverenced, but that he for his eloquence and great learning may be praised.
For my words shall not be false, he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee. Vulger, Perfect knowledge shall be proved unto thee. But we shall not need to alter the word, but only to expound it, and this Vatablus doth well thus; Perfect knowledge. That is, God is with thee. Or I know, that thou accountest whatsoever cometh from God, to he spoken according to perfect wisdom and knowledge; and therefore my speeches shall be of force with thee touching God's equity and righteousness in all his dealings, for so much as I shall speak nothing but his truth, and what comes from him.
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any; he is mighty in strength and wisdom. Vulg. God casteth not away the mighty, seeing he is mighty. Hebr. Casteth not away or refuseth not the mighty strong heart. It is an argument drawn from God's supremacy, and the sovereign power that he hath over all, to prove that he is not against the power and authority of men, if it be used as it ought to be: But if he that is in authority, abuseth it, to the elevating of his heart in pride, looking upon his subjects, as if they were not made by the same hand, or of the same metal with themselves, and despising their counsel, he thinketh himself only wise, because he is greatest; God will pull him down and make him despicable, as he did Nebuchadnezzar: For men being all equal by nature, one is lifted up above others because of sin, to use his power for the suppressing of it only; otherwise being as David, who said, My eyes are not haughty, I have no proud looks. Taking of his power, as Gregory saith, that which helpeth, and to expel that which tempteth, to look upon himself, set up hereby as but equal yet with others, but in the zeal of revenge taking upon sin, to prefer himself before them: As Peter, who had a principality in the Church committed unto him, yet having to do with Cornelius, that carried himself too lowly towards him; he said, I also am a man. Thus making himself equal to him, but when with Ananias and Sapphira, he extended his power to the striking of them down dead, for their lying to the holy Ghost: And Paul also to the Thessalonians saith, We were as little ones amongst you, but to the Corinthians sinning: Will you that I come unto you in a rod, or in the spirit of meekness? The chief place therefore is ruled well, when we rule rather over vices then men: The scope of Elihu in thus saying, was to prove Job wicked, and God just; because otherwise God would not have turned him out of his ample possessions, as he had done. And to these words answereth, Verse 6. He giveth not life to the wicked, but right to the poor. That is, Such as abuse their sovereign power to pride, shall come to ruin, but the humble, as in equity it is meet, shall be preserved.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, but with Kings are they on the Throne, &c. Here he further amplifieth that which he said of God's righteous, dealing with mighty men, that be righteous, they are not brought down but established.
Then if they be bound in fetters, and held by cords of affliction, he will show them their works. God's eyes are not only upon the righteous reigning, but also upon the wicked; so that the one being exalted, the other are pulled down: As Manasseh, who was, as is here said, bound and carried into Babylon; but then being better instructed by his chastisement he came to live in prosperity again, as followeth, Verse 9. 10. 11. But if then they obey not, they shall die by the sword, and perish without knowledge. That is, The sword of God's justice cutting them off, and after death, like the foolish Virgins, go into perdition.
But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath, they cry not when he bindeth them. That is, When they are bound in bonds of affliction, before spoken of, they cry not in prayer, but heap up wrath against the day of wrath: As Paul maketh up this saying, They die in youth, and their life among the unclean. Vulg. Their Soul should die in a tempest, and their life amongst the effeminate. Hebr. Either in childhood or an hard death, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and for amongst the unclean is amongst harlots. The hypocrite having born himself [Note.] as a pure and holy person, when he is in the bonds of misery, crieth not out in confessing his sins and praying, because he is ashamed so to do, although he be kept under, even to the death; for he had rather die then disclose anything against himself, that he may be saved, for so he thinketh that his wickedness, which always before hid, will come to light to his perpetual disgrace, according to Verse 13. But here it is shown, how they shall smart for it, by dying a tormenting death, as their life hath been lead in secret in all fleshly pleasure: For this is noted to be a property of an hypocrite to be given to the flesh: Both by Peter, and by Jude in Epistle: And in all this Elihu girdeth at Job, as being such an one.
He delivereth the Poor in affliction, and openeth their Ears in oppression: Here he returneth again to the humble brought to obedience by affliction, of whom he spake, Vers. 10. In the same phrase of opening their Ears.
So he would have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, &c. To Job it was not so, saith he, as God would have been ready to have dealt by him, if he had not stopped his Ears against discipline, refusing to confess his sins, and standing upon his justification.
But he fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: That is, brought upon himself judgments to the full.
Because there is wrath, beware least he take thee away with his stroke, then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. Vulg. Let not Wrath therefore overcome thee, that thou shouldest oppress any man; nor the multitude of places incline thee. But in more corrected Translations it is, multitude of gifts. But all that cleave to the Original have it as in New Tran. which is most true, so that Elihu doth not here counsel Job as he may seem according to the Vulgar, what to do; if he should recover his former prosperous Estate, but that being beset with so great misery, declaring the wrath of God to be great against him, he should speedily repent, as not knowing how short a time he should live to do, and if hapened to dy thus, then no ransom could save him from everlasting destruction: If he should think by his riches to be ransomed, as men are out of captivity from the Enemy, he addeth V. 19. Will he esteem thy riches, no not the gold, nor all the forces of strength: The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 first and chiefly signifieth crying, then riches; but because he spake before of ransom, it is best rendered riches: According to this Saint Peter saith, that we are not redeemed with corruptible things, as Gold and silver, &c. And if a man think by his great power yet to be delivered from death, all the strength of men cannot do it, as we may see in Pharaoh and his host, and in Sannacherib King of Assyria.
Desire not the Night when people are cut off in their place. Vulgar, Protract not the night that people's should come up for them. Expounded by Gregory thus, Being fallen into temptations, cut off the darkness of sadness the sooner, least what high things thou hast thought in tranquility, turn in thy trouble to the coufusion of darkness, Heb. Respect or desire not the night for the ascendings of people under them: The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 also sometime signifieth cutting off, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 either under them, or for or in their place: This being very obscure, divers Expositors bring divers Expositions, but the true dependeth upon the right rendering of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Anhelare, earnestly to desire, the meaning then is, think not long for an opportunity to come secretly and suddenly, as in the night upon others, to rob and spoil them of their possessions, as ambitious worldly Kings do oftentimes, thus by invading their Inheritances, expelling them and placing their own men in their stead: As the tribe of Dan did by the men of Laish; who dwelt securely, and so in the night of their security, came upon them and expelled them out of their land, and took it into their possession. For Job being a King, as hath been before said, and by Elihu counted a Tyrant, he may well be thought in exhorting him to turn from other sins, that God might restore him again to his Pristine Wealth and dignity; now to come to speak against this, as a most capital one, viz. of lying in wait, as Robbers do in the night, and such sometimes as fight to get other men's Lands and Goods from them to enlarge their own, and being thus understood, the words agree, whether they be rendered ascendings of of people's under them; That is, being subdued thus by him a King coming suddenly upon them with his army or Ascendings of people in their stead, by force expelling them that he comes upon; and placing others in their room, as the King of Assyria, having subdued the land of Israel, brought others from divers places to dwell in their City Samaria: And this is a good Admonition indeed for Tyrants, but misapplied to ob; who abhorred from such doing, as appreareth, Chapt. 30. 31.
Take heed, regard not iniquity, for this hast thou chosen rather thou affliction. vulgar. Thou hast begun to follow this after misery: Hebr. Thou hast chosen this from perverseness, or pravity, or adversity first caused hereby. And the meaning is, cease from sinning, which I cannot see that thou hitherto dost, but rather increasest it; more malignity being caused in thee by that which thou hast before ill done, and more misery and sufferings therefore, rather then being made penitent, and so in way of deliverrnce: And this he speaketh in relating to that which he had said before, that Job justified himself above God; for who so doth thus, and makes no better use of his sufferings, chooseth sin, or preferreth it still, as it were, when by his chastisement he [Note.] should rather be reclaimed from it, and so is well worthy, without any commiseration to be had of him to suffer still, and to perish in his sufferings: And to choose from, is better rendered After then Rather, which perplexeth the sense, but rendering it From, makes it plain, because he that doth thus is first afflicted, and then instead of repenting, there followeth in him more sinning.
Behold God exalteth by his power, who teacheth like him? vulg. God is high in his strength, none amongst the Law-givers is like unto him. The sense being the same, but New Translat▪ better rendereth the words: Here Elihu labors to make Job and all men patient in affliction, and to ascribe when they are most sharply dealt with all, Justice, Equity, and Mercy to him, patiently resting in his ways of teaching, as wherein he excelleth all other Teachers. For though he seemeth to be very harsh in laying such grievous things upon men, yet they that fear and trust in him, shall surely be delivered, when by judging them he hath wrought this good work in them, whereas other Teachers are not able to do so to them that are taught by them.
Who hath enjoined him his way, or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity? vulg. Who can search out his ways: Hebr. Who visiteth upon him his ways. Here Elihu after extolleth the ways whereby God teacheth men, proceedeth to prove the same, by this, that there are none above him to be his visitors, to reprove or allow by their authority what he doth, but he is Lord over all, so that no man can say, that what he doth is unjust, what way soever he taketh with men, for he doth all things for the best of such as love him, and are chosen of his purpose.
Remember thou magnify his work which men behold. Everyone may see it, man may behold it afar off: For Men behold, the vulg. hath, Mensing, the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth to sing, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Singer, yet it is also rendered Behold, the meaning is to the end, that thou mayst fear to speak against him in anything, look up to his works of creation, the Sun, Moon, and Starrs, and hence learn of what power and wisdom he is, as Rom. 1. 19. to reverence him whatsoever he doth to thee.
Behold God is great and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. As he had by other super-excellencies extolled God before, so now he proceedeth further in the same argument, praising him from his immensily, of which we cannot attain to a perfect knowledge, and his Eternity being without beginning, or end of his days, as elsewhere it is also spoken of him.
He maketh small the Rain, &c. From showing the excellency of God in himself, now he cometh to show it in his works, in the making the rain and the clouds, of which enough before, and in Psalms, v. 29. Can any understand the spreading of his clouds, or the Raies of his tabernacle? he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea: vulg If he will extend his clouds as his tent, and lighten with his light from above, he shall cover the things of the sea, Heb. Yea if he shall understand, That is, can any, &c. Us in New Tr: which is to be preferred, he goeth on to his great works of Thunder, and Lightning, which also show him to be most great and terrible; the Thunder is called the noise of his tent, or dwelling place, because it is God's voice terribly uttered from Heaven, the Seat of his Majesty, of which see, Psal. 29. This he saith none can understand, because that although the Philosopher assigneth it, (viz. The kindling of a fat vapor exhalled from the Earth into the middle Region of the Air by the heat of the Sun piercing it: For then as an hot iron thrust into water maketh a noise, so is this terrible great noise made in the Clouds, which are sometimes said to be round about God's habitation) yet no man can understand to the full, how this noise of thunder crack after thunder crack is made so strangely, striking men and other things here, and as God will, some being burnt within, no outward burning appearing upon them in a most miraculous manner: But what is meant by this, Covereth the bottom of the Sea? Hebr. The roots of the Sea, and what are these but the mountains about the Sea, from whence as Sap cometh from the roots of a Tree into it, so Springs of water run into the Sea and the rain falleth down by them into it. And for the Clouds covering the Mountains, Pliny noteth, that sometime a vapor is upon a Mountain as thick as a cloud, which is a sign of some t • rrible tempest to come: Gregory of all this makes this allegorical exposition, The Apostles are as the rain in their heavenly Doctrine, for which as hath been shown upon other places, they are often thus compared in their teaching, they also are as clouds, but false Teachers as clouds without water, and they thundered and lightened, when joining miracles to their teaching, they struck such fear into rude and barbarous men, that when as by wars they could not be terrified and made quiet, hereby they were; and that, as he hath it following, the Vulg. Covering the hinges of the Sea; that is, The extreme parts of the World: And whereas as followeth, Verse 31. By them he judgeth the people, and giveth meat in abundance. Hereby is set forth how Preachers are by God made as Judges over the people, to absolve from sin, and to bind up in sin; and the same, that are as thunder and lightning terrible to all parts of the World, which shineth suddenly from one end of the Earth to the other, minister also meat to the Soul; as the clouds, out of which both rain and thunder come, cause Corn to grow, and Grass, which are meat for Man and Beast: For the literal sense, he judgeth the people by them, when being provoked by sin, he turneth Rain and Thunder into judgment, many being by it coming inordinately impoverished, famished, destroyed, and some burnt and made terribly to perish; but others upon whom the rain falleth as a blessing, are comforted and enriched, and the thunder is made a means of safeguard unto them, their enemies being hereby destroyed, as in the days of Samuel, he praying, God thundered upon the Philistines, and slew them: And in the time of Aurelianus an Emperor, the Christian band that was in his Army, prayed in the want of water, and there came thunder and rain, whereby his Army was refreshed, and the tempest smiting upon the face of the enemy, advantage was given to the Army, to the overthrowing of them, whence for the perpetual remembrance hereof, it was called Cohors fulminea.
With clouds he covereth the light, and comanded it not to shine, by the cloud that cometh betwixt. The noise thereof showeth concerning it, and the Cattle also concerning the vapor. Vulgar, He hath hidden the light in his hands, and commanded it to return again; he telleth his friend thereof, that it is his possession, and that he may ascend unto it. Hebrew, Above his hands or clouds. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth either, He hath hid the light, and commandeth concerning it, in that which accurreth, or in the returning commandeth concerning it, Which is all one with the Vulgar in sense; He commandeth the light of the Sun, when it hath been for a time hidden by the clouds, which are his hands, as it were, held under it, to show itself and shine again: It is an explication of that which went before, Verse 31. Showing, how by the clouds dropping down rain, and the light of Heaven; that is, The Sun after this shining, and so having intercourse one with another, he judgeth people, as there was said, and giveth them meat: For this causing of the Sun to lie long hidden, and rain and cold to abound extraordinarily, is a judgment; but coming by intercourse, a blessing: And so the sense of these words is plain, only he passeth herein from one light of lightening to another of the Sun shining, as he might well do, although he mentioned not it before particularly; because the Sun is the light, causing that light, as hath been already shown: But for the words of Verse 33. It is harder to find out the true meaning, to find which yet we shall have recourse to the Hebrew Text, which is this; He shall show his friend concerning it a possession above ascending, or upon an ascent. The meaning whereof is, As he judgeth the people in this World, as is aforesaid, by fair weather and foul; so if any man be his friend, as it is said of Abraham, that he was, he will show to him concerning his ways wherein he goeth towards man; a far greater matter concerning them, whereby he shall have more comfort, Viz. The heavenly Inheritance which is above, which he shall see by faith here, and to the Possession whereof he shall come hereafter: Many other expositions there be, but I will neither trouble myself, nor the Reader in mentioning them; for this is the right meaning, as will easily appear to the Judicious, if he looketh well to the signification of the words in the Hebrew Text, and so greater comfort is here spoken to those that love God, and are his friends, then this World can afford; as before comfort was spoken to all such, in respect of Worldly blessings; although for the present, they be in great misery.
CHAP. XXXVII.
AT this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. Here Expositors agree not about these words, At this, Whether they be to be referred to the thunder before spoken of, or to the words following, which he was now about further to utter, touching other works of God, whereby he also speaketh, or other sounds that are heard extraordinarily, when God at some particular times is pleased to reveal himself, and his will to men; as when he came down upon Mount Sinai, with a great noise both of thunder, and a voice distinctly speaking out his commandments; and in the time of the Gospel, causing a great noise and rushing to be heard, when he filled his Disciples with the holy Ghost: By Ezekiel also he caused a great sound to be heard of the Cherubims, Wings, and Wheeles; and by John when he made his Revelation to him of things to come. And to this I rather subscribe, because of the ordinary thunder and lightening, he had spoken enough before; and although this is also called his voice, yet it is not said to be the voice coming out of his mouth, which seemeth rather to be of sound, tending to instruction; as Aquinas well noteth, and as the noises at special times before spoken of did: And such a noise cannot but cause trembling, as that also, which shall be made at the day of judgment shall most do; When the Heavens shall pass away with a noise. As Peter speaketh, such sounds therefore he biddeth us here to attend unto, which have always filled men with fear and amazement, that the Majesty and dreadfulness of God being hereby considered, we may stand in awe and humble ourselves before him; and not be lifted up, out of an imagination of any goodness in us, that will hold with God's justice, when he shall show himself and speak as he doth in the next Chapter. When Job himself humbly acknowledged his sins, and durst not stand anymore upon his own justification: So that these words may seem to come from the spirit speaking in Elihu, to prepare to the hearing of God speaking there; and that at the first he said not in vain; The spirit within me constraineth me. Gregory taking these words, as cohering with those going before, Verse 33. Where he ended with the possesion above; that is, The heavenly Inheritance, saith, That Elihu in speaking of his trembling, and his heart removing out of the place; showeth, That when a man entereth into this consideration, his heart is removed, because it is now gone from worldly things, upon which it was set before; being altogether taken up with [Note.] heavenly: But who so doth thus, doth it not without fear and trembleing, to think in what danger he was before, whilst his heart was set upon Worldly things; of loosing this glorious Inheritance, and being cast into the pit of destruction: And for the words of Vers. 2. He hath, He shall hear an hearing in the terror of his voice. That is, Whosoever cometh to the like consideration of that Inheritance, is not without terror at his voice, and the sound that cometh out of his mouth: For he thinketh upon the sins which he hath done, the worldliness of his mind formerly, and the frauds and oppressions, whereby he hath gotten worldly Goods; and his uncharitableness, together with the terrible sentence of the strict Judge: In regard of all which he cannot but tremble and fear, when his eyes are opened, to see in what danger he was of loosing that glory every moment, and of falling into such extreme misery; although by God's grace he hath his ears opened to hear the voice, whereby he is turned and comes to better hopes; for he heareth not only the voice, but the sound of his mouth, which always is terrifious, although it be a sounding of that which tendeth to comfort, to such as he meaneth to save: As it is said, not only of