Exposition of Job 4-7
So then, this of Eliphaz was a true vision, because it was the confirmation of a truth. Invented visions are in use only to gain credit to the inventions of man, or the visions of the Devil. Now for the matter and words themselves.
We translate [thing,] the Hebrew is [word,] A word was secretly brought unto me, but it is usual both in Hebrew and Greek to call A thing, A word. Luk. 2. 15. The Shepherds said, Let us go to Bethlehem to see this thing, the Greek is, to see this word which is done. Though here, it is proper enough, to say, A word was brought unto me.
Now a thing, or a word, was brought unto me, it was brought unto me secretly. The language of the Prophets was, The word of the Lord came unto me. There are two words in our translation, (secretly brought,) but the Hebrew is one; and that word signifies to steal, or to do a thing by stealth; so it may be translated, A thing was brought unto me by stealth, or was stole into me: M Broughton near this, A speech came by stealth upon me; we translate fully to the sense, A thing was secretly brought to me, as if it were whispered into the ear, and sent in closely to the spirit. And it is thus expressed, by way of opposition to another way, in which God reveals his mind unto his people. He sometimes comes openly and speaks aloud, that all may take notice, or because all ought. Isa. 58. 1. Cry aloud, lift up thy voice like a Trumpet. Things are brought openly to the people, secretly to the Prophets; what the Lord speaks in the ear, or to the heart of a Prophet, that he by the Prophet speaks on the house top, to all his people. A thing was secretly brought, or a thing was whispered unto Eliphaz. But he speaks it aloud to Job. This word or this thing, is said to be stolen into him, or to be brought unto him by stealth, for three reasons, which I shall but name and proceed.
First, a thing done by stealth, is done suddenly. The Thief hastens to do mischief, he makes no delays. Then secondly, a thing done by stealth is done secretly: a Thief comes closely in the dark; stealth is committed with greatest privacy; and to say a thing is brought by stealth, is as much as to say, it is brought privately. Thirdly, a thing done by stealth, is done unexpectedly. A man seldom looks for the Thief, he is upon him in the way, upon him in his house, before he is aware. A Thief is usually as unexpected, as he is a • unwelcome guest So this word came or was brought in by stealth, because it came, suddely, it came silently, and it came unexpectedly to Eliphaz. And in these three respects, Christ himself is said to come as a Thief, Behold I come as a thief in the night. As the word of Christ comes to many of his people now, so the person of Christ will come at the last unto all, He will come by stealth, or as a thief, suddenly, secretly, unexpectedly, when the world shall little dream of him, and his Church scarce be awake for him.
Note from this, first, That divine truths are infused into us, not borne in us, or borne with us; everything which is of Heaven, cometh unto us from Heaven; it is either stolen in secretly, or thundered in loudly: sometimes the Prophets and Ministers of Christ, speaking aloud, carry truth into the soul: sometimes God whispers it into the soul; one way or other, truth must be brought in, for it grows not in us: our hearts by nature are not only like white paper, having no inscription, not a letter of God's will written in them, but they are like paper blotted or blurred, written all over with the corrupt principles, and positions of our own wills. God by his Spirit first crosses or wipes out those, and then writes down his own golden rules, of holy truth and heavenly wisdom. This he doth, first in conversion from sin to grace and holiness, and afterward in all the increases of grace, and growths of holiness, There is not a syllable of the law of God in any man's heart, till the finger of God writes it there; I will put my law in their mind, and write it in their hearts, which is an allusion unto the two Tables of the Law. They were first written by the finger of God, and then put into the Ark: So God first writes the Law in our hearts, and then puts it into our minds; he lays it up in the Ark of our understanding and memory.
Secondly observe, That God steals truths into the hearts of his people unawares. As they often expect and wait long for knowledge, so they sometimes know before they expect. A truth either in whole or part, in the matter or clearer light of it, comes like a Thief into the heart, suddenly, secretly, unlooked for: in which case it is ever true, that truth unexpected is doubly welcomed. The way of the Spirit of God is always undiscernable to flesh and blood. The soul receives a thing, and the man knows not how; he can (scarce possibly, not at all) tell where, by whom, or which way it came to him; it was brought, secretly brought; and with a most blessed, gracious slight of hand, conveyed into his heart. Yet sometime truth enters in State, & may be said to make its passage visibly, into the heart of a man. The word comes, not as a company of Thieves, but as a band of Soldiers, with weapons drawn, and terrible shouts, tearing open the soul, and breaking open the iron gate of the heart, locked and bar'd with unbelief, to secure that cursed crew of lusts, garrison'd within it. The weapons of our warfare (saith the Apostle) are mighty, through God, 2 Cor. 10. 4. The word is mighty, wonderful in strength, it comes upon the soul as an armed man, to spoil it of all sinful treasures, yea of the very life of sin. Sometimes the Lord proclaims war, as by a Herald of Arms against a man and openly prepares for his siege and battery. He surprises another, and steals him into a happy captivity to himself.
Mine ear caught somewhat of it, so Mr. Broughton. The word signifies a part or a portion. Mine ear received a little: yet we are not to understand this, as if Eliphaz had taken in, only some fragments or imperfect notes, of what God delivered, or had heard to halves. For doubtless Eliphaz received all that was brought, he turned nothing back; he said not a little is enough, I need not the rest; that he received but a little, was not from neglect of the rest, but from inability to receive more, or to receive it more perfectly. And though he had not all of every part, yet he had a part of all; it was not a little of this, and none of that: little respects somewhat of every truth, not someone truth. He received, though not all, yet a perfect model of all, that was brought.
Further, this speech may have reference unto our present condition, concerning which the Apostle saith (1 Cor. 13.) We know but in part: now when he saith, we know but in part; it is not as if we had but a part of God's will, made known unto us. The Word of God and the works of God are perfect. And the Apostle assures the Church of Ephesus, That he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole counsel of God, Acts 20. 27. The whole (which concerns man) is declared, but we know that whole but in part. Such is our weakness and infirmity, that we cannot take in All of All, no nor any part of all in the full latitude and extent of it; Thus we know but in part; so saith Eliphaz, when this was brought to me, mine ear received but little of it; my narrow ear could drink in, but some drops of that ocean, which was poured out upon me. All that man apprehends, is but little, in respect of what God offers now, or of what hereafter he shall apprehend. Eliphaz speaks modestly and humbly of himself; God brought a thing unto me, and I am such a poor straightened vessel, that I could receive but a little of it; yet somewhat I caught hold of, which I am about to make known unto thee.
We may note from this. First, Holy truths, are very pleasant to the ear of a holy person. A thing was brought unto me, and mine ear caught a little of it; As when meats pleasant to the taste, are brought to a man, he puts forth his hand and takes them; or when pleasant music sounds, the ear catches it, or we drink it in greedily at the ear; so when holy truths are revealed, a holy heart catches them: The ear is not more affected with pleasant music, or the palate with pleasant meats, then the understanding spiritualized, is affected with spiritual truths; The ear of a holy man takes in holy things with pleasure, and therefore he is said to catch them, or drink them in, as, with much desire and ravishing delight: David sound more sweetness in the truths of God, then in the honey or honey comb. The spirit of a regenerate man, doth so much catch heavenly Doctrine, that in the Hebrew, the word which signifies such doctrine, signifies also catching or receiving; and a word from the same root, signifies the palate of the mouth; which may hint us thus much, that heavenly doctrine, pleases the palate or taste of a heavenly mind; And the reason of it is, because there is a suitableness in the heart of every godly man, with every truth of God; All delight arises from proportion and suitableness, between the object and the organ, in sensitives: between the object and the understanding, will, affections, in spirituals; That, which makes delight to the eye, is the suitableness of visibles to the eye: and that which makes delight the taste, is the suitableness of edibles to the palate: and so that which makes delight to the soul, is the suitableness of intelligibles to the understanding: Hence the reason is clear, why wicked men will not receive the things of God, but instead of catching them, catch at them, snarl and murmur at them, speak, yea rail and fight against them; their hearts are unsuitable to those truths, therefore they distaste them, therefore they relish them no more, then the white of an egg, or a dry stick. Nay, not only have they no pleasant taste, but they have a bitter taste in their mouths, they are as gall and wormwood to them, they are a vexation and torment to them: The truth which the two Witnesses publish, torments them that dwell on the earth; and then no marvel if instead of catching those truths, to embrace them, they catched the Witnesses and kill them.
Observe secondly; That the ear and heart of man in this state of corruption, are vessels too narrow, to take in or hold all the truths of God. I have many things to say, (saith Christ to his Disciples) but ye cannot bear them now, Joh. 16. 12. Nor could they ever fully bear, so much as Christ had to say. We have line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little, Isa. 28. 10. because it is but here and there a little, some few lines or precepts, which we are able to learn, and digest into our spirits; whole showers of divine truths, are often rained upon us (Heb. 6.) yet we drink in but a drop or two; we swim, as it were, in a whole ocean, a sea of holy revelations, but we are narrow-necked-bottles, and how little is it which bubbleth in? mine ear received a little thereof. The truth of God, is like God himself, infinite; Truth is nothing else but the mind of God, and that is infinite; therefore we who are not only finite, but straightened, cannot possibly comprehend it.
Thirdly, Mine ear received a little thereof; it was but a little he received, yet he received a little, all did not fall beside his ear, all did not slip away, he caught somewhat: Note from hence, That the ear and heart of a godly man, ever receive somewhat, when the truths of God are revealed. I cannot get in all, my heart will not receive all, my memory will not retain all, but a little it will hold, somewhat it takes in at every Sermon, and from every vision of God; (Sermons are the visions of God, and somewhat of God's mind is brought to you in every holy Sermon.) Natural men are like sieves, like vessels without a bottom, or full of holes, into which these truths being put, run out every drop: the best, in this life, are leaking vessels, much drops out; Eliphaz received a little; How many hear much and receive nothing? They come empty to the Ordinances, and they return empty: their ea • es have been filled with a sound, but their hearts have not caught a syllable, not a word of truth is written in their hearts, not a letter laid up in their minds: And that's the reason, why not a word is to be seen in their lives; How can they hold out the word in a pure conversation, who have not received it into a pure conscience?
The former Verse, shown us the manner how, that thing was brought to Eliphaz, a thing was secretly brought to me; this shows the time when it was brought, it was (saith he) in thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men.
In thoughts from the visions of the night.] Some read it, in the thoughts which I had, after the visions of the night. So Hos. 6. 2. From two days, Heb. After two days; or, in thoughts which I had in the visions of the night, or, in thoughts of the visions of the night; The Original bears any of these readings.
In thoughts.] The Hebrew word, signifies properly the boughs of a tree; and so some translate; In the bougbes, sprigs or branches of the visions of the night: but we render it well, in the thoughts: And thoughts are called boughs or branches; First, because thoughts grow from the mind, sprout and shoot up from the mind, as branches from the stock of a tree; From the root or stock of a man's understanding, a branch of thoughts grows up, sometimes like a tall Cedar of Libanus, as high as Heaven. Secondly, the boughs and branches of a tree, are many, thick, interwoven, and crossing one another; such are the thoughts of a man, he hath many, even multitudes of them; In the multitude of my thoughts, saith David? The mind puts forth many branches and twiggs, they sprout and shoot forth every way; thousands of various thoughts are moving, upon various objects, and to various ends; some are earthly, some heavenly. The branches of some minds, are but briars and thorns; others bear the Lily and the Rose, their root is in Heaven, and they grow heavenward. Thirdly, thoughts are called branches, because the branch or the bough, brings forth and bears the fruit; the stock or the body of a tree, brings forth fruit, at the branches: So all the fruit of our souls, is borne upon, or from our thoughts; our actions are the fruits of our thinkings: Thoughts are possible actions; look what a man thinketh, that he doth, or would do: And such as our thoughts are, such our actions are, or would be: Thoughts are the firstborn, the blossoms & blooms of the soul, the beginnings of our strength, whether for good or evil; therefore the Hebrew word, is elegantly translated from a bough or a beanch, to a thought.
The Hebrew word for speech, prayer and meditation, springs from a root of the same signification; because speech, prayer and meditation, spring up from the Spirit as a stalk, or branches from the stock of a tree.
There is one thing further to be observed from this word (for it is a very elegant word, and therefore I spend a little the more time upon it) In thoughts from the visions of the night; The word signifies, not only a bough, but the highest bough, the topbough of a tree: A tree hath some under-boughs, and some topboughes, as the Prophet speaks (Isa. 17. 6.) Two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough: it is the same word, which here in the text, we translate thoughts; as if Eliphaz should say, in my very uppermost, or highest thoughts, in those very top-branches of my budding phancie, which I had from the visions of the night. The highest, the top-branches which grow from the soul of a godly man, are for, or about the highest mercies, top-mercies, for Heaven and heavenly things. A wicked man's highest and uppermost thoughts are for the earth, his thoughts for the earth, outgrow all his other thoughts: But a godly man's thoughts, for Heaven and spirituals▪ outgrow all his other thoughts, his thoughts for Heaven, are the highest and uppermost branches of his soul. We have this word used, in the 1 Kings 18. 21. How long (saith Elijah) will you halt between two opinions? That word which we there translate opinions, is here translated thoughts; hence some render that in the Kings thus, How long do ye halt between two top-thoughts, or high thoughts? As if this were the thing, which Elijah reproved in that people, that they had high thoughts, both of God and of Baal, top-thoughts of both: and they (as it were) set Baal, a dumb Idol, as high in their thoughts, estimations and opinions, as they did the living God. Why do ye halt between two uppermost opinions, highest thoughts, or thoughts of equal height, concerning God and Baal? Your thoughts of your Idol, are as high as of God himself. What! will you make an Idol, equal with God? An Idol is a base thing, a low thing, a thing below upon the dung-hill (therefore called a dunghill god) The true God, is on high, he is in the highest Heavens, he is higher than the Heaven of Heavens, and do you debase him thus, by halting between two thoughts of equal height, concerning Him and Baal? They who set up an Idol, make it equal unto God. All false worship is a setting of our posts by God's posts, and of our threshold by his threshold, a making both, of equal height and worth.
And to clear it yet further; (Psal. 119. 13.) the same word is used by David, when he professes, I hate vain thoughts, or as some read it, I hate vain things; He calls Idolatrous thoughts vain thoughts, because they are wavering, inconstant or unsettled thoughts, in further allusion to the boughs of a tree: as the top-most and highest boughs of a tree, are shaken with every puff of wind, and waver too and fro with every blast, so are the thoughts of Idolaters: or because (as before) Idolatry sets up Too high Thoughts, adoring an Idol as much, or in competition and rivality with the everliving God. The higher our thoughts are of God, the more excellent they are; but the higher our thoughts are of false worship, the vainer they are; and to have as high thoughts of an Idol, as of the living and true God, are the vainest thoughts of all; those high thoughts are low thoughts, the lowest thoughts, thoughts most hateful, I hate vain thoughts.
From the visions of the night.] As I have opened that word about the thoughts somewhat largely, so this of the visions, requires more enlargement, yet I shall do it as briefly as I may.
Visions were a special way of divine revelation: Heb. 1. 1. God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake to our Fathers by the Prophets, saith the Apostle. God spake at sundry times, and he spake in divers manners. Now amongst those divers manners of speaking, speaking by or in visions was one. The Jewish Doctors, observe four degrees of divine revelation. The first they called Prophecy, which included vision, and any apparition whereby the will of God was made known. They had a second way of divine revelation, which they called, The inspiration of the Holy Ghost, whereby the party was enabled, without vision or apparition, to prophesy: either as prophesying is taken for the foretelling of things to come, or for the resolving of things in doubt: The Rabbins give us the difference between these two, prophecy and inspiration: In prophecy (though it was from the Holy Ghost) a man was cast into a trance, or brought into an ecstacy, his senses being taken away; but speaking by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, was without any such change in, or impressions upon the body; So David, and other Pen-men of the Scriptures, wrote by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost, yet without visible apparitions to them, or visible change upon them. Thirdly, God revealed himself, by Urim and Thummim, which was an answer given by the Ephod, or by the stones that were on the breast-plate of the high Priest. These three ways of divine revelation (as they observe) ceased in the second Temple. The Jewish writers having this tradition, That after the latter Prophets, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the Holy Ghost departed from Israel; meaning, the Holy Ghost (not in the ordinary work of sanctification, but) in those extraordinary ways of prophecy, inspiration, and of Urim and Thummim, went up and departed from them. There was yet a fourth way of divine revelation, which they call Bathcoll, the daughter of a voice, or echo, declaring the will of God immediately from Heaven: such some conceive to be, the voice heard from Heaven, Math. 3. 1. proclaiming the testimony of God concerning Christ, a voice was heard from Heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
But to pass from these traditions of the Jews, we shall give you the doctrine of divine revelations, more distinctly from the Scriptures. We find (Numb. 12. 6, 7, 8.) three distinct ways, in which the Lord revealed himself of old unto his people. If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream; My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house, with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently; and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold. This is an illustrious text, describing three distinct ways or degrees of holy revelation. First, by vision which we have here in Job. Secondly, by a Dream, which was when God presented somewhat to them sleeping: This kind of revelation God vouchsafed, not only to his own people and Prophets, but to Heathens also and strangers from his Covenant. Pharaoh had a revelation by a dream (Gen. 41.) concerning the seven years of famine; and Nebuchadnezzar had a wonderful revelation by a dream (Dan. 2.) concerning the state of the four Monarchies. The wise men of the East, were warned in a dream, to return into their Country another way, Math. 2. But with the Saints, these revelations by dreams, were very frequent; Jacob (Gen. 28.) in a dream, as he slept upon a stone, saw a ladder, &c. Joseph, Jacob's son, had so many dreams, that his brethren jeered him with it, and called him, the Captain-dreamer, The dreamer, a Master of dreams, Gen. 37. 19. Joseph the husband of Mary, was twice warned in a dream, first that he should not forsake his wife, Mat. 1. and then that he should go into Egypt, Mat. 3. Many other the like revelations by dreams, might be instanced in, but I forbear. There is a third way spoken of in this text, and that is, speaking mouth to mouth; my servant Moses is not so, with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently. This is a more eminent way of heavenly manifestations than the former; Moses had a privilege above the ordinary Prophets. For to speak mouth to mouth, is expounded (by Apparently) I will speak plainly or apparently, not in a vision or in a dream; When a man speaks mouth to mouth to his friend, or (as the Scripture phrases our communion with God, in Heaven) face to face; This is opposed to a more remote or obscure communion. As our seeing God face to face in Heaven, so his speaking to us, mouth to mouth on earth, notes the clearest and fullest revelation: It is to give us his mind, nakedly, without any figure or shadow; or (as Christ is said once in the Gospel) to speak plainly, and not in Parables. And these speakings mouth to mouth, were of two sorts: Either immediate, as himself did unto Moses, or as to others, by the ministry of Angels; God often employed Angels in this service, to declare his mind, and bring messages to his people; This was a kind of speaking mouth to mouth: but Moses had an honor beyond this, with him will I speak mouth to mouth, I by myself, not I, by a created Angel.
Visions (to keep to the term in hand) were (you see) a principal means, by which God broke his mind, and unlocked the secrets of his counsels. If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision. And to clear this point about visions yet more fully; We may distinguish of divers sorts of visions. First, A vision is sometime put for any ordinary dispensation of the will of God, to his Prophets or Ministers, who as from God, dispense it to his people, (Prov. 29. 18.) Where vision faileth, the people perish, that is, where there are none to publish and declare the mind of God (no not in an ordinary way) to a people, that people are in the ready way to perdition. Without the visions of grace, there is no ordinary way to the visions of glory. Secondly, By a vision, we understand an extraordinary work of God, manifesting his mind to his Prophets, either to assure future successes, or to resolve doubtful Queries: And these were called visions, because by them things were made so manifest, as if they had been seen before their eyes: and in some of these revelations, a visible representation was made to the eye: visions were often attended with apparitions; In reference to both these sorts of visions, that is appliable, 1 Sam. 9. 9. Before time in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake; Come let us go to the Seer, for he that is now called a Prophet, was before time called a Seer: Prophets were called Seers, because in visions, they had either an ocular, or an intellectual sight of the mind of God.
Secondly, Visions may undergo this division: There was an open vision, and there was a private vision: In the 1 Sam. 3. 1. we have the ground of the distinction, In those days there was no open vision: Open, is opposed to private or secret; the word imports, a vision appearing in public, and the meaning of the text is this; there were no Prophets sent openly, and (as it were) In State, invested with commission, and furnished with messages from Heaven unto the people; there was no open vision: yet at that time there were private visions, as to Manoah, Judge. 13. God revealed himself in those dark times, to some of his special servants: And so he hath and will at all times. While he hath a Church upon the earth, he never shuts himself quite in Heaven. Open vision may fail, but all visions shall not fail. So open profession may fail in the reign of Antichrist, in his hour, and in the power of darkness; as it did in the time of Elijah, yet all profession of the truth shall never fail: The Lord hath always his thousands in secret, who never bowed their knee to Baal. In many places, since Christ came in the flesh, there hath been no open vision, no holding forth of the truth of Christ, and yet even in those places, there have been private visions; and a remnant reserved, to whom God hath made known the mysteries, of the Kingdom of Christ: When darkness covers all in appearance, there may be light which appears not: and candles under a bushel, when there are none in the Candlesticks. A Goshen hath light, while Egypt is plagued with darkness; and when the Prophets are benighted, it may be day, with many of the people.
Thirdly, Some visions were without any trance or ravishment, (Gen. 15. 1.) The word of God came in a vision to Abraham, speaking to his ear, and bidding him look up to Heaven with his eyes, ver. 5. But often we find, that visions were accompanied with trances: 'Twas so with Balaam the false Prophet, (Num. 24. 16.) He hath said, which saw the visions rf the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: And it was so with some of the true Prophets, Daniel saw a vision, and when he heard the voice, Then (saith he) was I in a deep sleep upon my face, (Dan. 10. 9.) Peter was in a trance, when he had the vision of a sheet let down from Heaven, Act. 10. And the Apostle saith, (2 Cor. 12. 1.) I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord, whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth. His soul had so much acquaintance with God, that he became a stranger to his own body; his soul was so busied in receiving knowledge from God, that he was fain to put off the knowledge and care of his body, wholly to God: What the state of my body was, I know not, God knoweth.
Fourthly, Some visions were presented only in bare naked words, others were clothed in types and figures, in the shapes of beasts of the earth, and souls of the air, of trees, and stones, &c. As to Ezekiel, and Daniel in their Prophesies, and to John in the book of Revelations: These figures, were as an Alphabet of sacred Letters, which put together and spel'd, made the mind of God legible to his servants.
Lastly, The Scripture in hand, hints us a fifth difference about visions. In thoughts from the visions of the night, that's considerable. There were visions of the day, and visions of the night; thus it is said (Dan. 2. 19.) when Daniel expounded Nebuchadnezzar's dream, that God made it known to him in visions of the night, opposing it to visions of the day. Usually the night was the time for visions; hence (Numb. 22. 18, 19.) Balaam the false Prophet (when the messengers of Balak came to him) saith, Tarry this night, and I will show you in the morning, he thought to have a vision in the night: So it is observable, that when Saul and his servant, came to Samuel (1 Sam. 9. 19.) to inquire about the straid Asses, he tells him, ye shall eat bread with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart; he desired a night, intimating, that God used to reveal secrets unto him in the night.
So much concerning visions, with the kinds and differences of them.
From this doctrine of visions, we may take notice of our privilege under the Gospel. The Apostle saith at sundry times and in divers manners, God spake unto our fathers by the Prophets, but he hath spoken unto us one way, which exceeds them all, Even by his Son who is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, Heb. 1. 2, 3. We have a vision which outshines all the visions that ever the Prophets or Patriarchs had, from the beginning of the world. Their light was darkness, at most but a shadow, their visions were obscurities, and their revelations, concealments, compared with ours. Our vision is Christ, God manifested in the flesh; Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, saith old Simeon, he had a vision of Christ in person. The land of Judah was called the valley of vision, because God revealed himself to that people, more frequently and clearly, than to all the world beside. Where ever the Gospel is preached, that Land is a valley of vision, a valley of vision far more lightsome and glorious, than the land of Judah was; the very darkness of the Gospel, is clearer than the light of the Law. That which was made glorious had no glory, by reason of that glory which excelleth, 1 Cor. 3. 10. Only remember, that as our privilege is greater than theirs, so is our duty; A clear light should be answered with a holier life. And we who have more evidence of what God would have done, should make more conscience to do it. Now we are not taught by dreams and visions of the night, We ought to walk as children of the day. Not only is darkness gone, but the shadows are fled away. The true light now shines; even he who enlightens everyone that comes into the world. We need not dreams or visions now. Why should we call for Candles when the Sun is up? We need not Star-light when we have day-light, or when the promised Day-star is risen in our hearts, 2 Pet. 1. 19.
Here is one circumstance more in the Text about this vision very remarkable; it was not only in the night, but in the night when deep sleep falleth on men, or on sorrowful man, man wearied with labor and travel. This is a more distinct description of the time than the former. It was in the night, and in that part of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men; that is, in the former part or beginning of the night for the first sleep is the deep sleep; and we use to say that a man, especially a weary hard-wrought man, is in a dead sleep, when he is in his first sleep. The word signifies an extraordinary sleep. It is used (Gen. 2. 21.) where it is said, that God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, when he took out his rib and formed the woman. The Seventy translate it, ecstacy. Some compare it to a Lethargy; a man in a Lethargy can hardly be awakened. Such a sleep as Saul was in, 1 Sam. 26. 12 when David came into the trench, and took away the Spear and the Cruse of water from his bolster. Such an one as Jonas was in, while the ship was almost sunk with the tempest, Jonah 1. 5. In both places we have this original word. At the time when such sleep sals on wearied man, Eliphaz had this vision. And be speaks very elegantly, that this deep sleep falleth on men; because such sleep seems to oppress the spirits, as a heavy weight the body; it falls as heavy as Lead upon all a man's senses, and overcomes them: we say ordinarily, a man falls asleep, and it is as true of sleep, that it falls upon a man, and falls with such a weight, that man is not able to stand under it. We say also, a men is heavy to sleep, for sleep like a heavy thing, comes down upon him, and then down comes he. Heathen Poets tell us, that at this time they had visions, or delusions rather. Satan imitates God in what he can, that he may deceive with better success.
We may abserve from hence. First, Seeing Eliphaz had this vision when deep sleep falleth upon men, that the power of God's Spirit works through all natural impediments: when tired nature is willing to fall, or cannot stay it self from falling into a deep sleep, then God can awaken us, with his visions, and make us see, when we cannot hold open our eyes. When God will reveal his mind to the soul, he overcomes the imperfections of the body. Sleepinesse is an imperfection; if a man be sleepy he is unfit to hear. While the eye is thus shut, the ear cannot be open. That sleeper in the Acts fell down dead, while Paul was preaching. Yet when God comes by his mighty power and Spirit, though a man's ear be shut, he can break through, and get into his heart. The Word hath taken some napping and nodding. Yea, God breaks in by his Almighty power in the revelations of his will, not only when men are in a dead natural sleep, but when they are in a sleep of spiritual death. The Word breaks open the bars of the grave, and loosens the bands of death.
Secondly, for as much as Eliphaz had this vision when deep sleep falleth on men, himself being kept awake, or waking. Observe, That, when we are most retired from the world, then we are most fit to have, and usually have most communion with God. If a man would but abridge himself of sleep, and wake, with holy thoughts, when deep sleep falleth upon sorrowful laboring men, he might be entertained with visions from God, though not such visions as Eliphaz and others of the Saints have had, yet visions he might have. Every time God communicates himself to the soul, there is a vision of love, or mercy, or power, somewhat of God in his nature, or in his will, is shown unto us. David shows us divine work when we go to rest. The bed is not all for sleep; Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still, Psal. 4. Be still or quiet, and then commune with your hearts; and if you will commune with your hearts, God will come and commune with your hearts too, his Spirit will give you a loving visit, and visions of his love. When Jacob fearing the rage of his brother, had put himself into the best posture of defense he could, and had sent his wives, and children, his servants and his flocks over the River, the Text saith (Gen. 32. 24.) that Jacob was left alone: which is not to be understood, as if his company had left or deserted him: Jacob's solitariness was not passive, but elective. He having disposed of all his family, withdrew himself, and stayed alone: and what then? then he had a vision indeed; Then there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day; he spent not the night in carking and caring what should become of him the morrow: No, he retires to pray for a blessing upon his former cares, and a blessing he obtains. It is observable also concerning Isaac, Gen. 24. 36. that he went out into the fields to meditate (or as others read it) to pray. Some foolishly gloss upon it, that Isaac being delighted in Astronomy, went out to contemplate on the Stars. But I believe the walk of Isaac's spirit was above the Stars. It is a sweet expression of Bernard, If thou wouldest meet Christ in special communion, do thou of tentimes retire thyself. Oh chaste and lovely soul, doest thou not know thou hast a modest Spouse, that will not come to thee in the throng of worldly company and employment. Come my beloved (saith the Spouse, Cant. 7. 11.) let us go forth into the fields, and lodge in the villages. Let us get from the tumult of the Creature. He loves to find his Spouse alone, retired into a Chamber, or into a Closet, or in the fields and Groves, in the Gardens and shady walks, or in thoughts upon thy bed, having ihe Curtains drawn, and all the world shut out. Some have visions in the night when deep sleep falleth upon men, but what are their visions? surely they are visions of darkness, not of light, visions of Hell, rather then visions of Heaven. The Proplet complains of such, who devise evil upon their beds; they plot and contrive mischief upon their beds; or they have visions of uncleanness, visions of covetousness, visions of oppression, black infernal visions. How much better is it to be blind, then to have such visions? to be asleep, then have such waking thoughts? But to lie awake in our beds with thoughts of Christ, is far more sweet then the sweetest sleep. And in the day, could we make more vacations from the world, we should have more business in Heaven. Most men are mudding in the earth all day, and if they wake in the night, earthly care keeps them awake. There are many thousands whom love unto the world keeps awake; but how few are there, whom love to Christ keeps awake?
It was an harsh, and (in one sense) an ignorant speech of a wise man amongst the Heathens, who said, There is no man who may not more holily be in any company, than with himself alone: And yet there is a truth in it: For if a man be by himself alone, and deal only with his own heart, probably, he might be as profitably with any company, as with himself: One man's heart in itself, is as bad as another's, and usually it is worst, when it is by it self. Some, like Nebuchadnezzar, being secluded from men, converse only with beasts, those most beastly beasts, lusts in their own bosoms. But, to be alone from men, to converse with God, to be alone from men, to converse with Christ, is infinitely better then all the society of men. The reason why many receive but little of Christ, little of Heaven, is, because they are so much in the crowd of the world, so long upon the Rack of earthly care; they seldom let their hearts settle. The Ballances must stand at an even poise, before you can weigh aright. If you desire to know, which bears most weight in your hearts, Earth or Heaven, Christ or the Creature, let your hearts stand still. That in Psalm 4. 4. reaches this sense fully, Commune with your own hearts upon your beds, and be still. Our hearts will not be spoken with, unless we be quiet. And as the Picture-drawer cannot take the features of the face, to the life; so neither can we of our hearts, or lives, unless we have the patience to sit for it.
JOB. Chap. 4. Vers. 14, 15, 16.
Fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
Then a Spirit passed before my face, the hair of my flesh stood up.
It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof, an Image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
WE have already given the Logical dependence of this whole Context, from the 12 Verse, unto the end of the Chapter, and therein shown how Eliphaz confirms the principal Proposition (lying in the 17 Verse) by Divine Authority, a Vision received from Heaven. A thing (saith he) was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof, in thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men. Thus the manner of the vision is described in general. The effects of the vision upon Eliphaz, and the particular manner how the vision appeared, are now further described and set forth. This 14 Verse contains one eminent effect of the vision, with the consequents of it; as soon (saith he) as I was in that heavenly rapture and ecstacy, Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
It was very usual, for Prophets and Holy men, to be surprised with fear, at the appearance of Jehovah in his messages, by Angels or other visions. It is natural unto man to fear, at the sight of an Angel: and it is a received opinion among the Jews, that whether God or an Angel did appear, it was present death, which they collect from divers Scriptures (Ex. 33. 20.) when Moses desired to see the face of God, the Lord answered, there is no man can see my face and live. Those words of Gideon import as much (Judge 6. 22.) When Gideon perceived that he was an Angel of the Lord, he said, Alas, O Lord God, for because I have seen an Angel of the Lord, face to face; as if he had said, alas, woe is me, I shall certainly die: And Judge. 13. 21. Manoah concludes it, We shall surely die, because we have seen God, when an Angel appeared to them. Hence also Jacob (Gen. 32. 30.) after his wrestling with the Angel (which was Christ) called the name of the place Penuel, which is, The face of God, for saith he, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved; as noting, that it was a wonderful privilege not to die at such a sight; the very appearance of God, is death to the Creature. And that which Hagar spake (Gen. 16 13.) may well be interpreted to this sense: when flying from her Mistress, God came to her in the Wilderness, she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me; the reason is added, by way of admiration, for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Which words may well be translated, Do I live after him (sc. God) that seeth me; for here one act of life is put for the whole, looking or seeing, for living; Have I seen, or have I beheld the light, after God hath seen me; that is, Am I alive after God hath seen me. How wonderful!
The effect of this vision upon Eliphaz, was not death. but fear, yet no ordinary fear, but fear which looked almost as pale as death; it was fear joined with trembling, and no ordinary trembling, but such a fit of trembling as shook his very bones. We have often spoken of fear, both in this and in the former Chapters; but such a fear as met Eliphaz, we have not met with before.
That before was the grace of fear, spiritual fear, but this is the passion of fear, natural fear. And it is natural to man (as some of the Ancients have observed) to fear thus at the appearance of God by Angels. Fear is caused by the apprehension of some evil imminent or at hand, that's the definition of natural fear. Now when God manifests himself, though the greatest good be at hand, yet the soul hath some misgivings and apprehensions of evil; & hence comes fear: the foundation of this fear is laid in guilt, sin is in the soul, and guilt may be upon the soul; thence natural fear works, when God, who is all holy, manifests himself. And in special, there is much unbelief remaining in the heart, this fear is strengthened by unbelief, Wherefore do ye fear, saith Christ, O ye of little faith? Where there is little faith, there is much fear; and as unbelief prevails, so fear prevails too. Thirdly, this fear arises from the suddenness and unexpectednesse of the thing. God (as you may observe in all those Revelations of himself) comes suddenly: that which comes before we see it, causeth fear when we see it: sudden motions without us, work strange commotions within. And fourthly, the over-pouring Majesty and super-excelling excellency of God, in any such revelation, causeth astonishments of spirit: a little appearance of God, makes the creature disappear. One drop of the Divine Ocean, swallows up all man, and one ray of that Eternal Light, dazzles bim. From any or all these considerations, it may be, that fear and trembling took hold upon Eliphaz, like an armed man, as soon as the vision appeared: fear met him (saith the Original) or (as the Septuagint) fear came out, and (as it were) stood in the way to surprise and apprehend him.
Neither was this bare fear, but fear heightened, fear accompanied with trembling. Trembling of the body is a symptom or sign of great fear; when fear works outwardly, manifesting itself by sad effects upon the body, then fear is in its reign and greatness. There are four special effects which fear works upon the body, & we have three of them here in this Text. The first is, the quaking or the shaking of the members of the body; the second is the shaking of the bones; the third is the standing up of the hair; and the fourth is the paleness and wannesse of the countenance. All except the last appeared upon Eliphaz at the appearance of this vision.
First, he trembled in this 14 Verse, Fear came upon me and trembling: these two go often together in Scripture; you shall find trembling coupled with godly fear, as well as with natural fear, Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with fear (with reverential filial fear) and rejoice before him with trembling; that is, let your fear be an exceeding great fear, even such, as fills you with an awful trembling at the presence of the Lord. The Apostle Paul (Phil. 2. 12.) puts them together again, Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
The second effect is shaking of the bones, It made all my bones to shake; as if he had said, this fear stayed not in the flesh, but descended, and entered into my bones. I was deeply affected with it. We translate; Which made all my bones to shake; the word in the Hebrew is, it made the multitude of my bones, or, my bones how many soever they are, to shake. The Hebrews have this rule, that the major part is usually taken for the whole, therefore the multude of his bones, or many of his bones, is well translated, all his bones. And the Verb which we render shake, is of the same root with fear, fear came upon me; so that according to the letter we may read it thus, Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to fear. A bone is in itself senseless, and therefore fearless; but to show how extreme and deep this fear was, he saith, it made fear enter into that, which is without fear, and hath of itself no feeling; it made my very bones to fear, as well as my heart to fear, or my flesh to tremble. Habakkuk in the third of his Prophesy, being before God in his prayer-visions, describes the rapture of his spirit, by this and other symptoms upon his body, When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones, v. 16.
The third effect follows; Then a spirit passed before my face, and the hair of my head stood up. A Spirit rush'd upon me, so the Seventy. Some translate it, A wind passed before me; a gale or breath of wind, as (1 Kings 19. 11.) when God appeared to Elijah, it is said, first there came a mighty wind, which rent the mountains, and brake the roots, and some conceive that a wind passed before Eliphaz; but the context will not bear it; those words which follow are not competible with a wind; v. 16. It stood before me, it stood still, this cannot be understood of the wind, for wind is always in motion: and then it is said, I had an Image before my face, now there is no form or Image of the wind; the wind hath no shape or likeness, therefore it was a Spirit or Angel, not an Aeriall wind. And if you say, how hath a Spirit a form or an Image, or how can that be seen? I answer it was not a Spirit abstracted and naked in itself, but a Spirit joined with a form and shape, as is generally agreed: so Angels or Spirits did usually appear to the Ancients, taking a body or some from upon them: and those apparitions, when a body was assumed, were called spirits. (Luke 24. 37.) it is said, that the Disciples were afraid at the appearing of Christ, thinking they had seen a spirit: The Apostles were not so absurd, as to believe, that a spirit in itself, a spirit abstracted, could be seen; but they called it a spirit, because they thought it only the representation of Christ's body, and not the true body: and therefore though an outward shape appeared, they called it a spirit. So here, A spirit passed before me, which yet might have some outward shape, in which it was clothed to the eye.
A spirit passed before me,] forward, backward, up and down, which is opposed to the words in the 16 Verse, It stood still: here it was transient or in motion. The word used for passing, signifies rather such a motion as is of the Heavens, or of the winds, than that which is properly progressive or the motion of the living creatures. And thence some observe, that the motion of spirits clothed with bodies in their apparitions, is not like the motion of men, who move, lifting up their feet oue after another; but it is a passing as a ship moveth with a gale of wind, rather a gliding, than a going: Among the Heathen, this was made the chief difference, to distinguish a Numen, or spirit coming in any shape, from a natural body. The steddinesse of their eyes was one, the not transposing their feet was another, and a clearer evidence.
This Spirit passing thus before him, produces the third effect.
The hair of my head stood up] Shaking of the bones went before, and now standing up of the hair. A spirit passed before me, and the hair of my head stood up. The Original is, The hair of my flesh, or the hair of my body; flesh is put for the body, as in Gen. 2. 24. They two shall be one flesh. That is (as it were) one body, speaking of man and wife; and Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, saith David, it is the same word; as if Eliphaz had said, I am so much affected with thoughts of God, that the very hair of my flesh (as in extraordinary fear it useth to do) stood up. The natural reason why the hair stands up in time of fear is this; when sudden fear falleth upon us, the blood goes, or • astens rather to the heart, and so the outward members wax cold; and the skin, in which the hair is rooted, is pressed more together, which causeth the hair to stand up, though of it self it be a weak and unstable excrement.
So we see the general effect of the vision, which was fear, and those three concomitants or symptoms of fear, The trembling of his flesh, The shaking of his bones, And the standing up of the hair of his flesh. From all, take these Observations.
First, Forasmuch as Eliphaz falleth into such a fit of fear and amazement, at this manifestation of God to him, we learn, That man is not able to bear the presence of God. Weak and frail man, falls before the greatness, power and majesty of God. Dust and ashes crumbleth away, if the glory of the great God do but shine forth, even in those lesser manifestations of himself. Hence it was, that Job seems to capitulate with God, that he would speak with him, upon two Articles or conditions granted, Chap. 13. 21, 22 First, Withdraw thy hand far from me. Secondly, Let not thy dread make me afraid: Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me. As if he had said, so dreadful is thy presence, that unless thou be pleased to sweeten it to me, fear will presently seize upon me, and disable me to speak. Moses who was a favourite of heaven, and one who shortly after had communion with God, above all that ever lived: yet when Jehovah appeared in that flaming Bush, the text saith, Exod. 3. 6. That Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upen God; holy Moses could not bear that glory. Daniel a man greatly beloved of God, and honored with glorious visions, was yet greatly astonished at those visions, Chap. 10. 8. There remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength: and verse. 16. O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength: Vers. 17. Neither is there any breath left in me. I am ready to die, I am not able to bear thy majesty, in these mysteries of thy will, made known to me. How doth Habakkuk cry out in the place afore quoted, of his trembling belly, quivering lips, and of rottenness entering into his bones We find in the New Testament, the Saints swallowed up with the like amazements. Zechariah of whom the Holy Ghost had given such an excellent testimony a little before, for a man that had walked blameless in all the Ordinances of God, yet as soon as the Angel appeared, the Text saith, He was •• ubled, and fear fell upon him, Luke 1. 12. Yea the blessed Virgin (v. 29. of that Chap.) when she saw him (that is the Angel) she was troubled in her mind. Lastly, John the beloved Disciple, seeing Christ walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, &c. Fell at his feet as dead, Rev. 1. 17.
How should this humble and abase us in ourselves! we that are not able to stand before the gracious manifestations of God, when he comes to reveal himself to us in mercy, how shall we be able to stand before the wrathful manifestations of God? The Apostle tells us (1 Cor. 15. 50.) Flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; by flesh and blood, we are not to understand, the sinful nature of man (as flesh and blood often signify in Scripture, being opposed to spirit) but the constitution of nature or that estate wherein we stand, as men; this flesh and blood is not able to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, it cannot bear the majesty, glory and excellency of Heaven, where God clearly manifests himself unto his Saints; and where we shall see God face to face; and therefore the Apostle argueth all along, as by divers other Arguments, so by this; to prove the necessity of a resurrection, a raising and a new moulding of the body, into a spiritual condition: Why, because our natural bodies are not able to stand under such a weight of glory, as is prepared for the Saints in that Kingdom: Corruption (nature subject to corruption) cannot inherit incorruption; hence it was, that when but a little of God broke forth, the holiest and best of men in the world, fell a shaking and trembling, as not being able to bear, that transcendent majesty, shiningout in those weaker refracted beams of glory.
Secondly, Seeing God coming at this time to instruct Eliphaz, and reveal a great truth to him, was pleased to deal thus with him, to make him shake and tremble, we may note, That God usually humbles a man, and lays him very low, before he exalts him in the manifestations of his truth or power. Humiliations prepare and posture the heart for revelations. The reason is, because God delights to have a man humbled, before he be instructed. Paul (though as humble a soul as lived) was in danger to be exalted above measure, through the abundance of revelations, (2 Gor 12.) Even divine knowledge (through our corruption) is apt to puff up, and therefore we had need to have the bladder pricked, and our spirits laid flat, for the receiving of know ledge: Only humble ones are fit to be God's scholars; he will teach none else, he resisteth a proud man, then surely he will never teach a proud man; The me • e will he teach his way; Ye breaks our will, before he trusts us with the secrets of his will: When the spirits of men lie in the • ust, when they tremble and shake, when all their bones are afraid, and rottenness enters into them, then they are prepared vessels, to receive and take in the dew and influences of divine revelation. When • od made that most memorable manifestation of himself, to the ancient Church, in giving the Law; we read how he terrified them, how he humbled and abased them: How dreadful was the preparation to the giving of the Law? The Apostle describes it, (Heb. 12. 18, 20, 21.) by blackness, and darkness, and tempest, so that they could not endure that which was commanded; and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake; I confess the Law in it self, was a terrible, a killing letter, and that, which might well make the world shake, and men to tremble: If (as Luther saith) but one precept or sentence of the Law should be left in its full power and strength (man's sin) it would destroy mankind, and make all the world (because guilty) tremble and fall before it; yet it was not barely the matter of the Law revealed, which caused this trembling: that was written in the heart o • man before, and was now published to the Jews, with gracious with Gospel intentions; but it was the manner and circumstances wherein the Law was revealed, which were so terrible. And this terror had this great use, even the humbling of their souls to a willing subjection and obedience to the will of God. When God revealed the Gospel to Paul (as well as when he revealed the Law to Moses,) he made Paul tremble (Act. 9.) Paul was smitten down to the ground, God laid him along, unhors'd him, when he came to manifest his Christ to, or (as himself speaks, (Gal. 1. 16.) to reveal his Son in him: And this was to abase him, to break his heart, that he might be made up a chosen vessel, to carry the Name of God unto the Gentiles. And howsoever such humiliations are not of absolute necessity, yet they have been very usual, and very useful. When the Lord hath laid the will and wisdom of man in the dust, when he hath made the strongest and stoutest to become as a child or a babe, to quake before him; then he takes him into his School of Instruction, and shows him such things, as none of the wise men, or Princes of this world ever knew, even such things, as eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man. This made our Lord Jesus break out into that mixed rapture of gratulation and admiration, Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes. Be as babes before God, and he will give you the wisdom of men, yea of Angels. They who are high built, and p •• acl'd in their own conceits, seldom have the foundation or first principles of saving knowledge laid in them savingly.
Thirdly, From this effect of the vision, observe, That fear, is a strong and powerful passion. Fear comes upon a man like a Giant, Fear (saith Eliphaz) came upon me, it came upon me violently. A man were as good meet a bear robbed of her whelps, as this fear: The strongest man in the world, cannot shake your bones, as fear alone will, if that take hold of you. Some of the Greeks, had such amazing thoughts of Fear, it was so terrible to them, that to appease it, they worshipped it for a god, as some worshipped sorrow among the Romans for a goddess, under the name of Dea Angerona. The true God is called fear in Scripture: And fear was made an Idol God among the Heathens: And if we consider these effects in the Text, trembling of the flesh, shaking of the bones, standing up of the hair, all which this sudden surprise of fear wrought upon Eliphaz, we must needs acknowledge and conclude it to be, a very potent passion. In the first of Proverbs, the Lord threatens those who would not fear him, thus, I will laugh when your fear cometh: Then he shows the manner how such fear cometh, When your fear cometh as desolation. We cannot well take fear in this place, for the object of fear, for that is desolation it self, and therefore cannot be said, to come as desolation. Then, taking it properly, for the passion of fear: We see, that the fear of trouble, is like the trouble we fear. Fear is even as bad as desolation; Fear pulls all down within, and makes a man like a desolate place, before his place is made desolate. And therefore in these times, we had need take care, that we put not strength to our fears. These are fearing times, we should pray much, that the power of natural fear may be subdued, especially that our natural fear, may be turned into godly fear; godly fear, is the proper cure of natural fear: Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and make him your fear, or else the fear of man will quickly Lord it over your hearts. Such a fear, is more dangerous, then all our dangers: Our enemies shall need no weapons to fight against us, with, but our own fears. Trembling joints, and shaking bones, will make small resistance; and while natural fear is strong, natural strength is, but weak or useless; When from the onset or assault of this fear, a man's hair stands, himself will run.
Fourthly, Consider this by way of consequence, That if a time when God cometh to reveal his will to man, be so dreadful, what will that time be (and that time is coming) when God cometh to reckon with man, for the disobeying of that will? Here a truth was but shown Eliphaz, in an extraordinary manner, and behold him shaking, fearing, trembling; Now when God shall come to require an account of man, for resisting or imprisoning the truth; when he shall come (2 Thes. 1. 8.) to take vengeance on all those that have not obeyed the Gospel of truth, what terror, fear and trembling will fall upon the stoutest of sinful men? There must be an appearing of all, but there can be no standing for such, before the dreadful throne of Christ: The ungodly (of what sort of size soever) shall not stand in judgment, Psal. 1. 5. impenitent unbelievers, shall not be able to hold up their heads in that day. Captains and mighty men, who have often conversed with dangers, and knew not what it was to be afraid; Men who (like the Horse, described, Job 39. 22.) used to mock at fear, and would not turn back for drawn swords, or the glittering of shield or spear, shall at that day shake with fear, and hide themselves like little children. So much for the effects of the vision. Now follows a further description of the vision.
This verse containeth a second gesture of this spirits appearing in the vision to Eliphaz. The spirit was passing before, here standing, as if he would present himself more fully to his view and observation. It stood still, an image was before mine eyes; but though the spirit gave Eliphaz this fair advantage, yet he made little use of it, for he saith, I could not discern the form of it, that is, I could make nothing of it directly; But when his eye gave him no help, his ear did: though he could not discern or distinguish the form of the spirit appearing, yet he could distinguish the voice of the spirit speaking, there was silence, and I heard a voice saying.
It stood still.] To stand, in Scripture, imports not always a settled posture of the body: but it is taken sometime in a larger sense, to note our presence in any place, whether it be sitting, standing or walking, as Mat. 16. 28. Christ saith, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his Kingdom. Yet here the posture is conceived to be, an erect, settled, fixed posture; to the intent, Eliphaz might have his eye more settled and fixed upon it, and likewise that his heart might be better prepared and fitted, for the receiving of that message, which should be delivered unto him by it; when a man speaks, he usually makes a stand; An ambulatory speech, a speech in motion, is not so audible, nor so comely. In apparitions, this posture is frequently mentioned. When our Lord appeared to the Disciples after the resurrection, Luke saith, He stood amengst them, cap. 24. 36. Zechariah, saw the Angel standing on the right side of the Altar, Luk. 1. 11. And while the Apostles were looking up steadfastly to Heaven, at the ascension of Christ, Behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, &c. Acts 1. 10. therefore also this spirit being to speak, stood still.
I could not discern the form of it. The face of it, so some read, The countenance or aspect of it, so others. They who rise from the dead, are not easily known by those, who knew them living. When Christ arise (John 20.) it is said that Mary, who was very well acquainted with him in his life (though he stood by her) knew not that it was Jesus, but thought it had been the Gardner. When Christ walked with the Disciples to Emmaus, they knew him not, and there a reason is given, their eyes were held that they should not know him; a special act of God's providence suspended their eye-sight, and took away (though not the power of seeing, yet) the power of discerning. God hath every sense so exactly in his own hand, that he can let it out, or call it back in any degree as himself pleaseth; he can give a man so much power, as to see another, and not so much power as to discern him; which (by the way) is an argument of the wonderful exactness of God's providence over us, he holds our senses in his hand, 〈◊〉 • ell as our reason or our wills▪ and saith, thus far you shall 〈◊〉 hear, and no further; therefore it is said, Verse 31. that their eyes were opened: they were opened before to see him, but now they were opened to know him. And at other times when Christ appeared after his resurrection, his Disciples were at a stand, whether it was he or no: Thomas, though he saw Christ before him, yet he would not believe it was he, until he had put his finger into the hole of the Nayls, and into the hole which the Spear made in his side: until he had assurance from another sense, he would not believe his eyes. If then a body arising from the grave, though it be seen, yet can hardly be distinguished by mortal eyes; how much less is the eye of man able to discern Angels or Spirits, clothed in human forms. The impressions of glory and immortality, which appear upon bodies assumed by spirits, especially in sudden apparitions, do exceedingly master, if not astonish sense. The Heathens thought it absurd to say, that their God's could be known by face: For though they were so gross, as to satisfy rhemselves with bodily God's, yet they believed those bodies were so refined, had such a kind of majestic Divinity stamped upon them, that a mere mortal could not comprehend them. Their doctrine shines a little into this Text. A spirit passed before Eliphaz, he had a sight of it, for it stood still, yet he could not make out what it was, or who it was, he could not discern the form thereof.
An Image was before mine eyes.] The word Themounah, which we translate Image, is taken either for a visible or intellectual Image. Sometime it is taken for the form of a thing, which is apprehended visibly by the eye; so in Deut. 4. 15, 16. Take ye therefore good heed to yourselves (for ye saw no manner of similitude, in the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb, out of the midst of the fire) lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make the similitude of any figure, that is, least you make a visible Image of the invisible God.
Secondly, the same word signifies an Image in the mind. Thus God himself who said in Deuteronomy, that they saw no similitude, and thereupon bad them take heed of making any similitude, saith of Moses, that the similitude of the Lord he shall behold, Num. 21. 8. The word similitude in Numbers is the same for Image in the Text, an intellectual image, a representation to the understanding. Moses had this privilege, The similitude of God revealed to his understanding; but 〈◊〉 he saith in Deut: ye had no similitude, the meaning is, no 〈◊〉 • all, no visible similitude, no object of sense. This Image in the • ext was not intellectual, for it was before his eyes. Nor was it the Image of a spirit gross▪d into a body, but it was a spirit in or with the imaginary form of a body.
There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying.] That is the last thing which the Text holds forth about this vision.
There was silence.] The Hebrew thus, Silence, and I heard a voice, we supply, there was. The readings are various, yet the sense one. I heard the voice, as it were, of a gentle gale, I heard a gale and a voice, I heard a silent murmur. Our Translators put in the margin, I heard a still voice, which comes near to that, I heard a silent voice (by a usual figure) silence and a voice, for a voice of silence. If any should say, these two are so opposite, that they cannot be predicated or affirmed one of another. Silence is the direct contrary to a voice, therefore to say, there was a silent voice, seemeth to be a contradiction in the adjunct. I answer it is frequent to affirm contraries one of another, in an inferior & remiss degree. Though we cannot say light is dark, yet we may say, this is a dark light; that is, a glimmering, imperfect, obscure light, (Zech. 14. 6.) The day shall be neither clear nor dark, it shall be, as it were, a dark light. So a low voice, may well be called a silent voice; I heard a silent voice, that is▪ I heard a low or a still voice speaking to me. Thus it suits well with what he said, at the 12 Verse; Now a thing was secretly brought unto me. And we may further clear it by that 1 Kings 19. 12. where the expression is of the same importance; here we have silence and a voice, there, after the noise of a great wind and of an Earthquake, it is said that Elijah heard (as some render it) the voice of a subtle, fine, slender, attenuated silence, or as we translate, a still small voice, a sweet ravishing whisper, a voice without a sound. Hence we have a kind of music, which in our common language we call still music.
A twofold reason may be given why the Lord spake (as it were) in silence. First, that the secret manner of speaking might be an Argument that the matter spoken was a secret, a mystery, not common or ordinary. Secondly, to dispose the hearer to receive it with more care, reverence, and attention. A man must set himself to hear with diligence, while another speaks with silence. A loud voice finds us out, comes to us: but we must come to a low voice, and find that out. When the Speaker takes least pains with his tongue, the hearer must take most pains with his ear.
And this manner of speaking, was used by the ancient Heathen in their mysterious Oracles and Revelations. As when God revealed a secret, he spake secretly, and as it were whispered those truths in the ear; whispering is speaking within one degree of silence) so the Devil (who imitates God in what he can, that he may draw credit unto his own deceivings) is described in his instruments to speak thus. Isa. 8. 19. When they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto Wizards, that peep and that mutter; they speak as it were silently, they only whisper their diabolical incantations, and lying impostures. And (Isa. 29.) Thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar Spirit out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. The Prophet in this alludes to the manner of Witches and Enchanters, who had familiar Spirits, which he here applies in a threat unto the people: the time shall come that you shall be brought down by your enemies, that you shall speak out of the ground, you shall lie at their feet like poor captives, that cry submissively and pitifully for quarter, O mercy, mercy, spare my life; that's the thing aimed at by the Prophet, that God would abase them so, before their enemies, that they should whisper out of the ground to their enemies for pity, as a Witch whispers from the ground to her miserable Clients who come for counsel. Tertullian in his Apologetic describes the heathen Magicians thus, they speak belohing and gasping, humming and hawing, rather then speaking. The old Poet calls this Poppisme, by which word he shows, how their Idol Prophets, answered the deluded people, their miserable Clients, when they came for counsel. To which the Hebrew word T • sipht saph used by Isaiah in the eighth Chapter before cited, is very like both in sound and sense.
There yet another interpretation of these words more proper, and answerable to our translation. There was silence and I heard a voice, saying,] This refers the silence to Eliphaz, as a preparation to his hearing the voice; there was silence▪ that is, I stood still and spake never a word, but waited to hear what should be spoken, I was silent, and all things about me w • re husht and silent too: Then I heard a voice; and so Junius g • osses, Being (saith he) composed and strengthened a little after my former fear, I attended silently to the Spirit, that I might hear what should be spoken unto me.
We read, Rev. 8. 1. that there was silence in Heaven for half an hour; and Verse 5, we read of voices and thunderings; before those great voices there was great silence: usually before great speaking there is great silence; I was silent, and all were husht, then I heard a voice: silence prepares for audience. In Congregations before the Preacher begins, all hold their peace; In Courts of justice when the Judge is to speak, the Crier calls for silence: It was a usual word amongst the rites of the Heathen, Favor your tongues, or spare your speech, when the mysteries of their superstition were revealed: we may take the present Text in this sense: that Eliphaz set himself in a silent posture to attend the message which was to be revealed unto him. There was silence and I heard a voice, saying.
If we take the former interpretation, then, for as much as Eliphaz after those terrors and tremblings, the shaking of his bones, and standing up of his hair, the confused form of a spirit, and an amazing Image before his eyes: for as much (I say) as after all these, he hears a still silent voice. We may observe,
That God after terrors usually sends in comfort and refreshings. God having terrified Elijah by a mighty rushing wind (in the vision before noted) by an Earthquake which brake the Rocks, and by a fire: then comes (as here in the Text) a still small voice, a voice of silence, and God was in that voice. It is put as a principal distinction amongst the Ancients, to know, whether a revelation were from a good Angel or from a bad Angel. When a revelation was made by a good Angel, though he filled the heart with fear, at the beginning of his speech, yet he gave comfort in the end, and closed with in consolation. We may observe in those revelations such heartening, cheering language as this, Be not afraid, be of good cheer; so to Daniel, so to John, so to Zechariah, so to Mary, so to Gideon. But when a revelation was made by an evil Angel, or by a Witch, as it filled the hearers with fear, so it left them full of fear, it wounded them with terrors, and it applied no cure, no plaster, nothing medicinal to heal those terrors. We find, indeed, (1 Sam. 28) that when Saul consulted with the Witch of Endor, as soon as the Spirit appeared, it is said, that the Witch her self was afraid, and there is no mention made of Saul's being afraid, at the first; so that Saul falls a comforting the Witch, and said to her, be not afraid: She was afraid, not of the Spirit that appeared, but of Saul, because he had made a law against Witches; and hence Saul comforts her, in assurance of impunity, notwithstanding that sin, both against the law of God, and his own. But you shall find in how sad a condition Saul himself was, before the Devil had done with him; for, as soon as Saul heard the tidings delivered by that personated Samuel, he fell into a shaking fit, and was as one astonished and dead: hanging upon the rack of these torments, the Devil left him; there was no word of comfort, no sweet still musical voice to revive and fetch him again, but away packs the wicked Spirit, and leaves him overwhelmed with sorrow. And then (instead of a better, surely he could not have a worse) the poor Witch comes to comfort and counsel him. They who refuse counsel from the Prophets of God may at last be forced to receive all their comfort from a Witch, a Prophet or Prophetess of the Devil. But to the point in hand, we see when the Devil and wicked Angels speak terror, they leave terror: Whereas if God, by good Angels speaks terror, or affrights his people with the tokens of his presence, he with a sweet and still voice refreshes and comforts them, before he departs.
And we may in that general apply it to ourselves. That when God astonishes and terrifies us, when he makes our bones to shake, and rottenness to enter into them, we may expect comfort and refreshing are at hand; and we may build upon it, that the more we tremble, the more we shall be refreshed; Habakkuk in the place before cited, is express in this faith, I trembled, that I might have rest in the day of trouble; to which he adds, when he cometh up to the people (he will invade or cut them to pieces) with his troops. As intimating, that they who will not tremble, shall be made to tremble; but when we actively labor to make our hearts tremble, or when God makes us tremble in such a way as this, we may build upon it, that, we shall rest in the day of trouble, at least we shall rest in the end of that day: God never leaves his people under a Cloud: he takes off trouble, and brings in a succession of comfort, or conquers the trouble by mingling a prevailing portion of comfort with it.
If we take the Text in the latter sense, we may note, That silence becomes man when God speaks. Speak Lord (saith Samuel) for thy servant heareth. Hear O servant, for thy Lord speaketh.
Silence prepares the heart to learn: Pythagoras commanded his Scholers to keep silence five years. And the Papists impose silence, as a part of discipline upon their Novices. Let superstition be avoided, and then Silence is fittest for learners, unless their voice be an enquiry after learning. That which the Apostle speaks respecting women in the Church, is true of all in the sense I now speak of, 1 Tim. 2. 12. Let the woman learn in silence, so let the man learn in silence. There were many among us, not long since, who made many teachers silent. Silence is good as it is a preparative to learning, but woe to that, which is a hindrance to instructing. They enjoined silence on Teachers, by which knowledge was suppressed: we advice silence upon learners, that knowledge may be increased.
JOB. Chap. 4. Vers. 17.
IN this verse we have the argument it self, or the matter revealed in the former vision; There was silence, and I heard a voice saying: What that voice said, we have in these words; Shall mortal man be more just than God? This is the theme or subject, upon which Eliphas argues; and it is the main proposition of the whole context. The proof of this proposition, was given from Divine authority, in the fore-going words; and we have a proof from reason, in the following part of this Chapter.
Shall mortal man be more just than God? or, Shall man be justified in comparison of God? or, Shall man be just before God? The Chaldee Paraphrase is yet more quick: The Spirit cried out and said, Can it possibly be, that man should be more pure than God?
The words are propounded by way of question, we may resolve them into this negative proposition, Mortall man is not more just than God, man is not more pure than his Maker.
We translate Mortall man, the Hebrew is but one word, yet in the propriety of that language, it contains both, noting man with an addition (such as it is) of weakness and frailty, the meanest and lowest estate of man: Enoch, a poor, sick, weak, dying creature, a creature of so little hope, that some derive this name in the Hebrew, from desperation; a creature so unworthy to be remembered by God, or so ready to forget God, that others derive it from a word, which signifies forgetfulness, or to forget.
Shall man, this mortal man, this weak creature, be more just, or be justified rather than God? Such a sense the words carry. When man and God are compared together, shall God be esteemed less just, or less pure than man? (Luk. 18. 14.) it is said of the Publican, that he went down justified, rather than the other; put the Pharisee and the Publican in the balance together, and the Publican was the weightier in righteousness, or the more just of the two: That in Luke, is an Hebraism, and it is the same with this. Put weak man and the mighty God (the word Eloha, which is here used for God, noteth the strong God, or the mighty God) put him in the balance of consideration with weak man, will he not be infinitely more weighty in justice, more shining in purity, more glorious in holiness?
Yea, not only if you take man in his obscurest notion, or in this term of extenuation, Enoch, for a weak man, a poor creepled creeping creature; but take him in his best estate, as he is (Geber) a strong man, a powerful man, a holy man: yet as it follows in the text, shall man be more pure than his Maker? that is, shall such a mighty man, a wise man, a learned man, a gracious man, a man accomplished in all natural, in all acquired endowments, the chiefest and choicest, the cream and flower of all the men upon the face of the earth; A Worthy of the first three, the First of all the Worthies; A man of the first magnitude, of the highest elevation, both in parts, gifts and graces, shall he be more pure than his Maker? Christ (as incarnate or made man) is called, the Mighty God, (Isa. 9. 6.) God made a Mighty man, or man becoming the Mighty God. The Chaldee calls all Giants, Gibbaraja; and Nimrod the first of the Giants, was called by this name, a Mighty hunter before the Lord, Gen. 10. 8. So then, Let man be never so excellent, his excellency is baseness; let him be never so strong, so wise, so holy, he is but weak, foolish, filthy, compared with him who made him. Leave your Enoch, your weakeling, your poor sick creatures: bring forth your Gibers, your best, they are as nothing, yea less than nothing before the Lord. Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall man (the best of men) be more pure than his Maker?
We are to mark the double opposition of the Text. Here is first, mortal, weak, sick man, set in opposition to the strong, the mighty, the all-powerful God. And then in the second place, the opposition is between the strongest, the best, the holiest, the wisest of men, and the maker of all men. Shall mortal man, or shall the best of men be more just, more pure than God their Maker? There is a three-fold sense, which we may give of the words jointly.
First, They are a denial of all comparison between God and man. No man may compare himself with God. Shall mortal man? that is, mortal man ought not to be so bold, and daring as to venture upon such a thing as this, to stand upon terms of equality with the mighty, the great, the glorious God, the Maker of all, as the Apostle resolves in his own case, (1 Cor. 4. 4.) Though I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified at all, much less though a man know nothing by himself, will this justify him in this comparison, that he is just, as God is just.
But secondly, Shall mortal man be more just than God? It is as if he had said, God who is infinite in justice, would never do that which a just man will not do; God who is infinite in power, would never do that, which a weak man would not do, shall weak man be more just than God? And so we may form the argument thus;
No man, no Judge, is more just or incorrupt than God, who is the supreme and Lord chief Justice of all men. But there is no just Judge amongst men, who will punish an innocent man: therefore God doth not punish any one that is innocent. The consequence or inference is plain and clear, for God himself should either be unjust, or he should be less just, than man is, if he should do that, which a just man upon true grounds would refuse to do. Therefore in Gen. 18. Abraham pleads with God, under that title of a just Judge, shall not the Judge of all the world do right? As if he should say, faithful Judges upon the earth, will do right, therefore surely he that is the Judge of all the earth will do right; so Eliphaz here to Job, Never complain as if God had done thee wrong, for certainly, the just God will not do that which a just man would not do: The word, whereby God is expressed (Eloha) doth well comply with, and answer this sense, it being properly attributed to God as a Judge, the great arbitrator and determiner, of all the causes and cases of all men in the world. Shall mortal man be more just than God?
Thirdly, The sense may be taken thus, If any man should come to impleade God, or to plead with God, if any should dare to tax the Justice of God, or be so hardy to put in a bill of complaint against him; shall this man, this weak man be found more just in his complaining, than God hath been in sentencing? shall his bill of complaint be better grounded, than the Lord's award of Judgment? It is an allusion to those, who supposing they have wrong, complain against the Judge, and say, that he hath erred in or perverted Judgment; That word (Justified) here used, shall man be justified before God? is a Judiciarie word, a Court or Law term; The same word, which the Holy Ghost uses, in that great work of Free Grace, the justification of a sinner before God; And that imports the declaring and setting forth of a man, to be righteous, and his cause good in Jesus Christ, whereupon he is cleared and acquitted. When Satan accuses or pleads against us, laying such and such sins to our charge; thus and thus this man hath offended, then God is said to justify a man, that is, to declare him to be just, his sins being covered, and himself accepted in Jesus Christ. Hence that divine challenge to all accusers. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, it is God that justifieth, Rom. 8. 33.
So now, if man should accuse and complain against God, he hath done thus and thus in the world, afflicted a Job, troubled a righteous person; shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall this man in his complaint be justified? shall not God rather be justified against whom he complains? Certainly he shall. God shall be declared just, yea, he shall be declared just by man. A man un-engaged and rightly principled, Such a man shall say, verily there is a God that judgeth the earth. In the judgment of man, that judgment shall speak a God; and all shall be forced to Daniel's mourning acknowledgement, O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of face. Dan. 97. 9 We may enlighten it further by that of David (Ps. 51. 4.) where he professes thus, I will confess my sins, &c. that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest: as if he should say, if hereafter thou shalt afflict me, and lay thy rod upon me, I know many will be ready to complain and say, why doth God thus, why doth he afflict David, David a holy man, a man after his own heart: a man of whom he hath given such large testimony, of whom he hath said, I have found a man after my own heart. Now to the intent all these may be cast in their suits, and answered in their complainings, I here acknowledge before all the world, that I have sinned greatly; & therefore, though thou hast pardoned my sin, and so wilt never charge it upon me to condemnation, nor punish me for it in a way of satisfaction; yet hereafter thou mayest in thy fatherly wisdom, see it needful to chastise me, to prevent and purge out sin, or to help me against the weakness of my nature, and the strength of temptation for the time to come. So here in the Text, Shall man be justified before God? If Job or any of his friends for him, should complain against God, why he being one commended and approved from the mouth of God, for a man perfect and upright, should be thus afflicted; what? Shall weak Job be justified before God? Yea, though Job be considered in his greenest flourishings of grace, and highest pitch of his prosperity, as he was Geber indeed, the greatest, the mightiest man in the Eastern world; yet shall he be more pure than his Maker? No, cease your complainings, God is just, and his honor must be vindicated, in what he doth, or in what he shall do against the weakest, or against the mightiest, against the meanest or against the best of men. God will be found just, and man a liar.
Either of these three senses are fair from the construction of the Text, and may be profitable for us; I shall therefore draw them down into five or six conclusions, which will be at least a portion of that marrow and fatness which this Scripture yields us to feed upon.
First, we may observe, That man naturally preferreth himself not only above other men, but even before God himself. A principle of pride dwells in our hearts by nature, which at sometimes, and in some cases breeds better thoughts in us of ourselves, than of God himself. And it is this height of spirit, which the heavenly vision here would level to the ground. We know it was the first sin of man, that man desired to be like God Gen. 3. The first temptation was baited with a parity to the Divine powers, Ye shall be as God's knowing good and evil. This also was the language of Lucifers heart; Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will ascend above the heights of the Clouds, I will be like the most high, I say • 4. 13, 14. And the practice of the man of sin, is thus prophesied That he shall exalt himself, above all that is called God, 2 Thess. 2. 4. But the heart of man is yet more mad, and hath out-grown those sinful principles. For in troubles and temptations, when things go not according to his mind, he sometimes hath thoughts not only that he is like God: but that he is more just than God, and if he had the ordering of things, he would order them better than God: he sometime thinks himself juster than God, and if he had the punishing of offenders, justice should proceed more freely and impartially than it doth: which is upon the matter, not only to exalt himself (as the Man of Sin doth) above Nuncupative God's, or all that is called God, but to exalt himself above him who is God by nature, above the only one-most God. Even to speak in this Dialect of highest blasphemy, that he is more just than God, more pure than his Maker.
Secondly, Take this conclusion, That it is a most high presumption, not only for low weak man, but for the best, the highest of men, to compare themselves with God, or to have any thoughts concerning his ways, as if they could mend them. When God calls us to amend our ways, for us to presume we could amend God's ways, is the very top branch, the highest tower, yea, the most towering Pinnacle of presumption. We say amongst men, that comparisons are odious; but this is the most odious comparison of all, for a man to compare himself with God, his thoughts with God's thoughts, what he hath done or would do, with what God doth.
If you consider the terms of opposition that are in the Text, this conclusion will be more clear unto you. Consider how Enoch, weak mortal man is opposite to Elohah, the mighty, the strong God; it is presumption for a weak man to compare with a strong man; what presumption is it then, for a weak man to compare with the mighty God? for a reed to compare in strength with a rock? for darkness to compare with light? for a cloud to compare with the Sun? for death to compare with life? for folly to compare with wisdom? for uncleanness to compare with holiness? for nothing to compare with All, how presuptuous? Will ye provoke the Lord: (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.) are ye stronger than he? It implies, that some such thoughts lodge in man, as if he could make his party good, with God, or might be stronger than he. And it is equal folly in us, and provocation against the Lord, to think ourselves juster, as to think ourselves stronger than he.
And then mark the other terms of opposition; Man and his Maker: Shall the great man, compare with, or be more pure than his Maker? as if he should say, How great and excellent soever this man is, he was made, and made by God, with whom he thus compares, than whom he thinks himself more pure. And shall the thing formed, stand upon terms with him that formed it? shall the potsherd or the pot, contend with the Potter? what though it be an excellent vessel; a vessel determined for the most excellent ends and uses? yet whatsoever it is, it was made to be, and made to be by God, both in its constitution and uses. Shall it then boast it self against its maker? The Lord made Geber as well as Enoch, the strong man, as well as the weak, the wise and learned man, as well as the foolish and ignorant, the Noble as well as the base, the holy and righteous, as well as the wicked and profane; In a word, the vessels of honor are as much, yea more of his making than the vessels of dishonor, shall they then be more pure than their Maker? hath the Lord given more to others, than he hath in himself? hath he made a creature his superior, or his Peer? hath his bounty impaired his own stock, or hath he made man, more than God? That God hath made the best out of the dust, is enough to lay all our pride and boasting as low as the dust. That, what we are, we are from another, should ever keep us humble in ourselves.
Thirdly, Take this Conclusion, That God in himself is most just and pure. Shall mortal man be more just than God? The question hath this position in it, that God is infinitely just, infinitely pure, therefore he is perfectly pure, perfectly just. God is essential Justice, essential purity; Justice and purity are not qualities in God, but they are his very nature; A man, may be a man and yet be unjust, but God cannot be God and be unjust; A man, may be a man and yet impure, but God cannot be God and be impure, so that Justice and purity are not qualities or accidents in God, but his very essence and being; destroy or deny the purity and Justice of God, and you put God out of the world, as much as in you lies: for he cannot be God, unless he be both just to others, and pure in himself.
Fourthly, Take this conclusion, The best men compared with God are evil, and the holiest are impure. Not only is it presumption but a lie, for men to compare with God; shall mortal man be more just than God? It is as if he should say, man hath no Justice at all compared with God, shall man be more pure than his Maker? Man compared with his Maker, hath no purity at all, not so much as a name or a shadow of Justice, and purity, compared with God: though it be somewhat in it self, yet it is nothing before him: In thy sight, or before thee, shall no flesh living be justified, or be just. All that righteousness and purity, which God hath put into the creature, is but as the light of a candle, to the light of the Sun, the candle hath no light in it, compared to the Sun; the candle enlightens the night, but a thousand candles cannot a day, or make the day lighter then it is; Sun-light overcomes and swallows up candle-light: The Stars help us to see in the dark, but in the bright day time, the Stars themselves cannot be seen: so all creature purity disappeares and vanisheth, when once we look upon the purity of God, who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. The Apostle Paul hath a parallel expression (2 Cor. 3. 10.) speaking of the administration of the Jewish ceremonial, earthly shadows, and the administration of light in Gospel heavenly ordinances; Even that which was made glorious, had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth: I do not deny (saith he) but there was great glory in the Jewish Church; God's institution stamped excellency upon the worship of the Jews; Their Ceremonies were made glorious; but if you will compare Jewish worship to Christian worship, it hath no glory in it at all; that which was made glorious, had no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth, that is, Gospel glory. So we may say, man who was made glorious, man who was made gracious and just, hath no grace, no justice, no glory in him, in comparison of that glory which doth excel; namely that justice and purity, which is in God. God is so true, that all men are liars, Rom. 3. 4. So righteous, that all man's righteousnesses are a filthy rag. Isa. 64. 6. Man, who is just by participation from God is not just in comparison of God.
The fifth Conclusion is this, and it is the principal point which we are to receive and attend from this Text. God is so just, so pure in himself, that he nether doth, nor can do wrong to any creature: In this truth, Eliphaz aims to instruct Job chiefly; for he supposed, that Job had complained of God, as if he had done him wrong, wherefore he speaks reprovingly and chidingly, shall mortal man be more just than God? as if he should say, art thou so gross as to charge God with doing thee an injury? It is impossible that God should do any man wrong? (de Facto) he doth no man wrong, and, (de Posse) he cannot wrong any man. The power of God is seen most in this, that he cannot do any evil; This impotency (if we may so call it) is the strength of God; yea the omnipotency of God consists in this, that he can do no wrong. We have a Maxim of state amongst us, (and it is the glory of the Kings of this Nation) we say, The King can do no wrong; but it is not to be understood as this, God can do no wrong; we know Kings are men, and that's enough to prove they may do wrong: As to say, the Lord is God, is enough to prove, that he cannot. Princes have a natural power to do evil, but (which is his glory) God hath not. The meaning then is, the King hath not any civil power to do wrong; the Law hath so bounded, ordered and directed him; The constitution of the Kingdom hath given him the advice of Parliaments and Counselors, the assistance of Judges and Officers, he acts by others: so that The failings of his Ministers do the subject wrong, the regal power doth it not. But when we speak thus of God, we mean it of his natural power, which being essentially and infinitely just and good, as well as sovereign and supreme, there is not the least imaginable seed in him, which should be procreative of the least injustice: Therefore the Scripture describes the Lord, just and holy, not only in his nature, but in all his works and ways, Psal. 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. And this implies, not only that all the ways, wherein the Lord walks, are righteous, and the works he doth, holy: but that he can go in no way but a righteous way, nor do any work in the creature, but a work of holiness. Not only is that just and holy, which the Lord doth, but let the Lord do what he will, that will be just and holy.
And here give me leave, somewhat to enlarge this, and plead for God against some objections, which are made by the men of the world, and some temptations which Satan will urge strongly upon the hearts of those, who fear God; by which (possibly) they may be so entangled and gravel'd, that they know not how to extricate themselves, or make out the justice of God, in his administrations towards men.
For first it will be objected, Is God so just, that he neither doth nor can do injustice to the creature? How comes it to pass, that both the righteous and the wicked, fall under the same judgment: if the judgment be right upon a wicked man, surely it cannot be right upon the righteous man; Is God righteous and just, when they who differ as much as Heaven and Hell, as light and darkness, do yet meet (as it were) under the same act of God, and are wrapped together in the same sentence? If it be Justice upon the wicked, if it be their portion, how can it be the portion of the righteous, or an award of Justice upon them? As Abraham pleaded with God, (Gen. 18. 25.) Shall the righteous be slain or perish with the wicked? that be far from thee to do in this manner, shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? as if he should say, if thou doest involve a just man, and a wicked man in one and the same judgment, this is not to do as a righteous Judge, far be it from thee to do such a thing. Yet we see in frequent experiences, that the same judgment falleth upon the righteous and the wicked; By sword, famine, pestilence, by storms at Sea and enemies at Land, both are overtaken and fall together. Is this unerring Justice?
Justiee is to give everyone his portion, his due. And God hath given this exact distribution in charge, to the Prophet, he must say so, and will not the Lord do so? (Isa. 3. 10, 11.) Say ye to the righteous, it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings; woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him; But how do the dispensations of God, answer this direction to man, when his providence seems to huddle up all together, to make the same portion serve, both the righteous and the wicked?
I answer it first in the general, and then in some particulars. In the general, the troubles of the righteous are good for them, and therefore they have that which is promised; God saith, say to the righteous it shall be well with him: when a righteous man is troubled, it is well with him; therefore he hath that, which God promiseth him; and when a wicked man prospereth, it is ill with him, therefore he hath that, which God thratneth against him. Outward mercy is judgment to wicked men, and their prosperity is their undoing: therefore, do not think that God varies a tittle from the tenor of his word, when he saith, it shall be ill with wicked men, and yet you see them prosper; for it is never worse with them, then when they prosper, then when they think it is best, and when the world thinks so too; the prosperity of fools shall destroy them; and what prosperity is there in destruction? The meat in their mouths, is as a sword in their bowels. If you saw the Lord formally sending a Sword to devour wicked men, you would think it justice: the prosperity of wicked men is as sharp as a Sword, that can but destroy, and so doth this; It is their judgment, that they are without judgments, and not to be smitten is their scourge.
Now more particularly to answer this objection about the justice of God. And it will be but needful, considering the times we live in, threaten us with a common deluge, or an overflowing scourge, which may sweep away both good and bad together.
First, in reference to the godly. Are they in a sad estate outwardly? are they in great afflictions? I answer, though they are afflicted, yet they prosper. When they are impoverished, they are enriched, when they are as having nothing, they possess all things. What is there? what can there be, even in their saddest estate, which doth not conduce to their good, which will not be a benefit unto them?
For first, their troubles are but trials; now is there any hurt in a trial, or perturbation in a probation? Troubles try their graces, and their corruptions too. Trouble tries grace that it may be honor'd, and corruption that it may be mortified; there is no hurt in all this: rather it is a most happy condition, which makes grace conspicuous: whereby a man's best side, his inside (wherein his glory lies, The Kings Daughter is glorious within) is turned outward. That Scripture (Dan. 11. 33, 34, 35.) is very pregnant to the point in hand; where the Prophet foretelling troublesome times, saith, They that understand amongst the people shall instrust many, yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity and by spoil many days: They that understand, that is, godly men shall fall by these judgments, some of them by the sword, they shall utterly be cut off; some by flame, they shall be burnt to ashes: others by captivity and by spoil, their estates shall be plundered, their persons imprisoned. How doth this answer the justice of God (will carnal reason object) that it shall be thus ill, with the righteous, to whom the Lord promiseth it shall be well? Yes, well enough. For it followeth, Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help, and some of them of understanding shall fall, (that is, by captivity, and by spoil) to try them, and to purge them, and to make them white. Here are two remarkable ends, why They of understanding, fall into these evils. First, for probation, to try them. Secondly, for cleansing and purgation, to purge them and make them white. Gold is never wronged, by being tried. A spotted garment, a distempered body, are not damnified by washing, or by purging. To be freed from filth without, and bad humors within the body, is more then a common favor. How high an act of favor then is it, to have ill humors and filthy spots washed, purged out of the soul? Such base humors a good man may have, as call for these strong working pills, Spoyling and Captivity, to cast them out. Now those men of understanding have no more hurt intended them by God, when they fall into spoilers hands, then when a diseased body falls into a Physicians hand, or when a defiled garment falls into a Fullers hand; sc. to purge and make them white. Affliction is a cleanser. Christ is the only lavatory, and his blood the only Fountain to wash away the guilt of sin; yet God hath other Fountains and Lavatories, to wash away the pollution of sin: That blood cleanses in this sense also, principally; and all the waters or fires of affliction have no efficacy at all, to refine or cleanse, but in virtue of that blood. A Cross without a Christ never made any man better: But with Christ, all are made better by the Cross. We may then say at least, that it is well with the righteous in affliction, forasmuch as (through the blessing of God) they are bettered by affliction. When you see a godly man cast out in the open air, and having the waters of sorrow poured continually upon him, know that he is only laid out a whitening, and will appear shortly more resplendant then ever.
Secondly, afflictions are sent to humble. Pride is such a weed, as often grows in the best soil: Now that which humbleth us cannot hurt us; we lose nothing by the abatements of our pride: no, the more pride loses, the more we gain. And we seldom or never lose anything, but by pride. Now saith God, Deut. 8. 1. If you would have an account, why I brought my people about in the wilderness, through so many difficulties; know, this was my design, it was to humble them. God resists pride wheresoever he finds it (they in whom pride totally prevails, are God's enemies and he resists them) they in whom pride hath some, yea great prevalency, may be God's friends, and God will resist pride in them: the difference is observable between resisting of pride, and resisting the proud; the resisting of the person, and the resisting of the sin. The great resistance, which God makes against the pride of man's heart, is by the rods of affliction; he whips them into humility, and by taking away carnal comforts, takes them off from carnal confidence. And O blessed affliction which makes us less to ourselves, and all creatures less to us. We are never so much in God's eye, as when we are least in our own: nor have we ever so much of God, as when we expect little, or least from man; say therefore it is well with the righteous, when they are in the deeps of affliction; for it is but to bring them off their Mountains of pride, that they may be exalted in the strength and love of God, even upon the Mountain of his Holiness and their glory forever.
Thirdly, Afflictions bring the Saints nearer to God. Troubles abroad cause the soul to look inwards and homewards. Is there any hurt in being brought nearer to God? It is good for me to draw near unto God, says David; and it is good for us to be drawn near unto God, if we will not come of ourselves: It is a desirable violence, which compels us heavenward. Heaven is but our nearest being unto God; and by how much we are nearer God on earth, so much the more we have of Heaven, upon earth. Afflictions (as in the Prodigals example) put us upon thoughts of returing to God, and the more we return, the nearer we are unto him; returning thoughts will not rest, but under our fathers roof: yea, returning thoughts will not rest, till we are got into our fathers arms, or under the shadow of his wing, and this a happy condition indeed. As it was with Noah's Dove (Gen. 8. 9.) when she was sent forth of the Ark, she could find no place for the soal of her foot to rest on; she knew not whether to go, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth; therefore she returneth back, and comes hovering about the Ark, as desiring to be taken in: but after the waters were asswaged, he sent out a Dove, which returned to him no more. So when it is fair weather in the world, calm and serene; even Doves keep off from God; and though they go not quite away from him, yet they are not so desirous of coming to him: but when we find a deluge in the world, such storms and tempests of trouble, that we know not where to fix our souls for a day, then we come as the Dove fluttering about the Ark, and cry to our Eternal Noah, that we may be near him, yea, within, with him. Wicked men (like the Raven, which Noah sent out first, Verse 7. and returned not again) care not for the Ark of God's presence in the greatest troubles: to be near God is more troublesome to them, then all their troubles. But Believers, like the Dove, will look home (at least) in foul weather. God is their chief friend at all times, and their only friend in sad times. Is there any harm in this? Christ sends a storm, but to draw his back to the Ark; That, at the last, where he is, there they may be also.
Lastly, we may say it is well with the righteous in their worst condition of outward trouble, because, God is with them; It can never be ill with that man, with whom God is. It is infinitely more to say, I will be with thee, then to say, peace is with thee, health is with thee, credit is with thee, honor is with thee. To say, God is with thee, is all these, and infinitely more. For in these you have but a particular good, in God you have all good: when God says, I will be with you, you may make what you will out of it; sit down and imagine with yourselves whatsoever good you can desire, and it is all comprehended in this one word, I will be with thee. Now God who is with the righteous at all times, is most with them in worst times; then he saith in a special sense, I will be with thee. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. When thou walkest thhough the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, &c. Isa. 43. 2. When a mighty wind passed before Elijah, it is said, That God was not in the wind: and when the Earthquake shook the Hills, and a consuming fire appeared, it is said, God was not in the Earthquake, not in the fire. God joins not with outward troubles, for the terror of his people, but he joins with outward troubles, for the comfort of his people. So he is in the fire, and in the wind, and in the Earthquake, and his presence makes the fire but as a warm Sun; the stormy wind, a refreshing gale; and the Earthquake, hut a pleasant dance.
So much for the removing of this objection, and clearing up the justice of God, respecting the afflictions of the righteous.
If any shall look on the other hand upon wicked men, as if God came not home in his justice, while he suffers them to prosper.
First I answer, their prosperity serves the providence of God, and therefore it doth not cross his justice. That, was Nebuchadnezzar's case, (Isa. 10. 6.) I will send him (saith God) against an hypocritical nation: so then, he must prosper while he goes upon God's errand: but mark what follows (Verse 12.) It shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion, sc. by Nebuchadnezzar's power, who was but doing the just work of God, while he thought ambitiously of doing his own, (now it is no injustice for God, to give an instrument power to do his work) and when his bloody lust hath performed the holy work of God, you shall see the Lord will take an order with him speedily, For) then saith the Lord, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks; God let him alone to do the work, he had set him about; and it was a righteous work of God upon his people, though Nebuchadnezzar went about it, wlth a proud and malicious spirit against his people.
Secondly, the prosperity of wicked men serveth them, but as an opportunity, to show how wicked and vile they are; to act and publish the seven abominations of their own hearts. Now as it is one of the greatest mercies under Heaven, for a man to have his lusts quite mortified; so it is a very great mercy, for a man to have his lusts, but, restrained: It is a mercy for a man, to have that fuel taken away from his corruptions, upon which they feed: therefore it must needs be wrath and judgment upon wicked men, when God instead of restraining their lusts, giveth them opportunity to enlarge their lusts, and lays the reins on their neck, to run whether and which way they please, without stop or control. This is wrath, and high wrath, a sore judgment, the sorest judgment that can fall upon them: wherefore when we think they are in a most prosperous condition they are in the most dreadful condition, they are but filling themselves with sin, and fitting themselves for destruction. Many a man's lusts are altogether unmortified, which yet are chill'd and overawed by judgments. And there is more judgment in having liberty to commit one sin, then in being shut up under the iron bars and adamantine necessities of a thousand judgments: He that is Satan's treasury for sin, shall be God's treasury for wrath.
Thirdly, Their prosperity is the judiciary hardening of their hearts, and a hard heart, is the greatest judgment on this side Hell; As there is a naturally inbred and sinfully acquired hard heart, so there is a judicially hardened, or a divinely inflicted hard heart: When to a natural hard heart, and an acquired hard heart, which men get by many repeated acts of sin, the Lord adds a judicially hardened, or inflicted hard heart, then wrath is heated to the hottest, and judgment is within one step of Hell. Especially if we consider, that every hour of such prosperous impenitence, and hardness of heart increases punishment, and adds to the treasury of that wrath, which is stored up against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Who thinks that man happy, who is let alone only to gather a mighty pile of wood, and other fuel of flames to burn himself? while ungodly men saem to the world to be gathering riches, honor and pleasure, hey are but gathering a heap of wrath, and a pile of fire; which at the last will flame so bright, that it will make a revelation, of the (formerly secret, but) ever righteous judgment of God.
Lastly, To show that God is just in all his dealings, both the righteous and the wicked, learn, from the end of both. That we may fully discover the Justice of God, we must look upon all his works together; while we look only upon some particular piece of God's dealings with a godly man, he may seem to deal very hardly with him: or if we look but upon some particular piece of his dealings with a wicked man, God may seem very gentle and kind towards him: but take all together, and the result is exact justice. It was a good speech of a moderne writer, We must not judge of the works of God, before the fifth act, that is, the last act or conclusion of all. This, and that part may seem dissonant and confused, but lay them all together, and they are most harmonious and methodical: Hence David (Psal. 37.) after he had a great dispute with himself, about the troubles of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked, and was put hard to it, how to make out the Justice of God, resolves all in the close with this advice (ver. 37.) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Though a righteous man die in war, yet, his end is peace, whereas though a wicked man die in peace, yet his end is war. It is said (Deut. 8. 16.) that all which God did to his people in the wilderness, was, that he might do them good at the latter end. Come to the end therefore, and there you shall find justice visible: We often loose the sight of justice, in our travels and passage through the world, mountains and hills interpose, which we cannot see over or through; but when we come home, and arrive at the end of our travels, Justice will appear in all her state and glory, rendering to every man according to his deeds; To them who hy patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.
Joshua concludes the story of the people of Israel, in their passage to Canaan, with the highest testimonies of God's justice and faithfulness; though God dealt with them so variously in the wilderness that they often murmured in their tents, as if he had done them wrong, yet in the close you shall find, how exact and punctual the Lord was with them, (Josh. 21. 45.) There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel, all came to pass: And in that other text, Josh. 23. 14 Behold this day I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things, which the Lord your God spake concerning you, all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. How admirably just was God in his word? If a man promise many things, we take it well if he perform some of the chief, and them in the chief, though some what may fail. God promised many things, and performed all, and which is more, all of everyone, of those many things promised. The texts compared, make this out, the one saying, That not one thing failed of all the good things, which God spake concerning them. And the other, That not ought of any good thing failed. So then, they had every good thing in kind, with each particular part and degree of every good thing: And for the truth of all this, Joshua makes his appeal to themselves, and to that in themselves, which was best able to determine it, All their hearts, and all their souls; which words do not only refer to every person, as if the meaning were, The hearts and souls of you all; but rather to all that is in every person, All their hearts, and all their souls, that is, understandings, memories, consciences. affections, yea senses, their eyes and ears, their hands and mouths, could bring in witness from their several operations, to this great truth. And surely God in the end will deal as well with every Israelite, as he did with all Israel: A time will come, it will come shortly, when every Saint shall say, in all their hearts and in all their souls, that not one thing nor ought of any one good thing, which the Lord hath said concerning them, hath failed. I shut up this, in the words of Christ to his Disciples, when they were amused about that act of his, the washing of their feet, (John 13. 7.) What I do, ye know not now, but ye shall know hereafter. Stay but a while, and all those mysteries and riddles of providence shall be unfolded. Though clouds and darkness are round about him, yet Judgment and Justice are the habitation of his Throne, Psal. 97. Mortall man never had, and at last shall see he had no reason, to complain of God; mortal man shall not be more just than God; nor shall man be more pure than his maker. And so much for the fifth Conclusion, That God neither doth nor can do any injustice to the creature, he is just in his nature, just and holy in all his ways.
The sixth or last Conclusion is this, That to complain of God's dealing with us, is to make ourselves more just and pure than God's or, when any person or people complain of God's dispensations toward them, they (though not formally, yet by way of interpretation) make themselves more just and pure than God. This was the point wherein Eliphaz labors much, to convince Job, supposing that he had thus exalted himself against God, by these grievous complainings of his present state, in the fore-going Chapter; There is a truth in the proposition, though not in the application, as hath often been hinted. Jobs complaints were bitter, from the sense of his pains, not from any prejudice in his understanding. He ever preserved high and holy thoughts of God, The least suspicion of whose righteous dealings, is to make ourselves, by so much more righteous, then he. The reason is clear, for, he that complains thus, thinks some wrong is done him; Now he that complains of wrong, would be thought more just, than he of whose wronging him, he complains: Whosoever murmurs or repines at what God doth secretly saith (this voice is in it) that he could do better, or that God ought: He that speaks against the rod, speaks against him that smites with the rod, He that swears by Heaven, swears by the Throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon, saith Christ; And so, he that accuses the rod of God, accuses the work of God, and God that wrought it: He thinks himself more pure then his Maker, who is displeased with God, as a correcter: To disapprove anything which God doth, is to approve ourselves before God. It is seasonable for us to look to our hearts in such a time as this; it is a time of temptation, let us not by our murmurings, make it a time of provocation: Possibly we may often see cause to complain of men, but we can never have cause to complain of God. There is but little good got by complaining of creatures but how much guilt and misery gets he, who complains of his Creator? For a man to complain to man, is in some cases necessary, but it is best in all cases, to complain to God, and the worst of any case, to complain (though silently) of God. So then, complain of man to God, rather then of man, to men; complain often to God, but never of God: Complaine before God, and tell him, that, such have dealt negligently, such falsely, such unjustly, such cruelly; But always say, Lord thou hast done justly, even by those who are unjust; Lord thou hast done graciously, even by those who are wicked; Lord thou hast done holily, even by the hand of those who are unholy; and thou hast dealt faithfully, though these have been treacherous. Thus let us complain to God, but not of God. Every complaint of God will be interpreted, a secret justification of ourselves, and a condemnation of the righteous God. Man is then worse then a Devil, when he would make himself better then God: Nothing pollutes man, so much as this thought, that there is unrighteousness in God: Nothing debases the creature so much, as that thought, desire or act, wherein he prefers and exalts himself above the Creator.
Thus we have opened the general proposition: The probation of it, from the vast difference between men and Angels, is prosecuted at large, in the latter part of the Chapter.
JOB. Chap. 4. Vers. 18.
ELiphaz having laid the dignity of man (comparing with God) in the dust, by those humbling questions, in the former verse, what is man that he should be just? and shall man be more pure than his Maker? He now strengthens it further, that there is no comparison between God and mortal man, by a direct assertion, that there is no comparison between God, and immortal Angels. Behold he put no trust in his servants, and his Angels he charged with folly. As if he had said, If Angels are not able to stand before God, and justify themselves upon his inquiry; then certainly man, the best of men, who dwell but in houses of clay cannot: But Angels cannot justify themselves before God, therefore much less can the best of men. That Angels are not able to justify themselves before God, he proves in these words: Behold he put no trust in his servants, and his Angels he charged with folly: They that cannot be trusted by God, cannot be justified by God: And they that are chargeable with folly, are not able to stand in judgment before the most wise, the only wise and holy God. Angels are excellent creatures, yet because creatures, they are in, and of themselves, frail and weak: they have no strength to stand longer then upheld, no steadfastness to obey, longer than confirmed, no faithfulness to be loyal, longer than overruled, no wisdom to discern, further than they are enlightened; what then will become of man, if he stand alone, or stand in competition with God his Maker? This is the sum and general sense of the words as they are an argument. We will now consider them as they lie here in order.
The particle [Behold] in the Original, as it often notes wonder in other texts, so it may, much more in this, Behold a wonder, Angels are foolish, Angels are not to be trusted; yet in this place, Behold, is put by way of affirmation, rather then of admiration. Behold he put no trust in his servants, is as much as verily and indeed, certainly and without controversy, he put no trust in his servants; So (Deut. 13 14.) Thou shalt inquire and search, and ask diligently, and behold if it be true; in the Hebrew thus, and behold true, or behold truth; that is, if upon inquiry it appear, that sucb and such things are certainly so, then, they must proceed according to the Law provided in that case. Again (Deut. 19. 18.) The Judges shall make diligent inquisition, and behold, if the witness be a false witness, so we translate; but the letter is, Behold the witness, a false witness, that is, if it be affirmed, and do appear that it is a false witness or testimony which is brought, then the Judges shall proceed so and so, &c. Thus here, Behold he put no trust in his servants, is a vehement affirmation, that God searching into those his servants, finds them such as are not to be trusted
But who are these untrusty servants? First, The Chaldee paraphrast understands by servants, the holy Prophets; Prophets (I grant) sometimes have, and oftener would have proved unfaithful; some of them, discovered much, and others would have discovered more unfaithfulness, if God had not mightily supported them. Secondly, One of the Rabbins, understands it in general of any, or of all the faithful, Behold he put no trust in his servants; that is, not in any of the holiest and faithfullest of the children of men.
But the connection of the text carries it clearly, that by servants, we are to understand the Angels, who are called ministering spirits, Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministering spirits (or servants) sent out for the good of those that are the heirs of salvation? And so the words in the close of this verse, are exigeticall, expounding who are intended by those servants; Behold he put no trust in his servants, and his Angels he charged with folly; that is, he trusted not those servants the Angels, but charged them with folly. But there is a further reason, more fully evidencing that it must be understood of Angels, in the 19 verse, where the persons standing in equal opposition to these servants and Angels, are men H • w much less (saith he) on them that dwell in houses of clay: Now a dwelling in a house of clay, is the periphrasis, or description of mankind in general, good or bad, one or other, high or low, all mankind dwells in a house of clay. Seeing then the term of opposition is mankind in general, we must take somewhat which being a raionall creature is not man, for the other term, which cannot be any except Angels; we cannot set any sort of men in opposition to others upon this ground, because they dwell in houses of clay, for the Saints on earth dwell in houses of clay, as well as men of the earth; therefore to make the opposition clear, it necessarily follows, that by Servants in the first clause of the verse, Angels are implied, as well as in the latter, where Angels are expressed.
But if these servants be Angels, how is it, that he put no trust in, or that (as we may render it word for word out of the Hebrew) he did not believe in these his servants? I shall answer that, when I have a little opened the wopd here translated To put trust. We find it used two ways in Scripture, sometime passively, and sometime actively. It is taken passively to be faithful, trusty, and true in word or promise. From this root the Hebrew takes the name of a Guardian or Foster-father or Steward, because such to whose care children or families are committed, ought to be most faithful in the discharge of so great a trust.
The Apostle (1 Cor. 4. 1, 2.) speaking of that heavenly Stewardship, the ministry of the Gospel, expresseth it thus, Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mysteries of God, moreover (saith he) it is required in a Steward that a man be found faithful. And (Numb. 12. 7.) where Moses is spoken of, as a servant, he is thus described, My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house; he is a man whom I may trust or give credit to, for he is trusty and faithful. (Heb. 3. 2, 5.) the Apostle comparing Christ and Moses, saith of Christ, That he was faithful to him that appointed him, as Moses was faithful in all his house. So that here is an elegant Antithesis, His servants, who according to their duty and office, ought to be constant, faithful, trusty; he found inconstant unfaithful, not to be trusted.
Yet the word being in Hyphil, is of an active signification, and when it is in construction with Beth (as Grammarians observe) it imports to give credit unto, or confide in a person; and so here, he put no trust; that is, he did not credit or condfie in those servants, or he did not believe on them. He saw somewhat in them, which might betray them to disloyalty, if himself withdrawing his assistance should make an experiment, or try what was in their hearts. And this sense is most suitable to the state and office of a servant: trusting or not trusting, faithfulness, or unfaithfulness, are acts proper to that relation, Lord and Servant. So then the Lord put no trust, or he could not confide in his servants, they being such as he found not perfectly sure and loyal unto him. We say commonly of a man whom we cannot rrust, We will not give our word for him, and we will not take his. Our Lord Christ is therefore called a faithful High Priest, because his Father trusted him with the whole business of our salvation, without the least misgiving thought of his faithfulness, or the miscarriage of the work. Thus Solomon describes a faithful Wife and a confiding Husband, Prov. 31, 10, 11. A rare couple indeed, and as rarely found. Therefore he makes proclamation for such a woman; who can find a virtuous Woman? for her price is far above Rubies, the heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil: there's confidence to the height, the heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her. A Husband that hath such a Jewell to his Wife, knows, she will order the family with discretion at home, when he's abroad: he knows she is faithful to him body and goods. Her chastity or her frugality never came in question before his thoughts; therefore (saith he) I shall have no need of spoil, which some interpret thus: her care and wisdom in providing for the family, will make it like an Army, which hath overcome the Enemy in the field, or won a wealthy City, where the Soldiers have spoil or pillage enough, they need no spoil. Or as others, He shall have no need of spoil, that is, he shall have no need to spoil or oppress others, to help his family. All things shall be so ordered by his wives prudence, that he shall not need to take any unjust way, to provide for, or supply his household. Thus the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. Such trust the heart of God could not put in those servants, his Angels, he knew they might come short in their accounts. Such trust Christ could not give some, who seemed to trust or believe on him, (John 2. 23.) Many seeing Christ's miracles believed on him, yet Christ would not believe on them; we translate, he would not commit himself to them; the Greek is, he did not believe or trust himself unto them, Christ believes in, or may trust them all the world over, who truly believe in him: But these believed so falsely upon him that he could not believe fully upon them; and the text gives the reason, For he himself knew all men, he knew, they were not metal of a due temper, and therefore not to be trusted. So God knew all Angels, the uttermost perfection, power, and virtue that was in Angels, therefore he would not commit all to them, he would not believe upon them. We find the word belief thus used, (Exod. 14. 31.) when the children of Israel saw the great work, that the Lord had wrought in destroying the Egyptians, it is said, The people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses; he puts God and Moses as the joint object of their faith: as they had formerly been of their unbelief▪ Except the servants of the Lord be believed, the Lord himself is not. And when they are believed, the Lord is. Believe in the Lord your God, believe his Prophets, saith good Jehoshaphat to his people, 2 Chron. 20 20. Moses had told them enough of the power of God before, he had undertaken they should be delivered, but they would not trust Moses upon his word, nor would they trust the Word of God: yet now when they saw this great deliverance, present sight wrought faith for the time to come: they perceived by this miracle, that the Lord and Moses were to be credited, & they doubted not, to credit them another time. Though that faith which comes in at the eyes only, seldom goes down so low, as the heart, or sees further and longer then the eye. Thus we may understand the first part of the Verse, He put no trust, no belief in his servants, he gave no credit to them, as knowing perfectly what their nature and power was, what both could do: that if left by God, they would quickly leave God, and prove unfaithful.
I shall observe one point, before I come to the latter part of the Verse (for there the suspicion of disloyalty upon the Angels comes more fully to be considered) from the title here given to the Angels, His servants, he put no trust in his servants, Angels are the servants of God. They are his servants, as being altogether at his command, and they are his servants, as being fully conformable to his commands. These great and glorious Spirits, come under the same title and denomination with men, who dwell in houses of clay, servants of God. To serve God, is not only the duty, but it is the honor of the highest creatures. It is more honor to serve God, then to rule the world. The style of the good Angels, is, Ministring Spirits, Heb. 1. but the style and title of the evil Angel, is, Prince of the power of the air, God of this word: you would think these were weighty titles, Prince of the air, God of the world, but the additions diminish their weight, yea, make them lighter then vanity, or rather, heavy only with misery: There is more glory in being a servant of God, than in being a god of the world, or a Prince of the power of the air.
I might here enlarge my enquiry into the services of Angels, in what they are servants, and what their offices and duties are, but I shall only touch. Their service may be considered either in respect of the Church, or the enemies of the Church. Respecting the Church and people of God, they have such services as these.
First, they are as messengers to carry and reveal the mind of God. They are as Tutors and instructors of the Churches, Dan. 8. 9. God sent his Angel to teach Daniel the mystery of those visions. And Rev. 1. 11. an Angel was sent to instruct John, Chap. 22. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testify these things in the Churches.
Secondly, they are sent as guardians and protectors of the people of God, to take their part, and to be on their side, Psal. 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. Psal. 91. 11. He giveth his Angels a charge over them, lest at any time they should dash their feet against a stone. Gen. 32. 2. When Jacob journeyed, it is said, the Angels of God met him; an army of Angels was his Convoy, God's Hoast coming out for his protection and safeguard, and therefore he called the name of that place Nahanaim, that is, two Hosts or Camps; either because the Angels appeared in two bands, and so made as it were a guard for Jacob to pass between them. Or, because the great Angelical Royal Army, quartered and marched with Jacob's little Army; and so two confederate Armies appeared in the field together. Angels are called Chariots, Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of Angels. That is, God useth Angels for defense of his people, as Chariots in Warr. The ancient Prophets were called the Chariots of Israel, (2 King. 3. 13.) and the Angels are the Chariots of God. Our strongest Militia is of Spirits, or of men spiritualized.
Thirdly, Angels suggest good things, holy thoughts to us. If the Devil, who is an evil Angel, a wicked spirit, can suggest evil, sinful filthy thoughts, and help on the heart in wickedness; then doubtless a good Angel can help on the heart in holiness, in heavenly thoughts and meditations. Christ speaks of Judas, that Satan had put it into his heart to betray him, John 13. and Peter to Ananias (Acts 5.) Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? The nature of a good Angel is as fit, his power given as great, to deal with our spirits, as either the nature or the power of an evil Angel. That of the Apostle (2 Cor. 11. 14.) gives a hint, if not a proof of it, where he tells the Corinthians, That deceitful workers transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ, and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light, and when is Satan in this change from an Angel of darkness to an Angel of light? even when He suggests good for evil ends, or evil for good ends. And if he is called an Angel of light for this reason, then Angels of light, good Angels suggest good, for good ends; otherwise, Satan could not be said to imitate them, in suggesting good for ill ends, and under specious pretences of bringing glory to God, tempting to transgress the will of God.
Fourthly, good Angels comfort, strengthen and support, in times of distress, anguish and trouble: an Angel comforted Hagar Gen. 21 and (Matth. 4. 10.) after Christ had finished his terrible combat with that wicked Angel, the good Angels came and ministered unto him. Again, when he was in that most bitter Agony in the garden (Luke 22. 43.) an Angel appeared to him from Heaven, strengthening him. That which they do to Christ the Head, they do to his members in their proportion.
Their fifth service, is to convey and carry the souls of departed Saints to Heaven: they are Heavenly Porters (Luke. 16. 22.) Lazarus died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom.
Lastly, they shall convocate and gather all the Elect together at the last day, Matth. 24. 31. Their services against the wicked and all enemies of the Church have been many and great. Angels assist Saints, and oppose the opposers of Zion. Two Angels were sent upon a message of destruction to Sodom; an Angel defeated the Hoast of Sennacherib; an Angel smote bloody persecuting Herod; Angels (by name, if not by nature) pour out the seven vials of God's wrath in the Revelation. And at the last day Angels shall hurry the wicked to Christ's Tribunal; they are heavenly Pursivants; and they shall bundle the Tares up together, as fuel to be thrown into everlasting burnings, Matth. 13. 41, 42.
And it may be a great comfort to us, that God hath such servants. When visible dangers are round about us, we should remember, God hath invisible servants round about us. There are more with us, then against us, as Elisha told his fearful servant, 2 Kings 6. And in that low estate of the Church, Zech. 1. 8. the Prophet is shown Christ in a vision standing among the Mirtle trees in the bottom, (the Mirtle trees in the bortome, noted the Church in a low estate) and behind him there were red Horses, speckled and white; that is, horsemen speckled and white. These diverse coloured Horses were Angels appointed for several offices, as the learned Junius (with others) interprets it; The red horses being appointed for judgment, the white for mercy, and the speckled, (as he conjectures) for mixed actions, being sent out, at once to protect and help the people of God, and to execute wrath and judgment upon the adversary. Thus we see the services of the Angels; they are servants, yet such as the most wise God put no trust in; therefore we have an Angel better then Angels, even the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus, into whose hands our safety is committed, to whose care the Church is left, in whom God puts the whole trust, knowing that this great Angel, is, and forever will be faithful, in and over his house, to his highest delight, and the Churches completest welfare.
There are very different readings of this part of the Verse. Some (as M. Beza) read it thus, He trusted not in his servants, though he had put light into those his messengers. Others read it with a negation in both parts, He put no trust in his servants, neither hath he put light in his Angels. Another thus, neither hath he put perfect light in his Angels. Mr. Broughton differs from all these, Behold he holdeth not perfection to be in his own servants, and in his Angels he judged no clear light to be. Another sort read it to these senses, He charged, or put madness in or upon his Angels, he put or charged vain boasting in, or upon his Angels, he found vanity in or amongst his Angels, he observed some evil amongst his Angels.
Now that which hath given occasion to this variety of translatings, is the different senses which the Original yields us. The Hebrew word is very fruitful of significations, and hath (as the Oracle told Rebecca concerning two contrary Nations) two contrary meanings in the womb of it, and that makes the struggling amongst Interpreters. The word in its proper sense signifies to shine forth with a resplendent brightness, so Chap. 29. 3. Job wisheth, O that I were as in months past, when the candle of God shined upon my head; it is a Verbe of which the word folly in this text of Job is a derivative. And (Isaiah 14. 12.) Hielel signifies the Morning star, whose shining brightness hath obtained the name Lucifer, Light-bringer, or Light-bearer. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer, son of the Morning? How art thou fallen from Heaven, Hielel, thou shining day-star? Thus, the word properly signifies shining or brightness, or to shine and be bright: and hence by a Metaphor to be Famous, or renowned, or to make one renowned or famous, or to paint out a man with praises; because a man is (as it were) decked with light, and hath rays of brightness cast upon him, when he is honored and adorned with praises. Due commendations are to a man as a robe or vesture of light, which makes him shine to all about him. And hence the word Hallelujah is derived, praise ye Jah, or the Lord; used frequently both in the beginning and end of the Psalms: in the beginning of the Psalms by way of exhortation, and in the end by way of acclamation, crying up the honor and glory of God. And (to note that in passage) it is well observed, that this word Hallelujah is first used in the Old Testament, Psal. 104. 35. where the utter consumption of sinners is mentioned; and in the New Testament it is first used, Rev. 19. 3 6. where the utter consumption of Antichrist is prophesied. Judgment on the wicked, is matter of high praise to God. Thirdly, the word signifies (by the figure Antiphrasis or contrary speaking) to boast and brag vainly, foolishly; or vain foolish boasting. To commend or extol ourselves is pride running mad, and arrogance distracted. It is the highest dotage to be in love with our own wisdom and folly, to publish our own works. There may be wisdom (though oftentimes there is a great deal of folly) in commending others, but in commending ourselves, there can be nothing but folly: therefore the very same word which signifies to boast and commend ourselves; signifies both the concrete, to be mad, vain, or foolish; and the abstract, madness and folly: thus in Eccles. 2. 2, 12. the word is used, I said of laughter thou art mad. I turned myself to behold wisdom, and folly, and madness: and Psal. 75. 4. I said unto the fools, deal not foolishly, or to the mad-men, do not play the mad-men, that is, do not exalt yourselves, for so he clears his meaning in the fifth Verse, Lift not up your horns on high, speak not with a stiff neck, that is, a neck stifned with pride, and a horn lifted up with vain-glory or self-confidence.
From this variety of significations, the variety of translations before touched, ariseth. First they who read it, He put light into those his messengers, take the word in a proper strict sense, making out the meaning thus; that God having put the light of excellent knowledge into the Angels, could not yet trust them: all their speculative knowledge, and high raised illuminations, were not enough to make them steadily and steadfastly holy: that is the intent of Mr. Beza's interpretation, He trusted not to his servants, though he had put light into those his messengers. For those who retaining the word light translate negatively, neither hath he put light in his Angels, or neither hath he put perfect light into his Angels; or as Mr. Broughton, In his Angels he judgeth no clear light to be, putting a negative particle in both branches of the Verse, whereas in the Hebrew there is no express negation in the latter. These, I say, are led by this reason or rule. It is frequent in Scripture, when there is a negative in the former clause of a Verse, then to understand a negative also in the latter clause, though none be expressed. For instance (Psal. 9. 18.) The needy shall not always be forgotten, the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever; so we read, but in the Hebrew the latter clause is, the expectation of the poor shall perish forever: there is no Negative in the Original; but our Transtators, and not only they, but all that I have seen upon the place, render it so, supplying the Negative particle of the former, in the latter clause of that sentence. And without that negative, the sentence is not only imperfect, but untrue. Thus, The needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall perish forever, this were a contradiction: but reading it, the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever, makes the whole a truth, and congruous in itself. Again (Pro. 17. 26.) To punish the just is not good, to strike Princes for equity, so the letter of the Hebrew; but we read it thus, To punish the just is not good, nor to stricke Princes for equity. I might give ynu other examples, but a taste may suffice Thus in the Text before us, when it is said in the first clause, he put no trust in his servants, we take up the negative, and say in the second, neither hath he put light into his Angels, or he did not put light in his Angels, or he put no perfect light in his Angels, or he judged not clear light to be in his Angels.
Secondly, they, who (according to our Translation) render it madness or folly, vain boasting or vanity, these take the Original in that figurative sense before given. When a man from a reflection upon his own worth, boasts out his own praises, which, because it is a point of extreme vanity and folly, therefore the word is elegantly applied to signify folly, &c. He charged his Angels with folly. He put or laid folly upon, or to his Angels; He put, for so the Hebrew word bears. Not, that the vanity which is in Angels is of God's putting, but the folly that is in them, he puts to them, or char • eth it upon them, or layeth it to their charge. As we say, Such a one put it home upon him; that is, he charged him soundly, or fully, with such a crime or offense. To charge, is a judicial or Law-term, implying, that the Lord sitting in judgment, to examine the state of Angels, charged them by way of accusation, and upon trial found them (in a sense) guilty of that, which, though they had not formed into any one sin, yet might be formed and shap'd into any sin, Folly or vain-glory.
Having given some account of those terms, Charging and Folly, He charged his Angels with folly, it grows to a great doubt what Angels we are here to understand: what Angels did God thus charge with folly? The query or doubt lies, whether we shall lay this charge at the door of the good Angels, or of the bad, or of both.
Many of the Ancients restrain it to the evil Angels to the Apostate Angels; God put no trust in them, he saw folly in them; taking it for confessed, that the Angels which stood, the good Angels are trusty servants, discreet and wise, far from, either unfaithfulness or folly; such, as God hath put trust in, and they never deceived his trust; such whose obedience is made the pattern of ours, by Christ himself in his pattern of prayer, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. And would the Lord regulare us by them who are themselves irregular? or make them our copy in doing his will, whose folly renders them unfit to be trusted with the doing of his will? Therefore (say these) such a charge suits not the state and condition of the good Angels.
Others cast it upon the good Angels, that God put no trust, no, not in them. I conceive, from either there may be a good sense, though I incline to the latter. For in the Apostate Angels (take it in the broadest sense) God saw no light, no goodness, no faithfulness at all; they have plainly discovered themselves, and shown, not only weakness and unfaithfulness, but wickedness and utmost folly. But to confine it to the evil Angels, or to understand it chiefly of them, is too narrow for the Text; especially, seeing this is but a light, a too easy charge for those Apostate Spirits to say onle thus that God found unfaithfulness in them, and charged them with folly: for in them rebellion was found, and they stand charged to this day with High Treason, against the Crown and dignity of the King of Heaven: and are therefore committed to prison, and reserved in chains of darkness to the judgment of the great day. As for the good Angels, God may be said to charge them with folly without any wrong, either to the holiness of their nature, or the steadfastness of their obedience. For upon examination (or intuition rather) he finds, they have no wisdom, or stability, but by Divine bounty and establishment. As the apostate Angels were positively full of folly and unfaithfulnes so the good Angels might be charged with folly, negatively, namely, that they had no faithfulness, but as assisted and propt up.
But, we may take the Angels in a third or middle consideration neither for the fallen or apostate Angels, nor for the good and confirmed Angels as distinct, or since this distinction: But by Angels we may understand the Angelical nature; the whole complex nature of Angels in their creation and constitution was such, as God could not trust fully unto, such as he saw folly in. We may demonstrate this plainly, because a great part of the Angels (and it is questioned whether or no the geater part) but it is clear, that a great part of the Angels, a whole Regiment at least, proved disloyal, and fell together: therefore the Angelical nature (in that abstracted notion) is subject to folly and unfaithfulnes, as well as man, although they are of a more excellent make and constitution then man. God looking upon Angels in general, saw they were not to be trusted; the event also showing many of them (who were as good by nature as they who stand) falling from him discovering their folly and nakedness to all the world.
But it may be questioned yet, how there could be folly in the Angelical nature, for as much as God viewing and reviewing all the works, which he had made, saw everything which he had made, and behold it was very good.
I answer, first God charged them with folly comparatively, respecting himself. As (1 Tim. 6. 16.) the Apostle saith of God, that he only hath immortality; that speech is exclusive, shutting out all other creatures from a participation of God's immortality. Yet we know Angels are immortal, Angels die not, therefore also they are opposed to men (in the next Verse to the Text) who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, and are crushed before the moth; Angels are not crushed, they die not, yet God only is immortal; because the immortality of Angels compared with the immortality of God, is but mortality. And the reason is this, because Angels are not immortal in themselves, or of themselves, they have not original or absolute immortality, their immortality is dependent and derivative; God only is independently and originally immortal, and hence he only is said to have immortality. As it is in the point of life, so also of righteousness, wisdom, and faithfulness. God only is faithful, he only is wise, that's the Apostles phrase, To God only wise: Men, yea Angels, are unfaithful, unwise, foolish, compared with God. He is wise of himself, and in himself, in his own compass creatures have only what they borrow or receive from him. To this sense on of the Ancients speaks fully, In comparison of the justice of God, if the holy Angels in heaven be called unjust, I see no hurt in the assertion not because they have fallen from justice, but because they are creatures, and not God. All is resolved into this, they are creatures, that's enough to prove their folly, and unfaithfulness And, if a man that hath not only some smattering of learning and knowledge but is a professed Scholar, be looked upon as ignorant, compared with the Ben-clerks and great Scholers of the world; is it any wonder that Angels should be called fools, in reference to the infinite wisdom of God? The foolishness of God is wiser then men, and the weakness of God is stronger then men. And it is as true of Angels, the foolishness of God is wiser then Angels, and the weakness of God is stronger then Angels. Angels are called Principalities and powers, but yet, it is only because they act in the power of God; and go forth in his strength, that's the first answer. The whole nature of Angels is unfaithful and foolish, weighed with God.
Secondly, I answer, although in the Angels there is no actual unfaithfulness or folly, yet there is possible folly & unfaithfulness in Angels; and, this potentiality is the thing here meant or aimed at. The Holy Angels that now stand are wise and faithful altogether, yet considered in themselves (not as confirmed by Christ) they may fall; their condition is altered, but their constitution is the same. It is otherwise with man (which makes a wide difference between Angels and men.) Man not only hath a potentiality to be foolish & unfaithful, but man is actual foolish and unfaithful; yea man in himself is nothing else, but a bundle of folly and unfaithfulness. Whereas Angels in themselves, or considered in their natural constitution, have no folly actually in them at all. The nature of man is nothing but sin, and Angels have no sin at all in their nature; they only have a potentiality, a possibility in their nature to sin. So then, we must understand this charge of folly with two cautions concerning Angels. First, there was not any folly concreated with them, their nature is purely pure. Secondly, they have not contracted any folly into their nature. The folly of the good Angels is but like the folly of man in the state of innocence, when he had only a power to sin: which possibility of Angels to sin is by the mediation of Christ (wherein these Angels have a share though not to redeem or raise them from their Fall (as man) yet to confirm and keep them from falling) I say, by the mediation of Christ that possibility is removed. Christ hath changed their possibility to sin, into an impossibility of sinning. This is a glorious privilege indeed, and that which all the Saints shall have in glory. Redemption hath not only bettered the condition of man, but the condition of Angels. Now they all excel in strength, doing the commandments of God, and hearkening to the voice of his word forever. Psal. 103. 20.
We may hence learn, first, What the sin of Angels was, God charged his Angels with folly; The possible sin, which God saw and still sees, in the nature of Angels, was the actual sin of Angels. Pride & self confidence were the sins of Angels, and these are the most proper sins of Angels; Angels cannot fall into every sin. The Schoolman questions, Whether the first sin of Angels was pride? He argues and concludes that howsoever in regard of guilt, the Devils, or fallen Angels, have all sins upon them, because they tempt man to every sin (For he that tempts another to a sin which himself commits not, or is incapable to commit is as guilty, as if he had committed it) yet in regard of the act it self, evil angels can only commit those sins, which are suitable to a spiritual nature.
Now a spiritual nature, is not affected with those sins, which belong to a corporal or sensitive nature; Devils are not adulterers, they are not drunkards; theirs are spiritual sins, and their chief spiritual sin, was pride; Their first sin consisted in not submitting themselves to that condition, wherein God placed them, and whereunto they were appointed. All agree it was pride, though there be different opinions about what this pride shown if self; whether in affecting a higher degree, then God created them in refusing the work and office God set them about, (which some conceive, was the ministration to, or the guardianship of man, which trust they deserted or scorned) or whether it were in affecting a further condition upon their own strength, not looking to the strength and grace of God, whatsoever the particular was, the general is plain, they abode not in the truth, they kept not their station: Pride and ambition swelled them, till they brake and fell.
Secondly observe, Angels (as creatures) are mutable creatures, though they are the best of creatures, yet they are changeable creatures; though they are the most perfect creatures, yet there is somewhat in them of imperfection. Look upon Angels in their creation, they were created blessed; Blessed (as the Schools determine) with a natural blessedness, not with a supernatural which consists in the vision of God; for, if they had been created in a supernatural blessedness, then they had never fallen; they were created only in a natural blessedness, and from that they might fall and did. Now, indeed the good Angels have obtained by Christ a supernatural blessedness, from▪ which they cannot fall; and so by grace are become immutable, which by creation they were not. Though Christ be not a Redeemer (as was touched before) yet he is a confirmer, a supporter of the holy Angels. In reference whereunto, Christ is called the head of all things (Eph. 1. 22.) And of him the whole family in Heaven, and in earth is named, Ephes. 3. 15. And by him (Col. 1. 20.) God hath reconciled all things unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven. Some understand that place in the Colossians of men only, because of the word reconciling, yet we may well take in Angels also, because, that place takes in all things, both in Heaven and earth. And howsoever Angels needed not such a reconciliation, as supposes a breach of peace, or a falling out, before: yet they needed such a reconciliation, as consists in the continuance and strengthening of that peace which was before.
Further, We learn by way of Corollary from the former point, That there is no stability in any estate out of Christ; The Angels themselves could not be trusted out of Christ; folly is in them not considered in Christ, how much more in man? When Adam fell, if God should have repaired him again, and set him up (in statu quo) in the same condition wherein he was, yea in a better (if a better could be had) without a Mediator; and so have tried his obedience once more; or should every particular man have stood for himself, and not one for all; certainly, as we fell at first in a lump all together, so we should have all fallen single (as it were) by retaile, one after another: There is no assurance in any estate on this side Christ: Nor man, nor Angel can hold out without a Surety: Christ is called the Surety of the Covenant, Heb. 7. 22. because he undertakes for us that we shall do our parts, that we shall be faithful and believing, that we shall be holy and humble, that we shall do what God expects from those, whom free grace shall save: Christ undertakes for all the grace, and holiness, and faithfulness which is required in believers; He gives no command, but what himself helps us to fulfill, nor calls he for any duty, but what himself works in us and for us.
Fourthly observe, That God sees imperfection in creatures whose natures are most perfect. Man looking upon the Angelical nature, or upon man's nature in innocence, could see no fault or folly in either, but God saw both possibly faulty, though not actually faulty. And, as it is with the nature of men and Angels, so with their works: when we can see nothing amiss in a work, God can: as the Apostle acknowledges (1 Cor. 4. 4.) I know nothing by myself: I profess, when I look into the course of my ministry (for he speaks to that particular) when I look, how I have discharged my Apostleship, my conscience bears me witness, I know of no unfaithfulness or neglect, but yet, though I know nothing by myself, I am not hereby justified, but he that judgeth me is the Lord: as if he should say, wheu God comes to look over my work, he may find faults, many faults in it; there is no standing for creatures before God in any creature-purity: Angelical perfection is imperfect in his sight. Angels have not the least spot or tincture of sin in their nature, yet the nature of Angels is potentially sinful. The best creature (in regard of pure naturals) may be wrought to evil, one God cannot. And the reason is, because everyone may err, who hath not the rule of righteousness within him: and therefore it is impossible God should err, because his own will is the rule of his own actions: He is every way a law unto himself. The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles (Rom. 2. 14.) saith, These having not the law, are a law unto themselves. Not that their nature is a law, (which is the transcendent privilege of God) but, that they have the law of nature, or the law printed in their nature, though not published to their ear; They have the law written in their hearts, but the heart of God is his law, both written and unwritten. Creatures how perfect soever in their nature, have the will of God for their rule and law: which though it be within them, yet it is not Them, and so they may act beside it. The hand of the Artificer often fails in cutting or fashioning the work he is about, because his hand is not the rule by which he works: his hand works by a rule or line, his hand is not that rule or line, therefore he sometimes strikes right; and sometimes he strikes wrong; but if the hand of a man were the rule by which he works, then it were impossible that ever he should work amiss. Thus it is with God, the very will of God which acts, is the rule by which he acts, hence it is impossible for God to fail; Angels and men act by a rule prescribed, their will is one thing, and the rule is another; the power by which they work is one thing, and the direction by which they work is another; and therefore (to shut up this point) the most perfect creature may possibly swerve and err in acting; Only he cannot err in anything he doth, whose will is the perfect rule of all be doth.
Fifthly, Forasmuch as God beholding Angels, sees folly in them, learn, That God hath no need of any creature, no not of Aagels. The reason is clearly this, because Angels themselves in themselves are unfaithful, Angels themselves in themselves are foolish, therefore what need hath God of such as these? As King. Achish said (1 King. 21. 15.) when David changed his behavior before him (studiously acting the fool & mad man) scrabling on the doors of the gate, and letting his spittle fall down upon his beard: What, saith Achish unto his servants, have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? So, God may say, when he looks upon the best of creatures, Angels or men, have I any need of mad-men, any need of fools or of their folly? Forasmuch then, as there is nothing in any creature, barely as a crearure, but what may be reduced to folly and unfaithfullnesse, and would certainly end there, therefore God hath no need at all of any creature. Men will say, we need not the help of disloyal or untrusty men, we need not the help of fools, to counsel us, or of unfaithful ones, to act for us.
Besides, Creatures are no help to God: For the truth is, God and the creature, are no more than God alone; I say, God and the utmost perfection of all creatures put together, are no more than God alone: The reason of it is, because, if there be any perfection in creatures, it is but what God himself hath put into them. What a man gives to another, is no addition to himself, much less is that which God gives man or Angel, any addition to God. God is infinite, and no addition can be made to infinite: When the creature doth most for us, the creature (of it self) doth nothing for us, God doth all in all & by all. The creature doth you no more good at one time than at another, all the good which is done at any time, God doth it: So then, every way God hath no need of creatures. And it is our comfort, I am sure it ought to be, that he hath not. He saith to wisemen I have no need of your counsels; to rich men I have no need of your purses; and to great men, I have no deed of your power; he sees all is vanity.
Lastly, If God trust not Angels, let not us trust in man; if he charges his Angels with folly, let not us adore the wisdom of man. This discovery of imperfection in Angels, should lay all creatures low before us, and take us off from confidence or boasting in any arm of flesh. To this sense, Eliphaz prosecutes the argument in the following words to the end of the Chapter. If Angels, the chiefest and choicest of creatures be thus weak, what then is man, who dwells in a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, and who are crushed before the moth?
JOB. Chap. 4. Vers. 19, 20, 21.
How much less on them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish forever without any regarding it.
Doth not their excellency which is in them, go away? they die, even without wisdom.
THese three verses, contain a description of man in opposition to the Angels. The form of the argument was given before to this effect; That if Angels, those excellent creatures, cannot stand before God, or be justified in his sight; then much less man, a weak creature, man who dwells in a house of clay, and whose foundation is in the dust.
Two things this Context holds forth to us, concerning the weakness of man, in opposition to Angels.
First, It shows that man is a material substance, so are not Angels, Angels are spirits, spiritual substances.
Secondly, It shows us, that man is a mortal substance, so are not Angels, spirits die not.
That, man is a material substance, is proved in the beginning of the 19. verse, from those words, He dwells in a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.
That, man is a mortal substance, is implied in the former; That which is made of clay and dust, must needs be brittle ware. But besides that his mortality is implied in those words, it is proved expressly and in terms in the words following to the end of the Chapter. And this mortality of man is set forth, by divers adjuncts or circumstances.
1. By a similitude, shadowing the quickness or the suddenness of man's death, They are crushed before the moth.
2. By the shortness of life; They are destroyed from morning to evening.
3. By the everlasting power, which death hath upon us (respecting this world) They perish forever.
4. By the common and general insensibleness and inconsideration of this frail life, of this long lasting death; Man (saith he) is destroyed from morning to evening, he dieth quickly, perisheth forever, he lies, as long as the world lasts, in his grave, yet such is the stupidity of man, that none regard all this, he dies without any regarding.
5. And least any should say, surely, man is not such a pitiful creature, as this sad description represents him; man was the most excellent part of the inferior creation, God planted many noble endowments upon man: and is there no more to be said of him but this? he is crushed like a moth, and dies, no man regarding? That objection is taken away in the last verse; as if the Holy Ghost had said, I grant that man, besides dust and clay (which are his materials) hath many heavenly, yea divine endowments, he hath the impressions of God's Image in reason and understanding stamped upon him; but, though he be thus qualified, yet all his excellency (all that which may be accounted the choicest and the best in him) will not keep him sweet, or protect him from death and rottenness: Doth not (saith he) their excellency which is in them go away? as if he had said, If you allege, that man is more than dust and clay, then weakness and corruption; tis granted: but what then? Doth not their excellency that is in them, go away? doth it not vanish, and where is it? and where is he? All natural perfections (whatsoever man hath under the notion of a reasonable creature) be they never so high and raised, quickly pass wither and decay: They have no abiding excellency in them, Doth not their excelleny that is in them, go away? They have wisdom, but they die without wisdom, even as brute beasts, either their wisdom decays, while they live; or, it is not able to keep them alive: wisdom, parts, and learning stand them in no stead to prevent death. Now if their excellency go away, they must go too; if wisdom cannot keep them alive, die they must; as we shall see further in opening the several parts, having thus given the sense in general.
These things considered, we may see the strength of the Argument in the 19. verse, How much less on them who dwell in houses of clay, &c. as if he should say; Forasmuch, as Angels cannot stand in competition with God, or approve themselves in his sight, certainly much less can man, how great thoughts soever he hath of himself; much less can man be justified in his sight, who comes so many degrees short of Angelical perfections; For, his soul which is within him, though it be a noble and a spiritual substance, and that wherein he is most like to Angels, yet this soul of his, sojournes, dwells and acts, in a body composed of corruptible clay, and hath no better a foundation (in a natural capacity) than the very dust; And, so subject is this man to mortality, thus composed of dust and clay, as, what through the inward distempers of his body, what through outward accidents and casualties, he is as transitory and as subject to death, as the meanest worm, as the poorest creature in the world, he is crushed before the moth.
The Hebrew bears a double rendering, either how much less, (as we) or how much more: If it be rendered how much less, then it refers to the first clause of the former verse; Thus, if he puts no trust in his Angels, then much less doth he put trust in men, who dwell in houses of clay. If it be rendered, how much more, then it refers to the latter clause of that verse; Thus, If he charged his Angels with folly, then how much more may he charge them with folly, who dwell in houses of clay? Which words, are a description of man, either in his civil condition, or in his natural constitution. Some take these words in the very letter, The house, for that which we ordinarily call a house, the house wherein man ordinarily inhabits; as if Eliphaz had thus said, Angels dwell in Heaven, they have everlasting mansions, but man, dwells in a house of clay, the best and goodliest houses are but clay and dust, a little refined and sublimated by art or nature, brick and stone, all these materials, or but dirt concocted by the heat of fire and Sun; so that, if the allusion were to the very houses in which man-kind dwells, in oppsition to the habitation of Angels, these set them far inferior to, and below the Angels. As, these take it for the house wherein man lives, so some understand it, of the house, where man lies being dead, namely the grave: The Chaldee is express paraphrasing thus, How much more the wicked, who dwell in a sepulcher of clay? That, the grave is called a house, the Prophet helps us. Isa. 14. 18, 19. All the Kings of the Nations, even all of them, lie in glory, everyone in his own house, that is, in the grave, as the next words prove, But thou art cast out of thy grave, &c. But I rather take it (as was before intimated) to be an expression of man's natural constitution, He dwells in a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust. And so the Apostle is express (2 Cor. 5. 1.) If our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved; the earthly house is the body; and (2 Cor. 4. 7.) the body is called an earthen vessel, We have this treasure▪ (namely the precious Promises and truths of God in the dispensation of the Gospel) in earthen vessels: We dying men, preach eternal life; we have death in our faces, while the word of life is in our mouths. The word here used, signifies clay, either wrought or unwrought, either natural slimy dirt, or dirt made up for use, by art: So Gen. 11. 3. when they attempted the building of that Tower, it is said, They had slime for mortar; it is the word of the Text, which is used for both slime and mortar; they had slime (which is natural) for mortar; that is (by Art and industry) they made mortar of slime: The body of man is a house of clay, but not of rude natural clay; the power, and (if I may so speak) the art of God hath wrought it beyond itself, and refined it for this goodly building, the body of man.
The body of man is called a house or building in two respects. First, because of the comely fabric: it is set up by line or by rule, there is admirable architecture, admirable skill in building and raising up of the body of man, story after story, room after room, and contrivance after contrivance, in all so compact and set together, that the most curious piles in the world are but rude heaps compared to it; so then in respect of the frame and structure, it is fitly called a house.
Secondly, the frame of the body is called a house, in respect of the soul; the soul dwells in or inhabits the body, as the whole man inhabits or dwells in a house; the soul guides and orders the body, as the inhabitant orders the affairs of the house, or as the Mariner and Pilot steer and direct the motions of the ship: Not that the soul is in the body accidentally (we must not strain the similitude so far) as a man is in a house, or a Mariner is in a ship: there is a formal union between the body and the soul; only the soul is said to dwell in the body, and the body or the matter is after called a foundation, because there is the beginning. Man was begun at his body, as the house is at the foundation: first God formed man (that is the body) out of the dust of the earth, and then he breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
Thus the body is a house, and it is a house of clay, or a house of earth, so called, chiefly in two respects.
First, because of the matter of it, it is made of earth. Though all Elements (as Naturalists teach) meet in mixed bodies, yet earth is predominant in gross or heavy bodies.
Secondly, because of the continuance of it, or the means by which it is supported: for, as it was at the first framed out of the earth, so it is still supported and maintained by earth; earthly creatures, meat and drink with such like accommodations, continue and repair this house from day today, until at last it be laid down in the dust, and return to earth again. So then, it is called an earthly house, not only from the matter of which it is made, but also from the means by which it is kept in repair, earth and earthy all.
These words aggravate the weakness of man's condition. Suppose man were formed out of the dust and were but clay, yet, had he a strong foundation, that would support and strengthen him. The strength of a building is in the foundation, and that building whose walls are but weak may stand long, being firmly founded. The Church of Christ is weak of itself; but because the Church hath such a mighty foundation, CHRIST the Rock, a living and an immovable Rock: (That confession of Peter, Thou art Christ the Son of the living God, is the Churches foundation Rock) therefore the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. But when the building is weak, and the foundation weak too, in how tottering a condition is such a building? Mans foundation is but sand or dust: and the word signifies flying, light, unstable, moveable dust, such as lies on the surface of the earth, and is plaid about with every puff of wind, though some (I confess) take the word not strictly, for this flying dust, but for slimy dust, or dust moistened, which is slime. This was the matter out of which God created man (Gen. 2. 7.) dust out of the earth, or out of the dust of the earth. That dust which can hardly be collected or kept together to make a subsistence, that is laid together as the foundation of man, His foundation is in the dust.
Hence we may observe first, what the pedigree and original of man is what treasure soever he carries about him, yet he is an earthen vessel, or as the Apostle speaks of the first man, 1. Cor. 15. 47. he is of the earth earthy, Earth is the Original of man, and man himself is no better, Earthy; yea, the Earth is called his earth, as if he had propriety in nothing but earth, Psal. 1 • . 6. 4. speaking of the greatest Princes, Trust ye not in Princes, nor in the son of man, his breath goeth forth, and he returneth to his earth. Our bodies can challenge no alliance with, or propriety in anything but earth, it is our earth. The wise man (Eccles. 12. 7.) calls the body, not only an Allie to the dust, or a-kin to dust, but plain dust, Then (speaking of Death) shall the dust return to the earth as it was? it came from the earth, and in death it returns to the same point from whence it set out.
A second thing we may take notice of from man's original, which exceedingly advances the infinite wisdom, and the Almighty power of God. Dust and Earth are the matter out of which we are formed. But doth the countenance of man represent dust and earth? Could any one say, who had nothing to judge by, but the eye, that man was made of such mean materials? What characters of Beauty and Majesty sit in his visage? how unlike is he to his own parent, the Earth? Man hath received from God, not only an excellent fabric or composure of body, but if you consider it, the very matter of which the body is composed, is far more excellent then earth or dust. Take a piece of earth, or a handful of dust, and compare them with the flesh of man, that flesh is earth indeed, but that flesh is far better then mere earth. This shows the power of the Creator, infinitely exceeding the power of a creature. A Goldsmith can make you a goodly Jewel, but then you must give him gold and precious stones of which to make it; he can put the matter into a hetter form, but he cannot make the matter better. The Engraver can make a curious Statue, exactly limb'd, and proportioned to the life, out of a ruff piece, but the matter must be the same you put into his hands; if you give him Marble, it will be a Marble Statue, but he cannot mend the matter. Mans work often exceeds his matter, but man's work cannot make the matter exceed itself. Now God took up a rude lump of earth, or subtle dust, and he not only put that into an excellent form, but he mended the matter also. Man is earth, but he is earth sublimated and refined; Not only doth the form exceed the matter, but the matter formed exceeds the matter unformed.
Thirdly, as this lifts up the wisdom and power of God, so it should humble and lay man low. Eliphaz improves this principle as an Argument to take down the spirit of Job from his supposed heights and self-conceits. Surely thou art great in thy own thoughts, when thou presumest to enter a contest with God: But, look to thy Original; such towering, lofty, and ascending thoughts would quickly be abated, if thou wouldest remember tha thou art but a clod of earth, a little refined clay, moving slime, enlivened dust, breathing ashes; did we spiritually look upon the matter of our bodies, it would take down the swelling of our spirits; when our spirits are like Jordan in the time of harvest, overflowing all the banks of humility and moderation, this thought spiritualized will bring us into our channels again, and recall us to our own bounds and banks. Some Naturalists observe of the Bees, that when they are up and angry, do but throw a little dust upon them, they are quiet and hive again. Certainly, when our imaginations are buzzing and humming in the air, when thy are flying and mounting up to Heaven, not in holy aspirings to God (which we ever ought) but in bold aspirings against God, which we should never dare, in such a distemper of our spirits, if we could but cast this dust upon them, it would quiet and bring them in again.
Hath not man cause to lie as low in his thoughts, as that from whence he was extracted? should not he be humbled to the dust, who is dust? Especially, this earth should be abased in all addresses to Heaven, in all our approaches unto God, as Abraham, Genesis 18. 27. I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. We should never be so low in our own thoughts, as when we make use of our highest privileges; and the nearer we are admitted to come to Heaven, the more should we (for the magnifying of Free-grace, which makes this admission) remember that we are but Earth.
Fourthly, if the body be but clay, and hath but a foundation of dust, then do not bestow too much care and cost upon your clay, upon your dust. How many are there who bestow much pains to trim up a vile body, and neglect a precious soul? Most usually they who bestow most pains upon this mortal house of clay, bestow least about that immortal inhabitant. In an over cared for body, there ever dwells a neglected soul. You shall have a body cleanly washed, and a soul all filth; a body neatly clothed and dressed, with a soul all naked and unready; a body fed, and a soul starved; a body full of the creature, and a soul empty of Christ; these are poor souls indeed. That complaint of the Moralist against Heathens, may be renewed against some Christians, they are busied most between the comb and the glass, and troubled more at a disorder in their hair, then at a disorder in the Common-wealth (he said, I say) then at a disorder in the Church, or in their own hearts. It is a sad thing, that any who bear the name of a Christian, should spend much time between the comb and the glass, and but little between Ordinance and Ordinance, between the Bible and the Pulpit, between reading and hearing, between both, and holy meditation; the body is but a house of clay, it is but dust, therefore be not so industrious for it. We usually laugh at children when they are making Houses of Clay, and Pies of Dirt. They whose care is thus over active for the body, are but children of a greater stature, and show, they have so much more folly in their hearts then they, by how much they have more years over their heads, and are foolish about more serious matters then they. There is no child to the old child.
Fifthly, seeing this house of clay is founded also in dust, observe, that man is a very frail, an unsteady, and an unstable creature, every puff must needs subject him to ruin. Look upon his foundation, it is nothing but dust. When CHRIST (Math. 7. ult.) had finished his Sermon upon the Mount, he compares his hearers to such as build either upon the Rock, or upon the Sand, they that hear and do not, are like a house built upon the sand; and what becomes of that house? when the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, that house fell, and the fall thereof was great. A foundation of dust or sand cannot stand out one storm. The house of man's body is walled and roofed with clay, and bottomed upon no better then dust; the strength of the Church (as was touched before) is described by the matter of its foundation A Rock, Matth. 16. And the new Jerusalem (which as it is conceived to be the most pure state of the Church here on earth, so it must be the strongest) is set forth having twelve foundations, and they all of stone, and all those stones most precious, and therefore most durable, Rev. 21. 19. The strength and stability of that estate which the Saints shall inherit, when these houses of earth are by death levelled to the earth (the stability (I say) of that estate) is described under the notion of a City which hath foundations (Heb. 11. 10.) He (namely Abraham) looked for a City which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. When the Holy Ghost saith foundations, who can tell how many they may be? we can easily tell the fewest they can be; two is the lowest number; so that at least this City hath a foundation upon a foundation. The foundation of Christ's perfect righteousness is laid upon the foundation of God's eternal free love: here is foundation upon foundation. The City above hath these foundations, and therefore we receive a City that cannot be shaken. I note these things, to show by consent of Scripture, that the stability of any condition in allusion to a building is expressed by the strength of its foundation Now, all our outward glory and excellency, our life, and all the pomp of it, hath scarce so much as deserves to be called a foundation; a foundation of dust hath only the name of a foundation. That Image in Daniel which typed out all the descents of worldly greatness, had a head of gold, the breast and arms of Silver, the thighs of Brasse, and the legs of Iron, but the feet were part of Iron and part of Clay. The feet are the foundation, and the feet of this Image speak thus much to all the world, that all worldly pomp & greatness, all worldly power and majesty must fall, for the image stands upon clay; and though it have a mixture of iron in the feet which is strong, yet it shall not stand by the iron which is strong, but fall and be broken by the clay which is weak. As it was in those great Monarchies, into which the outward power of Nations and Kingdoms was contracted: so if you look upon any particular man, though you may conceive him to have a head of gold, arms and breast of silver, thighs of brass, and legs of iron, yet when you come to the feet, the foundation of the whole body, it is but dust, which a small storm will dissipate and blow away, The body of man hath so weak a foundation, that it is sometime compared to that which hath no foundation, a Tabernacle, (1 Cor. 5.) If the earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved, saith the Apostle. Now a Tabernacle hath a roof or a covering, but no foundation: The Tabernacle of the body hath a covering, but hardly any foundation, only a foundation in the dust.
Lastly, Consider the form of speaking in this Scripture, How much less on them, who dwell in houses of clay? He speaks of the whole man, as dwelling in a house of clay; Now we know that a body cannot properly be said to dwell in abody, the house doth not dwell in a house; yet he speaks, as of a complete person dwelling in a house of clay, which yet is to be understood of one part of the person, The soul; that dwells in a house of clay, that is, it acts and officiates in a body composed of clay. Hence observe, seeing the whole man cometh under the notion of the soul;
That the soul of man is The man, The soul goes away with the name of the whole person: The soul is not the man in a natural consideration, (as some have philosophiz'd, asserting that man is nothing but a soul clothed with a body) for, man is man by the union of soul and body, and the perfection of man as man, consists in that union; but the soul is the man in a moral consideration, because it is the more noble and excellent part of man: and it is usual to denominate the whole from that part which is more excellent. The body is but as the Cabinet, the soul is the Jewell; the body is but as the sheath or the scabbard, the soul is as the knife or the sword; You know when a man buyeth a sword, he buys a scabbard too, or when he buys a knife, he buys the sheath too, yet he saith, this knife cost me so much, or I gave so much for this sword he makes no mention of the scabbard or of the sheath; now the body is the sheath or scabbard of the soul (Dan. 7. 15.) you have it expressed so, I was grieved (saith the Prophet) in my spirit in the midst of my body, so we translate it, but the Chaldee is (and so we have it in some Margents) in the midst of my sheath; The soul is the blade, a blade of admirable mettle and temper; the body how beautiful soever by nature, or gay by art is but a velvet, or an embossed sheath and scabbard: therefore at first, when God formed man out of the dust of the earth, and had breathed into him the breath of life, the result of all is, and man became a living soul; it is not said, man became a living body, though life was breathed into the body, and the body stood up and lived, yet the best part is named for all, the dust and the clay are (as it were) quite forgotten in the story, man became a living soul. And that may be a reason, why the fear of God and keeping his Commandments (Eccles. 12. ult) is called all man, because these things chiefly concern that part of man, which (upon the matter) is all man. The fear of God and keeping his Commandments, are soul work, and tend to the eternal welfare of the soul; and though the body shares in all the blessings, and assists in most labors of the soul, yet the soul labors most for, and is the chiefest seat of blessedness. How strangely have some departed from this point of truth, which the Scripture everywhere writes as with a Sun-beam: who instead of making the soul to be the chief part of man, deny that man hath any such part And whereas some (touched at before) erred on the right hand, saying, that Man was nothing but a soul: These go astray more, and more dangerously on the left hand, saying that Man hath no soul at all: An opinion, howsoever lately dressed in some fineness of wit, and subtleties of Philosophy, yet in itself so gross, so dishonorable to man, so contrary to this Text, and the whole tenor of the word of God, that I hope it is very mortal, and will shortly find a grave in every heart, but theirs, who have more reason to wish it, then to maintain it. I intend no dispute about it, beyond the Argument before me, which if it be not demonstrative (as many others from Scripture are) yet it carries (at least) a fair probability, and an ingenuous ground; for how can man be said to dwell in a house of clay, if he himself be nothing else but a house of clay? or how can the inhabitant and the house be in all, but one and the same?
But I shall dwell too long upon these houses of clay, in which man cannot dwell long: for it follows:
What strength is there in houses which are crushed before the moth? or as others read it Which shall be consumed after the manner of a moth? Master Broughton thus, Beaten to powder as a moth be they: That is, They are crushed as soon, or as speedily as a moth. Another, They are consumed as it were with a moth. A fifth translates differently from all these, Which are crushed and consumed before Arcturus. Arcturus is a Constellation in Heaven about the North Pole; we read of it in the 9 th of this Book of Job, verse 9. Which makes Arcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades, &c. The same word here, signifies a moth, and sometimes a Constellation, a knot or company of Stars: The sense of this reading is made out thus, They are crushed before the face of Arcturus. That is, they are crushed as long, or whilst Arcturus doth continue; in plain English, as long as there is a Star in Heaven, man will be a mortal man; or man will never change this condition of mortality, while the world stands. We may thus expound it, by that (Psal. 72. 17.) where the Prophet describing the Kingdom of Christ in the extent both of place and time, saith, His name shall be continued as long as the Sun; the Hebrew is, His name shall continue before the face of the Sun; to continue before the face of the Sun, is to run in a line of equal continuance with the Sun; so here, They are crushed before the fate of those Stars, that is, they shall be in such a crushing perishing condition as long as those Stars continue, which is, as long as the course of this world continues. Our own translation which comes clear to the letter of the Original, is further to be looked into. They are crushed before the moth. It may have a three-fold interpretation, First, before the moth, that is, before in time, or sooner then the moth. How quickly is a moth crushed? man may be crushed before it, sooner then it is crushed. Secondly, Before the moth, may be as much, as, in the presence of the moth; as if he should say, man thinks he is able to stand it out against a potent Adversary, yea against God himself; but alas poor creature, he is not able to stand before a moth, or contend with a fly, if God arm any of them against him. Thirdly, They are crushed before the moth, that is, man is crushed and torn, vext and worn out by a thousand miseries and troubles which attend his life, before ever the moth has to do with him, before ever he lies down in the bed of death, before the moth, that is, for the moth to fret on, or as a companion for the worms.
All these renderings, though they differ in words, come near and meet in the same general sense, namely, An illustration of man's frailty. Take them first by way of similitude, Man is crushed as it were with a moth, it notes thus much to us, That death consumes us without noise, secretly and silently: To do a thing as a moth, is to do it silently and without noise. Hos. 5. 12. God himself saith, that he will be as a moth unto Ephraim, and as a Lion, ver. 14. when he saith he will be as a Lion, it implieth open judgments, which come violently and visibly, which come in, like thunder, roaring as a Lion upon them; But when he saith, I will be as a moth unto Ephraim, the meaning is, I will send silent and secret judgments upon you, which shall eat out your strength, corrode your power, and blemish the beauty of your garments, and you shall not perceive it; Ye shall be undone, consumed, and (as we speak Proverbially) ye shall never know who hurt you. The open enemies of the Church are threatened with secret judgments, under this notion of a moth, Isa. 50. 9. Loe they shall wax old as doth a garment, the moth shall consume them. Again, Chap. 51. 6, 7. Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: that is, whereas, your enemies have made a great noise and clamour with their revilings against you; I will come against them without noise, they shall perish with as little clamour as a garment doth, that is eaten with moths. And thus the life of man is ordinarily consumed (as it were) by a moth; sicknesses and diseases enter secretly, into his house of clay, they lie in the frame and between the rafters of this house, sucking up the spirits, and wasting the strength, spending the heat, and drinking up the natural moisture of the body; we know not how we consume, but we consume; we know not how we decline, but we decline; we die, we know not how, but we die: Is it not then as with a moth, creeping upon us, yea feeding upon us without noise?
Again, Take it by way of similitude, not as before actively or instrumentally, they are crushed as by a moth, or as a moth crushes; but passively or subjectively; They are crushed as a moth, that is, they are crushed as a moth is crushed, alluding to the easiness of crushing a moth; A moth is dust as soon as you crush it the least touch kills it; Man in his house of clay is so weak, that if God do but touch him, he dies and falls to dust; the Lord needs not bring his great Artillery, and make batteries against the body of man: the body of man is no such strong Fort or Bulwark to stand out a long siege, or endure much assaulting and opposition; he is crushed as a moth between your fingers; Hence David most humbly deprecates the stroke of God, which he saw coming, or felt as come, because he was not able to bear it; Psal. 39. 10. Remove thy stroke away from me, I am consumed by the blow of thine hand, (Lord if thou strike me thus I shall quickly consume) And least you should think that David's flesh (he being a King) was tender and delicate, and so less able to bear any hardship, therefore in the following words, he puts the case in general concerning man or man-kind, Take the man whose strength is as the strength of stones, and his flesh as brass; yet this man breaks and vanishes under the hand of God, so he affirms, ver. 11. under this passive consideration of a moth, When thou with rebukes doest correct man for iniquity, thou makes his beauty to consume away like a moth (And then closes with that common axiom of man's mortality) surely every man is vanity, Selah.
Further, Man may well be said to be crushed or die even as a moth, for as the garment breeds the moth, and then the moth eats the garment; so (besides that power of God, or the outward stroke of his hand, of which David spake) man's own distempered body breeds ill humors they diseases, and these breed death: As it was with Jonas gourd, so it is with us, we give life and suck to a worm in our own roots, which sucks out our life, causing our leaves to fall, and our goodly branches suddenly to wither.
Thirdly, From that sense, he is crushed before Arcturus, or as long as the Stars continue, Observe;
That, as man's state is frail and weak, so it will be, the forever of this world. Do not look that ever there shall rise up a generation of men, that shall have better houses then houses of clay, or houses stronger built then our present buildings. As we are risen up in our fathers stead, a generation of sinful men; so we are risen up in our fathers stead, a generation of