Exposition of Job 4-7
A Heathen could say, it was unbecoming a Roman spirit, to cry out (in his losses) I am undone, while Caesar was safe: It is infinitely below a Christian spirit, to say, I am undone, while Christ is safe; such language is grossest barbarism in all the Churches. They who cannot loose either their souls or their Savior in the worst condition, cannot be unhappy in any condition, much less then under the fatherly correcting hand of God.
Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects, is a truth which no storms of trouble shall ever shake or weaken.
Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. That's the inference.
The word which we translate [despise] hath various significations, and they will all be profitable for the clearing of this point: therefore I shall open them distinctly, and give some brief notes upon everyone in order.
First, It signifies to reject a thing, or cast it off with loathing; when a man's stomach turns against some meats, or they go against his stomach, loathing arises from it. So the word is used, Numb. 11. 20. when the people murmured because they wanted flesh, God threateneth them with satisfying their desires; Flesh would you have? You shall have flesh: it is a threat: But how shall they have it? You shall not have it one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; but you shall have flesh even a whole month, until it come out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you, or till you yourselves despise it. It is most just with God, that they who loath his will, should at last loath their own desires. And that the creatures should not long please them, who take no heed to please the Creator. The least mixture of God's displeasure, sours our sweetest contents, and makes our very pleasures loathsome.
Where also (by the way) we may observe the great difference between earthly, and spiritual things: The best of earthly things, used too much or too often, grow loathsome: Angels food (Manna or Quails) will not go down long with us. But Christ, the spiritual Manna, and all heavenly things, the more we have of them, and the longer we are dieted with them, the more we shall delight in them: These will not loath us, after two, or five, or ten, or twenty days, or after a whole months feeding on them: No, we shall feed on them days without number, or the whole day of eternity, without any loathings; use and delight, shall never cease or abate; appetite shall renew every moment, though our enjoyment be but one and the same, Yea, the Saints shall be so far from loathing the pleasant cup of glory, that they ought not to loath, and (Christ strengthening them) they shall not loath the bitter cup of sorrow: Their stomachs shall not turn, though dieted more then two, or five, or ten, or twenty days with the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction. That is the first sense of the word, in allusion to nauseating at the sight or long use of meat: Loath not the chastening of the Lord.
Or the word may seem to carry a reference to physic▪ or medicines, as well as meat, which you know is many times given in a better pill, or in a distasteful potion; The sick man is apt to loath the potion brought him, and turn his head away from it; what he take it? no not he. He had rather die then drink such a draught, he is ready to through it against the wall, and spil it one the ground rather then drink it: But then his friends or the Pbysitian persuade with him; Be not angry, though it • e loathsome to your stomach, yet it is wholesome for your body: It is an enemy only to your disease therefore loath it not. So here, Eliphaz (as it were) brings in God, standing like a Physician, or a father, or a tender mother at the beds-side, where a sick child o • friend lies, using many entreaties and persuasive reasons to take a bitter potion; my child, or my friend, do not loath, do not despise, no, nor distaste this medicine, do not cast it away; though it • e bitter in your mouth, yet take it down, and the effects of it will be sweet to your whole body. We find in Scripture, afflictions compared to a cup; Our Lord Jesus calls all his sufferings for our salvation, a cup, and it was a cup tempered with the venom and poison, with the gall and wormwood of all our sins; it was a loathsome potion indeed; and such as would have turned the stomachs of all men and Angels to have drunk it. So much of the first sense of the word, as it signifies loathing, whether in respect of meats or medicines.
Now forasmuch as here is a charge given under this notion, not to loath chastenings. We may observe,
There is, or possibly may be an averseness in the best of God's children for a time, from the due entertainment of chastenings.
He speaks as if most were loath to take them down, and therefore he exhorts, not to loath them: Even the Lord Jesus Christ (so far as he was partaker of our nature) seemed to loath the bitter cup of sufferings. Hence he prayed hard, once, and again, ye a third time, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, (Mat. 26. 39.) Yet at another time, he speaks as if he had been a thirst for that cup, and angry with Peter who would have hindered his draught, The cup which my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it? Joh. 18. 11. and shortly after, he indeed drunk it up to the bottom. Affliction is also a bitter cup to the Saints, and they (as Christ) pray again and again, yea thrice against it, because to sense, no chastening seemeth joyous but grievous, Heb. 12. 11. through grace persuades them to drink it, and faith gives them a taste of much sweetness, when they have drunk it: As a sick man is backward to take a distasteful medicine, till his reason hath overcome his sense, so a godly man is unwilling to bear afflictions, till his faith hath overcome his reason; Nor can he quietly endure the troublesome smart of the rod, till he is assured of the peaceable fruits of righteousness which grow from it, to those who are exercised by it. When the Apostle is carried up on those Eagles wings of assurance, to see a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens, then he groans earnestly under the burden of his earthly Tabernacle, and desires to die; yet looking upon death, he saw no form or comeliness in that, why he should desire it; and therefore he seems to correct himself, at least to draw his mind plainer with the next drop of his pen; Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life. He speaks somewhat like a man, who in a time of heat, hastily strips himself to go into the water, but putting a foot in, and finding it cold, calls for his clothes again. The Apostle in a true holy heat of spirit, had in his desires almost stripped himself of his body, but putting a foot into the grave, he found that so cold, that he had no great mind to it, and therefore had rather keep on the clothing of his body, and have a suite of glory over it, then lay it down. The Saints desire to live with Christ, but in it self, they desire not to die: They had rather their mortality should be swallowed up of eternal life, then their temporal life should be swallowed up of mortality. They that have grace, like not the disunions of nature. Now, as it is in the case of death (which i • to the Saints the last and greatest affliction) so likewise in the case of all afflictions, which are as renewed and lesser deaths, Though they embrace and kiss them (both in a holy submission to the will of God, and in an assured expectation of their own good) yet they have nothing pleasing in them; much, which creates so much loathing, that the best do but need counsel and encouragement to take and digest them.
And then if there be some averseness even in the best from these potions of affliction, tempered with the mercy and goodness of God; no wonder if there be an abhorrence in wicked men, from those deadly potions, mixed only with his wrath and justice. The Psalmist presents the Lord to us, with a cup in his hand (Psal. 75. 8.) In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, the wine thereof is red (which notes fierce wrath) and it is full of mixture: (This mixture, is of judgments, plagues, and punishments, this is the portion of their cup, Psal. 11. ult.) But what will the Lord do with this mixed cup? who shall sip, at the top of the cup, he tells us not, but he is express, whose the bottom is, He poureth out of the same (some drops are spilled here and there) but the dregs thereof, all the ungodly of the earth shall wring them out and drink them; Alas they loath it, their stomachs turn at it: They have not been brought up to drink dregs, they have had their wine well refined, and sparkeling with spirits in Crystal glasses; and how can they get this down? They who have drunk so willingly and freely of the cup of sin, shall be forced whether they will or no to drink the cup of judgment. And it is not a sip or two shall serve their turns, they must drink all, dregs and all, they shall drink it to the bottom, and yet they shall never come to the bottom; they have loved long draughts, and now they shall have one long enough there is eternity to the bottom: If a cup of affliction, which (in the effect) is a cup of salvation, be sometime, or for a time, nauseous to the godly, how deadly sick will the ungodly be, who must forever drink a cup of wrath and death?
Secondly, The word which, we translate despise, notes the rejecting of a thing as unprfitable, or unuseful: That which a man despiseth, he thinks he shall have no good by it: Things which are unprofitable are despicable: So the word is used (Psal. 118. 22.) The stone which the builders refused or despised, is become the head stone of the corner. There were master builders in the Church, who (when they surveighed all sorts of materials or stones for their fabrique of faith) looking upon the person of Christ, thought him fit only to cast out among the rubbish, as altogether unuseful; They laid him by, as a refuse-stone, who is the head corner-stone, both the strength and beauty of the whole building Thus the word is very appliable to the present Text, refuse not corrections, as unprofitable and useless: Say not (as the Jews of Christ, Can any good come out of Nazareth? so) can any good come out of chastenings? Despise not the chastening of the Almighty.
And from this Notion of the word, we may observe a second prejudice against the rod: Even the Saints are ready to conceive afflictions to be unuseful, and that they could well enough spare, and be without their troubles. A natural eye never sees nor finds anything but damage by affliction; and a spiritual eye doth not always see the advantage that comes by them Yea, he may sometime say of an affliction, it will be my undoing, and the ruin of my house, and yet, afterwards find it as a corner stone, the choicest outward means, which (through the blessing of God) hath united the walls both of his spiritual and civil building, the frame both of grace within, and comforts without. The Apostle Peter, hath a strange Parenthesis (1 Pet. 1. 6.) For having told them of their rejoicing in the safety of their spiritual estate, being kept (or secured as with a Garrison from Heaven) by the power of God, through faith unto salvation. Though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold Temptations, or afflictions. Observe how he puts an If need be, or a supposition of necessity upon the afflictions of believers. As if he had said, ye who are the Candidates of eternity, and heirs of salvation, may judge yourselves past the rod or the ferula, and think, now ye have need of nothing but comfort or rejoicing in the hope of that salvation, ready to be revealed; but I tell you, you may have need of heaviness yet, before you come to Heaven: and of manifold temptations, for the removing or subduing the corruptions of your hearts, before you enter upon your incorruptible inheritance. We are apt to conceive chastenings to be of no use, when they are as necessary as our daily bread; Therefore despise not chastenings, as useless or unprofitable.
Thirdly, the word is applied often to the rejecting of a thing or person, as low, dishonorable and disgraceful: In this sense also it is appliable here. Despise not chestnings; That is, do not think thyself disgraced when thou art chastised: the heart of man is naturally full of pride, Man is a proud piece of flesh. Nor doth he resent anything more then his own dishonor; many can bear the pain of the cross, better then the shame of the cross. It is very observable to this purpose, how the Apostle describes the Lord Christ in his sufferings, Heb. 12. 2. He endureth the cross, despising the shame: as noting, that his being above the shame of the cross, bore up his spirit under the cross. To despise shame, is to look upon that, which the world counts shameful, not only as despicable in it self, but as not hurtful to us: When a man despises an enemy, as Goliath disdained David (1 Sam 17. 42.) he presumes himself above his enemies power to hurt him: So to despise shame is to make nothing of it, or to think ourselves no whit the worse for it; yea rather to think ourselves honored by it, And until in this sense we can despise shame, we shall despise correction and the cross. Who is it almost, that finds not this the hardest text in all the chapter of afflictions? Zedekiah was more afraid to be mocked by the sugitive Jews, then to be a prisoner to the King of Babylon, Jer. 38. 19. If a man be poor, presently he thinks he is disgraced: If he be weak he doubts he shall be contemned: If he loose his estate, he fears he shall loose his credit in the world; he was a man of place, somebody among his neighbors, but now he shall be slighted. Suffering for well doing is our crown, suffering for evil doing is our shame, but it is our shame to suffer.
Fourthly, To despise a thing, notes the slighting of it, as if we did not think it worth while, to take any notice of it; and so this will be the sense, Despise not thou the chastenings of the Lord; that is, do not slight the chastenings, do not lightly pass them by, do not look upon them as inconsiderable, as not caring what God doth with thee or thine When God lays his hand upon us, he would have us lay it to our hearts. As it is our duty to be affected with mercies, so likewise with chastenings. If a malefactor should say to the Judge, do what you will with me, I care not; or a child to the parent, correct me as long as you will, I care not, how unnatural were this? This is properly to despise afflictions. Some are like Leviathan in this sense (Job 41. 27.) They esteem iron as straw, and brass, as rotten wood: They make nothing of the acts or instruments of God's displeasure. This is gross despising. But besides every undervaluing, or inadvertency of the correcting hand of God, hath a degree of this despising it. That exhortation ought never to be forgotten, which speaketh to us, as unto children, Hebr. 12. 5. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. The Greek word imports, the Litling; or thinking of them little. Do not think the chastenings of God little, do not little, or slight them in thy thoughts. Neither faint when thou art rebuked, that is, do not think thy afflictions so great, that thou must needs sink and faint under them. These are the two extremes, into which our hearts usually run, when chastenings are upon us. Some err by neglecting the hand of God, as light; and others by fainting under it, as too heavy. As a good heart takes notice of, or will not despise a little, the least comfort; So it will take notice of, and not despise a little, the least cross. When a man hath a small loss in his estate, if he say, this will not undo me, I can bear this, I will fare as well, and go as fine as ever for all this, such speeches or thoughts are a despising of the chastening of the Lord. We are to observe the hand of God taking away, as well as giving a penny. So when a man hath a little fit of sickness; If he say, I shall rubb out this well enough, this is to despise the chastening of the Lord; We are to bless God for every hours health, and to be sensible of his hand in every hours sickness, or aking joint.
Every affliction is a messenger from God, it hath somewhat to say to us from Heaven, and God will not bear it, if his messengers be despised, how mean so ever: If you send a child with a message to a friend, and he slight and despise him, you will take it ill. I remember what the story relates of Galienus the Emperor, who, when the report came to him, that Egypt was lost, what then (said he) cannot I live without the flax of Egypt? And when the report was brought that a great part of his dominions in Asia was wasted: Cannot I live (said he) without the delicacies of Asia? To speak thus from a principle of mortification toward the creature, is the character of an excellent spirit; but to speak thus from a contempt of the Providence of God, is the character of a proud, or of a stupid spirit. When we hear of the loss of a child, of a friend, or of a loss in our estate; To say, what then? I can bear that well enough, I have more children, other friends, estate enough besides that, This (I say) is a high despising of affliction.
There is one thing further, in the fifth place, observable in this word, Despise not thou the chastenings of the Lord. The word is an extenuation or a lessening of the sense. The holy Ghost intends more than is expressed; for the truth is, when he saith, Despise not, &c. his meaning is this, show reverence, highly prize and esteem the chastening of the Lord. As (for instance) when the Apostle saith in 1 Thess. 5. 20. Despise not prophesying. Do you think, this is all that is due unto an Ordinance of God, that a man should not despise it? Surely no, he means then, prize prophesying highly, have it in great esteem: So in 1 Tim 4. 12. and Tit. 2. 15 when he saith, Let no man despise thy youth, is that all the holy Ghost means? That Timothy a godly Pastor should only not be despised by his people? No, his meaning is, that they should honor, respect and reverence him, as one that watched over them in the Lord. I might give you divers other Scriptures, where when the holy Ghost only forbiddeth the sin, he intendeth the duty or grace in strictest opposition to that sin. So here, Despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty; lays this charge and duty upon us, highly to esteem the chastening of the Lord, we must put afflictions amongst our comforts and rank them with our blessings. Not to despise, is but the first step beyond sin, but that includes the last and furthest step of duty, which becomes us under chastenings.
So much of the act forbidden, despising. Now, for the object, chastening. The original verb fignifies to instruct, or to teach; so it is translated, Chap. 4. v. 3. Thou hast instructed many. Instruction is both by words and blows. The wisdom of God mixes a rod with his word, and chastening with teaching: Therefore it is promiscuously used in Scripture, sometime for teaching, and sometime for chastening. Chastning belongs properly to children, who are wanton and ungovern'd, who have a bundle of folly in their hearts, which the rod of correction driveth out. To be chastened hath a double aspect upon us, first upon our privilege. Secondly, upon our weakness. To be chastened notes our privilege and relation, as children, unto God our father. He hath revenges for his enemies, but chastenings are a part of his children's portion; yet in that we are chastened, it taxes us of weakness; we are but children, foolish, unruly, wanton, and therefore we go almost all our days, with a rod at our backs. Though the Saints on earth come ••• d among themselves, are some Children, and others men; yet 〈…〉 earth, compared with those in Heaven, or with what themselves shall be in Heaven, are children, and therefore they have what fits their state, chastening and correction. This chastening is sometime put for revenge, or the exactest and severest retribution of justice; Thus it is said, Prov. 7. 22. That the foolish young man caught by the subtle harlot, went after her as a fool to the correction of the stocks; That is, as a wicked man goes to punishment. And when the Prophet describes the sufferings of Christ which were vindictive in the highest degree; he expresses it in this word, The chastisement of our peace was upon him (Isa. 53. 5.) though Christ were the infinitely and most entirely beloved Son of his Father, yet he did not chastise him as a Son, but as an enemy or malefactor, for he chastened him in our stead, and under the same notion, that we must have been chastened, who were enemies and malefactors. So then, the word signifies sometime judiciary chastening, but here fatherly chastening, which will yet appear more clearly, in opening the last term of this verse, which shows us the efficient cause of this chastening. The Almighty.
Despise not the chastening of the Almighty. The chastening rod is in the hand of Shaddai, the Almighty. This is one of the glorious names of God.
And he is so called, first from his power, to go thorough with what he takes in hand: His work never sticks in the mid way for want of strength to bring it to the end. Despise not the correction of an Almighty hand. Further, the word notes not only power enough to correct, but power to destroy, spoil and lay all waste before him. God hath gained this Title or Attribute, from destroying or wasting his enemies. Some of the Rabbins design the Original of it, to that special act of his destroying power: The drowning of the old world, he shows his Almighty power in destroying and pulling down, as well as in making and setting up this goodly frame. To this the holy Prophets are well conceived to allude, when they say that, Shod, scil. Destruction, cometh from Shaddai, The Almighty. We have it in two express Texts, Isa. 13. 6. Howle ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand, it shall come as a Destruction from the Almighty, It shall come as Shod from Shaddai. So (Joel 1. 15.) Alas for the day, for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. It will be profitable for us to consider, under what name God is expressed, when he is chastening his own children.
Secondly, others derive this name from the conjunction of two Hebrew words, whereof the one (Dai) signifies it Sufficeth, or is sufficient: And the other, though it be but a letter (Shin) yet it supplieth the part or place of the Relative (Ascher) which, and so the word put together sounds thus much, Who is sufficient, or who is All sufficient, Despise not the chastening of him that is All Sufficient. Thou art under his correction, (who doth not take from thee, because he wants himself; who doth not let thee want, because his own store is spent, out of which he used to supply thee. He alone hath sufficiency in himself, and he is at all times All Sufficient for all others, and gives sufficiency to as many as he pleaseth. That of the Apostle fills this signification of the word, Act. 17. 25. Neither is he worshipped with men's hands, as if he needed anything, for he giveth to all, life and breath, and all things.
Thirdly, the word is conceived to come from Shad, which in the Hebrew signifies a breast, the mothers breast or pap, by which she suckles her child. And answerable to this notion, in most of those places, wherein God is expressed in that act of his providence, making fruitful and giving increase, he hath this name, Shaddai: as noting, that he hath the Great milky breast, which nourishes and suckles, which feeds and strengthens all creatures: that is the word of his blessing, not only makes fruitful & multiplies, but preserves and keeps alive, Thus Gen. 49. 25. The Patriarch, old dying Jacob, blesses his son Joseph in this form, And by the Almighty (Shaddai) who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. His Father Isaac had sent him to Padan▪Aram under the influences of the same blessing, almost in the same words (Gen 28. 3.) God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful and multiply thee. And the Lord himself speaks thus to Jacob, when be appeared the second time to him, after his coming from Padan-Aram. I am (El-Shaddai) God almighty, be thou fruitful and multiply, Gen. 35. 11. that is I can make thee fruitful and multiply thy posterity, and I can feed them, as fast as they multiply, and give thee fruit for thy family, as well as make thy family fruitful, Thou shalt not over-charge me with the greatness or numerousnesse of thy house. Trouble not thyself, let thy children be my care, at my finding, how many soever they are, let my purse pay for all: I am El-Shaddai, God Almighty. • o then as the justice and exact wisdom of God are set forth in the former branch under the title Elohim, Happy is the man whom God (Elohim) corrects; So (least we should think of God under that notion only) his power and all sufficiency, his goodness and tenderness are set forth in the next branch, Despise not the chastening of the Almighty. You are under the rod of Shaddai, an All-powerful, an All Sufficient, an All-nourishing God. The verse following seems to joint in with, and suit this fully, He makes sore and he bindeth up, he woundeth and he healeth; One part showing us God, as a Judge, wounding and making sore, the other as an All Sufficient Friend, and father or Physician healing and binding up. Take two or three Notes, from the consideration of the name, under which God is here expressed.
First, The lightest chastenings come from a hand that is able to destroy. When the stroke is little, yet a great God strikes. Although God give thee but a touch, a strip, which scarce razes the skin: Yet he is able to wound thee to the heart. Know, it is not because he wants power to strike harder, but because he will not, because he is pleased to moderate his power; Thou hast but such a chastening, as a child of a year old may well bear; but at that time, know, thou art chastened with a hand able to pull down the whole world; The hand of Shaddai, The Almighty gives that little blow. Men seldom strike their brethren, less then their power, they would often strike them more, their will is stronger then their Arm. But the Lord's arm is stronger (in this sense) then his will. He doth but chasten, who could destroy. And this carries a mighty persuasion with it, not to despise the chastening of the Lord, how little soever, for he can strike harder, if thou slightest this. He can break thy bones, who hath not yet broken thy flesh. Fear him (as our Lord Christ argues, who, though at present he hath made thy head only to ache a little, yet) can kill thy body, and after he hath killed, hath power to to cast into hell, Luke 12. 5.
Secondly, In that afflictions come from Shaddai, a God all-sufficient, God would have us conceive in all our troubles; That
When he takes away any or all created comforts from us, yet he is himself All Sufficient for us.
When we are chastened by the loss of any good things, Shaddai doth it, who hath the power of all good things in his hand. When he takes away riches, or health, or relations, if he doth not take away himself from us, we cannot be comfortless, for Alsufficiency stands by us.
Lastly, He dealeth with us, but as a tender nurse, or mother, in all his chastenings. The mother strikes the child a little blow with one hand, and gives it the breast with the other, she gives it a little tap with one hand, and a spoon with the other. Consider your chastenings, they are the chastenings of Shaddai, who, as a tender mother, hath a breast ready to nourish, and a spoon to feed, while he chides or chastens. And if by greater afflictions, he wounds or makes you very sore, you shall not want careful dressing and assured healing;
This verse contains an exemplification of the former ground, why we should not despise the chastening of the Almighty: For, if it should be objected against the former assertion (Happy is the man whom God correcteth) Where is this happiness? Is there happiness in sores and wounds, in sickness and weakness, in poverty and in wants? Who cannot easily want this happiness, and not complain? Eliphaz seems to answer for God in this text. If your faith cannot come up to believe this, stay but a while, and your sense shall teach it you. Who would not be glad of a wound, when he knows he shall have Shaddai for his Surgeon. If you will not allow a man is happy, when he is sore will you not allow him happy, when his sore is bound up by such a hand? If you will not grant a man is happy, when wounded, you cannot deny him happy, when he is thus healed. The Almighty will not leave them in their sores, in their wounds: As he hath a rod, so he hath a swath, as he hath a sword, so a salve. His plaster is ready for your wound, and his medicines for your diseases. It is true of God above all others, One and the same hand smites and cures. Thus of the general meaning and connection of this verse.
The word is used in the second Chapter of this book, ver 13. of Jobs friends, that they stood silent, for they saw his grief was great, or his sorenesse was very great. It notes the grief and sorenesse, either of mind or body; Some translate, He woundeth: But the next clause bears that distinctly, or we may join both, the one as the cause, the other as the effect, He maketh sore by wounding.
And bindeth up.] The word is appliable to any kind of binding. 1. To the binding of captives in prison with chains. 2. To the binding of ornaments upon the head, Ezek. 29. 9. 3. It is used, metaphorically for binding to obedience or punishment, Job 34. 17. Shall even he that hateth right govern? The Hebrew is, shall he bind; because Governors bind their subjects or servants, either to do what they command, or to suffer what they inflict. 4. It is also applied by a metaphor to the binding up of those civil breaches or ruins, which are upon a people, Isa. 3. 6, 7. A man shall take hold of his brother, &c saying, be thou our Ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand In that day he shall swear, saying, I will not be a Healer, or a Binder up. 5. It is used for the applying of ligatures, with which the medicine or plaster is bound upon the wound or sore; And this word doth therefore also signify the healing of a wound, because the due binding of the wound is one half of the patients cure, and a very great part of a Surgeons skill, as the learned Physicians observe in their Discourses about wounds and chyrurgerie; Ligature contributes so much to healing, that the same word serves, for both, or either. Now (Shaddai) the Almighty is admirable at this, when he hath made a sore, he can make an exact Ligature. We often find these two together, Psal. 147. 3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. The Prophet Ezekiel (Chap. 34. 4.) complains of the false Prophets, Because they did not heal that which was sick, and bound not up that which was broken. They had neither skill nor conscience, either spiritually to break hearts, or when they found them broken to bind them up. They knew not how to fasten Gospel promises, and holy counsels upon the heart, that the wounds of it might be closed, and were therefore, Physicians of no value.
There are two interpretations given of these words, He maketh sore, and he bindeth up.
First, Some expound them by an Enallage of the Participle for the Verbe, thus, He maketh sore, and he bindeth up, that is, He making sore, bindeth up; as if the very act, by which God smites, had an influence upon the healing, and a tendency to the restoring of his afflicted ones, He making sore, bindeth up We find such constructions frequent in Scripture, Isa. 65. 22. They shall not build, and another inhabit; They shall not plant, and another eat: That is, They building, another shall not inhabit, and they planting, another shall not eat. The negative is not fixed upon their building, &c. but upon other inhabiting. And so, Deut. 22. 4. Thou shalt not see thy brothers Ass, or his Ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them; That is, Thou seeing thy brothers Ass or Ox fall down, shalt not hide thyself from them: A man sometimes could not but see his brothers Ass or Ox fall down, but he seeing must not at any time, hide himself from them, that is, not succor them, so (by the way) that phrase of hiding may be interpreted, by that of the Prophet (Isa. 58. 7.) Thou shalt not hide thyself from thy own flesh. But to the point here, we see, He maketh sore & bindeth up, may congruously to other Scripture speakings, be rendered, He making sore, doth bind up, as if the wound were a part of the cure, and the sore a plaster. We know that a wound in nature is sometime a part of the cure: It is a common and a necessary practice in Chyrurgery (and to that the holy Ghost may allude in this place) When they perceive a wound or a sore, to which medicines cannot well be appied (and so unfit for healing) either to make a new wound in the whole flesh, or to make the first bigger. The murderer wounds to kill, and the Physician wounds to cure. He comes as it were, armed with instruments of cruelty. The patient whose flesh is to be lanced, cries out, but yet he launces him. The patient whose flesh is to be seared, cries out, but yet he sears him. He is cruel to the wound, while he is most kind to the wounded.
An ignorant man would wonder to see a Surgeon, when he comes for healing, make the wound wider, yet so he must do, and he doth it upon urgent reasons. As when the orifice is not wide enough to let in the medicine, or to let out the corruption, or cannot admit his searching instruments to the bottom; In such cases, he saith, Unless I increase your wound, I cannot cure it. Thus often times the Lord is compelled to wound, that he may heal; or fit our wounds for healing. Our wound is not wide enough, to let out the sinful corruptions of our hearts, to let in the searching instruments and corrasives of the Law, or the blame and comfortable applications of the Gospel.
We may observe from the sense of the words, That
The woundings and smitings of God, are preparatories for our cure and healing.
It is said (Isa. 53. 5.) of Christ, that with his stripes we are healed: and it is in this sense a truth, that we are healed with our own stripes: We are healed with the stripes of Christ meritoriously, and we are healed by our own stripes preparatorily; the stripes of Christ heal us naturally, our own stripes heal us occasionally; or his in the act, ours in the event. (Prov. 27. 6.) Faithful are the wounds of a friend, his wounds are faithful, because he wounds in faithfulness: The healings of many are unfaithful, They heal the hurt of the daughter of my people deceitfully, is the Lord's complaint by the Prophet; they skin over the wound, but they do not cure it. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness, and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head, Psal. 141. 5. Much more may we say, Let the righteous Lord smite me, and it shall be a kindness to me; let the righteous Lord reprove and correct me, it shall be as an excellent oil, which shall not break mine head; it shall heal my heart: How healing then are his salves, whose very sores are a salve?
Secondly, Take the words in the plain rendering of them, noting only thus much, that God makes sore, and bindeth up: So we have two distinct acts, often ascribed to God in a figure, to set forth judgment and mercy, the afflictions, and deliverances of his people, (Hos. 6. 2.) Let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up, (1 Sam. 2. 6.) The Lord killeth and maketh alive, (Deut. 32. 39.) See now, that I, even I am he, and there is no God with me, I kill, and I make alive, I wound and I heal. Hence observe,
It is the property of God, to take care of all the sicknesses, sores or evils of his peopls.
As God is the great correcter and instructer of his people, so he is the great Physician of his people; If he make a wound, he will take care for the healing of it; He doth not make sores, and leave others to bind up. Mighty men wound, but they take no care for healing; they can impoverish and spoil, but they care not to repair; they can pull down and root up; let who so will build and plant. Shaddai the Almighty God doth both: If he break thy head, come to him, humble thyself before him, and he will surely give thee a plaster, which shall cost thee nothing but the asking. And whereas he doth not willingly afflict or grieve, he doth most willingly comfort and heal the children of men, Lam. 3. 33. He speaks of it as a pain to himself to make us sore, but to make us sound is his delight and pleasure. Satan is the Abaddon, the destroyer, and he only destroys; he makes wounds, but he heals none, he kills, but he makes none alive.
The second branch of the verse [He woundeth, and his hands make whole] is but a repetition of the same thing, yet with some addition to, or heightening of the sense. To make sore, and bind up, are not so deep either in judgment or in mercy, as to wound and make whole.
The word used for wounding, imports a dangerous and a deadly wound, or to make a man all gore blood. It signifies to strike quite thorough; and it is divers times applied, to note that stroke which God gives his worst enemies. Psal. 68. 21. But God shall wound the head of his enemies, or he shall strike them quite through the head. Verse 23. He shall dip his foot, or make it red in the blood of the ungodly. And Psal. 110. 5. The Lord shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath. Hence observe, That
God sometimes makes very deep and great wounds in his own servants.
Such wounds, as by the sight of the eye, you cannot distinguish them from the wounds of his mortal enemies. He strikes thorough both heads and hearts of his own people: Or as Simeon said to the blessed Virgin Mary, Luke 2. 35. A sword pierceth through their soul also.
But then lastly note,
God never makes a wound too great for his own cure.
The power of God to save, is as great as his power to destroy, his healing power and his wounding power, are of the same extent; His justice cannot out-act his mercy, both are infinite.
And not only doth he heal the wounds which himself makes, but he can heal the wounds which men make; even all the wounds which the utmost power and malice of man can make. He is able to do more good, to show more mercy than all creatures are able to do hurt or mischief. We find the state and condition of a people sometimes so wounded and sick, that men have despaired of recovery; Being consulted, they may answer, your sore cannot be bound up, and your wound cannot be healed, your estate is gangrened and past cure: So he said as was touched before (Isa. 3 8.) In that day shall a man swear saying, I will not be an healer, for in my house is neither bread nor clothing; Alas, I heal you, I cannot heal you, your troubles are past my skill to remedy or redress. Thus man is sometimes at a stand, he cannot heal what men have wounded; but God is never at a stand, your old festered sores, and wrankled wounds which have taken wind, discourage not his chirurgery. When a people are in such a pickle or pitiful plight, as the Prophet Isaiah describes the kingdom of Judah, in Chap. 1. 5 6. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint, from the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. When (I say) the case of a people is thus, and they can get no healer: Yea though a people (like the woman, Mark 5 25▪) have had an issue of blood (in bloody battles, which is now almost England's case) many years; and have suffered many things of many Physicians, and have spent all that they have, and are nothing bettered, but rather grow worse; yet if Christ do but touch such a sick, diseased bleeding people in mercy, and they touch him by faith, they shall be healed, and their fountain of blood will immediately dry up. Or if their condition requires some longer operation, he can effectually take such a course for their cure: He is abundantly furnished with all instruments and abilities for the making of a perfect cure.
It is well observed, that three things are necessary for a Surgeon.
First, He must have an Eagles eye, one that is good at healing, had need be good at seeing.
Secondly, He must have a Ladies hand, soft and tender to handle the sore gently.
Thirdly, A Lions heart, a stout strong heart, for if he faint, how shall his patient keep up his courage?
These three are exceeding necessary in Chyrurgery about natural bodies, but much more in Chyrurgery about Civil and Ecclesiastical bodies, the healing of Churches and Kingdoms. And where shall we find, whither shall we send for Physicians, qualified with this Eagles eye, to look into all our sores and sicknesses? with this Ladies hand, to deal gently and tenderly with our wounds? with this Lions heart, stoutly and courageously without fears and faintings, to go thorough with the work? Well, if men should not be found thus furnished, the Lord is; He hath an Eagles eye, an Allseeing eye, seven eyes of providence and wisdom, to look through our sores, and into all our distempers: He hath (as in allusion we may speak) a Ladies hand, soft and tender, to deal gently and graciously with a people; He can dress our wounds, and pain us little, scarce be felt while he doth it. And he hath the Lions heart, infinite courage and strength of spirit, to undertake the most gastly wounds or swollen putrefied sores. Let us therefore rest ourselves assured, that whatsoever our personal or our national sores, our personal or our national wounds be, be they what they will, or what we can call them, desperate, incurable, such as have discouraged many from meddling with their cure, or shamed those that have; yet our Shaddai the Almighty God, can bind them up and heal them, fetch the core from the bottom, and close the skin upon the top, so tenderly dress, and so perfectly cure them, that a scar shall not remain, unless it be to mind us of his infinite skill and goodness or of our own duty and thankfulness.
JOB, Chap. 5. Vers. 19, 20, 21.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
In famine he shall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the the sword.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
ELiphaz still prosecuteth his former Argument, to take Job off from despising the chastenings of the Almighty spoken of at the 17 th verse. And having shown, first in general, that they are happy whom the Lord corrects: and secondly, That the Lord heals as well as wounds, is as ready to bind up as to make the sore; he illustrates this by giving,
First, An assurance of deliverance from evil, and that
- 1. In the general, at the 19 th verse.
- 2. By an enumeration of particular cases of greatest dangers and outward evils.
And secondly, to show the happiness of those whom God corrects, he gives an assurance of positive blessings, which shall in due time be heaped upon their heads, whom God had before wounded with sorrows, and loaded with afflictions.
The nineteenth verse is a promise of deliverance from evil; He shall deliver thee from six troubles, yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
To deliver, notes here, the snatching or pulling of a man out of the hand of an enemy, out of the mouth of danger.
The Hebrew word for [Trouble] comes from a root, which signifies to straiten or to narrow a thing up in a little compass; and so by a metaphor, to vex and trouble, because they who are straitened in any kind, are pained and troubled. And when we hear of any in trouble, we usually say, such are in straits. And this word is often translated, a strait, (2 Sam. 24. 14.) I am in a great strait, saith David, when he was put upon that hard election, between sword, pestilence and famine. So Judge. 11. 7. and 1 Sam. 13. 6.
The holy language, expresses an enemy or adversary by this word, because an enemy puts us upon straits, and so, to much trouble.
And to raise the force of this word to the highest, it is used to signify the pangs and throws of women in child-bearing, in which the mother labors in grievous straits, while the infant labors for enlargement. Troubles ever meet us in, or bring us into straits, they may well change names, which are so near in nature; I find the word so translated here in some books, He shall deliver thee in six straits, and in seven, when thou art so encompassed about, shut in and encircled by evils on every side, that thou knowest not which way to move or turn, much less to get out, then the Lord will give enlargement, and either find a way out for thee, or make one, as he did for Israel at the red sea, through those mighty waters.
In six, yea in seven.] This phrase of speech, is very considerable. Some numbers in Scripture, have a kind of eminency or excellency in them: I intend not any large discourse about numbers; only in brief. Those three numbers, Three, Six and Seven, are applied to a special signification by the Holy Ghost. A great number, a perfect number, is expressed by any one of these three numbers; A three-fold cord, (that is, a cord of many or sufficient folds) is not easily broken, Eccles. 4. 12. Three times thou shalt keep a feast to me in the year, Exod. 23. 14. Three times in a year all thy males shall appear before the Lord, ver. 17. The candlestick had three branches, Exod. 25. 32. and three cubits was the height of the Altar, Exod. 27. 1. Three Cities of refuge were appontinted for the manslayer, Deut. 19. 7. and the addition made, is of another three. ver. 9. Three witnesses gave the completest evidence requireable, as Two, the least admittable in the law, Deut. 17. 6. That (besides a rule) there was a mystery in most of these, I think no man doubts, though what the mystery was, may be presumption in any man to determine. Of this we are sure, that the highest mystery, and perfection of all numbers and things, is found in One Three. That Three in One, The sacred Trinity; And in the common speech of most, if not of all languages, Thrice happy, Thrice great, Thrice honorable, note a man advanced to the very pinnacle of Happiness, Greatness and Honor, The number Three, or the Numeral Thrice, imply a completeness in all numbers.
That the number six notes perfection, may be seen in the work of Creation; The Lord could as easily have made the world in six or in one moment, as in six days: but the Lord saw it good, to take a complete number of days, for so complete a work. God threatens Gog, his perfect and complete enemy, with a complete punishment, or with judgment in perfection. (The justice of God can be as complete in punishing, as the malice of man can be in sinning.) Ezek. 39. 2. I am against thee O God, the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal, I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, so we translate; yet in the margin of our books, we find the Hebrew thus; I will strike thee with six plagues, or, I will draw thee back with a hook of six teeth.
Seven is a famous number, implying, First multitude, Secondly perfection: The barren hath borne seven (saith Hannah in her song, 1 Sam. 2. 5.) that is, many she is a complete mother, she hath a flourishing family, many children. And in opposition to this (Jer. 15. 9.) She that hath born seven languisheth, that is, she that had many children, now hath none. Seven devils were cast out of the woman (Luk. 8. 2.) that is, a multitude of devils: So the seven Spirits, the seven Churches, the seven Trumpets, the seven Seals, the seven Vials, &c. in the Revelation, speak the completeness and perfection of each in their kind; whether good or evil: and that is appliable to the particular sense of the text, (Prov. 24. 16.) The just falleth seven times a day; that is, he falleth often, almost continually into trouble, and yet he rises again, God delivers him. The Hebrew word Shebange, is near in sound to our English seven; and to note that seven is a complete full number, the same Hebrew word signifies seven, and full, seven and satisfied or complete. And the word to swear, is of the same extraction in that language, with the word seven; the reason is added, because in or about an oath, many and important causes and grounds are required.
But to pass from single numbers, I shall consider them in construction or conjunction, as here six and seven. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee: Some understand this strictly and precisely of those two numbers six and seven; And expound the text by the enumeration of those six or seven particular evils made by Eliphaz in the following verses; For having said in general, that God will deliver his in six troubles and in seven, he reckoneth up several troubles, and gives us (as it were) a catologue, or a particular of those evils by name, amounting to six or seven; As 1. Famine, 2. War, 3. Scourge of the tongue, 4. Destruction. 5. Evil beasts, 6. Hurtfull stones; here are six, and if a seventh evil come upon thee, in seven no evil shall touch thee.
But I rather take this expression, six, yea seven, to be a fixed number put for an unfixed, a certain number for an uncertain, and that uncertain number to be a great number, the greatest number, any number imaginable. We find this kind of speaking frequently in Scripture; In the thirty third of this book of Job, v. 29. Loe these things God works twice and thrice; which we translate, these things God works often-times, when numbers are doubled with an increase in the latter, it notes a mighty growth of the whole number. Twice and twice (we know) is but four times; but, twice and thrice, may be more then five times, twice and thrice, is oftentimes, no man knows how often.
We find the number next above this in the same signification; Three, and four, are put for many, very many; (Amos 1. 3.) For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four: Some understand it of three or four special sins, of which Damascus was chiefly guilty: namely, 1. Idolatry, 2. Incest, 3. Luxury, 4. Oppression: Or, Three may be taken for a Cardinal number, and Four for an Ordinal; for the Fourth, as if some fourth sin were so sinful, and had such a malignity in it as the Lord would not pardon. Thus Four is put for the fourth, Prov. 30. 15, 18, 21, 29. Three things are never satisfied, yea four things say not it is enough. That is, a fourth thing (sc. fire being the most insatiable of all the rest) saith not it is enough The copulative particle (and) is often in Scripture taken comparatively; for much more. Psal. 125. The mountains are round about Jerusalem, and the Lord is about his people: So the Hebrew; we translate by a comparative of similitude. As, So. But more emphatically to the scope of the place by a comparative of excess. Thus, As the mountains are about Jerusalem, sc, to fortify and defend it; so much more is the Lord about his people fortify and defend them. In this sense we may take the copulative And in Amos. For three transgressions, the Lord would not turn, &c. but much more for a fourth, would he not turn away the punishment thereof. The former, three were enough to provoke the Lord to destroy you; but for this fourth, he is resolved to be irreconcilable, and will destroy you. Others add Three to Four, which make seven, as if the Holy Ghost had said, for seven (that is manifold) transgressions of Damascus, I will not turn away, &c. But rather take the numbers distinct for Three and Four. that is, for the many, for the multitude of transgressions committed in Damascus, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Not that the mercies of God are exceeded by any number, or that because they had gone on to sin three and four times, that is, very often times, therefore the mercy of God was at a stand, and could go on no further; but these numbers three and four, note the boundless impenitency of those Syrians, or their malicious persecutions of the people of God, days and times without number. They turn not from their transgressions, theirs are three and four, they will never have done; therefore I will begin to punish. or I will never have done punishing, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Such forms of speech are frequent in Heathen Authors, when they would enlarge, or multiply the sense.
Again, The numbers seven and eight, have a greater emphasis in Scripture (Eccles. 11. 8.) Give a portion to seven, and also unto eight. That is, give much, and give to many, give (yet discreetly) to all comers: We must not stint nor bound our charity; Give a portion to seven, give to many; and if there come more, give to more, give also unto eight; Charity prefers some, but she refuses none, who are meet objects of charity. And when the Lord would show what choice and store of able men, both for counsel and action, his people should have in times of dangers and invasions, He prophecies by Micah, that the people shall speak thus (Chap. 5. 5.) When he, (sc. the Assyrian) shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven Shepherds, and eight principal men, that is, we shall muster multitudes of wise, valiant, faithful men, everyone of which may be fit to command or direct in chief; Seven Shepherds and eight principal men.
So then, He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven, &c. is as if the Holy Ghost had said by Eliphaz, O Job, The Almighty Shaddai, of whom I have spoken to thee, is of such power and hath such an unwearied arm, that he is able to deliver thee, not only in one, or two, or three, or many troubles, but he can deliver thee in six, yea in seven, in all thy troubles, let the number of thy afflictions be as great as thou canst imagine. The power and malice of men cannot multiply thy troubles faster, than the power and goodness of God can multiply thy deliverances, yea, if he pleases, he could perfect seven deliverances for thee, before they can lay the plot of one trouble against thee. Observe hence in brief, first,
Deliverance it is of the Lord.
He shall deliver thee.] Whatsoever the instruments are, by which deliverance is brought to you, or in whose hand soever deliverance is put: Know, that the work and procurement of it, is from above: It is the privilege of God, and of God alone to be a Deliverer. And he hath deliverance at his command, Psal. 44. 4. Command deliverances for Jacob. Man must humbly petition for, and beg deliverance. But God stands not entreating the creature, or debating the matter with Kings and Princes, with the strongest and most hard-hearted Pharaoh's to deliver his people, but he sends forth a writ of deliverance, and Authoritatively commands deliverance, when it is his pleasure a person or a people shall be delivered. Secondly, obseve;
The Lord can deliver as often as we need deliverance. In six troubles, yea in seven.
This should bear up our hearts in the returns, the multiplied returns of troubles Though (as Rheumatick old age is described, Eccles. 12. 2.) The clouds return after rain: That is, though one evil follows upon or treads on the heel, of another: though, as soon as one black cloud is dissolved, and we begin to say (as in nature) this was a rainy day, but sure the next will be fair, yet the next proves more over-cast and lowering then that; even in such a case, know, God hath a wind in his first, which he can let out to scatter those clouds, before they dissolve; or if they dissolve, he hath a Sun, at command, to dry up the fallen rain. The Lord hath a succession of mercies for our succession of sorrows. Say not then, we have got off this trouble, but what if another come? If another come, you have the same God, and he can give you another deliverance. Have not our later experiences taught us this truth? Have we not been delivered in six troubles, yea in seven: Our straits have not been single; we may say (as she in Genesis at the birth of her son) Behold a Troope. Enemies have not given over conspiring, and acting against us, and (we ought to speak it to his glory) our God hath not given our delivering and doing for us, Not once only, but many a time, may our Israel now say, If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, when men rose up against us, they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. The waves and bilowes of our Seas; The rocks and clifts of our Shores; the foundations and the pinnacles of our Parliament houses; the walls and gates of our Fenced Cities; the swords and bucklers of our Mighty men in the high-places of the Field, may all bear this inscription, Shaddai delivers in six troubles, yea in seven.
The Lord spake once to his people, as if he were weary of delivering, or would not deliver (Judge. 10. 10.) There we read the people of Israel in a great strait, crying to the Lord for deliverance, but he answers, ver. 11. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, and from the children of Ammon; and from the Philistines. The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Moabites did oppress you, and ye cried unto me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Here are seven troubles in which they found deliverance. But, as if six or seven deliverances (which we have expounded for boundless deliverances) were now the utmost bound of deliverance, he resolves, v. 13. I will deliver you no more, And at the 14. he turns them off to their Idols for help; Go (saith he) and cry unto the gods, which you have chosen, and let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation; But what was the reason of this refusal? The reason was this, not because God was weary of delivering that people, but because that people were weary of their God. Ye have forsaken me and chosen other gods, ver. 13. If we choose ourselves another god; then we choose ourselves another deliverer; so long as we look upon God, as our God, so long we may look upon God, as our deliverer; God would never have turned them off for deliverance to anything below (what was in their conceit) a God.
How sad will it be, now that we are in great troubles, and crying daily, Lord deliver us out of these straights, for thou art he, whose name is, The Deliverer in six troubles, yea in seven; How sad (I say) will it be, if we have put God to read the Chronicle, and repeat the history of his deliverances given us, as he did to Israel, and say, I delivered you in 88 from the Spaniard; I delivered you in 1605. from the Gun-powder-Treason; I delivered your Parliament, I delivered your City, I have often delivered your Armies; and sometimes crown them with glorious victories, now I will deliver you no more; Will not such speakings from providence, be a plain conviction, that we have forsaken the Lord, and chosen other gods? God hath sometime (what a miracle of mercy!) chosen those, who forsook him, but he never (so steadfast is he in faithfulness) forsook any, who chose him to be their God. If he keep not such, from, yet he will certainly preserve all such in trouble, as it follows.
He saith not, He shall deliver thee from six troubles, and from seven: As if troubles should only threaten, but never come upon us; or as if all our deliverances should be preventions, but he shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven, there shall no evil touch thee
[Evil] signifies sometimes the evil of sin, and sometimes the evil of punishment. We may here take it either way. The Lord will so keep up thy spirit, and direct thy way in trouble, that thou shalt not defile thyself with the evil of sin; thy troubles shall purge, not pollute thee. And he will so keep thee, that thou shalt not be annoyed by any evil of punishment; If fatherly displeasure should appear against thee, wrath shall not. Love shall be mixed with thy correction; with thy wormwood and gall (as the Church speaks in the Lamentations) thou shalt have a temperament of honey, and of sweetness though troubles press thee, yet evil shall not Touch thee.
Not touch thee.] This notes exact deliverance; we think ourselves well many times, if we can come off from dangers with a scratch face, with a wound, or with the loss of a limb: but to come off without the loss of a hair, or which is less, without a touch, speaks a complete deliverance. It astonished Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 3. 27. to see the three children come out of the fiery furnace, without a hair of their heads singed, without any change of their coats, or the smell of fire. So much this imports, thou shalt pass the pikes, through six, yea seven, a whole army of troubles, and no evil shall touch thee; When the woman told the tempting Serpent, God hath said, ye shall not eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, nor touch it, Gen. 3. 3. She implied a charge of total abstinence. And when the Lord salth, No evil shall touch thee, it implies a promise of total deliverance. In the first and second chapters of this book (and it is the same original word) Satan begs leave of God, that he might touch Job, and touch all that he had. Now here Eliphaz seems to touch that string, No evil shall touch thee; as if he had said God will not let his servants be overwhelmed (as thou art) with evils, no evil shall so much as touch them. And the truth is though Satan obtained leave of God, to afflict the body of Job with pains, and he made it all over as one wound, yet no evil touched him, in the sense here intended: Though Job was all over evil sores, yet there was not so much as the least scar of an evil upon him; Troubles touched him, but evils did not, And troubles may touch the servants of God but evil shall not. Hence observe,
God saves and delivers his people from all evil, even while they are in the midst of trouble.
He delivers as well in trouble, as from trouble, while trouble is continued, good may be enjoyed. While his are in the water and in the fire, God is with them, and his presence is more then deliverance (Isa. 43. 2.) If God be with us, though all evils are upon us, yet no evil touches us. The presence of the chief good, is banishment to every evil. As a wicked man may be loaded with good things, and yet none of them touch him; that is, do him any good. So a godly man may be loaded with evils, and yet none of them touch him, that is, do him any hurt. And thus, we may understand that of the Apostle (1 Cor. 10. 14.) God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make away to escape; that ye may be able to bear it. Temptation you shall have; but with temptation, even while temptation is upon you, or while you are in temptation, The Lord will make a way for you to escape the evil of that temptation. Thus with or in trouble, we have deliverance. To be kept from the evil of trouble is a deliverance from trouble, while we are in trouble.
Thus far of the general promise.
Now Eliphaz goes on to particulars in the 20 verse, &c. As if he had said, Least thou shouldst think, I deal only in general notions, that I may more easily elude and deceive thee. Therefore I will now give instance in the point, and name what troubles I mean: I will ascend with thee to particulars, and reckon up the greatest outward evils, the most pinching straits that befall the sons of men, or the children of God, and out of all these, I affirm The Lord will deliver thee.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, &c. Famine leads the Vanne of this great Army of Evils, here mustered up.
He shall redeem.] But what is it to redeem from Famine? To redeem properly is, to take a man out of the power of another, by price or by greater power; Redemption is an act of special favor, and it notes a special distinction by favor. When God threatened Pharaoh and his people with swarms of flies and promised that his own people should be free, I will sever in that day, the Land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of Flies shall be there, verse. 22. This act of divine discrimination, is called Redemption in the next verse. And I will put a division (Heb. a Redemption) between my people and thy people; That is, those Armies of flies, which invade thy people, shall not meddle with my people. To see one perish with, and ourselves saved from the sword, is redemption in war. To see others hunger-starved and ourselves still fed, is redemption from famine, though ourselves were never in the hands, or between the teeth of famine. A people divided from the troubles of others, are redeemed from those troubles. Such redemption our Savior speaks of, Mat. 24. 40, 41. Two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken, the other left; two women shall be grinding in the Mill, the one taken, the other left.
In Famine.] Famine is the want of bread, and bread is the stay and staff of life (Lev. 26. 26. Isa. 3. 1. Psal. 105. 16.) when this stay is gone, our lives fall quickly or slip away. When this staff is broken, the thread of life breaks too. Man goes by the bread in his belly, more than by the staff in his hand; Except bread hold us by the arm, and stay us up, down we fall. Famine is so like, or so near, or so certain a harbinger of death, that the text puts them together. In famine he shall redeem thee from death. Famine is numbered among the sore judgments of God, if it be not the sorest judgment, Ezek. 6. 11. Jer. 24. 10. And therefore redemption from it, is one of his choicest outward mercies. We may collect how sore a judgment famine is by the effects of it.
First, It causeth faintness and madness, Gen. 47. 13.
Secondly, Hunger burneth, Deut. 32. 24. That word is not used in the Hebrew, except here. Famine kindles a fire in the bowels; When the natural heat hath no fuel put to it to feed upon, it feeds upon nature. Suitable to this, is the description of lamenting Jeremiah in the famine of Jerusalem, Their faces are blacker then a cole, Lam. 4. 8. and Chap. 5. 10. Our skin was black like an Oven, because of the terrible famine. Both the coal and the oven contract their blackness from burning heat.
Thirdly, It causeth pining and languishment, Lam. 4. 9.
Fourthly, Shame and howling, Joel 1. 11.
Fifthly, Rage and cursing, Isa. 8. 21.
Lastly, It breaks all the bonds of nature, and eats up all relations: Read that dre • dfull threatening, Deut. 25. 53, 54. and that dreadful example, Lam. 4. 10. Tender mothers eating their children. Famine eats up our bowels of compassion, and then it eats our bowels by relation: And which comes yet nearer, Famine is such a devourer, that it causeth man to devour himself. The Prophet describes a man in a fit of Famine, snatching on the right hand, and yet hungry, eating on the left, and yet unsatisfied; when he cannot fill his belly abroad, he comes home to himself, and makes bold with his own flesh for food, Every man eating the flesh of his own arm, Isa. 9. 20.
We read of many great Famines in Scripture, and withal of God's care to redeem his people from them. Abraham, Gen. 12. who (at the call of God) denied himself, and came out of his own, into a strange Land, was presently entertained with Famine. One would have thought, God should have made him good cheer, and have spread a plentiful table for him, causing his cup to over-flow, while he was in a strange Land, and a mere stranger there; yet he met with a famine, but the Lord redeemed him from that famine, by directing him to Egypt, that famous store house for his people▪ Jacob and his sons were redeemed from famine, in the same Egypt, afterward their house of Bondage.
It is a precious comfort to have bread in such a promise as this, when there is none upon the Board. God takes care for the bodies of his people as well as for their souls, he is the father of both, and the provider for both. And while we remember what sore afflictions have been upon many Nations and people by famine; While we remember Samaria's Famin, 2 Kings 6. Jerusalem's Famin, Lam. 4. and that storied by Josephus in the Roman siege of that City; While we remember the late famins in Germany, and the present one in many parts of Ireland; While we consider, that the Sword threatens this Nation with famine: Surely we should labor to get under such a promise as this is, that we may plead with God in the midst of all scarcity and wants; Lord thou hast promised to redeem Thine in famine from death: There is no dearth in Heaven: And whatsoever dearth is on Earth, the plenty that is in Heaven can supply it. How sad would it be, if your poor children should come about you, crying for bread, and you have none to give them; How much sadder would it be, if your poor children should be made your bread, and ground to pieces between your teeth, as in the famine of Jerusalem: In such a time, to look up to God in the strength of this promise, will be a feast to us, though we should perish in the famine.
But how doth God redeem from famine?
First, The Lord can make the barrel of meal, and the oil that is in the cruse, though but little yet to hold out and last, while the time of famine lasts; Such a miracle redeemed the poor widow from death, in that great famine, 1 Kings 17.
Secondly, He can redeem by lengthening one meal, to many days. Elijah went forty days in the strength of one dinner. Man liveth not by bread without God, but man may live by God without bread.
Thirdly, Not only are the stores of the creatures his, and the fruitfulness of the earth at his command, but if he please he can open the windows of Heaven; he can bring bread out of the clouds; he can make the winds his Caterers to bring in Quails and abundance of provision for his people. Thus also he can redeem his from death, in the time of famine.
Or fourthly, He can do it in a way of ordinary providence, by making the land yield it's natural increase, and by giving strength to the Earth, to bring forth plentifully, for the use of man.
Fifthly, While the common judgment lasts, he can make some special provision for his; And make a redemption of division, as he did in another case for his people, Exod. 8. 22.
And lastly, We may improve this promise, not only for redemption from death in famine, but for plenty of consolation, though we should die in famine. When the bread is quite taken away from your Table; your hearts may feed upon such a word as this, as upon marrow and fatness. Christ can feast your souls, when your bodies are ready to starve, he can fill your spirits with joy and sweetness, when there is nothing but leanness in your cheeks; Thus the Prophet Habakkuk triumphs in God (Habak. 3. 17.) Though the Fig-tree shall not blessom, neither shall fruit be in the Vines, the labor of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. He was feasting upon God, while he imagines the world starving; he sees all things in God, though the world should afford him nothing. That soul is well fed and taught, which can be rejoicing, while it's own body is starving.
War is the second evil. Famine and war go often together, yea they two seldom go without a third, the Pestilence, 2 Sam. 24. Jer. 18. 22. And though in the order of the words, famine be set before war, yet usually war is the fore-runner of famine. The sword cuts off provision, and when it self hath devoured much flesh, it leaves no bread for those who survive. It is observable that the original word for war here used, comes from a root signifying to eat or to devour, and so by a Metaphor it signifies to fight, or strike with the sword. And the reason, why the same word, which signifies war, signifies to eat, is because the Sword is such an Eater or rather a Devourer, and it eats two ways.
First, the Sword eats up the bodies of men, drinks up their blood, dispeoples a Land; And then
Secondly, It eats up and consumes the fruits of the earth, and hence War is the mother of Famine. Therefore we find, that when the great peace and so the plenty of the Church of Christ is prophesied of, and described, Isa. 2. 4. and in Micah, it is thus expressed, They shall beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. As if he should say, while the sword is abroad in the field, the plow shares will do little there; For the most part Justice is silent in time of war (the sound of the trumpet and drum, is too loud for the Law) and when the Law stands still, the plongh stands still; Therefore when the sword is in motion, both are at a stand. Hence the promise, that Swords shall be beaten into plow-shares, and spears into pruning-hooks, that is, with peace, you shall have bread and wine, which note the abundance of all other things. The ancients embleam'd peace by Ears of corn, and Concord by (a Cornu-copia) a horn of plenty; riches are the fruit of peace: And safety is the privilege of the Saints in time of war, In war they shall be delivered from the power of the sword.
The Hebrew is, They shall be delivred from, or out, of the hand of the sword: Sometime in Scripture we read of the face of the sword, which notes the sword coming and approaching to a people; And sometimes we read of the mouth of the sword, which notes the sword come, devouring and eating up a people; And here we have the hand of the sword, they shall be delivered out of the hand of the sword, which notes (as we translate) the power of the sword: Or, that form of speaking may be understood by an Hypallage, From the hand of the sword, that is, from the sword in the hand, which phrase imports present danger; when the sword is unsheathed and drawn out, when it is in the hand ready to strike, then the enemy is ready to charge, and then the Lord delivers; He shall deliver from the sword in the hand, or out of the hand of the sword. So Psal. 127. 4. Children of the youth, are as arrows in the hand of the mighty, that is, as arrows ready to be shot. And Psal. 149. 6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two edged sword in their hands; noting actual revenges taken on the enemies of God, and actual praises given to the name of God, at the same time.
So then, the meaning of these words, He shall deliver thee from the power of the sword, or out of the hand of the sword, is this, suppose thou art in such a condition that the swords are drawn about thy ears, and thou art in the midst of a thousand deaths and dangers, in the very heat of a battle, yet then the Lord God can and will deliver thee.
And this likewise is a comfortable promise, for us to lay hold on, in these times. It is a time of war to us all, and there are many of our friends and brethren (as it were) in the very hand of the sword; Desires are often sent to the Congregation, by one for a husband, by another for a brother, by a third for a servant, by many for their friends, gone forth to meet a sword in the hand of an enemy skillful to destroy: Here is a promise, to comfort and support such; The Lord in time of war, can deliver out of the very hand of the sword, or, when swords are in hand; when thousands of swords are drawn together, preparing for, or smiting in the day of battle; know, then God is a deliverer. In the most present dangers, God shows the most present help. (Psal. 23. 5.) Thou shalt spread my table and cause my cup to overflow, before the face of my enemy, even then, when my enemy is nearest and looketh on. As when the sword is in the hand of the Angel, so when it is in the hand of man, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee, (Psal. 91. 7.) Not nigh thee? what? when they die on this side and one that side, on every hand of a man, doth it it not come nigh him? Yes, nigh him, but not so nigh, as to hurt him; The power of God can bring us nigh to danger, and yet keep us far from harm: As good may be locally near us, and yet virtually far from us, so may evil; The multitude thronged Christ in the Gospel, and yet but one touched him, so as to receive good; so Christ can keep us in a throng of dangers, that not one shall touch us, to our hurt.
Yet we are not to take this or the like holy writs of protection, as if God would deliver all his people, from famine and from the sword; we know many precious servants of his have fallen by these common calamities; The Lord knows how to distinguish his, when sword and famine do not. Neither doth this word fall, though they do: If the servants of Christ are not delivered from these troubles, they are delivered by them, and while they are overcome by one trouble, they conquer all.
This verse contains a second pair of evils: First, The scourge of the tongue. Secondly, Destruction.
Two things are here to be inquired into, about the former.
- 1. What is meant by the scourge of the tongue?
- 2. What it is to be hid from it.
The scourge of the tongue.] Mr Broughton reads it thus, Thou shalt be delivered (or thou shalt be hid) when the tongue whippeth. And another to the same serce; At what time the tongue shall be scourging of men, thou shalt be secured from it. And that word (Leshon) the tongue, in Piel, signifies to detract, to traduce or slander; the same word is used both for the instrument of the tongue, and one of the worst acts of the tongue, calumination; or we may render it according to the exact lettter of the Hebrew elegancy, to Betongue a man: We use such a kind of speaking in our language, as to strike a man with a cudgel or a Cane-staff, is to cudgel or cane a man; and if a man be shot with a pistol, we say he was pistol'd; so a man smitten with another's tongue, is said in the Hebrew, to be Betongu'd, or such an one hath betongu'd him.
We leave the Verbe, and translate by the Nowne; From the scourge of the tongue. In construction (Beth) In, is often rendered by (Min) From, as Grammarians know. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God in all thy heart, or from thy whole heart, or from the heart-root: So here, Thou shalt be hid in the scourge; that is, thou shalt be hid from the scourge, when the tongue is lashing and whipping, thou shalt be hid from the lash and scourge of tongues.
But what may we understand by this scourge of the tongue?
First, Some take it for public accusations before a Judge or Magistrate. Many scourge their brethren at the Tribunal of Princes, Rev. 12. That accuser of the brethren, that traducer, the Devil, is conceived to make those accusations by his agents, in those times, before the heathen Emperors, against the Christians; The Christians in that age, were extremely scourged by malignant and malevolent tongues, tongues set on fire of hell, as the Apostle James speaks, Chap. 3. 6. And so the scourge of the tongue, may be that punishment, which they by false accusations obtained against the innocent; their tongues got judgment against them sometimes to be scourged or whipt; therefore also, that very work of the tongue is well called scourging. Our Lord Jesus was crucified upon the tongues of the Jews, before he was crucified upon the cross by the Romans. The Jews cried out first, crucify him, crucify him, here was the cross of the tongue; The conspirators against Jeremiah, advise thus (Chap. 18. 18.) Let us smite him with the tongue; that is, let us accuse him to the King, that he may be smitten by a public sentence. In this sense a man is imprisoned by the tongue, banished by the tongue, hanged and burned by the tongue, that is, the tongue doth all these virtually (or viciously rather) by false accusations, causing these things to be done actually and formally.
Secondly, Others interpret the scourge of the tongue, to be those terrible and dreadful reports which amaze, lash and afflict the spirit about the approach of dangers. As, when a report is rung in the ear, that an invading enemy, spoilers and plunderers, armed with power and malice are at hand to take away estates, liberties and lives. How many have been beaten about the ears, and scourged with such Alarums? (Jer. 50. 43.) it is said, The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them: what report was it? and of whom? A spy rides in, and kills the King with his tongue, strikes him thorough with his tongue, before he was touched with the sword of the Medes and Persians: How? He brought him a sad report, that the enemy was upon his march, then it follows, The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble, anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travel. We find the like expression, Isa. 28. 18, 19. They who had slighted the judgments of God, and said, when the overflowing scourge shall pass thorough, it should not come near them, even these (saith God) shall be vext, when they do but hear of a scourge coming near: I will send a report, and it shall pass over morning by morning, and it shall travel by day and by night; and what shall be the effect of it? It shall be a vexation (saith the Lord) only to understand the report. You shall not only be vexed when the enemy is come, and thrusts a sword into your bowels, and fire into your houses, but you shall be vext at the noise of his coming, it shall be a vexation to you to hear the report. It is a great mercy to be delivered and hid from this scourge of the tongue, and this is promised him who fears God, (Psal. 112. 7.) No evil tidings shall make him afraid. A heart which hath trembled at the voice of God instructing him, shall not tremble at the voice of men reporting evil to him. Many a man is more afraid than hurt, and more perplexed with the hearing of evil tidings, then others are with seeing or feeling the evil. The Lord threatens Eli, to do such a thing in Israel, and against his house, that both the ears of him that hears shall tingle, 1 Sam. 3. 11. But
Thirdly, Some translate thus. He shall be hid when the tongue wandreth or walketh about; for the same word which signifies a scourge, by the alteration of a point in the Hebrew, signifies to run to and fro. It is the word used in the first Chapter, where Satan reports himself, A Goer to and fro about the earth; There is an expression (Psalm. 73. 9.) suitable to this sense, though the Original word be not the same; They set their mouth against the Heavens, and their tongue walketh thorough the earth. The tongues of many take long journeys, while themselves sit still: Kings are said to have long hands, but many of their subjects have long tongues, and strike their brethren with them many hundreds of miles off; the tongue travels from town to town, from City to City, and scourgeth one here, and there another. And, while these men send their tongues about a wandering, to wound here and there, this and that man's credit, He is a happy man that can be hid from them.
Fourthly, Some of the Hebrew Doctors, retaining the fore-going sense of the Verbe, say, that by tongue, is meant Nations and people: When the tongue, that is, when a Nation shall go about, or march from place to place to destroy and over-run a Land, then, at such a time, thou shalt be hid: It is frequent in Scripture to put tongues for Nations, or tongues and nations for the same, Rev. 7. 9. Chap. 17. 15. And there is a comfortable truth in the matter of this interpretation; That when all tongues or nations shall be gathered to destroy us, yet we shall be hid: As if it should be said (like that, Psal. 83. 6.) Though the Tabernacle of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarens, Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre, be confederate against thee: or, to take moderne names and Nations, though Irish and Spanish, French and Danes, &c. should at any time, wander from their own lands to invade thee; yet thou shall be hid when these tongues rove and wander, spoil and pilla • e. The matter, I say, of this interpretation is a truth, and a very comfortable one, but I would not charge it upon this Text.
Fifthly, and most generally, and I conceive most truly, by the scourge of the tongue, is meant all, and all manner of calumnies and slanders, cursings or evil speakings, false witnesses and accusations; and from these (the promise is) thou shalt be hid. It is said, Prov. 14. 3 That, In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride; not, that a foolish man will scourge pride, he loves it too well; but, because the pride of a fool, sets his tongue a scourging the wisest and the best: Evil words are the same to the credit of a man, that a scourge is to his back; when slanderers speak openly, then their tongue is compared to a sword, or an arrow by day; when secretly, then to a trap, or an arrow by night, to a serpent which comes behind; Gen. 49. and, as here, to a scourge which is prepared for the back, and is called in our language back-biting: or we may call it back-beating. The scourge of the tongue, is all that ill, which the tongue can speak: And the Latin word for a word, agrees well to this sense; being derived (as Critics observe) from a word which signifies a stripe; or the word which signifies a stripe, from that which signifies a word: And we find; that they who defame or over-severely reprove others, are called (barely) strikers. And this (as some of the ancients note) according to Scripture language, in those two Apostolical directions (1 Tim. 3. 3. and Tit. 1. 7.) where the Apostle gives the rule concerning a Bishop, that he must be no striker; This may be understood of striking, not with the hand, (the Apostle could hardly think that quarrelsome spirits and sons of violence should be so much as admitted to a probation about that office) but striking with the tongue, by an undue, an overhasty, or an angry reproof and censure. The great instrument of a Bishop or a Minister, is his tongue: but he must use his tongue, rather to heal than to wound; or if at any time, he useth it to wound, it should be in tendency unto, or in preparation for healing: Therefore, Let not a Bishop be a striker, a striker with his tongue in passion, much less in spleen or for self ends.
Thus we see what we are to understand by the stroke or scourge of the tongue. But what is it, to be hid from that scourge? A word of that. Thou shalt be hid-
Not, as One, Thy actions shall be hid, which might be as matter for slander to work upon; nor, as Another, though such actions appear, yet slanderers shall want proof, or sufficient witness shall not appear against thee. But▪
First, We may take it thus; Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, that is, the tenor of thy actions shall be so fair, and thy life so blameless, that malice it self shall not find, where to fasten an accusation.
Or secondly, When other men are slandered and reproached, thou shalt be free.
Or thirdly, Thou shalt be hid, that is, though occasion should be given to malice (and that our noblest and holiest actions use most to give) yet malicious men, shall not be able to come at thee, thy person shall be secured in a chamber of secrecy, and covered with a mantle of providential darkness, while the light of thy good works dazzles and troubles the eye of the world.
But rather fourthly, Thou shalt be hid, that is, Thou shalt be patronized and defended, thou shalt be set right, and vindicated from all calumnies and false aspersions, The Lord will so take care of thy credit and reputation, that though many go about to blemish it with lies and slanders, yet thy honor shall be saved, or the wounds of it healed, by causing thy righteousness to break forth as the light, and thy just dealing as the noon day. Some charitable medicinal tongue shall lick thee whole, after all the stripes of those scourges or envenom'd scorpion-tongues: Thus, thou shalt be healed if smitten, or else thou shalt not be smitten, (Psal. 31. 20.) Thou shalt keep them secretly in thy pavilion, from the strife of tongues. The words of the Psalmist, are an allusion to Kings, who being resolved to protect their Favorites, against all the clamours and accusations of men; take them, as it were, into their own Pavillion, into their Bed-chamber and bosom, where none may touch them. God also hath a pavilion, a secret hiding place for his Favorites, where he preserves their credit and reputation untouched, against all the blots and causeless blemishes of malignant spirits, Thus they are hid from the strife of tongues. Hence his Saints and people are called, His stored, or his hidden ones, Psal. 83. 3. Observe; first.
The tongue is a scourge.
The tongue is a terrible engine: The Scripture gives us variety of comparisons to set forth the evil, of an ill tongue. It is here called a scourge, and it is a scourge of many lashes or knotted cords, or rather stinging scorpions; scoffing is one, slander a second, false accusations a third. The former strictly taken, is a lie told any neighbor, and the latter is a lie told the Magistrate. The tongue (Psal. 52 2.) is called a sharp razor; Psal. 57. 4. it is compared to spears, and arrows, and a sharp Sword; and if at any time with much using, this Sword be blunted in the edge or point, the Scripture speaks of whetting the tongue, Psal. 64. 3. It is as the sharp arrows of the mighty man, and coals of juniper, Psal. 120. 4. They bend their tongues like a bow, Jer. 9. 3. Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; ver. 8. In a word, It is a fire and a world of mischief, Jam. 3. 6. (Jer. 18. 18.) we read of smiting with the tongue, and of devouring words, Psal. 52. 4. As there are devouring opinions, opinions, which not only hurt the judgments of men, but devour their consciences, and eat up truth (as it were) at a bit, so there are devouring words, words that eat up a man's reputation, and devour his good name as bread. Slanderous mouths l • ve the whitest bread, the finest of the wheat; A man's credit which hath not a branne in it, how sweet a morsel is it to such mouths? Though, the truth is, every name, by how much the more pure and spotless it is, by so much the more deadly will it be in the stomachs of these devourers. A good name swallowed by an ill man, will (as Jonas did the Whale) make him (one time or other) Stomach-sick, if not conscience-sick, and he shall be forced to vomit it out safe again.
It is a sad thing when (thus) the people of God are wounded and scourged by the tongues of wicked men; but I will tell you of a sadder scourging, that is, when the people and servants of God scourge one another with their tongues: I beseech you leave this work to wicked men, take not the scourge of the tongue out of their hands, let us, not only not slander, but, not speak hardly one of another. The ancient Christians in the Primitive times, were deeply wounded by the scourge of the tongue, what strange things did ungodly men feign and then fasten on them? They reported them as black as hell, as if their holy meetings were not to worship God, but to defile themselves with incest and uncleanness; but among Christians themselves, we read not of this scourge, at that time. No; Christians loved one another to the amazement of Heathens: They were so far from this scourging or wounding of one another, that they were ready to be scourged, to be wounded, to be burned, to die one for another. This caused their Pagan persecutors to cry out, Behold how the Christians love one another? We are scourged by wicked ones, as They, O that we could love one another, as They. Sons of Belial have revived the ancient reproaches and accusations against the brethren, O, that we could revive the ancient embraces and most endeared affections of the Brethren Observe, secondly,
It is a great mercy to be delivered from the Scourge of the tongue.
The Apostle speaks of it, as a wonderful mercy, that he was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion (2 Tim. 4. 17.) Surely it is no ordinary mercy (though lying be very ordinary) to be delivered out of the Mouth of a liar. This is joined in one promise, with deliverance from the most deadly instrumenrs of war, Isa 54. 17. No weapon formed against thee shall prosper, that is no weapon of war, neither Sword nor Spear shall hurt thee. Then follows, And every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. The tongue of a Ziba or of a Tertullus will devour and destroy, as bad as the Sword of a Caesar or a Pompey. The holy story tells us, what woeful work the tongue had made upon Joseph and Mephibosheth, if the good providenee of God had not spoken a good word for them.
Lastly, Let me add one seasonable word of admonition, to these tongue scourgers; As the word is, They that smite with the sword, shall perish with the sword; so, they that smite with the tongue, shall perish with the tongue. The tongues of the Saints are in some sense, sharper and sorer scourges, then the tongues of wicked men. The word of God in their mouths, is a Two-edged Sword, yea sharper then any Two-edged Sword. A Prophet or a Minister of Christ, can strike as hard with his tongue, as (and infinitely harder, then) any Profane wretch, or railing Rabshakeb in the world. Truth well set home, will wound deeper, than slander can. I (saith the Lord, Hos. 6. 5.) have hewed them by my Prophets, and slain them by the words of my mouth. In the 11 th of the Revelation, it is prophesied, That fire shall go out of the mouths of the two Witnesses, and devour their enemies, verse. 5. That is, the word of their mouths, shall be as a fire to scorch and consume the gain saying world; and with this instrument their tongue (for that only is suitable for the work of Witnesses) they are said to have tormented those that dwell upon the earth, ver. 10. Some indeed are Sermon-proof, and Word-proof; They at present do even laugh at all our spiritual Artillery, Let whole volleyes of threats be discharged upon them, let them be hackt and hewed all day long with the Sword of the Word, they feel it not, it may be they jeer at it, at least they regard it not. As they, Jer. 18. 18. conspiring against the Prophet, Come let us devise devices, &c. let us smite him with the tongue. And least any should say, if we smite him with the tongue, he will smite us again; For these Prophets are notable at that weapon. To secure themselves, they resolve thus; Let us not give heed to any of his words. As if they had said, we know he will speak big words, and threaten us terribly, with Sword, and pestilence, and famine, and hell, &c. But let's arm ourselves against him, and make no more of all, then of a Squibb or a pot-gun, then of a stab with a wooden dagger, or a charge with a Bull rush. Let us not give heed to any of his words. But let these know, though now they are hardened against the spiritual scourge and sword, in the mouth of Christ's Ministers, yet at the last Christ himself will smite them with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Isa. 11. 4. He once made a Scourge of cords, and whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, he will at last make a Scourge of words, which shall whip all impenitents and unbelievers out of his presence into hell, where they shall gnash their teeth, and gnaw Those tongues, which have scourged his faithful servants, with many stripes, only for doing or speaking his, their Masters, will.
The word Destruction signifies a confluence or meeting together of all kinds of evil; when evils break in together, as thieves and robbers into a house to spoil and take away all, Isa. 60. 18. Jer. 48. 3.
When such destruction comes, thou shalt have this privilege, Not to be afraid of it. Not afraid, the word signifies any kind of fear, holy fearing as well as natural; here it is used for excessive, distracting fear. It is not meant, that a man shall be secure or senseless, when destruction cometh, So to be fearless, is worse then to be reasonless. But this is the meaning, Thou shalt not be afraid; That is, thou shalt not be dismayed with fear, thou shalt not be amazed or astonished with fear, thou shalt not be at thy wits end, much less at thy Faiths end, when destruction cometh. Fear is good in it's kind, yea it is an excellent grace; Some fear in time of destruction is the daughter of faith (Heb. 11. 7.) By Faith, Noah, being warned of God, of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an Ark to the saving of his house; He fears destruction savingly, whose fear moves him to prepare due means of safety. Such preparatory fears are holy fears, and well become the Saints, when destruction cometh. (Exod. 9. 20.) He that heard of the destruction coming, and feared the word of the Lord, made his servants and cattle flee into the houses; God would not have his people, when they hear destruction is coming, stand at the door in a daring manner to meet it, and lay themselves open to it, no he would have them flee into the house, and enter into the chamber, and shut the doors about them, hiding themselves, as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast, Isa. 26. 20.
The fear which God promiseth his people protection from, is unbelieving frare, or fear which is the daughter of despair: Such as that, Isa. 7. 2. where, when a report came of destruction coming, it is said; That the heart of the King, and the heart of his people was moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. They were so afraid, so unsettled and disordered within, that they knew not how to settle and order their affairs without. Such a fear the Prophet Jeremy threatens upon Pashur, Jer. 20. 3. The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib; For thus saith the Lord, behold I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends; Fear round about, and fear within, this fear God promiseth to deliver his people from, in times of danger.
Observe hence.
The power and presence of God is able to uphold his people in the face of dangers, and in the presence of destruction.
They shall not be afraid of destruction, when it cometh: Suppose God doth not keep the destruction off from them, yet he will keep finking fears off from them. How terribly soever men look upon them, they shall not be a terror to themselves, neither will God be a terror to them. Many a man is his own Bugg-bear. And there is nothing can be so terrible to us, (except an angry God) as we may be to ourselves. But he, to whom God is not a terror, and to whom himself is not a terror, will not be afraid of the King of Terrors. So long as we are at peace with God and ourselves, destruction cannot come so fast, as consolation will. And destruction cannot carry that away, wherein consolation lies. The best part of the Saints estate, is out of the reach of destroyers. They can destroy houses and goods: They can carry away gold and silver, but they cannot destroy faith and hope; shey cannot carry away, grace or holiness; They may burn your writings, and the evidences of your Lands and Tenements, but they cannot burn your evidences for Heaven, or weaken your tenure and interests in Jesus Christ. Upon the wings of this assurance the Saints are carried beyond the borders of fear when destruction comes into their borders, or death is breaking open their doors, and climbing up unto their windows. Yea this assurance, (which carries them beyond the confines of fear) sets them down in a very comfortable place, in the Land of joy, or upon the mountains of delight. It is too little to say, They shall not be afraid, when destruction comes, for at destruction they shall laugh: As Eliphaz undertakes with his next breath.
Vers. 22. At destruction and famine, thou shalt laugh; neither shalt thou be afraid of the Beasts of the Earth.
23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; and the Beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
In the former words, we had a promise of redemption from famine and from fear at the coming of destruction. Here both the mercy and the promise are heightened, or the promise is made yet more merciful; At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh. It is a high privilege to be redeemed from famine, and not to be afraid of destruction; but to laugh at these is the highest privilege. But is it not a sin to laugh at these? And if so, how will it be any privilege at all? I (saith the wise man, Eccl. 2. 2.) said of laughter it is mad, and of mirth, what doth it? And is not this mad laughter, to laugh at destruction, and to be merry in famine? The Prophet vehemently reproves joy in sad times, (Isa. 22. 12, 13.) and brands it for an iniquity, that shall not be purged from them, till they die; And can it then be commendable to rejoice in famine, &c. It is comely for man to be merry, when God is angry? And to be rejoicing, when the Lord is destroying? To clear this I shall open the sense of the Text, and show, that this Laughter is neither sin nor madness, but the holiness and sobriety of the Saints.
The word is ordinarily used for laughing; whence Isaac hath his name, The son of the promise was called Isaac, because Abraham laughed, or because he rejoiced at the promise or birth of his son, especially at the promise of His birth, who was to be the joy and desire of Nations, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, referring to this act of Abraham, tells the Jews, Joh. 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, he saw it and was glad. To laugh in Scripture is taken two ways.
Sometimes in a good sense; and
Sometimes in an ill sense,
In a good sense, and so, To laugh is an outward expression of sound inward joy and true comfort; To laugh is an act proper to man. There cannot be true and solid joy (and so, not this effect of it, laughing) where there is not true solid reason. Even passion (strictly taken) is founded in reason. In the 29. of this book ver. 24. Job describing the great prosperity of his former days, saith, If I laughed on them, they believed it not. Job was a man of that esteem and veneration, that though he expressed in his gesture or countenance, a kind of familiarity, and how well he was pleased, yet the people did so much reverence him, and his piety and unspotted justice did so over-awe them, that they suspected still he might observe somewhat amiss in them.
Secondly, to laugh, is used for scorning and deriding. In the 39 of this book v 7. Laughter is ascribed unto the wild Ass, improperly; He (sc. the wild. Ass) scorns (or laughs at) the multitude of the City. And (Psal. 2. 4.) when the Princes and the people gather themselves together, to take counsel against the Lord and against his Christ; He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh, and the Lord shall have them in derision. That is, the Lord (in a most holy manner) scorns or derides the counsels and practices of wicked men, Man is never in so sad a condition, as when God laughs at him.
Again, Laughter proper to man, is either sinful and reprooveable, or holy and commendable. Sinful laughter is that which arises.
First, from unbelief or weakness of faith: Such was the laughter of Sarah (Gen. 18. 12.) when the Angel brought his message that Sarah should have a son, Sarah, heard it, as she was in the Tent▪door, and the Text saith, Sarah laughed: The ground of her laughter was unbelief, she thought it an impossible thing, for her to have a son (as a man will laugh at a thing you tell him. when he thinks it impossible to be done. That her laughter was from unbelief, is plain, from the Angels reproving question in the next words; Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, shall I of a Jurety bear a child, which am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord? As if he had said, surely Sarah thinks the Lord hath out promised his own power to perform.
Secondly, Sinful laughter ariseth from contempt, or slighting of counsel, and carnal security in times of danger (2 Chron. 30. 10.) when Hezekiah sent messengers to Ephraim and Manasseh to warn them to come up to the house of the Lord, to keep the Passover, it is said, That they laughed the messengers to scorn and mocked them; they laughed, slighting and contemning this admonition, thinking themselves safe and well enough, though they came not up to that solemn Passover.
Thirdly, Sinful laughter arises from pride and self-confidence, (Hab. 1. 10.) The Prophet describes the proud Chaldeans, invading Judah; thus, They shall sc • ffe at the Kings, and Princes shall be a scorn unto them, and they shall deride every strong-hold. They shall come up with such an army, with such an arm of flesh, as all flesh must fall down and yield unto.
Lastly, There is a sinful laughter, springing from sensuality, and excess of creature contentments. Such laughter Christ threatens, Luk. 6. 25. Woe to you that are full, woe to you that laugh now: That is, woe to you that laugh, because of your creature-fullness.
Laughter, which is good and commendable, hath such roots, as these.
First, it springs up from faith, such was the laughter of Abraham (Gen. 17. 17.) when he heard the promise, that he should have a son, the text saith, Abraham fell upon his face and laughed: That the laughter of Abraham was from faith, is clear from the Apostle, Rom. 4. 19. affirming, that, He not being weak in faith, considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, &c. Abraham laughed out his faith, not (as Sarah) his unbelief. Therefore also Christ saith (as was touched before) Abraham rejoiced to see my day, he saw it, and was glad: In the promise of his son, he saw the Promised se • d, in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed. This sight of the day of Christ, in that prospective of the promise, drew it • ear to the old-man's heart (though it were far off) and made him glad.
Secondly, Commendable laughter comes from holy courage, and well grounded confidence; well tempered magnanimity, and Christian heroicalnesse of spirit, lifts us so far above dangers and fears, that we laugh at them.
And then, there is a laughter in dangers grounded upon assurance of deliverance from, or support in dangers. A man that sees a great storm coming, laughs at it, knowing where to go to shelter presently, where to get a warm house over his head, The Pilot knowing he hath a strong Ship, and good Tackling, laughs at the winds. In that sense [not to fear] is used (Prov. 31. 21.) where it is said of the wise woman. She is not afraid of the snow for her household; If the snow and cold weather come, she doth not fear it, she can laugh at the snow; Why? For all her household are clothed with scarlet, or double cloth, she hath made such provision against cold weather, that she fears neither frost nor snow.
Now, the text, (when it is said, At famine thou shalt laugh,) is not meant of laughter, springing either from unbelief, or pride or self-confidence, or sensuality or senselessness; as if he should not care what God did in the world, let God do what he would, he would laugh. As that proud Emperor said (not only as one before him, when I am dead, but) while I live, let heaven and earth be mingled together, I care not, scorning and contemning what could come. But this laughter comes from strength of faith, from holy courage, and well grounded confidence; from an assurance of shelter, safeguard and protection from, or support in, the greatest dangers, even in famine and destruction: He fixes on such a promise as this, Psal. 37. 19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine, they shall be satisfied. The soul of a believer sees salvation in destruction, food in famine, he hath wine well refined to drink, marrow and fatness to feed upon, when the world knows not how to give him (or will not give him) a dry crust, or a cup of cold water. He sees a hiding place, when all others lie open to the danger, he sees a place of refuge, a covert from the rain and from the storm, when others stand naked under them. The sum of all is; A godly man sees himself so protected in dangers, so provided for against all wants, he sees in the promises such a Magazine of arms, such stores of bread, that he fears no weapon formed against him, and feeds, when no table is spread for him; Danger secures, destruction saves, and famine fattens him, that is, in danger, destruction and famine, he knows whither to go for food, salvation and safety, even unto God, who is all this to him, and will be more, if he need it Upon these grounds it is, that the text saith, At famine and destruction he shall laugh. Observe hence,
A godly man, a true believer, is not only not afraid of outward evils when they come, but through faith he is above and triumphs over them.
Not to be afraid of faime and destruction when they come, is too low for his spirit, He shall laugh when they come. Hence the Apostles exulting language, We glory in tribulation, we are exceeding joyous in all our tribulations. And to this sense we may interpret that of Peter speaking of the sufferings of the Saints, 1 Epi. 4. 14. The Spirit of glory resteth upon them; that is, a spirit of glorying and holy rejoicing, whereby the soul is carried up (as it were) upon Eagles-wings, above and beyond reproaches. All evils lie below a believer, when he is lifted up with this spirit of glory. This spirit of glory resting upon us through him that loved us, makes us more then conquerors over tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, Rom. 8. 35. More than conquerors? Who can express, how much that is? No tongue can tell what it is to be more then a conqueror; when Christ would advance the exceeding greatness of that reward, which Givers shall receive, Luke 6. 38. He saith not barely, Give, and it shall be given you good measure; but you shall have it pressed down, and yet more, shaken together; that is not all neither, but you shall have it running over. Now a measure will run over, as long as you will pour, there is no stint, no bounds to that gift, which shall be given running over; A vessel will run over continually, pour as long as you will: So here, you shall not only have a conquest, but more then a conquest, and what that is, is as much and more than all our thoughts are able to comprehend. Hence also the Apostle speaking of that great enemy, the last enemy Death (1 Corinth. 15. 55.) brings in the believing soul in a kind of holy triumph, laughing at, and even jeering death, in the sense of the Text, O death where is thy sting? As if a man having disarmed his enemy, should say, now Sir, where's your sword? where's your pistoll? Christ hath disarmed death, taken away its sting; now the believer may laugh in the face of death, Oh death, thou thoughtest to make us all smart, where is thy sting? thou thoughtest thyself a conqueror, able to devour and subdue us all, but where is thy victory? Such is the laughter here meant. And in the same sense, Leviathan the mightiest of living creatures, that sea monster (to whom upon the earth there is not the like, he is made without fear, Chap. 41. 33.) is said to laugh at the shaking of the spear (Job 41. 29.) He is so armed with impenitrable scales, that, shake a spear at him, he laughs at you; it is an allusion to those, that are armed with proof, they fear neither sword nor shot: The truth is, a believer is shot-free, shake the spear at him, shake famine, shake destruction at him, threaten him with this or with that, he laughs at all, because he hath armor of proof, wherein he may safely trust; He hath a shield, a shield of faith, which will quench even the fiery darts of Satan, much more then the fiery dangers of the world.
The Histories of the Primitive Church, are full of this holy laughter, and heroical magnanimity of the Saints, grappling with the greatest evils. How did those renowned Martyrs, even baffle death, and deride their torments (from this principle of faith in Christ) conquering them, not slighting them (from a principle of self-neglect) When Polycarp was threatened to be torn in pieces with the teeth of wild beasts, let them come, saith he, and grind me, I shall make very good bread, so that the very tormentors were more tormented with the holy scorn and laughter of suffering Christians, than the Christians were with the torments which they suffered. In 2 Sam. 2. 14. When Abner and Joab, the two great Generals met, Abner saith unto Joab, Let the young men arise and play before us; the sport was to fight, and fighting unto death, and yet these stout Soldiers being above fear, call it playing one with another; It is the word here in the text (let them come and laugh together before us) As if these young men were of such courage, that they could laugh at death, and go to killing one another as if they were to go to play with one another. Surely there is little reason for such courage; killing of men is no laughing matter, no matter of sport; for, as Abner said unto Joab, not long after (verse. 26.) shall the sword devour forever, knowest thou not, that it will be bitternsse in the end? There is little cause to account the beginning of that a sport, which will be bitterness in the end: But when the Saints are to join in the deadliest battle, or to meet with the deadliest death for Christ, or from the chastening hand of Christ, they have reason enough to account it a sport, and to laugh at destruction (in this sense cleared) because they know it will be sweetness and comfort in the end: Valour sometimes laughs at danger, much more may faith, (Psal. 68. 12, 13.) Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall we be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold: This is the confidence of the Saints, when they lie among the pots, or among the pot-ranges (as some interpret it) where the scullions lie, and are besooted and blacked over, at the fire of afflictions till they look like very scullions, that yet, they shall be gilded over soon after. Or it may be understood of the bounds and limits of the enemies Country: and so it is a description of great danger, for they who lie upon the borders of an enemies Country, are in continual fear of an assault; This the Greek seems to favor, rendering it thus; Though we have lain between the inheritances, or the lots, sc. our own and the enemies; either way the sense reaches this point fully; Though Believers lie among the pots, or ncarest dangers, yet they are assured that they shall have wings, as the wings of a Dove, which are covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. There is gold and silver in the eye of faith, while there is nothing but blackness and death in the eye of sense; yea, faith assures them, that, they shall be white as snow in Salmon (as it follows in that Psalm) that is, they shall have whiteness after blackness, or light in the midst of darkness; Salmon signifies dark, duskish or obscure: for, it was a hill full of pits, holes, and glins, very dark and dangerous for passengers; but when the snow was upon it, it was white and glistering; now saith he, they shall be like Salmon in the snow, though black in themselves, yet white, lightsome and glorions, either through pardon of sin, or victory over their enemies, to both which, whiteness hath reference in Scripture.
Again, In that it is said, At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; as from that word, laughing, we see what spirits the Saints have in troublesome times, So, inasmuch as he gathers together and rally's all the scattered troops of afflictions, to charge at once upon a believer; and yet concludes, At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; Observe, That
A godly man laughs at, or is above all evils, though brought against him at once.
It hath been said, That Hercules could not match two: here are two, Destruction and famine, overmatcht by one; bring whole legions and armies of troubles to encounter a Saint, he overcomes them all: He famishes famine, and destroys destruction it self. The Apostle, Rom. 8. 35. musters up (as it were) all evils together into a body, and dares any or all to battle, with a believer, Who shall separate us from the love of God? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? which of these shall undertake the challenge, or will you bring anymore? then, come life, or death, Angels, or principalities, or powers, things present, or things to come, height, or depth, or any other creature: none of these single, nor all of these joined, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every heightened Saint is a spiritual Goliath, who in the name of the living God, bids defiance to this huge host, and they all run and tremble before him. Rejoice (saith the Apostle, James 1. 2.) when you fall into divers tempatations; A believer hath joy, not only when he grapleth with a single temptation, but let there come many, divers temptations, variety of temptations, variety for kind, and multitude for number, yet he rejoiceth in the midst of all.
Having thus lifted a godly man above the afflicting reach of those two great evils, famine and destruction, want of good things, and spoiling of their goods; he proceeds to instance another great evil, wherein a godly man is exempt from, and set above fear; Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
Beasts of the earoh.] The root of that word signifies life, and so any living creature, especially a wild beast; because they are so active and full of life, therefore they are named from life.
And these are called, the beasts of the earth.
First, Because beasts are produced from the earth, and the earth received a charge to produce them, Gen. 1. 24, 25. And God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature, after his kind, and God made the Beast of the earth after his kind.
Or secondly, Because Beasts have nothing but earth to live upon; as men whose portion is only in creatures, are called men of the world, or men of the earth.
The word for ( earth) signifies the whole earth, habitable or inhabitable; And though the earth stand still, yet this word is derived (say some) from running: either, because the heavens run round aboui the earth, with a continual rotation or motion; or because all creatures, men and beasts, move or run upon the face of the earth. Though others deduce it from a word which signifies to desire, wish, or will a thing, because the earth is perpetually desirous of bringing forth fruit, for the use and help of man. But it is not agreed on, what we are to understand, by the beasts of the earth.
First, Some take the words improperly, and so the beasts of the earth, are interpreted men; A company or society of men, and these in a double sense. For the word notes sometimes a company of men in a good sense, and sometimes a company of men in an ill sense. I shall give you an instance of both, for the clearing of this text-
It signifies men, or a company of men in a good sense, Psal. 68. 10. where speaking of that rain of liberalities, (that is, blessings of all sorts) which God sent upon his inheritance, to confirm and refresh it, he saith, Thy Congregation hath dwelt therein, Thy camp or leagure, thy host or troop dwelt there; (so 2 Sam. 23. 13.) which the vulgar translates, Thy beasts, and the Greek, Thy living creatures dwelt therein: The same word is used (and some apprehend in allusion to this Psalm) Rev. 4. 6. Chap. 5. 8, 9 in those mystical descriptions of Christ and his Church: In this sense it suites not at all with the promise of the text, These beasts are not to be feared, but honored and loved; man's greatest spiritual comforts on earth, are found in the society of these beasts.
But commonly this word, referred unto men, signifies an association of wicked men; men of the earth, worse (many of them) then the beasts of the earth: These are spoken of in the same Psalm, ver. 30. Rebuke the company of spear men, (or Archers) The rout or crew of the Cane, that is, men that bear reeds, or canes, whereof spears and arrows were wont to be made; therefore the company of spear-men or archers, are called a company with reeds: The word by us rendered company, is, the beasts of the reeds, those men that are like beasts, savage, cruel and bloody, these are as bruits and beasts of the earth; so they are descipher'd in the next verse, The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people. And we find the word signifying, a company of wicked ones, and a company of Saints in the same verse Ps. 74. 19. O deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked; The Hebrew is unto the company of the beasts; Forget not the Congregation (or the beasts) of thy poor forever; there the same word is taken (as in Psal. 68. 10) for a company of Saints, or the poor people of God. In the Scripture of the New Testament, it is frequent to shadow wicked men under the names of beasts, beasts of the earth: so that of Paul hath been taken (1 Cor. 15. 32.) If I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, with beastly men, cruel men, men like unto beasts in their qualities and dispositions: though others understand it of his being cast unto the beasts, to fight with them, which was a cruelty those persecuting times exercised against the Christians. So (1 Tim. 4. 16.) Paul saith, he was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion: Nero that cruel tyrant, is supposed to be the Lion, the beast of the earth he aimeth at. And the Apostle, Tit. 1. 1. gives this character of the Cretans, they are evil beasts. If we take it here in this sense, it is a truth, and a very comfortable truth, that godly men shall be delivered from the fear of beastly and cruel men, or as the Apostle calls them, unreasonable or absurd men; who have not faith.
But rather understand here beasts of the earth properly, for those fierce and cruel creatures hurtful to man. Once man had power and dominion over all the creatures; the wildest beasts were tame to him in his state of innocence; till he rose up and rebelled against God, the creatures were subject unto him; but man rebelling against God, the creatures rebelled against man: hence it is, that man naturally is surprised with fear at the approach and sight of strong and cruel beasts; and therefore it is here spoken as a special mercy and privilege of the godly, that they shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
The beast of the earth are hurtful to us three ways;
First naturally, many beasts by nature are very dreadful to man, as the Lion, the Bear, the Wolf, and such other fierce, strong and bloody beasts.
Scondly, Tame beasts, such as we daily use and subdue to our service, are often by accident hurtful to us; The Horse and the Ox, have many times been destructive to their owners.
Thirdly, (which I conceive is the thing chiefly aimed at here) beasts hurt judicially, in a way of wrath from God; There are divers places in the book of God, wherein God threatens to arm the creatures, against those who sin against him, and that when his people should forget their duties, the beasts should forget their subjection. Deut. 32. 24. I will send the teeth of beasts upon them. And Jer. 15. 3. I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord, the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. You see God can have an army anywhere if he pleaseth, an army of dogs to destroy, an army of fowls of the air, an army of the beasts of the earth, to subdue a rebellious people. And Ezek. 14. 21. This is one of the four sore judgments that God denounceth against Jerusalem, The sword, and the famine, and noisome beasts, and the pestilence. Thus in a judicial manner they were very terrible and dreadful, and so were numbered among the sorest evils or judgments which God sent upon a Nation, for their wickedness. To all or any of these ways, this promise may be enlarged. Thou shalt not be afraid of the natural cruelty, the casual hurtfulness, or the judiciary rage of beasts, when sent by God with commission to punish the beastliness of men.
How this cometh to pass, that beasts of the earth hurt not godly men, is said down in the next verse, which I shall a while open, and then give you some Notes and Observations from both together.
This verse contains the reason, why he should not be afraid of the beasts of the field; and here is somewhat more got into the reason, than was before in the promise; the ground of the promise is higher, and carried farther than the promise it self. The promise was, to be delivered from the fear of beasts; and that thou mayest be certain of it, know God will not suffer so much as a stone to do thee hurt; thou shalt be at league not only with the beasts of the earth, but with the stones of the field.
Thou shalt be in league] The word is frequently used in the Old Testament, to signify, that solemn gracious covenant of reconciliation between God and man, established in the blood of Christ.
A league or covenant is a very solemn act, an act of reason and of the highest reason, an act of judgment and deepest deliberation: therefore it may be doubted how a league can be entered with stones, which have no life, or with beasts which have no reason. We read (Gen. 31. 41.) of a league or covenant made at or upon an heap of stones, between Jacob and Laban; but this is very strange and unheard of, to make a league with a heap of stones.
For the claring of this, we must inquire into two things;
- 1. What these stones are.
- 2. What this league with stones doth import.
First, For the Stones: There are divers opinions about them, and many Interpreters have exceedingly stumbled at these stones: Some change these stones into men, strong men, or the strongest of men. That of Job in the next Chapter, hath some allusion to it, ver. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones? A strong man is strong, as a stone.
The Chaldee Paraphrast, understands by stones, the Law, which was written in stones. Thou shalt be in league with the stones, that is, the Law written in tables of stone shall never hurt thee. But that (as to this text) is a mere conceit, though (in it self) a great truth, and our greatest comfort, that believers are at league with those Law-stones, which left in power and hostility, would have broken all man-kind to pieces, and ground them to power. Christ hath made peace for us with the Law; The Law had a quartell at us, and the Law would have been upon us with an everlasting war, if Christ had not settled our peace by satisfying the Law; Stoning to death, had been the death of us all, if Christ had not made a league for us with these stones.
Thirdly, Others interpret these stones by a Metanomy of the continent for the thing contained, Thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field, with the rocks or rocky places, that is, thou shalt be at league with those creatures, or with those beasts, which lie among the stones, and have their dens about hollow rocks: and so they make the latter branch [and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee] to be exegetical, giving us the exposition of the former, or showing what is meant by being at league with the stones of the field; Thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field, that is, with the beasts who make their dens, and their holes, and their hiding places anomg the stones of the field. This is a good sense of the words.
But leaving the former, with some other apprehensions about these stones, I shall take these stones properly, and so they will fall under four considerations, all which give light to the clearing of this text, and the manner of our league with stones.
First, As naturally scattered upon the face of the earth, so hindering travellers, or endangering a man in hast upon his way. One part of Arabia, was called Arabia Petraea, or the stony, because it was full of stones, and so uneasy either for tillage or travel.
Stones are so dangerous to the foot, that the Latin word is derived from hurting the foot; Hence those Scripture-expressions, A stumbling stone, and a rock of offense, because men are so apt to stumble at stones. And both these are applied to Christ in a figure, he is called A stumbling stone, and a rock of offense. Christ in himself is the most precious and elect foundation-stone to build on, but he is the most sore and dangerous stone to stumble on: To be in league and covenant with that living stone, is the highest mercy.
Secondly, These stones as they lie naturally hidden in the bowels of the earth, or under the earth, are a trouble to the Husbandman in tilling the ground, in plowing and sowing, and they often endanger the breaking of his plow, and hinder the rooting and growth of the seed sown.
Thirdly, consider these stones as artificially laid together for the making of a wall or mound to fence and part field from field, or both from the common fields and highways.
Fourthly, Consider these stones as artificially and industriously placed for marks and boundaries, to distinguish private men's lands, or the precincts of such and such countries, which are commonly called Mark stones, or Boundary-stones; as also stones set in roads or highways, for the direction of Travelers, pointing which way to go to eminent Towns or Cities. Of such a stone we read (1 Sam. 20. 19.) when Jonathan bad David stay at the stone Eziel, that is, as we put in the Margin of our Bibles, the stone that showeth the way, or the way-stone. These boundary-stones, or way-stones to direct travellers, were famous in antiquity; Insomuch that among the Heathen, They were worshipped as a God, or Numen, as divers of the Christian Fathers have observed in their learned reports of Heathenish idolatry. Which also their own Poets have elegantly described, both in their constitution and uses; giving those stones a charge faithfully to testify, This is your land, and this is yours. And they break out into the commendation of the integrity of these witnesses, whom no threats could terrify, or bribes corrupt to speak a lie, or conceal the truth.
Now consider the other term, what it is to be in league with stones, in any of, or in all these acceptations.
In general we know, that to be in league with stones, is an improper or allusive speech: Stones are not capable of the formalities of a league, when we are in league or covenant with God or man, so with stones; these two things are made out to us.
1. That God or man will do us no hurt; A covenant or league takes off the actings of hostility. Whatsoever a man is in covenant with, he fears no damage from. Presumptuous sinners having made a covenant with hell, and an agreement with death, build their confidence of indemnity upon the strength of it. When the over-flowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come near us, Isa. 28. 15. A man that is in league with the devil, believes the devil will do him no wrong.
2. A league imports, that we may expect to receive good, protection, benefits and blessings either from God or man, according to the Articles of covenant agreed to, and sealed respectively. These two assurances we have by a league. And when it is said here, that a godly man is in league with the stones of the field, both these are to be understood. It is as much as to say, The stones of the field shall not annoy him; yea, the stones of the field shall be a benefit or a friend to him. Man is said to be in league with stones, when he receives the effect of a league from stones. Taking it in this general sense, we may apply it unto those four particular senses of senseless stones before mentioned.
First, As stones are naturally scattered upon the face of the earth, the promise imports thus much; that such stones shall not hurt or annoy him in his walks or travels. This promise we have expressly (Psal. 91. 11.) He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. This is the league with stones, Stones shall not annoy thee in thy way, thou shalt not stumble or fall to break thy bones, or bruise thy body upon these stones. The devil in his combat with Christ, misapplyeth this promise of a league with the stones (Mat. 4. 6.) Tempting him to cast himself down from a pinnacle of the Temple, for it is written, He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, least at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone; As if he had said, a godly man hath this assurance from his league with the stones, that he shall receive no harm from them, therefore trust God, and in confidence of this promise, Cast thyself down. So here is the first sense, Thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field; that is, thou shalt not be hurt by those stones, as thou travellest or walkest.
Secondly, Take the stones as they lie hidden in the earth, then to be at league with them, hath this sense. First, that in tilling the earth, stones should not trouble or hinder that work. God shall so order it, that though thou plowest among stones, yet thou shalt till thy ground successfully. The stony ground shall be fruitful ground. In that Parable of a vineyard (Isa. 5. 1) God is pleased to manifest his care of making it fruitful, by this act among others, I gathered out the stones thereof, ver. 2, noting that stones are naturally great impediments to fruitfulness. We rea • (Mat. 13. 5.) how the seed, which fell upon the stony ground, sprung up quickly and withered as quickly; Stony ground naturally cannot feed or bring forth fruit to maturity. It is then a great privilege, thus to be in league with the stones of the field, that though we sow among stones, yet we shall have a plentiful Harvest. When Job described the days of his prosperity (Chap. 29. 6) he saith, The Rock poured him out rivers of oil: To have oil out of rocks, is like having corn out of the stones, both noting things succeeding beyond their natural principles, and our common expectation. When the Baptist would show how God can work beyond all the possibilities of nature or reason, he saith to the Jews, Even of these stones God can raise up children unto Abraham, (Mat. 3.) There is somewhat of a miracle in it, to raise up bread to a man out of stones; that is, to make rocky land, a fertile soil. God threatened his people, that he would make the earth to be iron under them; that is, the earth which was ordinarily fruitful, shall yield you no more fruit, then iron; And on the other side he promises, That they shall suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, Deut. 32. 13. Honey out of the rock; That is, honey of Bees, hiving themselves in rocks; or (as others) honey fruits, as Dates, &c. which grow on Palme trees (as oil on Olivetrees) in rocky places. Hereby, the Lord assured his people of abundant plenty; For whereas rocks and stones are usually barren, he would make those places fruitful to Israel. They should have oil out of the rock in Canaan, as well as water out of a rock in the wilderness. We are surely in league with those rocks and stones of the fields, which send us such Presents as these, bread and water, honey and oil.
Thirdly, Take these Stones, as artificially laid together, and so, Thou shalt be in league with them, is thus to be understood, Those walls and mounds of stone, shall be as the keepers and watchmen of the field; they shall preserve thy corn and thy cattle from annoyance. To this sense some join the former words with these, Thou shalt not be afraid of the beasts of the earth, for the stones of the field, which lie in the walls and fences, shall be-friend thee, and keep them out. When God would show his intendment to destroy and lay waste his vineyard; he expresses it by pulling down the wall, as before he had expressed his care to protect it, by building of a wall, Isa. 5. 2. I fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof; which we may understand thus, I gatherd out the stones (and as it is usual) made a fence of them; and had the vineyard brought forth fruit, it had also been in league with these stones, that is, the stones of the wall had kept out the wild-beasts, or any annoyance from them; but being fruitless, the league with those stones was broken: I (saith the Lord, ver. 5.) will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. So that, in this sense, to be at league with the stones of the field, is as much as to say, the stone-wall or the stone-fence which is made about thy field, shall stand to protect and maintain thy land, thy fruits and cattle, from the incursions of wild beasts, from spoiling and treading down by any.
Fourthly, take these Stones for land-marks or for way-marks, for boundary-stones, or for directory-stones; and then the sense may be thus conceived, Thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field; that is, no man shall come within thy bounds, none shall remove thy land-marks, or invade thy estate, those Stones shall firmly distinguish thine inheritance, thou shalt have no controversy arising, which is thine, or what is thy possession. As if an agreement had formally been made with these stones, to keep off all intruders upon their Masters inheritance, and accordingly the stones in pursuance of that agreement (like so many hired servants) should faithfully witness for their Master, and chide away all who would do him wrong. (1 Sam. 7. 12.) Samuel set up a stone as a boundary of the conquest and victories, which the Lord had given the children of Israel against the Philistines, He set up a stone, and called it Eben-Ezer, or the stone of help. Adding the reason, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us; As if he had said, here is a Stone of remembrance, how God hath helped us, and that stone seemed to speak thus much to Israel, Keep and hold what ye have gotten, let not the Philistines set a foot (unrevengd) over or beyond this stone. So then, in this sense, to be in league with the stones of the field, is a promise of keeping our inheritances free from invasion and confusion, that we shall know what is ours, and that no enemy shall take it from us.
It was a great sin to remove the land-marks and boundaries, and a great punishment was threatened against any, who should alter or remove them, Prov. 23. 11. Deut. 19. 14. Deut. 27. 17. And when the Prophet Hosea would show, how extremely wicked the Princes of Judah were, he saith (Chap. 5. 10.) The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bounds; as if he had said, we account those the worst of men, who remove land-marks; how vile then are these Princes, who are as bad as they. Just as the wickedness of the people is aggravated, Chap. 4. 4. This people are as they that strive with the Priefl. To strive with the Priest, is to strive with God, that's a sad strife. Strivers with the Prist are the worst of people, how vile then are this people, who are as bad as they. But to the present point, if it be so great a sin to remove the land-stones, it must needs be a great mercy to have those stones preserved. So then, to be in league with the stones of the field, may have this good sense also, the boundary-stones shall be preserved, none shall remove them, and they shall preserve thy estate, that none shall invade or wast it.
Hence Observe,
God can do us good by anything, if he pleaseth, and nothing can do us good without God.
Though we have carefully set up bounds, though we have made strong fences, yet these will not keep out evil or annoyance, unless there be a league, a league of God's making for us; And God can produce our comforts out of improbables, yea impossibles to nature: He can fetch us bread and a blessing from stones. It was a temptation upon Christ, when he was hungry to make bread of stones. If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Mat. 4. 2. But it is our comfort, that God can turn stones into bread, that he can make those things which are most improbable to do us good, very good unto us. It is a sin for us to turn stones into bread, or to expect stones to be turned into bread, that is, to put God upon miracles from us, when means or endeavors may help us; but God out of the superaboundance of his power and goodness, always can, and sometimes will work miracles, turning stones into bread for us. Then, we turn stones into bread, when we live upon sin, whosoever eateth a bit of bread, out of bread out of the hand of sin, turneth stones into bread. Then, God turns stones into bread for us, when out of his infinite power and goodness, he gives us supplies by unusall means, and comforts us by that, from which, we can expect no more comfort, then we do bread and water out of stones.
Further, when stones seem to be most angry with a godly man, then he is in league with them. Stones (in a proper sense) flew about the ears of Steven, and killed him, yet Steven was in league with the stones, even while they took away his life: God turned these stones into bread for him: and every stone, was as a glorious Diamond in his Crown of Martyrdom.
There are two Interpretations of this league with stones (which some make great store and treasure of) different from all these; The former is grounded upon a custom in Arabia, where, or near which it is supposed Jobs friends dwelt It was (saith the learned Author) a very capital offense in that country, if any man did cast or carry heaps of stones into his neighbors ground; For that action had this signification or meaning in it, The man, who afterwards ventured to plow or till that ground, should surely die by the hands of those, who cast in those stones. So that, the sight of such stones was terrible and ominous to the owner of the Land, as speaking death and ruin to him, if he meddled with it. Hence 'twas often left unus'd and until'd. Against this barbarous custom (it being an occasion of murders and blood shed) a very severe Law was made; That whosoever should be discovered to have cast such Stones into his neighbors ground, should have judgment of death by the Magistrate. In allusion to this Law or custom, the interpretation of this promise (Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field) is made out thus. The ordinary Stones of the field shall be so far from hurting, that, even those Stones, which speak anger and malice shall not hurt thee. God will reconcile or subdue the rage of thine enemies, and though they have cast these Stones of defiance into thy Land, yet they shall desire a league of peace with thee, or fall before thee.
The second is grounded upon a custom, in war; of which we read (2 Kin. 3. 25.) that, when the Moabites fled before Israel, The pursuing Israelites beat down their Cities, and on every good piece of Land, cast every man his Stone, and filled it. &c. Eliphaz might have an eye to this, as if he had said, Thy land shall not be buried under the heaps of stones, thrown there by a conquering hand; that is, thou shalt have a league of amity with, or victory over all that are round about thee.
That is, they shall (through the power of God) be made peaceable to thee. To be at peace with the Beasts, is the same in proportion, with being in league with Stones. It was man's privilege by creation to have power over the Beasts of the field, and it is the privilege of Redemption, To be at peace with them. This is the ordinary privilege of every Believer. But there is a more transcendent privilege of the Church, in the most flourishing estate of it here on the earth, represented under this notion, Isa. 11. 6, 7, 8, 9. The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, and the Calf, and the young Lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them, &c. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den; They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. This Peace with Beasts, is within a degree of glory with God, whether we understand it in the letter, of beasts in kind, or in the Allegory, of men symbolizing in rage and fierceness, in power and poisons, in stings and teeth with beasts and Serpents.
The Text before us, goes lower then this promise; And to be at peace with the Beasts of the field, is, only a gracious assurance that they shall not hurt us, or that they shall be useful to us. In the firmness of this promise of peace with the Beasts, the fearlesnesse of a godly man is founded, He shall not be afraid of the Beasts of the earth, for the Beasts of the earth shall be at peace with him. Hence observe,
The courage and fearlesnesse of a godly man, is grounded in divine reason, not on human presumption.
When we see a man stout in the midst of danger, fearles amongst wild beasts, we may wonder where the spring of this courage lies: This promise showeth you the spring-head, He is at peace with them; It is not conceit and fancy, or desperateness of spirit, that causeth him to deride and slight danger; but he hath a solid ground there is a peace and league ratified in heaven, for him even with the Stones and Beasts of the earth. As a godly man can give a reason of the hope that is in him; so he can give a reason of the courage that is in him; he knows why he is so stout and venturous.
Secondly, Observe from both, in that man is here said to be in league with the stones, and at peace with the Beasts; That
Every creature by sin is made dangerous and hurtful unto man.
For, in that there is a league and peace made with these, it notes, that they were in a state of hostility, ready to rise up against us and annoy us. As the creature by reason of man's sin is subject unto vanity; so man is subject unto fear, by reason of the creature. Sin hath made the creature vanity in it self, and sin hath made the creature vexation unto us. When the Beasts rebel against us, we should remember how we have rebelled against God, And, that until God renews a league, and makes peace for us with the creatures, there is not a creature upon the earth, but may quickly be destructive to us. If God speaks the word, and gives a call or a commission to a fly, against the strongest, the swiftest man; flight shall perish from the swift, and power from the strong, neither of them shall escape.
Thirdly, Thou shalt be in league with the Stones, and with the Beasts; he reckons up all those ways, by which evils may come in upon us. And assures a man, to whom God is reconciled, that these evils shall not come. Hence observe; That
When God is once a friend to us, he can quickly make all other things friendly to us also.
Every godly man (of such Eliphaz here speaks) is at peace and in league with God, therefore God makes all creatures at peace and league with him. Though usually, they who are in nearest league and covenant with God, are most warred with, and opposed by the world, yet this stands sure, that when God is our friend, he can make our enemies our friends, or their enmity shall be-friend us; Stones and savage beasts shall be helpful to us. When God is at peace with us, he makes all things at peace with us. Daniel was at peace with God, and he was at peace among the Lions. The Apostle (Rom. 8.) gives it in general, If God be with us, who can be against us? No creature hath power in it self to maintain war and enmity against those, on whose side God appears. If God loves us, All things work together for good to us. He that hath help from God, shall not want help from any creature; for all creatures are at the call and command of God; If he saith, go, they must go; if he saith, come, they must come; if he saith to a stone do such a man good, the Stone must do it; if he saith to a Raven, go carry Elijah his dinner, the Raven will hasten; if he saith to a wild Beast, save such a man, deliver such a man, spare such a man, he must go of God's errand. In our friendship and league with God, we have a virtual league of friendship with the most unfriendly creatures.
And if God please, he can make men, who have as little sense as Stones, and less reason than Beasts; to be helpful and useful, and peaceable to his people. There is a generation amongst us, a stony generation, a hard-hearted generation of men, you may as well move a stone, as move them with what you say; a beastly generation of men, when you deal with them, you deal with Beasts; yet the great God, (if he please) can make a league for us with these stones, he can make these Beasts of the earth, brutish and unreasonable men, To be at peace with us, Further observe,
It is from special providence, that the Stones, and the Beasts of the earth do not hurt nor destroy us, but specially that they help and do us good.
There is providence towards all, but a special providence to the people of God, that the creatures hurt them not. If God did not bridle the rage and restrain the power of Beasts, man could not comfortably subsist with them. The reason is given (Deut. 7. 22.) why God destroyed the Canaanites by little and little, before his people, namely, Least the Beasts of the earth should increase upon them. Here was a special providence, as all leagues, and peacemakings are. All the leagues and peace which believers have, are branches of that great league, of that grand Covenant, which God hath made with Christ on our behalf. And therefore (Hos. 2. 18.) this promise is made in special to the Church. And in that day I will make a Covenant for them, with the Beasts of the field. Fifthly, note,
A godly man enjoys common comforts from special favor.
Wicked men are seldom hurt by the beasts of the field but they are never at peace with them.
Lastly, observe,
Peace is a great mercy. By how much God makes more peace upon earth, by so much, man hath more of Heaven upon Earth. Man should desire peace with Beasts, much more with men, most of all with God▪
JOB Chap. 5. Vers. 24, 25, 26, 27.
And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine off spring as the grass of the earth.
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in, in his season.
Loe this, we have searched it, so it is, hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
AT the 19 th verse of this Chapter, we had a promise of deliverance from evil, in six troubles, and in seven, In the verses following, we had a specification of six or seven troubles, from which deliverance is promised. In these words, we have the result of all, A well grounded security, in assurance of a fourfold blessing. First, of a quiet and happy life. Secondly, of many prosperous children, v. 25. Thirdly, of a long life. Fourthly of a sweet and comfortable death, v. 26. everyone confirmed and ratified as a truth in it self; a •• by way of application brought home to Job, in the 27 th or last verse of the Chapter.
Thou shalt know it.] Knowledge is sometime put for present sense; He that keeps the commandment, shall feel (Heb. shall know) no evil: and so, Job is promised to know, his Tabernacle shall be in peace, that is, he shall see and feel it to be in peace. And
Secondly, Knowledge is put for experience; As we say of a rich man, he never knew poverty; And in that sense, Christ is said not to have known sin, 2 Cor. 5. 21. Thus, also, the godly man knows his Tabernacle shall have peace, even by the peace which he hath had; From the former dealings of God, he gathers conclusions, what God will do with him, for the time to come; Thou shalt not find me a false Prophet, or that I have fed thee with wind: Thou shalt know from experience, that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.
And there is a third way by which this might be known, sc. by debate and reasoning: Thou shalt know it; If thou doest but consider, what the estate of a godly man is, and what God hath spoken about that estate, thou mayest make out such a conclusion, that certainly thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.
There is a fourth way of knowing, and that is, upon the testimony or word of another, this is properly called Faith: Thou shalt know it, that is, by looking into the word of God, or considering the promises made to godly men, thou shalt assent to and believe this thing, that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.
Fifthly, To know, is as much as to be assured, or certain of a thing; And to know so, is opposed not only to ignorance and opinion, but it is opposed to the lower degrees of faith; I know that my Redeemer lives, &c, (saith Job Chap. 19. 25.) that is, I am sure he lives. And the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus. Knowledge is often put for assurance, and it may rise to that pitch here, Thou shalt be assured that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.
Thy Tabernacle.] Tabernacles were of two sorts. There were Tabernacles for civil uses, and the Tabernacle for church uses. They dwelt in Tabernacles, and God was worshipped in a Tabernacle, And therefore (Ezek. 23. 4.) Israel and Judah, are called Aholah and Aholibah. Israel, the ten Tribes, is called Aholah, that is, a Tent, or a Tabernacle, noting, that they had been the Tent and the Tabernacle of God, wherein he was worshipped; But Judah is called Aholibah, that is, my Tent is in the midst of her, because God at that time continued the outward Ordinances of his worship to Judah, though the ten Tribes had been long in captivity. That only by the way. Here by Tabernacles we are to understand civil Tabernacles, for in those Eastern Countries their ordinary habitations and dwellings were in moveable Tents or Tabernacles, because of their frequent removes. And hence afterward amongst the Latins, the word for a Tent or Tabernacle, signified a house, or any place wherein men dwell and frequent. Further, by a Trope, a Tabernacle signifies all a man's estate, or all his goods; so that, when it is said, thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, the meaning is, thy whole estate and family, what ever thou hast, shall be in peace.
Shall be in peace.] That is, it shall be peaceable or in safety; Peace may be considered two ways; either strictly or largely: Strictly, and so peace is opposed to war; either first, foreign, or secondly, civil, or thirdly, domestical war (as we may call it) namely strife and contention in families. Thus, Thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, may take in all these; thou shalt neither be invaded by foreigners, neither shalt thou have any insurrection and sedition in thy own borders; neither shalt thou have unkind contentions, in thy particular family, or within thy private walls.
Secondly, Take the word more largely (as it is very frequently in Scripture) and then peace signifies all manner of blessings and good things, the confluence and gathering together as it were, of all comforts: And peace in this large sense, is opposed to any kind of trouble or adversity; and to say such an one hath peace, is as much as to say, he prospers. Peace and prosperity are terms of the same signification: And then the meaning is this, Thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in Peace, that is, that thy whole estate shall prosper, and that thou shalt have good success. Note hence First,
Peace is a choice and a special blessing.
Outward peace is the choicest of outward blessings, and inward peace is the choicest of spiritual blessings. Peace gives sweetness and beauty to all our blessings: without peace, riches are but guilded thorns; honor is but higher misery; health but stronger affliction.
So without inward peace, grace gives no present comfort; And therefore in the wishes of perfect spiritual mercy, to the Saints, we find these two in conjunction, Grace and Peace. The highest promises made to the church, are promises of settled peace in the Church, Isa. 32. 18. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places: There's the top of their outward felicity. Again, in the the thirty third of that prophecy, ver. 20. Look upon Zion the City of our solemnities (that is, where the worship of God was solemniz'd) thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation; a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken; Pure Ordinances, and a peaceable habitation, are Jerusalem's perfection on earth; yea some look upon it as a perfection too perfect for earth, and therefore interpret the prophecy of the heavenly Jerusalem,
Secondly, He saith not only, thou shalt have peace in thy Tabernacle, but thou shalt know it. Hence observe,
To be assured of a mercy, is better than the enjoyment of a mercy.
Doubts of loosing a mercy, eat out the heart of a mercy; and a man in that case, is as much troubled with the fear of wanting, as he can be comforted with the sense of enjoying.
There are three steps of blessedness. To be delivered from evil, is but a part of blessedness, negative blessedness: To receive good, is the better part of blessedness, positive blessedness. But to be assured that we shall hold and retain all this, is the perfection of blessedness. The first part of that great blessing we receive by Christ, consists in our deliverance from evil, or in a freedom from perishing. The second consists in the conveyance of good to us, as pardon of sin, grace and glory. But the third (which is the height of all) consists in our everlasting assurance to enjoy all this: Adam had a good estate, but he was not assured of it: The blessings we have by Christ, are built upon a foundation, which can never be shaken. In this method, temporal mercies are promised in this Scripture: First, deliverance from sword and famine. Secondly, peace with the creatures. Thirdly, an assurance that this peace shall be continued. Lastly observe,
All outward blessings are in themselves fading and perishing.
Though a man be assured that he shall enjoy outward blessings, yet he can enjoy them but in the nature and condition of outward blessings. Though he be sure to use and enjoy them, yet he looks upon them as perishing in the using. All outward things are here (as frequently in other Scriptures) implied under the notion of a Tabernacle; a Tabernacle is a moveable habitation. It is a piece of a miracle if a Tabernacle stand long; that promise (Isa. 33. 20.) imports somewhat extraordinary: A Tabernacle that should not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof removed, nor any of the cords thereof be broken; It is as if the holy Ghost should say; Thou shalt be a Tabernacle privileged above all Tabernacles: They are moveable, unfixed, easy to be taken down; but it shall not be so with thee. The Apostles conclusion takes in all creature comforts, The fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7 31. The scheme, the beauty of the best earthly things pass, while we enjoy them, and molder away between our hands while we are using them.
This clause of the verse completes mercy yet higher; It is better not to sin in our habitation, then to be assured of a habitation. To have quietness in our habitation is very good, but to have holiness in it, is best of all. Thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
The word which we translate habitation, signifies not only a house, but a wife, or a housewife; Hence some render, Thou shalt visit thy beauty, or thy fair and beautiful wife, and shalt not sin; The reason is, either because a good wife is the beauty and ornament of the house: or because the knowledge, wisdom and diligence of the wife, is a means to furnish and adorn the house; or lastly, the business of a wife is so much in the house, that she shares names with the house: she is, or ought to be like a shaile, living with her house upon her back. The Apostles rule also being, I will that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, 1 Tim. 5, 14. And exhort them to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, Tit. 2. 5. Hence also probably, the same word in Hebrew, signifies a beautiful wife, and a beautiful house. We read it in that sense (Psal. 68. 12.) Kings of armies did fly apace, and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. She that tarried at home, or the beauty of the house (sc. the wife) divided the spoil. The meaning is, such victory shall be obtained over the enemies of the Church, that the wives and weak women, shall be filled with those spoils, which their triumphant husbands shall bring home to them.
But here, we may rather take the word in the ordinary sense, only with this emphasis, signifying (not bare walls, or a numerous family) but a beautiful, a well furnished, a well ordered house. And so we have the word, at the third verse of this Chapter, where Eliphaz saith, I saw the wicked taking root, and presently I cursed his habitation, or his goodly, beautiful, flourishing house: So here, thou shalt visit thy habitation, that is, thy house in all the beauty, order, riches and furniture of it.
Thou shalt visit. The word signifies more, then to see and look upon buildings and furniture: To visit, notes in Scripture these three or four things.
1. To overlook or take care of the house; To visit the house, is to provide for the house. Psal. 8. 4. Lord what is man that thou visitest him! that is, that thou takest so much ear of him, and hast such waking thoughts about him.
2. To visit the house, notes an inquiry of what is done in the house, how things go in the family.
3. It imports a calling of all to an account and reckoning, about what is done in their discharge of family duties.
4. To visit, is to order and direct, to command and give precepts for what shall be done. Hence frequently in the Old Testament, the Commandments of God are expressed by this word, his precepts. So then, thou shalt visit thy house, or thy habitation, may take in all these; thou shalt as a Master, view, and over-see, direct and call to account thy house and family. In this sense, the word is commonly used amongst us; That act of the Bishops calling their Dioceses to an account, and over-looking them, was called their Visitation. And over Colleges, Hospitals and such public foundations, Visitors are appointed, to see and take an account, how the rules and statutes of those places are observed. Thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
But how is it said he shall do this, and not sin? Doth not sin mingle with all we do?
The word here used, signifies, 1. Tropically, to err, fail or miscarry in the general. 2. Properly, to miss a special mark or way, to shoot awry, or wander instead of walking; as (Judge. 20. 16.) it is said of those seven thousand Benjamites, that they could shoot at an hairs breadth, and not sin, so the word is, or not miscarry, not miss the mark. And because every transgression, is a wandering out of the way of God's commandments, or a shooting beside the mark of his word; therefore that word in Scripture, is commonly used for sinning.
Here the word admits of a twofold interpretation.
First, For the fruit or effect of sin, thus, thou shalt order and over look thy family, with such wisdom and discretion, that thou shalt not err or do things beside the rule of prudence, and so bring miscarriages and troubles upon thy affairs by sin. Mr Broughton translates to this sense, Thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not misprosper. And so Eliphaz may hint at Jobs former losses, at the overthrow of his estate and family; as if he had said, heretofore thou didst visit thy habitation, and didst not prosper, but if thou shalt now humble thyself, thou shalt visit thy habitation, and all shall prosper, things shall go well with thee, thou shalt not labor in vain, or loose thy end in the care thou takest about thy family.
Secondly, the sense may be this, thou shalt order and visit thy family, with so much justice, equity & holiness, that thou shalt not sin. Not that Eliphaz undertakes his absolute freedom from sin, but he should not sin as (he supposed he had) before, thou shalt not run into such errors, or split thyself upon such rocks as have wracked thy former greatness And thus he secretly reproves Jobs former carriage in his family, as irregular and sinful.
There is a further exposition joining both these together, Thou shalt visit thy house, and shalt not sin, namely, by conniving or winking at the sins and disorders of thy family, and yet thou shalt have peace: thy strict and faithful carriage in over-seeing thy family, shall not provoke either servants, or children to contention and complainings, to anger and passion; Thy holy severity shall not fill thy house with quarrels and troubles; but God shall so over awe the spirits of those under thee, that they shall willingly and cheerfully submit to thy purer discipline. Observe hence, First,
It is a great and a special point of godly wisdom, well to order and visit a family.
Families are the principles or seeds of a Common-wealth. As every man is a little world, so every house is a little Kingdom. A family is a Common-wealth in a little volume. And the rules of it, are an epitomy of all Laws, by which whole Nations are governed. The Apostle makes it a special character of his Bishop, That he must be one who rules his own house well; and subjoins the reason, For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? 1 Tim. 3. 4, 5. And therein wraps up this truth, that he who knows how to rule his own house well, is in a good posture of spirit for public rule. The same wisdom, and justice, and holiness for kind, only more enlarged and extensiue, acts in either sphere, and will regularly move both. Secondly,
A family well visited and ordered, is usually a prosperous family.
Sin spoils the comforts and cankers the blessings of a family.
Sin brought into a house, rots the timber, and pulls down the house; or it undermines the foundation, and blows up the house. The sin of families, is the ruin and consumption of families. Hence thirdly observe,
To be kept from sin, is a better and a greater blessing, than all outward blessings.
When Eliphaz had reckoned up all the comforts, which repenting Job is promised; Thou shalt be delivered in six troubles and in seven: Sword and famine shall not hurt thee, peace and plenty shall dwell within thy walls, and lodge in every chamber: Yet (saith he) I will tell thee of a blessing, beyond all these, thou shalt not sin: It is more mercy to be delivered from one sin, then from sword and famine; grace is better then peace, and holiness then abundance; riches, and honor, and health, are all obscured in this one blessing, A holy, a gracious, an humble heart.
There is more evil in one sin, than in any or all troubles; therefore, there must needs be a greater blessing in being kept from sin, than in protection from any or all troubles. Sin is the greatest evil, therefore to be kept from sin, is one of the greatest goods. Christ took upon him all sorts of outward evils, he became poor for our sakes, he had not so much as an house to lie in: he came in the form of a servant for our sakes, and he was a man of sorrows, He was acquainted with grief all his life, at last with death and a grave; Yet, he would not admit of the least sin: he was content to bears all our sins, but he abhorred the thought of acting one. Not to sin, is the next privilege to God, and the utmost privilege of man. When in a full sense, man shall not sin, man will be arrived at fullness of joy; and as we daily empty of sin, so we proportionably, fill with joy.
From the present bessings upon the family, he descends to those which concern posterity; as if he had said, thy comforts shall not be confined to thyself, neither shall they be shut up within the limits of one generation; Mercies shall be transmitted to thy children, thy heirs shall inherit blessings.
Thy seed shall be great. The word Great, signifies both multitude and magnitude: Thou shalt have a great seed, that is, a numerous seed a multitude of children; and thou shalt have a great seed, that is, honorable and wealthy children; Job himself was called, Chap. 1. 3. (though by another word, yet in the same sense) the greatest man in the East; This greatness is promised his children, and thy shall receive additional further blessings: For the word [Rab] signifies greatness, in a continual motion to more eminent greatness: And therefore it is sometime translated by increasing; So (Isa. 9. 6.) where the Prophet sets out the flourishing glory of the kingdom of Christ; Of the increase of his Kingdom and peace, there shall be no end; or, of the greatness and greatening of his kingdom, there shall be no end. So that, to say thy seed shall be great, notes, not only some standing greatness, but growing greatness: they shall ever be upon an increase, till they come to their full in glory.
Both clauses of the verse mean the same thing. The word which we translate offspring, signifies properly that which goeth forth or issues, because children spring or go forth from their parents, and are therefore called their issue. And the word is used for the bud of the Olive or of the Vine; hence the Psalmist puts them both into a similitude. Thy children shall be like olive plants round about thy table, They are as the olive bud in their birth, and as the olive branch in their growth.
To be as the grass of the earth, is a proverbial speech; and it arises to the sense of those proverbials spoken to Abraham concerning his seed, thy seed shall be as the Stars of Heaven: And thy seed shall be as the sand upon the sea-shore. The grass of the field is as innumerable, as the Stars, or the sands; Thy off spring shall be as the grass of the sield. Thou shalt not only have a numerous, but thou shalt have (as it were) an innumerable off spring.
Man kind in general is compared unto grass, Isa. 40. 6. All flesh is grass; Grass in regard of its sudden withering, he is suddenly cut down, the goodliness of man is as the flower of the field. Wicked men are compared to grass, not only because they wither, but because they wither suddenly, or are cut down by some hand of justice. The offspring of a godly man, are compared to grass, but in another reference. To grass, first, because of their multitude, and secondly, because of their beauty, they shall flourish and be green as the grass, which is very pleasant to the beholders eye.
And in this also Eliphaz aims at the death of Job's children; Thou hast lost thy children, they perished miserably, but if thou return, that blessing shall return, thy seed shall be great, and thy off spring shall be as the grass of the earth.
The blessing of children hath been shown in the first Chapter, therefore I shall but name a point or two now. First, That
The posterity of godly parents. stand nearer then others, under the influence of heavenly blessings.
As grace doth not run in a blood, so neither do blessings infallibly run in a blood, yet the children of those who are blessed, are nearest a blessing: And their possibilities for mercy are fairest. Many promises are made to them, they are heirs apparent of the promises in their parents right; others to appearance, are strangers from the promises. Though, we know free grace chooseth often out of the natural line; The mercies of God are his own, and it is his prerogative, to have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Secondly, When he sums up the blessings of a godly man, the blessings of his children are cast into the account. Whence note,
That the blessings of the children, are the blessings of the parent.
As the parent is afflicted in the afflictions of his children, so he is blessed in their blessings. Relations share mutually both in comforts and crosses. Children are their parents multiplied, and every good of the child, is an addition to the parents good. A flourishing and a numerous posterity is a great outward blessing. Some have the choicest of spiritual blessings, who want this (Isa. 56. 3.) God comforts those that have no children, Do not say that thou art made a dry tree; for I will give thee in mine house, a place and a name better than of sons and daughters; As if he had said, the name of sons and of daughters, is a very great comfort, but it is not the greatest comfort, the best biessing: thou shalt have a name and a place, better than of sons and daughters.
From personal present blessings of this life, and the blessings of posterity, Eliphaz descends to show the blessing of a godly man in death. A happy death is the close of temporal happiness, and the beginning of eternal. A happy death stands between grace and glory, like the Baptist between the law and the Gospel, and is the connection or knitting of both. And as it was said of John, That among them who are borne of women, there arose not a greater then he, nevertheless, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater then John: So we may say, that among all the blessings of this life, there is none greater then a blessed death, nevertheless that which is least in eternal life, is a greater blessing, then a blessed death. It was an observation among the Heathen, That no man is to be accounted blessed, until he die. But when life is shut up with a blessing, then man is fully blessed; As in reasoning, so in living, the conclusion lies in the premises. A happy death is the result of a holy life.
Thou shalt come to thy grave.] That phrase notes two things.
First, A willingness and a cheerfulness to die. Thou shelt come, thou shalt not be dragged or hurried to thy grave, as it is said of the foolish rich man, Luk. 12. This night shall thy soul be taken from thee. But thou shalt come to thy grave, thou shalt die quietly and smilingly, as it were, thou shalt go to thy grave, as it were upon thine own feet, and rather walk, then be carried to thy Sepulcher.
Secondly, it notes the honor and solemnity of burying. Thou shalt come to thy grave with honor; as it is said of Ahijah the son of Jeroboam, 1 King. 14. 12, 13. When Messengers were sent to the Prophet to inquire whether he should recover, the Prophet tells them, The child shall die, and all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: For, he only of Jeroboam shall Come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. He only shall come to thy grave, the rest shall be thrust into the grave, or lie unburied, but he shall come, that is, he shall be buried with honor; others shall have reproach cast upon them, when the earth is cast upon them. Thou shalt come to thy grave.
In a full age] So we translate. The word is expounded two ways.
In a full age, that is, in an age, when thou shalt be full: full of estate, full of wealth and honor, thou shalt have abundance when thou diest. And so it points at Jobs present poverty: though thou hast nothing now, scarce a rag to thy back, or a sheet to wind thee in, if thou shouldst die, yet seek unto God, and thou shalt die in a full age, in a golden Age, thy wants shall be supplied, and thy losses repaired to the full.
But rather a full Age, notes here a sulnesse of days, though the other (fullness of estate) be not excluded. The Prophet puts the same difference, between aged men, and men full of days, as is between children, and young men (Jer. 6. 11.) I am full of the fury of the Lord, I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together, The aged, with him that is full of days. That is, all ages shall feel the fury of the Lord. A full age, is an age full of days or complete to the utmost time of life. Some of the Jewish Writers observe that the numeral letters of this word (Chelad) make up threescore, which they conceive is the age here meant; but threescore is not a full old-oge, it is rather the beginning of old-age. Therefore fullness of age, is by others interpreted, to be strength of age; thou shalt die in an old age, yet thou shalt have strength and comfort in thy old-age; thine old-age shall not be a troublesome age, thou shalt not be weak and crazy, distempered and sick, a burden to thyself, or friends; thou shalt die (as some translate) in a good old-age, or as Mr. Broughton, thou shalt die in lusty old-age; Time shall not wither thee, nor drink up thy blood and spirits, Thou shalt have a spring in the Autumn, and a Summer in the winter of thy life. As it was with Moses, Deut. 34. 7. who died, when he was an hundred and twenty years old, yet saith the text, His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated; This is to die in a full old-age, full of days, yet full of strength and health. It is a great blessing, when a man is (in this sense) youthful in old-age: when others see with four eyes, and go with three legs, he uses neither staff nor spectacles, but renews his strength like the Eagle.
Or, we may take the sense more generally, for any one that liveth long, and liveth comfortably; as it was said of Abraham, Gen. 25. 8. That he died in a good old-age, an old man, and full of years. He died in a good old-age; The young-man is counseled, To remember his Creator in the days of his youth; before the evil days come, Eccles. 12. 1. What are those? Those evil days are the days of old-age: The words following being an Allegorical, elegant description of old age. Old-age in it self is the evil day: The lives of many old-men are a continual death. They live as it were upon the rack of extreme pains or strong infirmities; therefore it is a special blessing for man to be old, and yet to have a good old-age, that is, a florid comfortable old-age; To have many years and few infirmities is a rare thing. In some old-age flourishes, and in others old-age perishes, Job gives us this difference in the use of this word, Chap. 30. 2. Yea whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom (Chelad) old-age was perished, As if he had said, some old-men are active and strong, but these, who were faded and flatted in all their abilities, in what stead could they stand me? They were a trouble to themselves, and therefore could be no comfort unto others.
This full old-age is explained further, by way of similitude, He shall die in a full age, lie as a shock of corn cometh in, in his season. When a young man die, he is as green corn. The Psalmist imprecates that some may be like the grass or corn on the house-top, that withereth before it is cut down, whereof the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth up the sheaves, his bosom. The life of a man sometimes is like corn growing upon the house top, that withereth: Or (as it is in the parable of the sower, Mat. 13.) like the corn that fell on the high-way side, or among stones and thorns, which came not in, in it's season, it never staid the ripening or reaping, but was eaten up or dried or choked before the harvest. Now here, man is compared unto corn, sowed in good ground, well rooted and continuing out it's season, and is brought in ripe at harvest. Old-age is the harvest of nature.
Some divide man's life into seven parts, comparing it to the seven planets; Some into five, comparing it to the five acts of an interlude; but commonly the life of man is divided into four parts, and so it is compared to the four seasons of the year. And in that division, old-age is the winter-quarter, cold and cloudy, full of rheums and catarrhs of diseases and distellations. But here, old-age is the harvest; though, thou art a very old-man, thou shalt not die as in winter, but thou shalt die, as it were in harvest, when thou art full ripe and ready, as a shock of corn that is laid up in the barn; The general judgment of the world is compared to a harvest, and death (which is a particular day of judgment) is a harvest too.
Those words, He shall come to his grave as a shock of corn, are further considerable, the Hebrew is, He shall ascend as a shock of corre; and that referring to death, is sometimes translated by cutting off, or taking away, Psal. 102. 25. Cut me not off in the midst of my days; The letter is, Let me not ascend in the midst of my days: Whether it have any allusion to that hope or faith of the Saints in their death, that, they do but ascend, when they die; or to their disappearing to the eye of sense, when they die, because things which ascend, vanish out of sight, and are not seen; In either sense, when the Saints are cut down by death, they ascend And they are elegantly said, To ascend as a shock of corn, because that is taken from the earth, and reored or stackt up; and so by a Metaphor it signisies a Tomb or a monument errected or high-built over a dead corpse, much after the manner of a shock of corn; So the word is used, He shall remain in the tomb or Heape. Job 22. 32.
So then, the sum of this verse, is a promise of comfort and honor in death: He shall die in a full age, when he is ready and ripe for death. Yet this is not to be taken strictly, that, every godly man dies in such a full old age, in an age full of days or full of comforts. Many of God's best servants have had evil days in their old age; their old age hath had many days of trouble and sickness, of pain and perplexity. But thus it is with many in old age, and this is especially to be looked upon as an Old Testament promise, when the Lord dealt more with his people, invisible external mercies. Yet, in one sense it is an universal truth, and ever fulfilled to his people, for whensoever they die, they die in a good age, yea though they die in the spring and flower of youth, they die in a good old age; that is, they are ripe for death, when ever they die; when ever a godly man dies, it is harvest time with him; though in a natural capacity he be cut down, while he is green, and cropped in the bud or blossom, yet in his spiritual capacity, he never dies before he is ripe. God ripens his speedily, when he intends to take them out of the world speedily. He can let out such warm rays and beams of his Spirit upon them; as shall soon maturate the seeds of grace, into a preparedness for glory: whereas a wicked man living an hundred yeaers, hath no full old-age, much less a good old-age, he is ripe indeed for destruction, but he is never ripe for death; he is as unreadie and unripe for death, when he is an hundred years old, as when he was but a day old. He hath not begun to live, when he dies; or he is at the end of his natural race, before he hath set one step in his spiritual. Gray hairs are the shame, and should be the sorrow of old-age, when they are not found in the way of righteousness. From the former branch of this verse, observe; First,
To have a comely burial, to come to the grave with honor, is a great blessing.
It was threatened upon Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, as a curse, That he should have the burial of an Ass, and be dragged and cast out beyond the gates of the City, Jer. 22. 19. That man surely had lived like a beast, whom God threatn'd by name, that when he died, he should be used as a beast: though we know the bodies of many of the servants of God, have been scattered, and may be scattered upon the face of the earth, like dung; The dead bodies (as the complaint is, Psal. 79. 2.) of thy servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth. Yet to them (even then) there is this blessing reserved, beyond the blessing of a burial, they are ever laid up in the heart of God, he takes care of them, he embalmes them for immortality, when the remains of their mortality, are trodden underfoot, or rot upon a dunghill.
Secondly, observe, A godly man, is a volunteer in his death; He cometh to the grave: A wicked man, never dies willingly, Though he sometime die by his own hand, yet he never dies with his own will. Miserable man is sometimes so over-pressed with terrors, and horrors of conscience, so worn out with the trouble of living, that he hastens his own death. Yet he, Comes not to his grave willingly, but is dragged by necessity. He thrusts his life out of doors with a violent hand, but it never goes out with a cheerful mind. He is often unwilling to live, but he is never willing to die. Death is welcome to him, because life is a burden to him. Only they come to the grave, who, by faith have seen Christ lying in the grave, and perfuming that house of corruption, with his own most precious body, which saw no corruption. Observe thirdly.
To live long and to die in a full age is a great blessing. Old Eli had this curse pronounced upon his family, 1 Sam. 2. 31. There shall not be an old man in thy house.
Gray hairs are a crown of honor, when they are found in the way of righteousness. It is indeed infinitely better, to be full of grace, than to be full of days; but to be full of days, and full of grace too, what a venerable spectacle is that? To be full of years, and full of faith, full of good works, full of the fruits of righteousness, which are by Christ, How comely and beautiful beyond all the beauty and comeliness of youth, is that? Such are truly said to have filled their days. Those days are filled indeed, which are full of goodness. When a wicked man dies, he ever dies empty and hungry; he dies empty of goodness, and he dies hungry after days. That place before mentioned of Abraham (Gen. 25. 8.) is most worthy our second thoughts, He dies in a good old-age, an old man, and full, so the Hebrew, we read, full of years; As a man, that hath eaten and drunk plentifully, is full; and desires no more. So, he died an old-man and full, that is, he had lived as much as he desired to live, he had his fill of living, when he died. And therefore also, it may be called a full age, because a godly man hath his fill of living, but a wicked man (let him live never so long) is never full of days, never full of living; he is as hungry and as thirsty (as a man may speak) after more time and days, when he is old, as he was when he was a child, fain he would live hill; He must needs think it is good being here, who knows of no better being, or hath no hopes of a better, It is a certain truth, He that hath not a taste of eternity, can never be satisfied with time. He that hath not some hold of everlasting life, is never pleased to let go this life; therefore he is never full of this life. It is a most sad thing, to see an old man, who hath no strength of body to live, yet have a strong mind to live. Abraham was old and full, he desired not a day, or an hour longer His soul had never an empty corner for time, when he died. He had enough of all, but (of which he could never have enough and yet had enough, and all, as soon as he had any of it) eternity. In that great restitution promised, Isa. 65. 20. this is one privilege, There shall be no more there, an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filed his days. There is much controversy about the meaning of those words; The digression would be too long to insist upon them. Only to the present point thus much, that there is such a thing, as an Infant of days, and an old man that hath not filled his days.
An infant of days, may be taken for an old child, that is, an old man childish, or a man of many years, but few abilities. A man whose hoary head ann wrinkled face speak fourscoure, yet his foolish actions and simple carriage speak under fourteen. An old man that hath not filled his days, is conceived to be the same man, in a different character. An old man fills not his days. First When he fulfils not the duty, nor reaches the end for which he lived to old-age; That man who hath lived long, and done little, hath left empty days, upon the record of his life. And when you have writ down the days, the months, and years of his life, his story's done, the rest of the book is but a continued Blanke, nothing to be remembered that he hath done, or nothing worth the remembrance.
Now as an old man fills not his days, when he satisfies not the expectation of others: so in the second place his days are not filled, when his own expectations are not satisfied, that is, when he having lived to be old, hath yet young fresh desires to live, when he finds his mind empty, though his body be so full of days, that it can hold no longer, nor no more. He that is in this sense, an infant of days, and an old man not having filled his days, though he be an hundred years old when he dies, yet he dies (as the Prophet concludes in that place) accursed; he comes not to his grave under the blessing of this promise in the text, in a full age. Lastly observe.
Every thing is beautiful in its season.
He shall come to his grave like a shock of corn that is brought in in his season. Even pale death hath beauty in it, when it comes in season. Eccles. 7. 17. Be not wicked over much, why shouldst thou die before thy time? No man can die before God's time, but a man may die before his time, that is, before he is prepared by grace, and before he is ripened in the course of nature. Those two ways a man dies before his time; First, when he dies without any strength of grace; Secondly, when he dies in the strength of nature. In this sense the Prophet describes the hand of God upon him, Psal. 102. 23. He weakened my strength in the way; •• shortened my days: and therefore prays in the 24th verse, I said, O my God take me not away in the midst of my days: That is, in the strength or best of my times according to the line and measure of nature A godly man prays that he may not die out of season; but a wicked man never dies in season: That threatening is ever fulfilled upon him, in one sense, if not in both (Psal. 55. 23) The bloodthirsty and deceitful man shall not live out half his days. A wicked man never lives out half his days; for, either he is cut off before he hath lived half the course of nature, or he is cut off before he hath lived a quarter of the course of his desires; either he lives not half so long as he might, or not a tenth, not a hundredth part so long as he would; and therefore let him die when he will, his death is full of terror, trouble and confusion, because he dies out of season. He never kept time or season with God, and surely God will not keep or regard his time or season.
As Eliphaz began his dispute with an elegant preface, so he ends it with a rhetorical conclusion; as if he had said▪ Job, I have spoken many things unto thee, hear now the sum and upshot of all; Loe this, we have searched it, so it is, hear it, and know it for thy good.
Two things he concludes with, First with an assertion of the truth of what he had spoken, So it is. Secondly, with a motion for his assent to what was spoken, Hear it.
Or the words may fall under a three-fold consideration.
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As the
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1. Conclusion
- of his speech.
- 2. Confirmation
- 3. Application
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1. Conclusion
And this application is strengthened by a three-fold Motive.
By a motive, first from experience, Loe this, we have searched it, we have found the thing to be true.
Secondly, By a motive from the truth of the thing in it self,