Exposition of Job 4-7

THis sixth Chapter begins Jobs replication, which is continued to the end of the seventh. He replies exactly to the several parts of the charge, given by Eliphaz, who in the two fore-going Chapters, undertook both to reprove the impatience of Job, and to advise him a more holy and better tempered carriage, towards God, under his afflictions. In this reply, Job shapes and forms up answers unto both. I shall endeavor to give you a brief of the whole, and then to particulars.

First, Job enters with a refutation of those reproofs of impatience, which Eliphaz had heapit upon him; and with that subjoins a refusal of the counsels (in his sense) which he had given him. In this work, seven verses of the Chapter are spent.

Secondly, We have a renovation or a re-enforcement of his grief and desire to die, from the 8 to the end of the 13 verse, O that I might have my request, that God would cut me off, &c. As if he had said, I am so far, from being satisfied, with what thou hast spoken against me, or from recanting and recalling, what I have spoken, in those my breathings after death, that I will be bold to make the same suit to God again, O that I might have my request, and that God would cut me off! &c.

Thirdly, He proceeds to a charge of rash censure, of uncharitable, yea of deceitful dealing upon his friends, from the 13 unto the 24 verse. To him that is afflicted (saith he) pity should be shown from his friend, my brethren have dealt deceitfully, as a brook, &c.

Fourthly, He yet submits himself to their judgment and direction, if they would speak reason to him at last, and come home to his case indeed; or, if they could fully and candidly discover to him any error, he was willing to be rectified; This he professes (and it is a most ingenious profession) in the 24. and 25. verses, Teach me (saith he) and I will hold my tongue, and cause me to understand wherein I have erred, &c. As if he had said, All that you have spoken hitherto, doth not reach my condition, ye have quite mistook my case; yet, you shall see, I do not stand out against you, because I will stand out, it is not my will that opposes what you have spoken, but my understanding; therefore, if you can show me better reason, I lay down the bucklers, and yield myself a prisoner to yourselves, and unto truth. I delight not to lengthen out contentions, nor am I resolved to have the last word, Teach me, and I will hold my tongue.

Fifthly, He adds an expostulation, mixed with an aggravation. An expostulation about, and an aggravation of their high jealousy, and low opinion of him, in the 26. and 27. verses, Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are •• wind? As if he had said, Do you think, that you have had to deal with a man, that only makes a noise, or speaks a great many words, which have more sound then sense: do ye think I am out of my wits, and instead of arguing with you, do only rave like a mad man at you? Ye have not had vain, windy words from me, but words full of weight and matter, words of truth and soberness, wherefore then do you speak thus? Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate? Do ye think I speak like one, who knows not what he speaks? Or that, I have at once lost my hope, and my understanding?

Sixthly, He gives them advice and admonition to take better heed, to what they should after say, if they intended to to say anymore, or to continue their counsel and discourse with him; in the three last verses of this sixth Chapter. Now therefore be content, look upon me, for it is evident to you, if I lie, return I pray you, &c.

In the 7 ^th , (which concludes his speech) he offers three things, especially to be observed.

First, A renewing of many arguments and considerations, by which he confirms the equity of his request, to have his life cut off; upon which sad subject he insists, from the beginning of the Chapter, to the end of the 17 ^th verse. Is there not an appointed time to man upon the earth? Are not his days like the days of an Hireling? &c.

Secondly, After all his high strains of contest with man, we have an abasement of himself, as unworthy that God should take notice of him, either by mercies or judgments, in the 18. and 19. verses. What is man, that thou shouldst magnify him, and that thou shouldest visit him every morning? &c. A godly man will stand (when he sees cause) upon his terms with men, but he ever falls low before, and hath not a word to reply against God. He is sometime angry, when men vilify him, but he ever admires, why God should magnify him. What is man, &c.

Thirdly, He concludes his speech with an humble acknowledgement of his own sinfulness, and with an earnest request for the pardon of his sin. Lord (saith he) I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O, thou preserver of men, verse. 20, &c. After all this heat and passion, after all these complainings, Jobs heart lay level before the Lord, yea he abases himself to exalt and give glory to God, with humble confession, and an earnest supplication for the pardon of his sin. Thus we have the general parts and substance of his answer to that charge of Eliphaz, in the two former Chapters.

In these words, and the three following verses, Job gives us the refutation or rejection of that reproof, given him by Eliphaz; And he refutes it by showing the reason why Eliphaz (as he supposed) was so sharp and bitter in reproving him. And further, he shows cause why he rejects his counsel or consolation. The reason upon which he puts off those reproofs is this, because Eliphaz had not duly considered his sorrows, or was not so sensible of them, as a man should be, that undertakes a friend in his condition. The sum of his argument, against what Eliphaz had spoken, may be thus formed;

He cannot duly reprove or convince another of impatience in complaining, who hath not fully weighed those calamities, which are the cause and ground of those complaints.

But Eliph. z, thou hast not fully weighed and considered my case and condition, my troubles and calamities, which are the ground and cause of my complaints.

Therefore thou canst not duly reprove or convince me of impatience. The Assumption or second Proposition of this argument, is couched in the second verse, O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and that my calamity were laid in the balances together! As if he had said, I had never received such harsh censures, such a judgment or reproof, if thou hadst duly weighed my sorrows; if thou hadst faithfully studied my case, thou hadst never rebuked me thus.

The weight of his calamity, himself expresseth two ways.

First, Comparatively, at the third verse, by putting it into the balance with the sand of the sea; For now (saith he) it would be heavier than the sand of the sea.

Secondly, He sets forth the greatness of his calamity, demonstratively, by declaring in what manner he had been afflicted, My affliction is not an ordinary affliction; I am wounded with the arrows of the Almighty, and those poisoned arrows, and those arrows drinking up my spirits. I have not only some single great affliction, or many small ones upon me; but, I have terror, and terrors, yea I have an army of terrors, yea an army of terrors always incamping about me, and charging me continually, why Eliphaz thou didst never clearly consider these things, much less hast thou had a sympathy or fellow-feeling of them. Thou hast not been afflicted in my afflictions: Thou hast not sorrowed my sorrows, nor wept my tears; Therefore it is, that thou hast so sharply reproved me, and put so much gall and wormwood into thy discourse.

So then, the sum of this first part may be thus given, taking it out of those high and hyperbolical strains, in which his passion was carried; as if Job had thus answered Eliphaz, It is an easy matter to slight that which a man doth not know, and to think others complain too much, when we ourselves feel nothing; but is it any wonder to hear a man groan, that hath a burden upon his back, as heavy as the sand of the Sea? Is it any wonder to hear a man cry out, whose flesh is filled with poisoned arrows, shot from a bow, bent and drawn by the arm of omnipotency? Is it any wonder, if that man fear, who is incompast about with terrors? Is it any wonder, if that man be troubled, who hath the terrors of the Almighty incamping about him? Why Eliphaz, thou wouldst not think, that an Ox or an Ass were reprovable, if the one should low when he hath no grass, and the other bray when he hath no fodder; if it be so, that the very irrational creatures do according to reason, when they complain upon their wants, doest thou think me desperate or irrational in complaning of mine? Alas all my fodder and my grass, all my comforts and refreshings are taken from me: Dost thou not see, how, upon a due consideration of my estate, all thy reproofs may be wiped off from me, or retorted upon thyself? what great matter is it, if thou dost not complain, who sittest at ease and knowest no sorrow? Thou art in green pastures or full barns, thou hast grass and fodder in abundance, and therefore hast no cause of complaint. Thus in the general.

To answer, is here taken properly: he answers to a charge, reproof, or argument. At the third Chapter; verse the first, when Job began to speak, it is said, Job answered and said. In Scripture language answering is often put for speaking, though none have spoken a word or made any proposal before. But here answering is taken in a strict sense, as it notes a reply to somewhat before spoken; Job answered and said. Note this from it.

It is the duty of a man to answer, when he is questioned or charged. It is the Ahostles rule (1 Pet. 3. 15.) Be ready always to give an answer to every man, that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. As a man in duty ought to give a reason of the hope that is in him; so in duty he ought to give a reason of the sorrows that are in him, and of the complaints that proceed from him; We must answer for our passions, as well as for our speeches; we must answer for our sorrows, and for our joys, and for our fears; as well as for our hope, or for our faith. These must all be answered for, and when any shall charge us about any of these, we must be ready to give a reason of them (as the Apostle advises there, in the case of our hope) with meekness and fear.

It is our duty to answer thus, both in reference to ourselves and others.

First, It is our duty in reference to ourselves, that we may vindicate that, which should be more precious to us, then the gold of Ophir, our own credit or sincerity, No man ought to despise his own integrity or reputation, so, as not to stand up for it. Therefore Job grows resolute in that point, professing that he would hold his integrity, till he died, he would never let that go, but answer stiffly for it: It is justice to dis-asperse ourselves, and give witness to our own wronged innocence. A man is more bound in duty to stand up for himself, then for any other, by how much he is nearer to himself, then to others.

Secondly, It is our duty to answer in respect of others; (and that Job might have an eye unto) namely to satisfy those, who are scandalized, by what we have either done or spoken: Suppose, it be not a scandal given, suppose, it be only a scandal taken, as this of Job was: Job did nothing purposely to scandalize them, nor anything, which upon a due consideration, was a scandal, but his friends had taken scandal at what he spake, his impatient complainings: therefore he was bound in duty to satisfy them, and to show further grounds, wherefore he so complained. Silence when we are charged, either makes a full conviction, or strengthens suspicion; And in this case, if Job had held his peace, he had either yielded the cause, and confessed himself guilty, or at least his friends should have had cause to grow higher in their jealousies of his sincerity. To right ourselves is not a point of indifferency, but of duty. Self-love is the rule of our love to others. He who neglects his own wronged honor, will not be very careful (which yet he ought) of his neighbors.

Griefe may be considered two ways, either Passively or Actively. Griefe taken Passively is the thing which we suffer, or, which is grievous to us; affliction it self is called grief. Take grief Actively, and then it is the sorrow we express, under the pressures of grievous afflictions. The word in the Hebrew is translated sometimes anger, sometimes indignation, sometimes wrath. It is the same which Eliphaz useth, Chap. 5. v. 2. where he saith, Wrath killeth the foolish man; Eliphaz began his speech with that word, hinting at Job, as if his wrath and impatience towards God had discovered him for a fool, or a wicked one: Now Job returning answer, begins with the first word of Eliphaz his speech; As if he had said, You told me that wrath kills the foolish man, but O that my anger, or the wrath which you conceive to be in me, that grief which I have expressed, were fully weighed, you would quickly see, that it is not the anger or wrath of a fool, you would find reason for my passion, and that, not the want of wisdom, but the plenty or weight of my grief hath wrought out these complaints. Therefore my desire is, O that my grief, O that my sorrows poured forth in my former lamentation were thoroughly weighed, you have but guessed at them yet, you have not weighed them; or if weighed them, yet not thoroughly weighed them, you have not weighed them (which you ought) as you would weigh gold, to a grain, or to the turning of the scale: or if so, your beam is not a true one, nor your balance the balance of the Sanctuary, you have weighed me, but, by a common beam, or (I fear) by false balances, and a bag of deceitful weights.

O that my grief.] The Vulgar Latin translates, O that my sins, namely, for which I am thus afflicted were thoroughly weighed; As if the meaning of Job were to lighten his sin, and to aggravare his suffering: But doubtless, that was none of Jobs mind or meaning, neither will the original bear such a translation; when our sins are put into the balance with our sufferings, all our sufferings, the heaviest we can feel or go under in this life, are but as a feather to a talent of lead. As all the afflictions of this life are light, in comparison of that exceeding weight of glory, prepared for us in the next life. So all the suffering of this life are light, in comparison of the exceeding weight of one sin, committed by us. Therefore Job makes no such comparison here, as if he had been afflicted more than he deserved; That of Ezra concerning the Church of the Jews (Chap. 9. 13.) Thou our God hast punished us less then our iniquities deserve, is true of every punishment; put any punishment of this world, spiritual or temporal, in one scale, and the least sin, in another, that lightest sin out-weighs our heaviest punishment. Only in hell sins and sufferings shall be of equal poise. God will then pour and measure our punishments, which shall come up to the proportion and demension of our sins, and what the creature cannot bear at once in weight, shall be weighed to him in eternity. But to pass that rendering, as unsafe.

Our English word, scale, which is the instrument, by which we weigh, is well conceived to come from the Hebrew word here used (Shakal) signifying to weigh anything, but especially to weigh coin or money, to weigh gold and silver; As Gen. 23. 16. Abraham upon the purchase of that field, which he bought of the children of Heth, for a burying place, weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named. It was the custom of those times, instead of telling, to weigh their money, and that was the most exact and ready way of payment: And from that word (Shakal) signifying to weigh money, comes the Hebrew word for one special sort of money, the Shekel, because they weighed by the shekel, that being as their standard or a special coin, of such a known weight and value, that all their coin was weighed and valued by it. So in the Latin and likewise in our English, we call one special sum of money, A pound, which is a weight, and by which money is commonly accounted and paid. And hence by a Metaphor, this word signifies to judge or to consider of a thing exactly▪ and fully, because of all matters that men weigh, they will weigh gold and silver most exactly; if a man weigh gold, he weigheth it to a grain, if gold want but the turning of the scale, more then due weight or allowance, it will not pass, Isa. 33. 18. Where is the Scribe, where is the Receiver; The Hebrew is, Where is the weigher; that is, either the spiritual weigher; He that uses to be so exact in weighing every tittle of the law. Or, the Civil weigher, because they used to weigh all the money, they received. So then, O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, is as if he had said, O that my grief were weighed, as gold and silver is weighed, weighed exactly, to the least, to the utmost, that you might fully know what it is.

The word single by it self, notes an exact examination by weighing, but when (as here) the word is doubled, or (by an Hebraism) repeated, O that my grief in weighing were weighed, it heightens and increases the sense exceedingly: Hence we translate O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, weighed so, as that there might be a clear discovery, how much my sorrows weigh. The doubling of a word, to this sense, is very frequent in Scripture, I shall not need to instance. Take only that (Gen. 2. 17.) Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, in dying, thou shalt die, (that is) thou shalt surely die; So here, O that in weighing it were weighed, that is, O that it were thoroughly and exactly weighed

Lay all together, and it imports thus much; as if Job had said, I would not have my sorrows weighed at a vulgar beam, or in ordinary balances, I would not have the sound or letter only of what I have spoken considered, but I desire that you would take my complaints together, the words and the matter, and that you would weigh all impartially, that you may come to a full understanding, what my condition is; and then surely you would give up a better judgment, and make a fairer interpretation of my words, then as yet you have put forth: Thus he speaks also Chapter. 31 6. Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity. Uneven balances will not make a perfect discovery: That which is false, cannot give a true report: Things and persons act as they are; therefore Job desireth to be weighed in an even balance, such a beam will speak the truth of my estate, both to God and man; God needs no means to make him know, he knows all immediately, and he weighs by his eye, not one thing by another, but all things in themselves; Job speaks of God after the manner of men

My grief and my calamity. Griefe caused by my calamity, and calamity the cause of that grief.

My calamity. The word signifies any troublesome evil, sad event, or accident, vulgularly called a mis-fortune; O that this sad estate and condition wherein I am, were put into the balance.

The Original for balances, is very observable; As there is much elegancy, in the word by which the action, so, in this, by which the instrument of weighing is expressed. It is found only in the plural, or dual number, as many of that nature are; The same word in Hebrew, signifies also the ears, which are the organ of hearing; and the reason of it is thus given, because as the tongue of the balance stands like a judge between the two scales, inclining to neither till the weight be laid in; so should the ear of a Judge by office, or of any man, by deputation, called to hear and determine of things in difference, stand indifferent to both parties, till he hear the matter debated, and the reasons brought forth on either side. The Moralists emblem this, by the place of that Sign in the Zodiac, which they call the Virgin, standing (according to the doctrine of Astronomers) between the Lion and the Bellances; The Lion bids Virgin Justice, be stout and fearless; The Ballances advise her to weigh the matter on both sides, with moderation, and be cautious, inclining neither one way nor other, but as the merit of the cause, fully heard, shall sway her judgment.

Job desires, that his calamity might be laid thus in the balances, before his sentence; Laid; The word is, O that my calamity might ascend in the balances; And that manner of speaking is used, either because in weighing, the lighter scale of the balances doth ascend, or because when things are weighed, the balances ascend or are lifted up: A man takes up the balances in his hand to weigh; So it is, as if he had said, O that these, might be poised together and lifted up, to see which way the scales will turn.

Together. There is some difference in opinion about that word Together, whether he meaneth thus; O that all my grief and calamity were weighed, you consider things to halves, and leave out those points which are most weighty and material; you should take in all together, Or whether his desire be, that his grief and calamity, both together, might be put into one balance, and the sand of the sea into another, and so an experiment be made, whether his grief and calamity, or the sand of the sea were heavier. Or thirdly, Whether thus, that his grief should be put into one balance, and his calamity into another, and then trial be made which of those two were heavier, his grief and sorrow, or his calamity and trouble. A learned interpreter conceives, that Job wishes his grief and calamity might both together be put into one balance, and all the sand of the sea (if it were possible) in the other, supposing that his grief and calamity would out-weigh that vast ponderous aggregated body. His opinion is chiefly strengthened by some difficulties in the Gramatical construction, unless this be admitted; and yet if it be, a greater difficulty is shown by a second, and therefore I rather take it thus; O that my grief and calamity were laid in the balances together, that is, O that my grief were put, one into one balance, and my calamity into another; or, O that my grief might be weighed with my calamity, and it would appear (notwithstanding your judgment of me) that yet, there is nothing so much weight in my grief, as there is in my calamity, that is, I have not yet grieved or complained up to the height or weight of those calamities, which are upon me: So that if my sorrow were laid in one balance, and my affliction in another, my affliction would outweigh my sorrow, and it would appear, that I have complained, not only, not without a cause, but not so much, as I had cause.

And to prove that his calamity was heavier then his grief, he adds in the next words; It, (namely his calamity thus weighed) would be heavier then the sand of the sea: As if he had said, it is possible that in trying all heavy things, somewhat might be found heavier then my grief or my complaint hath been; but I am sure nothing can be found of equal weight with my calamity, for my calamity (which is the immediate antecedent) would be heavier than the sand of the sea, then which, nothing can be found more heavy.

That of David, Psal. 62. 9. is parallel to this expression in Job, Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; To be laid in the balances, they are altogether lighter then vanity. The meaning is, That if men of all degrees, high and low were put in one scale, and vanity in the other, vanity it self would be weightier then the gravest and most weighty men: Hence some read, They together are lighter then vanity; Others to this sense, Men and vanity being weighed together, vanity will not be so light, as vain man. As David, to show man's lightness, makes him lighter then the lightest thing, vanity. So Job, to show the heaviness of his calamity, makes it heavier then the heaviest thing, the fand of the sea. Observe hence; first,

That it is a duty, to weigh the sad estate, and afflicted condition of our brethren thoroughly.

But (you will say) what is it to weigh them thoroughly?

I answer, It is not only to weigh the matter of an affliction, to see what it is, which a man suffers; but to weigh an affliction in every circumstance and aggravation of it; The circumstance of an affliction, is often more considerable then the matter of the affliction. If a man would confess his sins, and confess them thoroughly, he is to confess, not only the matter of them; as sins are the transgressions of the Law, and errors against the rule, but he must eye the manner, in which sin hath been committed, the circumstances with which it is clothed, these render his sin out of measure, and out of weight sinful. Likewise would a man consider the mercies and favors received from God, would he know them thoroughly, and see how much they weigh? let him look not only what, but how, and when, and where, and by whom he hath received them. There may be (and often is) a great wickedness in a little evil committed, and a great mercy in a little good received. As relations, so circumstances have the least entity, but they have the greatest efficacy. Now, as there is often more in the circumstances, than in the matter of a sin, or of a mercy so, there is often more in the circumstance, than there is in the matter of an affliction, therefore, he that would thoroughly weigh the afflictions of another, must consider all these accidents, as well as the substance of it. As namely, the time when sent, the time how long endured, whether a single affliction, or in conjucture with other afflictions, the strength of the patient, and the dependencies that are upon him.

Secondly, He that would weigh an affliction thoroughly, must put himself in the case of the afflicted, and (as it were) make another's grief, his own. He must act the passions of his brother, and a while personate the poor, the sick, the afflicted man. He must get atast of the wormwood, and of the gall, upon which his brother feedeth. In a word, He must lay such a condition to heart: The Prophet Malachi threatens a curse upon those, who laid not the word and works of God to heart (Chap. 2. 2,) I will curse your blessings (saith the Lord) because ye do not lay it to heart; that is, ye do not consider, what I say or do, thoroughly: God cursed them thoroughly, because they would not thoroughly consider His Laws and judgments: So then, to weigh the affliction of another thoroughly, is to put our souls, as it were, in their souls stead: Hence, that we may be assured, Christ hath thoroughly weighed all our afflictions, He is said to be afflicted in all our afflictions; He doth not only intuitively consider or contemplate them, but he is (though above enduring) as, actually enduring them. He is afflicted in all our afflictions, that is, he considers our afflictions as his own, and is affected with them, as if himself were pained with all our pains: and therefore it is said, that himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses, Mat. 8. 17. the meaning is, he weighed the grief of his people fully. In these two points, this holy art of weighing grief consists, consideration of circumstances, and sympathy of the smart. Mere speculation moves little. We have no feeling of another's suffering, till we have a fellow-feeling. The bare Theory of affliction, affects no more, then the bare Theory of fire, heats.

Secondly, When Job saith, O that my grief were thoroughly weiged; we may observe,

That it is an addition to a man's affliction, when others are not sensible of his affliction. For it is, as if Job had said; This makes me cry out so much of the weight of my sorrows, because my friends weigh them so little. The Church (Lam. 1. 12.) complains thus, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow. Is it nothing to you? as if the Church had said; My affliction is something to me, and this aflicts me, above all my affliction, that passengers and beholders slight my calamities, and think my affliction no affliction; that is, not so great, as indeed it is: Or, it is nothing to them, (they are not touched with it) how great soever, they see it is to me: That which wounds and breaks my heart, doth not prick their little fingers. And because, man is so ready to afflict his brother with this negative affliction, a not being sensible of his afflictions, therefore the Apostle assures us (Heb. 4. 15.) That we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are. This is spoken to comfort the Saints in their extremist sufferings; what though men will not take notice and be sensible of your condition? what though men will not weigh your grief? yet Christ will; our High Priest, is none of your senseless Priests, who care not what weather the People endure, so they be warm and at ease. Thirdly observe;

We can never rightly judge, till we thoroughly weigh the condition of an afflicted brother. For Job conceived that Eliphaz proceeded to judgment, before he had been in consideration. This is the reason why thou hast judged me uncharitably, because thou hast not weighed me seriously. To show, that consideration must go before judgment, God himself is expressed to us, in Scripture considering the state of things, before himself judges. So Gen. 11 ^th in the case of the builders of Babel, and Gen. 18 ^•h in the case of the men of Sodom, it is said, that the Lord came down to see, whether they had done altogether, according to that cry, which was come up unto him; Not, as if the Lord moves from one place to another, from Heaven to earth, for he filleth all places; not that the Lord needs come down to receive information, or to examine his own intelligence, to see whether things are, as they are reported; but, it is only an allusion to the manner of men, or, to show, that he doth not censure or judge any man, or men, or Nations, till he hath taken a full cognizance of their condition. Now if God, who is infinite in knowledge and wisdom, represents himself coming down, and by degrees deliberating about and weighing the estates of men, before he censures them, what need then have blindfold men, ignorant men, men, who at best have much darkness mixed with their light, what need (I say) have they to examine, weigh and try every man's estate, before they sentence or determine it? Fourthly observe;

A man, who hath not been, or is not afflicted himself, can hardly apprehend, what another endures, who is under affliction.

As there are comforts, especially spiritual comforts, which no man knows or can know, but by the enjoying of them: The white stone (promised, Rev. 2. 17.) hath a new name written in it, which no man knows, saving he that receiveth it; A man that is a stranger to Christ and his ways, is not able to make any judgment what the comforts and refreshings of a Christian are. He admires to hear men speak of spiritual comforts and consolations, he knows not the meaning of those things. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14. It is so (proportionably) in all sorrows and afflictions, especially in spiritual sorrows and afflictions, which lie off from sense, yea, which lie quite beyond the reach and borders of reason: spiritual sorrows, the hidings of God's face, the withdrawing of assistance, few pity in others, because few have had experience of these things, in themselves. They think men are mad, when they complain of such afflictions; when they cry out of their sins, of the want of the favor of God, and the shining of his love, of deadness and coldness in duty, of unbelief and hardness of heart, &c. And therefore our Lord Jesus, to assure our hearts that he hath a full sense of all our sorrows, tasted himself of our sorrows. There is not any sorrow that can be upon any soul, or any affliction that can be upon the body, but our Lord Jesus hath had (some way or other) an experience of it: This makes him (to our apprehensions) most fit to judge and compassionate the distresses of his people. As all the sins of his people were laid upon him, so all their sorrows were laid upon him too; therefore the Prophet Isaiah describes him thus, Ch. 53. 3. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; Griefe and he were no strangers, while he was here upon the earth, grief was his acquaintance and Familiar (as it were) that went up and down with him, all the while he travelled here below. Therefore seeing it is so, the whole church and every particular believer, have strong consolation in their sorrows, that the Lord Jesus Christ doth thoroughly weigh their condition, and knoweth fully what it is, We have not (as was touched before) an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; why, what assurance have we of this? it follows, He was tempted in all things like unto us, yet without sin. Christ had temptations unto sin, yet without sin, therefore he knows how to succor us, when we are tempted unto sin; Christ was tempted by manifold sorrows, therefore he knows how to succor us, when we are under manifold sorrowful temptations: If we had a Mediator in Heaven that had not been tempted on earth, we might doubt whether he would be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, whether sinning infirmities, or sorrowing infirmities. And were it not, that some of the Saints have been tempted and tried, they, who are under trials and temptations, would find none on earth, to succor them. As God doth comfort some in all their tribulations, that they may be able to comfort them, which are in any trouble, with the same comforts wherewith they themselves are comforted of God, 2 Cor. 1. 4. So he afflicts them, that they might pity and help others, as being under the same troubles, with which themselves have been afflicted. A man that hath only traveled in Geographicall books and Maps, is not able to give you such lively descriptions of, or directions about foreign Countries, as he that hath traveled to, and been upon the places; so, they who have read and studied much about afflictions, can never give such enlivening, strengthening, heartening counsel, as they, who have been afflicted, and have dwelt sometime upon the Land of sorrows, To pass on.

That is, it would be most heavy. Who can tell how heavy that is which is heavier then the heaviest?

If my calamity (saith Job) were weighed, it would have been found heavier, than the sand of the Sea, that account would be given of it; though you (my friend Eliphaz) seem to account it as light as a feather.

The sand of the Sea is applied three ways in Scripture,

First, to set forth an exceeding great number, (Gen. 22. 17.) I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of the Heaven, and as the sand which is upon the Sea shore. That is, I will exceedingly multiply thy seed, thy children shall be not only numerous, but numberless; Though a book of Numbers be written concerning Abraham's posterity, yet their total number is not written. So (Psal. 78. 27.) He rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the Sea, that is, he rained abundance of feathered fowls.

Secondly, The sand of the Sea, is used to express the largnesse, the mighty extent or capacity of a thing; The sand of the Sea, is of a vaster extent, then the Sea itself, as being the outward line or bound of it; therefore (Jer. 33. 22.) it is spoken of, as a thing impossible, for the sand of the sea to be measured; As the host of Heaven (sc. the Stars) cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the Sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of my servant David. Measure is taken both of the content, and extent of things; The sand of the Sea is immeasurable both ways, it cannot (as we speak of human impossibles) be measured by the pole or by the vessel. And in 1 King. 4. 29. it is said, God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart as the sand of the Sea, that is, as the sand incompasses and takes the Sea in its arms, so Solomon had a heart, comprehending all the depths and oceans of knowledge; he had the compass of all learning in his understanding. Hence, when a man attempts a thing impossible, we say to him proverbially. Thou measurest the sand.

Thirdly, The sand of the Sea is applied in Scripture, to note the exceeding weight and heaviness of a thing: that instance is pregnant for it (Prov. 23. 7.) A stone is heavy, and the sand is weighty, but a fools wrath is heavier than both; when Solomon would show us, how intollerably burthensome, the manners of a wicked man are, he compares them to a stone and to the sand; The wrath of a wicked man is very weighty, but (by the way) the wrath of God is incomparably more weighty: Wrath proceeding from extreme folly, is weighty, but wrath proceeding▪ from infinite wisdom, is infinitely weighty; The wrath of a fool upon his brother, is heavier then a stone, or then the sand; How heavy then will the wrath of the most wise God be, upon that fool?

It is further considerable, that, he saith not barely, heavier than the sand, (any sand is very heavy) but heavier than the sand of the Sea: Rivers have sand, and dry pits have sand, but sea-sand is the vastest and the heaviest sand.

Again, He speaks not in the singular number, Heavier then the sand of the Sea; but (the Hebrew is plural) heavier than the sand of the Seas; as if Job had said, if thou shouldest shovell up all the sand, that is upon the shores of all the seas together on a heap, it would not be so heavy, as my calamity; In such Hyperbolies or high strains of eloquence, Job rhetoricates about his sad condition, as if he resolved to put more weight into his expressions, as he found more weight put into his afflictions. Hence observe,

Afflictions are heavy burdens. The judgments of God upon wicked men, are frequently in Scripture called burdens, and they are heavy burdens; Isa. 15. 1. we read of the burden of Moab, that is, the judgment and calamity that should fall upon Moab; And Isa. 17. 1. The burden of Damascus. And Isa. 19. 1. The burden of Egypt. And Isa. 21. 1. The burden of the desert of the Sea. And afterwards, The burden of the valley of vision, that is of Jerusalem; And (2 King. 9. 25.) when Jehu had killed Jehoram, he said to Bidkar his Captain: Take up and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for remember, how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid this burden upon him; That is, that he should be slain and thrown out in this manner. As afflictions upon wicked men are burdens; So, afflictions upon the godly are burdens too, they are also heavy burdens: Their sins are burdens upon them, My sins (saith David) are gone over my head, they are a burden too heavy for me to bear, Psal. 38. 4. Their sins are burdens and their sorrows are burdens. Sin doth not only burden man, but it burdens God, I am pressed under your sins, as a cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves, saith God, Amos 2. 13. As man, by sin burdens God, so God, by affliction burdens man. But of all afflictions, inward afflictions are the greatest burdens: As the spirit of a man is stronger then his flesh, so the afflictions which are upon his spirit are weightier then those that are upon his flesh: The spirit hath wonderful strength, all spirits are strong: Angels are mighty in strength, One good Angel is an over-match for all men. And the devils (who are spirits) are called not not only Principalities but powers, because of their strength. Proportionably, the spirit of man hath a mighty strength in it, and so the afflictions, which are upon the spirit, may have a greater weight in them. The affliction which Job complains of, as heavier then the sand, was not so much the calamity that pressed his flesh, or the pain that tormented his body (as is plain in the next verse) but it was the calamity of his spirit, the affliction lying there, A man can sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit, (that is, when a man hath got a blow, a wound, an affliction upon his spirit) who can bear? Pro. 18. 14. As if Solomon had said, I challenge all the world to find me out a man, that can bear a burdened wounded spirit; unless Christ put under his hand, no strength of man's spirit can bear the burden of a wounded spirit; A spirit hath no weight at all, only fleshly and material substances are ponderous; but a wounded spirit is heavier then wounded flesh. The spirit is strong enough to bear the burden'd flesh, but nothing in flesh can bear a burden'd spirit.

In the close of the verse, we have the effect of this heavy weight of affliction, both spiritual and corporal.

Therefore (saith he) my words are swallowed up. That is, I want words to express my grief. All language is too narrow for the vastness of my sorrows.

Some read it, Therefore my words are bitter, or therefore my words are steep'd in bitterness, as if he had said, I myself feed upon bitter things, I feed upon gall and wormwood, therefore no wonder, if my words taste of them.

The Vulgar goes farther from the letter of the Text, rendering, Therefore my words are full of sorrow; as if he had said, the sorrows which are in my mind, flow out upon my tongue. The Septuagint yet further off. Therefore it seems my words are evil, or ill taken. My grief renders my words more liable to exception or mis-interpretation.

M Broughton translates, Therefore my words come short, there is a weight upon me heavier than the sand of the sea, Therefore my words come short, or my expressions come not up to my intention. We translate near that sense and answerably to the original, My words are swallowed up.

The Hebrew word signifies to lick up, or to swallow down, and by a Metaphor to destroy or to consume; in the prophecy of Obadiah, verse. 16. The word is used to that purpose, They shall drink and they shall swallow down; And Prov. 20. 25. It is a snare to the man, who devoureth that which is holy, or who swalloweth down that which is holy: So here, Therefore my words are swallowed up, that is, when I would speak, my words are, as it were, half-eaten before spoken, or my words are snatched down in the speaking, by the sharp teeth and devouring stomach of my grief and sorrows.

Others from the letter read, Therefore my words are corrupted, wearied, l • st, blotted, blubbered, so cut-off, that I cannot speak distinctly, alluding unto those that stammer. A stammerer is in such haste to speak, that he eats his words, and (as we use to say proverbially in our language) he clips the Kings English, he swalloweth up half his mind, when he would bring it out in words; such is the meaning of Job, My words are swallowed up, I cannot speak all: my grief takes me off, and cuts me short. And so he seems to excuse himself.

First; in case he had spoken abruptly and brokenly, my pain hath been so great, that I can hardly speak, therefore take no advantage of the abrupt language and broken sentences, which have fallen from me, for the truth is, my grief hath swallowed up my words. I have rather sighed then declared my mind; real sorrow as well as poetical passionate imitation of sorrow makes many an (Ap siopesis or) sudden stop and breach, when the tongue is upon the swiftest speed, and quickest motion.

And secondly, he seems to excuse himself for the matter of his speech, I have not yet spoken all my mind, I have not given you my full sense, about my condition: for through grief I was forced to swallow up my words, and to suppress what I had further to say Therefore suppose my speech hath been imperfect, yet be not scandalized at it, for if you will have patience to stay, I shall anon bring up the words again, which my sorrows have snatched from me and swallowed down. Stay a while, and you shall hear more, you shall hear all, I will speak more largely and more distinctly than I have done. One of the Rabbins takes the words actively, and refers the act of swallowing to Jobs friends; as if he had said, Ye my friends have swallowed down my words. Ye have not leisurely fed upon and digested them, but swallowed them in such hast, that ye have not tasted them. As a man that swallows down a morsel greedily without chewing, never tastes either the sweetness or the bitterness of it. It is a usual Metaphor. to express hearing by eating; and we have it (as many interpret) at the sixth verse of this Chapter, Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt. It is a truth, that when words are thus swallowed or gobled down, we take not out the strength or intent of them. But I stay not upon this exposition, because it strains too hard upon the gramatical construction, and other circumstances, of the Text.

Observe out of the former meaning.

First, Great grief interrupteth speech, and makes broken language; Therefore my speech or my words are swallowed up. As sometimes our words devour so sometimes our words are devoured; some men speak swallowing words, and others swallow their words, (Psal. 57. 4.) Thou lovest all devouring words, or thou lovest all swallowing words, O thou deceitful tongue. There are swallowing words, as well as swallowed words. Malice makes a man swallow the integrity of another with his words; And grief will make a man swallow down his own words, so that he cannot speak to maintain his own integrity.

Secondly, observe, That some afflictions exceed all complaints and are too big for expression. That note reaches M Broughtons sense, my words come short of what my condition is, there is no language large enough, no Oratory eloquent enough to describe or make known my sorrows.

Lastly, observe, Not to be able to express our grief is an increase of our grief. Therefore my words are swallowed up. This is an addition to my sorrows, that I cannot make known my sorrows. It is a great part of my trouble, that I can tell you but a part of my trouble. Let a man be hindered from expressing his grief, either through want of power, or through the restraint of power, both ways grief increases. Some, who have been dying upon cruel racks, or under bloody tortures, have yet esteemed this, beyond all their tortures, that, they might not freely speak out their minds and sorrows: to have their mouths stopped, was worse to them, then to have their breath stopped. It is a pain to be kept from speaking. To command a man to swallow or eat down his words, is next to the command of eating and swallowing down his own flesh. The cruelty of a disease, may gagge a man, as well as the cruelty of a Tyrant. Such is my grief that my words are swallowed up.

JOB continueth his reply and his complaint. He had expressed the greatness of his calamity, by comparing it with the sand of the sea for weightiness; now he proceeds in the same sad aggravation by comparing it to an arrow for sharpness, and to an army for terribleness: For the arrows of the Almighty are within me: The terrors of the Lord set themselves in array against me.

We are in this verse to open a quiver full of poisoned arrows, and to marshall an army full of divine terrors, The arrows of the Almighty, &c.

An Arrow, is a deadly engine, so called in the Hebrew, from its effect, cutting or wounding. Being taken properly, it is an instrument shot out of a Bow, of wood or iron, either for sport or fight. But here figuratively. And arrows in Scripture are taken in a figure divers ways.

First, For the word of God, Psal 4. 5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies, whereby the people fall under thee. That is, thy words are sharp and piercing, whereby thou convincest and beatest down sin and sinners, either converting or destroying them. The Rider on the white Horse, going out conquering and to conquer (who, is conceived to be, Truth, or the word of God triumphing) is described, with a Bowe in his hand; Rev. 6. 2.

Secondly, Arrows are put for the bitter and reproachful words of men, Ps. 64. 3. 4. & Ps. 120. 4. They bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.

Thirdly, For any evil or mischievous purpose, which a man intends or aims to the hurt of his brother, Psal. 58. 7. When he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. Bending of the bow notes the preparing and setting of mischief; The arrow shot out of this bent bow, is the mischief acted and finished (Psal. 2.) The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string; they prepare mischiefs against their neighbor.

Fourthly For any kind of affliction, judgment or punishment, Zech. 9. 14. And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning. Particularly,

1. For Famine, Ezek. 5. 16. When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine.

2 For Pestilence, Psal. 91. 5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by nigbt, nor for the arrow that fleeth by day. What the terror and the arrow are, is explained in the next verse, which is not an addition of other evils, from which safety is promised, but an explication of the same. The pestilence that walks in darkness, and the destruction (being the same pestilence) wasting at noon-day. The meaning of all is, Thou shalt be kept or antidoted against the plague both night and day.

3. Those thunder-bolts and hail-stones, which God sends out of the Magazine of heaven, and discharges in his wrath against wicked men, are called the arrows of his indignation, 2 Sam. 22. 15. Psal. 144. 6. & Hab. 3. 11. compared with Josh. 10. 11.

Further the arrows of God signify inward afflictions, troubles of the mind and spirit, God often shoots an arrow, which pierces into the very soul. It was said of Joseph, The iron entered into his soul. And it is (in this sense) very usual for the arrows of God to enter into the souls of his people (Psal. 38. 1, 2.) O Lord rebuke me not in Thy wrath, &c. For Thine arrows stick fast in me: Where stuck they? He means it not of his body, haply, the skin of that was not razed. There is an arrow, which touches not the sides, but sticks fast in the soul of a child of God.

Understand it here, of the arrows of affliction; and those either external, outward calamities, fastening in the flesh of Job; or internal, galling him to the soul and spirit. Therefore he saith, The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit.

These arrows are described in the text two ways.

• 1.
  • From the
    • Efficient cause
      • The arrows of the Almighty.
      • They drink up my spirit.
    • Effect
• 2:

They are the arrows of the Almighty, Shaddai; Of which word we have spoken in the former Chapter, verse 17 ^th at large, it being one of the names of God, noting out his power and omnipotence: There he calls them the chastenings of (Shaddai) the Almighty: And here, The Arrows of (Shaddai) the Almighty,

1. Because, they are sent out from him. His arm bends and draws the bow. And

2. Because of the mighty force and strength, in which they are sent home to the mark. The strength in which those arrows come, and the depth of the wound which they make, speak an Almighty arm drawing the bow. None but an Almighty arm can shoot an arrow thus deep, up to the feathers in the soul and spirit. It is not in the power of all the tyrants in the world to strik or shoot thus deep. The soul of a Saint hath such armor upon it, as no bodily weapon can enter. And therefore the Martyrs, when all was wound in their flesh, spoke and triumphed, because their spirits were whole, and untouched. Only a spirit can shoot arrows into our spirits.

We find it frequent among heathen Poets and others, to describe their gods armed with bows and arrows. And in that they shadowed their power to wound the minds of men; and to wound them suddenly and secretly. The Scripture describes the true God thus, furnished with his Quiver of arrows, and his bow, (Psal. 7. 13.) He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. God • ath an arow for the wounding of his enemies, and an arrow for the wounding of his friends: He hath arrows for both; and both are wounded; and both are wounded with poison'd fiery arrows; yet with a vast difference; these are wounded and poison'd, that they may be healed, and they are wounded and poison'd, that they may be destroyed.

• Arrows are
  • 1. Swift
    • instruments.
  • 2: Secret
  • 3. Sharpe
  • 4. Killing

I will make mine arrows drunk without blood (Deut. 32. 42.) They are instruments drawing blood and drinking blood even unto drunkenness; afflictions are like arrows in all these properties.

1 Afflictions often come very speedily, with a glance, as an arrow, quick as a thought.

2. Afflictions come suddenly, unexpectedly; an arrow is upon a man afore he is aware: so are afflictions. Though Job saith, The thing he feared came upon him, he looked for this arrow before it came; yet usually afflictions are unlooked for guests, they thrust in upon us, when we dream n • t of them.

3. They come with little noise: an arrow is felt, before, or as soon as it is heard: an arrow flies silently, and secretly, stealing upon and wounding a man, unobserved, and unseen.

Lastly, all afflictions are sharp, and in their own nature killing and deadly. That any have good from them, is from the grace of God, not from their nature.

There's the effect of his afflictions. Some read it, The fury or anger whereof drinks up my spirit. It may be called the fury and anger of an arrow, because the arrow is often sent in fury and in anger. We read also of the fire of an arrow or of a fiery arrow, (Ps. 76. 4.) There brakest thou the arrows of the bow. Arrows even firing themselves by the swiftness of their motion.

The word of the Text is derived from a root, signifying to wax very hot, and in the Nowne heat. Hence by a Metaphor it signifies anger, because angry men wax hot, Anger is breathed fire. (Isai. 42. 25.) Therefore he hath poured upon them the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle, and it hath set him on fire round about. Fire and fury, are near in name, and in nature. When fury burns within, fire quickly burns without: and so by a Metonymy the same word signifies poison; the reason is, because poisons heat and inflame; poisons inflame the flesh, and (as it were) set the body on fire, or because an angry man (like an angry Serpent) seems to breath out fire, or spet poison. Paul before his conversion, breathed threatenings, fire and sword against the Church Act. 9. 1. And therefore, either way, the word is well rendered, The anger whereof, or the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit. And in the Greek the same word signifies anger and poison; because of that inflammation, which is about the heart of a man thoroughly angry.

In these words, Job seems to allude to the custom of cruel savage men, who, when they pursued their enemies with deadly hatred and would wound them to death, used to dip the head of their arrows, the top of their spears, or the point of their swords, or whatsoever weapon they fought with, in poison, that so every wound might be a death; The poison of such an arrow, spear or sword, drinks up the spirit, and corrupts the blood presently. Some poison strikes the heart, almost, as soon as the weapon strikes the arm. Job compares the arrows, which God shot into him, not to ordinary arrows, which kill only by piercing, but to poisoned arrows, which kill by insecting; As if God had set himself to the utmost, to pour out the fierceness of his indignation upon him; not only shooting an arrow, but an arrow dipt in poison, such an arrow, as the most barbarous and cruel men shoot at their most professed and mortal enemies.

Drinketh up my spirit. Poison gets quickly to the spirit, and there drinks: poison is subtle and spiritfull, and therefore (if I may so speak) incorporates with that which is most subtle in man, his spirit. Flat, pal'd, gross or dreggish liquor, will not quench the fiery thirst of poison, it drinks nothing, but pure spirits; yet some read, It drinketh up my blood; but this amounts to the same senc • , for the spirit of a living creature is in the blood; the spirits swim in the blood.

There are different opinions about this spirit, or what we are to understand by it.

First, Some take spirit here, for the breath, or for the act of breathing; As if he had said, I have received so many wounds, by these poisoned arrows, that I begin to faint, and cannot draw my breath, These arrows sup up my spirit, and by wounding, stop my breath.

Secondly, Others understand it more generally, taking spirit for his strength and vigor; spirits are so strong, that they are put for strength▪ The Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirit (Isa. 31. 3.) that is, they are not strength, but weakness. So here, it drinketh up my spirit, that is, the strength that is in me, all the powers and abilities of body and soul, are wasted and consumed: These calamities spend upon my spirit, where the stock of my strength is laid up, or which is the lock wherein my strength lies.

A third apprehends, that by spirit, he means his judgment, reason and understanding, as if he had said, showers of arrows and troubles come so thick upon me, that they even darken my mind, and drink up the strength of my understanding; Hence I may seem to speak distractedly, unadvisedly, weakly; I have not that spirit to quicken, that strength of reason to judge, which formerly I had: the pains of my body, disable and distemper my mind; And therefore if I have spoken anything below what I ought, it is, because I am cast below what I was.

Arrows and terrors, are the same thing, in a different clothing of words: Or the arrow is the affliction it self, and the terror is the effect or consequent of it. The word here used for Terror, notes the most terrible terror or affrightment. Terror is the extreme of fear, or fear confused, into amazement and astonishment: Death is therefore called the King of terrors, because there are so many powerful terrors in death, Psal. 55. 4. That vexation which Saul felt, when God sent out an evil spirit with commishion to vex him, is expressed by this word, 1 Sam. 16. 14. An evil spirit from the Lord, troubled, or terrified him; Such terrors, for the matter, such for the manner and present workings of them, seized upon upright-hearted Job, and false-hearted Saul. A believer, a child of God, an heir of Heaven, may feel himself haunted and pierced with hellish terrors.

These are called the Terrors of God, either first, by a common Hebraism; because great, and strange terrors. In that language, God is often put as an Epithite, to show exceeding greatness, himself being the greatest. So Chap. 1. ver. 16. Fire of God, &c. Secondly, Terrors of God, because he sent and commanded that Army of Terrors. When Jacob journeyed with his little Army, Gen. 35. 5. It is said, The terror of God was upon the Cities round about, and they pursued them not; that is, the Lord sent an Army of terrors to oppose the Cities, least they should arm against Jacob. The terror of man is very terrible, and therefore the Apostle arms the Saints against it, 1 Pet. 3. 14. Be not afraid of their terror. The terror of God is infinitely greater; and thereupon the Apostle argues, 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade.

Those terrors of God, may be taken two ways: Either actively, or passively: Actively, for that work of God, in terrifying and troubling. Thy terrors, that is, the terrors which thou didst afflict me with; Or passively; for those afflictions which oppress the mind; when God leads that army against us, sets it in array to charge, and commands it to encamp about us, in either sense we may take this of Job, as also that of Heman, Psal. 88. 15. While I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted.

Further, There is a twofold terror: First, caused by outward imminent danger. Secondly, caused by inward guilt. Or, Terror coming from the wrath of man; and terror coming from the wrath of God. Thus it was threatened, Levite. 26. 16. I also will do even this unto you, I will appoint over you terrors. Deut. 32. 25. The sword without and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin. That is, fear shall kill those who escape the sword. A people cannot stand before the Army of men, who are once surprised with an Army of terrors: Hence Josh. 2. 9. Your terror is fallen upon us, saith Rahab to assure the spies, that the Canaanites could not stand before the people of Israel.

Again, The terrors of God afflict the soul; First, When sin is set openly (to the eye of conscience) in array against us. An army of sins, are an army of terrors. The Church is called, Terrible as an army with banners; Cant. 6. 10. when she is strengthened and armed for the exercise of all that power, which Christ hath given her; and when our sins stand before us, in all that strength, which the law hath given them, they also are terrible as an army with banners.

Secondly, When God hides his face from us, an army of terrors quickly faces us; Though an army of sins come out in array against us, yet if God appear to us, in the fullness and freeness of his grace; if Christ our Captain will but lead us on against this army, we shall quickly overcome them, or they will will fly before us; But an army of sins is exceeding terrible, when Christ appears not in the field for us, or when God hides his face from us, and leaves us in the dark: It is usual in Scripture, to set forth terrors, as the effect of that darkness, and the hidings of the face of God; Naturally, terror accompanies darkness; children are afraid in the dark; and not only children, but men: Histories tell us of great Emperors who durst not be in the dark, for fear. And as natural terrors meet us in natural darkness, so spiritual terrors in spiritual darkness; When the light of God's countenance is clouded, and (as it were) benights the soul. then terror takes hold upon us. Under either of these notions, we may understand the terrors of this text, The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. It was true in respect of outward troubles, they were very terrible: But especially in regard of inward troubles; when God set his sins in array before him, or hid his face, and obstructed the course of his wonted communion.

The Original imports, a very exact, curious, artificial ordination and disposal of things; As if the Lord had even studied to be exact and exquisite in afflicting Job; he puts his sorrows into a method, and his troubles into order. The providence of God observes a rule, and is harmonious in those things which appear to us, a chaos, a heap of confusion. The word is applied;

First, To the ordering of speech, or disputations; There is a kind of embattailing in disputation, when it is regular and artificial (Job 32. 14) Now he hath not directed his speech against me, saith Elihu concerning Job; as if he had said, Job hath not marshalled his arguments against me, but all the charge hath been upon you.

Secondly, I find the word used in reference unto prayer: Prayer ought to be full of holy order and composedness (Psal. 5. 3.) In the morning will I direct my prayer to Thee, and look up. In the morning will I put my prayer in array, I will posture my prayer in a gracious order, my heart in order, and my words in order, every petition shall (as it were) keep rank and file, when I am seeking unto God: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty, to utter anything before God, is the counsel of the Holy Ghost by Solomon, Eccles. 5. 2.

But, properly, the word is applied to the marshalling and imbattailing of an Army (Jer. 50. 9) Loe, I will raise, and cause to come up against B • bylon, an assembly of great nations from the North country, and they shall set themselves in array against her, &c.

So then, whereas Job saith, The terrors of God are set in array against me, he would intimate, that God afflicted him, both orderly and resolvedly. It was not some confused terror, or sudden surpti • all, but the Lord God, like some great Commander or General, mustered and marshal'd his army, and led it up exactly formed, to a pitched battle against him. Observe from hence, first,

Afflictions come sometimes by multitudes.

You shall have a whole Army of them together; Sometimes we see a duel or single combat, one man matched with one trouble; Here a man and an affliction; there a man and an affliction; but another time we may see a man and an army (as he spake in the story, when one made good a pass against a whole host of the enemy) in the spiritual war, one soul grapples with a multitude of troubles, and conflicts▪ with a thousand temptations: As there are legions of evil spirits, so legions of spiritual evils assaulting at once. Secondly Observe,

God sometimes appears as an enemy to his own servants.

The terrors of God, and the arrows of God (saith Job) God shoots the arrows, and sets the terrors in array. Job expected favor and succor from God, but he finds terrors and arrows: Those wounds make our hearts bleed most, which we apprehend given us from his anger, whom we have chosen as our only friend. The Church had that apprehension of God (Lam. 3. 3.) Surely against me is he turned, he turneth his hand against me all the day. The Church speaks, as if God were quite changed, as if he having been her friend, were now turned enemy. So Job; I that was wont to have showers of sweet mercies, shot and darted into my soul, now feel deadly arrows there, shot from the same hand; my spirit was wont to drink in the pleasant influences of Heaven; but now poison drinks up my spirits. I was wont to walk safe, under the guard of divine favors, but now divine terrors assault me on every side. Thirdly observe:

When God appeareth an enemy, man is not able to hold out any longer.

See, how Job (poor soul) cries out as soon as he found, that these were God's arrows, and God's terrors. Job was a man at arms, a man of valor, and of an undaunted courage; A man that had been in many ski • mishes with Satan, and had often, through the power of God, foiled him, and come off with victory. Chaldeans and Sabaeans, were (indeed) too hard for his servants, and conquered his cattle, yet the spirit of Job beat those bands of robbers, and triumphed over them; but, he was never in battle with God before, and perceiving now God himself to appear as an enemy in the field, he cries out, O the terrors of God, O the arrows of the Almighty. When God is angry, no man can abide it. (2 Cor. 5. 11.) Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: We (saith the Apostle) who have felt by experience, or by faith have understood the terror of the Lord: we knowing it experimentally, or knowing it believingly; we, being fully persuaded that the terror of the Lord is most terrible, persuade men; O take heed you put not yourselves under the terror of the Lord, or provoke the terror of the Lord against yourselves. Those terrors of the Lord which come from pure wrath, are altogether intolerable: And those which come from love, and are set in array by the infinite wisdom, and gracious providence of God, ordering all things for good (to his) in the issue, even those are very dreadful, no man, not the holiest of men (and they are the strongest in this war) are able to stand before them. Psal. 38. 2. Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore, there is no soundness in my flesh by reason of thine anger: that is, I am as a man, who hath not a whole piece of skin all his body over, all is a wound: or I am as one, whose flesh is all rotten by reason of his wounds. As Eli speaks to his sons, 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against another, the Judge shall judge him, but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? So, we may say on the other side, if man contend with man, someone may help him, he may have a Second to relieve him; but if once a man be contending with God, who will be his Second? who will undertake for him? who can come in, to the rescue; when God is fighting and contending with us? We wrestle not against flesh and blood, (saith the Apostle, Ephes. 6. 12. when he would show, what a terrible thing it is to wrestle with the Devil) but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickednesses in high places. Flesh and blood is no match for a spirit, though a created spirit, though an unclean spirit, a Devil: how then shall flesh and blood be able to wrestle with the creating Spirit, with him, who is a most holy Spirit, with God, who is The Principality, The Power, The High, the Srong, The Almighty Shaddai. In other battles it is man with man, or at worst, man with Devils; but here it is man with God, weakness and frailty, contending with omnipotency: and therefore when once God appears against the soul, the soul can hold out no longer, His anger, who is The Spirit, quickly drinks up our spiirts. Fourthly observe.

Inward wounds and terrrours are most terrible.

Do not think that the soars upon Jobs body, fetched all these complaint from him. He shows you now, what it was that made him complain indeed, The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the terrors of God set themselves in array against me. As the joys and exultations of the spirit do infinitely exceed all the pleasures which come in from the senses, all bodily pleasures: so the troubles and afflictions which are upon the spirit, infinitely exceed all the troubles and afflictions which fall upon the body. As God hath such comforts, such joys to bestow upon his people, as the world can neither give nor take away; so likewise, he hath terrors and troubles, which all the world is not able to remove or mitigate: There are no medicines in the whole circuit of nature, that can heal a wounded spirit; All your friends, all your relations, all your riches, yea all your natural wisdom, will be but as the white of an egg to your taste, in the day when God smites the heart with these terrors.

These arrows and terrors are often preparatory to conversion; when some men are overcome to receive Christ, an Army of terrors is sent out, to take them captive, and bring them in. There are many (I grant) whom God wounds with love, he shoots an arrow of favor into their hearts, and overcomes them with Troopes of mercies. Again, An army of terrors, is sent out to try the holy courage of those, who are converted, as well as to conquer the unholy enmity of person: unconverted. That was Jobs case here; and these second armies may be as terrible to the soul as the first, and often are more terrible. And (we have such cases) a man that was converted without an army of terrors, may have an army of terror, sent against him after conversion. The dispensations and methods of God are various, though both his rule and end be ever the same; But whether this army of terror comes before conversion, or after conversion; whensoever it comes, it must needs distress the soul exceedingly. A broken spirit is very comfortable, but a wounded spirit is very dreadful: Of a wounded spirit we may say, as I remember the Moralist speaks, concerning those barbarous naked fights, among the Romans, when men fought naked with men; or naked with beasts; Surely (saith he) all the former fights and battles, were sports and mercy to these: So all other troubles, all other terrors, are pleasures and recreations to these; When you come to this bout, when God sends these arrows and arrayeth such an army of terrors against you, fire and sword, stone and goute, are, yea, Hell it self (to present apprehension) is a pleasure. Many under those assaults have thought they should gain by the exchange, and have wished to be in Hell, so they might be out of those terrors.

Few believe this, but they who have had experience of it. As the joys of the spirit, so the terrors of the spirit, are secrets unto most; As the Prophet speaks concerning those carnal ones in his time; If one prophesy unto them of wine and strong drink, he shall even be the Prophet of this people. To prophesy, or to speak unto some of riches, and of honor, and of pleasure, they find some taste in these things, this is wine and strong drink unto them. There is some relish in these things, they understand what you mean; but if you speak unto them of joy in the holy Ghost, of peace of conscience, of the refreshings which are had in communion with Christ; they understand not the language, they know not what is meant. So, on the other side, if you would be a Prophet, or speak, or preach to some of fire and sword, of spoiling and plundering their estates, preach to them of plague and pestilence, preach to them of the gout, and of the stone, of burning fevers, and languishing consumptions; they understand these and are afraid, they even tremble to hear you speak of these things: but preach to them of the arrows of the Almighty, shot into the spirit, of the terrors of God set in array against them; preach to them of trouble of conscience, and the hiding of God's face, they smile at these things, they wonder what you would have, they know no such matters. Spiritual good or evil, is seldom known till felt, yea neither of them is known (to purpose) till it is felt: Spiritual troubles are as little known, till felt, as spiritual joys are: The natural man perceives none of the things of God, he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned: And there is as much spiritualness evidenced in discerning spiritual sorrows and afflictions (our own or others) as there is in discerning our own or others spiritual joys and consolations.

I shall add a word here to those, who live securely, in, or dally with, their sins; Surely, if Job here in the text; if David often in the Psalms, and Heman (Psal. 88. 15.) crieth out, While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted; If these cried out thus of the terrors and arrows of God, then, (I say) Sinners and Secure ones, what will you do, when God bends his bow, and opens his quiver, and shoots his arrows at your naked breasts? What will you do, when God shall bring up armies of terrors to charge upon you? When you hear a Job thus crying out of terrors? How sad will it be to you, who will be a terror to yourselves, as Pashur was threatened, Jer. 20. 4. and God a terror to you likewise? What will you do, when there is a fear round about, and fear within? The sinners of Zion are afraid, fearfullnesse hath surprised the Hypocrites; who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Isa. 33. 14. If they who have a shield of faith to keep off these arrows, and a rock of salvation, Jesus Christ, to hide themselves in, when these armies come to battle against them, are thus afraid; what will become of you, that are unarmed, of you, naked ones, of you, who have no shield, no shelter, no faith, no Christ?

One thing more. Forasmuch, as there are such arrows and terrors sent by God, even against his own, for their trial; Take heed of making arrows against yourselves; Take heed you be not found to raise and prepa • e an army of terrors, against your own souls. All the while men sin, knowingly and presumptuously, they shoot arrows against God, and God may take those arrows and shoot them back into their breasts, he can make their sins recoil upon themselves, and pierce their own hearts with the works of their own hands. Men muster (as it were▪) whole armies of terrors, and levy a bloody war against themselves by willful sinnings. That text, Psal. 50. 21. telleth us, that God will bring the sins of wicked men, as an army against them, I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thine eyes: It is the same Hebrew word, we have in the text, I will set thy sins in array before thine eyes; as if he should say, thou thoughtest all thy sins were scattered and dispersed, that, there was not a sin to be found, that they should never be rallyed and brought together; but I assure thee, I will make an army of those sins, a complete army of them, I will set them in rank and file, before thine eyes, and see how thou canst behold, much less contend with such a host as they. Take heed therefore you do not levy war against your own souls; that's the worst of all civil or intestine wars. If an army of divine terrors be so fearful, what will an army of black, hellish sins be? When God shall bring whole Regiments of sins against you, here a Regiment of oaths, there a Regiment of lies, there a third of false dealings, here a Troope of filthy actions, and here a Legion of unclean, or profane thoughts, all at once fighting against thy life, and everlasting peace.

Lastly, you that have never felt these arrows, nor seen any of these armies, and yet God hath been pleased to discover to you his love in his Christ, see what cause you have to bless God; Or, if you have at any time felt them, and are now again at peace, and if those terrors are removed, and the poison of those arrows sucked out, and the heads of the arrows drawn out; bless God. Do you not hear how Job complains of arrows and of terrors? The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit; the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

The three verses following contain similitudes, taken from nature, by which Job tells on the story of his sorrows, and justifies his complaint. The sense in General is this, as if he had said, I do not cry out without cause; I should be more unreasonable then brute beasts in so doing, The wild Ass doth not bray, when he hath grass, &c. Or thus, We blame not beasts, if they complain, when they have cause: take away grass from the Ass, and fodder from the Ox; Pinch them with hunger, and they will tell you of it, in their language; they will low and bray, till you understand they want meat; Therefore surely you have no reason thus to find fault with me, or to charge me so heavily, because I have complained, when my grass and fodder, my comforts and my necessaries are taken from me: Nor is it any wonder, if you complain not, who have contentments to the full, and know not (by experience) what sorrow meaneth.

The Hebrew word for a wild Ass, comes from a root, signifying, To bring forth: and the reason is given, because wild beasts usually are more fruitful, and bring forth more plentifully than the tame. The word also notes wild in general; and is applied to wild and savage men, who delight in wild beasts, or wild places forests and wildernesses. So (Gen. 16. 12.) God speaks of Ishmael, whom Hagar bare unto Abraham, that he should be A wild man, that is, wild among men; or as a wild asse among men, strong and active, delighting in fields and forests.

Doth the wild Ass (saith Job) bray, when he hath grass? When the asse hath meat he is quiet; You hear not of him: but if he want g • affe, he brayes and makes a dismal noise (Jer. 14. 6.) The wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons, their eyes did fail, because there was no grass, speaking of a time of drought and famine; The wild asse is very impatient, both of hunger and of thirst. And therefore the rivers are (by name) assigned to them for drink, Psal. 104. 10, 11. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild Asses quench their thirst. Hence wild asses are observed by natural Historians to delight in, and frequent rivers and springs.

To which that profane fiction of the Roman Historian (in abuse of the Jews) hath relation; who speaking of the travels of the Israelites, through the wilderness, tells us (to obscure the miracle. which God wrought for them) that they being ready to die with thirst, at last espied a company of wild asses upon a rock: which advantage Moses took, and presently followed them, knowing that they would lead him to the waters, if any were to be had in those parts. In pursuance of which lie, Plutarch affirms, that the Jews worshipped an asse, as a Deity, which they had in special honor and veneration, for that famous deliverance. Upon this stock of lies, the Heathen grafted that usual scorn against the Christians, That they worshipped the head of an asse. As that great Assertour of the Christian. honor against Heathenish cavils and hellish imputations hath observed.

But, that is a harmless and a witty observation (how solid I leave the Reader to judge) which hath been hinted from this natural thirstiness of the wild asse: namely, that the Lord gave Sampson water out of the jaw-bone of an asse, Judge. 15. 19. thereby advancing the miracle, that a dead bone of that thirsty creature should be made a spring of water to revive him, who was ready to die with thirst.

The intendment of this digression, is only to clear up the text, by showing that the wild asse is most fitly instanced in, to show the great cause which Job had to cry out, as he did of his afflictions; forasmuch as the wild asse (who is so greedy • grass and thirsty after the waters) will not bray for either till he is afflicted with the want.

This carries the same meaning with the former instance; that being in wild creatures, and this in tame: as if Job had said, look amongst all sort of cattle, wild or tame, you shall find they are content, when they have food convenient for them. And hereupon grounds his argument, that if bruits led only by sense and appetite complain not without reason, then surely he, at least a reasonable creature, had reason to complain, or else he had not complained. Hence, Observe;

First, Bruit beasts complain not without cause.

They complain not till want provokes them. Surely, men are more then brutish, who complain when they have no want: But most of all, They, who are not content with abundance. Some are discontent, not only, though they have daily bread, and (as the Apostle speaks) Food and raiment (wherewith all should be content) but though they have store of bread and clothing laid up for many years. Shall not the ox or asse condemn these, who bray and low, when they have grass and fodder plenty, when they stand continually at rack and manger. By whom shall these men be accused think you? We shall not need to send for the Angels out of heaven, to witness against them; No, we may call the wild beasts, and bid them be witness: we may empannel, A Jury of asses and oxen to pass a verdict upon such men. As God upbraides his people in case of their ingratiude for mercies, The Ox knows his owner, and the Ass his Masters crib; and (Jer. 8. 7.) in case of their neglect of judgments. The Stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, and the crane; and the turtle, and the swallow observe the time of their coming, but my people doth not know the judgment of the Lord. As if the Lord had said, whither shall I go to fetch witness against this people; shall I go up to heaven for Angels, or call in men out of other Nations? No I need go but to the air for birds, for the turtle, the crane and the swallow; anything in nature will serve to condemn them, who act against, or below the dictates of Nature. Men are worse then beasts, when they do worse. Their preeminence of constitution is lost in the baseness of their actions: and they put themselves by so much inferior to beasts, by how much they were placed above them. The Psalmist charges it sadly upon himself, that he walked in the sphere of a beast, So foolish was I and ignorant, I was a beast before thee (Psal. 73. 22) How sadly then shall they be charged, who walk in a sphere below beasts, who are more foolish and ignorant then a beast. Take heed of complaining without cause; if beasts are satisfied with what is agreeable to nature, man should be so much more, When Nature hath not enough, Grace hath all. Grace will not bray or low, when there is no grass, no fodder: surely then they have a scarcity of grace in their hearts, who bray and low over their grass and fodder. Spiritual accommodations will make a good heart forget temporal incommodities; and it is reason they should God promiseth (Isa. 30. 20.) Though I give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet thy teachers shall no more be removed into a corner, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. As if he had said, though your bodies are coarsely fed, yet your souls shall be feasted; Good cheare shall daily be served into them, both at your eyes and ears, Thine eyes shall see thy teachers and thou shalt hear a voice behind thee. Thy sight and thy hearing shall be refreshed with heavenly Messengers and good news from heaven Now besides this promise expressed, there is a duty implied in the text, namely, that because their spirits were so well fed, therefore they must not complain, though their flesh come short in feeding. The bread of affliction should be pleasant to us, while we eat Gospeldainties. In these times God gives more plenty of spiritual food than formerly, yet many complain, because their natural bread is shortened; Remember beasts complain not, when they have what is suitable to nature, then let not Christians complain, when they have what is suitable to grace, though nature have but spare diet, and short commons.

He proceeds to another similitude. It is, as if Job had said, Nature will complain, when it wants meat, yea oftentimes nature will complain, when it wants pleasant meat. Nature is not pleased, if it want a grain of salt, if it have not sauce, it is not satisfied. Therefore, surely I am to be borne with, and not to be charged thus deeply, who complain; when you offer me that which is unsavory, when you give me meat without salt, without sauce, without anything to render it, either pleasing to my palate, or easy to my digestion: Unless I were senseless like a stock or a stone, how should I not disrelish and disgust sapless, saltlesse, how much more, bitter things.

The word, which we render unsavorie, is the same used, Chap. 1. ver. 22. which we there opened at large; Job did not charge God with folly or foolishly, or he spake not unsavorily of God.

There is a threefold application of that word in Scripture.

1. To unpleasant meats.

2. To untempered mortar.

3. To indiscreet speeches, which want the seasoning either of wit, wisdom, or of truth, Lam. 2. 14. Thy Prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee; Lying visions without truth, vain words without wisdom. So here, Can that which is unsavourie be eaten without salt?

Seasoning makes unsavory things sweet; As salt gives a relish to meat, so wisdom and wit to words. And therefore the Latins express wise, witty speeches, pleasant discourse, a good grace in speaking, and a salt, by the same word.

There is another Interpretation of that word, which we render b without: for some understand it, not as a Preposition, governing the word Salt, but as a compound word, noting the oldness or stalenesse of meat, wherein the very salt it self is putrefied; and so whereas we say, Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? They translate thus, Can that which is unsavory through the corruption of salt be eaten? Or, can that meat be eaten, which having been salted, is now putrefied? Salt which keeps meat from corruption, may in time be overcome with the corruption of the meat. And a learned Interpreter gives the reason why he rather chooseth this interpretation of the word, because (saith he) it carries a stronger Emphasis with it; Job speaks as of a thing (in a manner) unpossible to be done; Now it is very possible to eat unsavory meat, without salt? A good appetite will down with unpleasant food, and hunger will dispence much with Cookery. But when seasoned or salted meat corrupts and putrifies, whose stomach doth not loath and abhor it? Therefore it is a fuller, and a more flat denial to say, Can that which is unsavory thorough the corruption of salt, be eaten then? Then to say, Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt?

These words are much obscured, by most Translators, and have found almost as many expositions, as Expositors. Some translate thus, Is there any taste in that, which being taken brings death? So the Vulgar; Doubtless a man hath but little pleasure to taste that, which tasted, will be his death: So the words are an aggravation of the unsavoriness of those things, which were offered him by his friends; to touch or take them, was to take poison, or to drink in a deadly cup.

To clear up this Exposition, they make the Hebrew word (Challamuth) which we translate, Egg, a compound, from Muth, signifying to die, whence Maueth, death; and Chala, signifying froth or foam, or from Chali, signifying infirmity: As if the word having these parts put together, had this sense, The froth and foam of death. Or, The infirmity of death: That is, deadly froth, on deadly infirmity. As if he had said, is there any pleasing taste, in the spettle of dying men, who we know often foam and froth at their mouths, when they lie drawing on.

Others thus, Is there any taste in the spettle of a healthy man. The word (Rir) which we translate white, signifies spettle or froth; As when David acted the mad-man before the King of Gath, it is said, that he let his spettle fall down upon his beard, 1 Sam. 21. 13. And the word which we translate, Egg, signifies Health, and the verb, to be healthy. Chap. 39. 4. of this book, Their young ones are in good liking. So, Isa. 38. verse. 16. But I leave this, as a very diseased and sickly Interpretatiion.

I shall therefore pass from these, to our own rendering, Is there any taste in the white of an Egg? The word signifies strictly, but the yolke of the Egg, so M ^r Broughton, Is there any taste in the white of the yolke? And in the root to wax fat or strong; and it is therefore taken for the yolke of the Egg, because that is the fatter, grosser, and more condense part of the Egg. As the white being the thinner, and much like spettle, is therefore expressed by a word, which also signifies spettle.

The white of an egg, is an embleame of things, without taste or savor. And so the sum of all is, that Job in this place by a Proverbiall speech (for so I take this to be) intends only thus much, that he had very infipid tastlesse things presented to him; such as he found to relish at all in, such as no way raised his appetite or quickened his stomach to receive them, all were unseason'd and flat. In the next words he goes yet higher, even to the highest Antipathy against them.

Here is the application and explication of both the former similitudes. The things which my soul refused; that is, the things which I exceedingly refused or abhominated, (The soul is here taken for the appetite) As to desire with the soul, notes a strong intension of desire, (Isa. 26. 9.) With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early That is, I have most vehemently desired, and in my most retired▪ thoughts sought the Lord, When the soul is expressed to do that which nothing can do but the soul, it imports the highest actings of the soul in doing it. To desire with the soul, implies the sweetest delight, and so to refuse with the soul, implies the bitterest aversation, a refusal to the uttermost. The word, refuse, is proper to the nauseating of the stomach; at the sight of any filthy thing, (Isa. 30. 22.) Thou shalt defile the covering of the graven images, &c. Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth, thou shalt say unto them, get ye hence. So here, the things which my soul refuseth, as a man refuses a filthy clout, or, as he should refuse that which is most loathsome, then any filthy clout, an Image or an Idol.

These things (saith he) are now my sorrowful meat, or, the meat of my sorrow; The terms of the latter clause are at farthest distance from, and opposition with that which went before. Not to touch a thing, notes the greatest aversation from it; and to have a thing given us as meat, notes our greatest communion with it. That which a man will not touch with his finger, how far is he from chewing it between his teeth, or letting it down into his stomach, and digesting it into himself? So that Jobs meaning seems to be this, that, what he desired to be the greatest stranger from, was now offered to his nearest familiarity and acquaintance. He was now (as it were) to eat, what before he would not touch, This we call sorrowful meat. Psal. 127. 2. We read of the bread of sorrow, that is bread gotten with sorrow, bread eaten with sorrow or course bread, As bread of pleasure (Dan. 10. 3.) is fine bread: here sorrowful meat is either unpleasant meat, or any meat eaten in that time of his sorrow.

That relative (the Things) is not in the Hebrew, and so we may render word for word thus, my soul refused to touch them as my sorrowful meat. Or as another, My mind refuses to touch them; these are plainly, the very sickness of my meat. As if he had said: I am so far, from being refreshed with these that (the truth is) they make my very meat, and so my whole life unpleasant to me.

Mr. Broughton varies the latter clause: Those things which I have loathed to touch, are now the very sickness of my flesh. The word (Lechem) which we translate meat, or prepared flesh, signifies also living flesh, in the Syriac and Arabic languages, as the learned Grammarians observe: Besides, we render the word (Lechem) flesh, Zeph. 1. 17. Their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung, Hence he translates, These things are to me as the sickness of my flesh; That is, the things which my soul refused to touch, are now brought very near, and laid close upon me, as sickness or soars cleave unto, and are in the flesh, or they trouble me as much as the sickness of my flesh.

The right application of these words, is as difficult as the translation of them; there are divers ways to make out the sense; I shall reduce them unto two: Either, first, That all these unsavory, tastlesse, sorrowful meats; which Job speaks of, are but the shadows of his afflictions and troubles, received from the hand of God. Or, Secondly, That they are shadows of the counsels and reproofs, which he had received from the mouth of his friends.

First, Some refer and apply all to the troubles, which were upon Job: and so these words are a fuller justification of himself, that he had great cause to complain, because his grass and fodder, that is comforts suitable to man's nature (as they to a beasts) were taken from him, and he was now fed and dieted with unsavory meat, meat without salt, the white of an egg, distasteful grievous afflictions, very gall and wormwood; The things which heretofore my soul refused to touch, are as my meat; I am put (as it were) to feed upon that, which I would not willingly come near: poverty and soars, sorrows and worms are my companions, and my cates.

From that sense note, What at one time we loath, at another time may be our diet. We have a saying, what is one man's meat, is another man's poison; but it may fall out to the same man, that what he disgusted and avoided as poison he shall be constrained to receive for his meat and portion. Lam. 4. 5. They that did feed delicately, are desolate in the streets, they that were brought up in scarlet, embrace dunghills: When those gallants were in scarlet, how did their souls loath to touch a dunghill? they loathed to touch it with their feet, but now they must hug it in their arms, and lay it in their bosoms; they embrace dunghills. How many have been brought from faring deliciously, from wearing purple and fine linen every day, to scraps and rags, to hunger and nakedness every day. The Lord threatens the nice delicate dames of Jerusalem with such things, as their proud spirits and naughty souls refused to touch, Isa. 3. 24. It shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell, there shall be a stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding with sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. Take heed of coynesse and curiosity: many a dainty tooth hath been taught by hunger, to knaw bones, and water for a crust of bread.

Observe secondly, That which makes afflictions most grievous to us, is the unsuitableness of our spirits to afflictions: Delight and content, consist in suitableness of the object to our affections and desires. God offers spiritual food to the natural man, but his soul refuses to touch it; he loathes Angels food, and is weary of the manna of the word; The precious Gospel, the bread of life, is an affliction to him, because his heart is unsuitable to it; how will such be afflicted at the last, when they find, That, as their sorrowful meat forever, which their souls will forever refuse to touch. They, who loath Christ and his ways, shall find nothing in the end to feed upon but what is most contrary to their appetite, even fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest, these shall be the portion of their cups, and the meat in their dish forever. How sorrowful will that meal be?

But we may rather apply all to the words of Eliphaz, in the two former Chapters: And Jobs ready submission in the first and second Chapters, to the afflicting hand of God, argues for him that afflictions, how grievous soever, were not the things which his soul refused to touch. And the apprehension of a learned interpreter, atisfies me in it, This sense (saith he) is too low for a man afflicted with troubles, far above these, which concerned his outward man. The Septuagint are expressly for this opinion, who translate those words, Is there any taste in the white of an egg? thus Is there any taste in vain words? they are so far off the judgment that these unsavory things, the things which Jobs soul refused to touch, and the white of the egg, in the Text, are all meant of vain words, that they put it into the very text. It is a usual boldness with them, and a very unwarrantable one, to vary so from the words of the Original, and make their gloss the text, but it shows us, how strongly they were engaged to that sense; Most of the Greek writers concur with them in it, viz. that Joh aims at the counsels and speeches of Eliphaz, which wanted the seasoning of wisdom and prudence, yea of truth and soundness, as applied to the spirit of so sick a man, as Job was.

And besides, many moderne writers are clear in the same apprehension, giving the sum of all plainly to this effect, as the mind of Job in those fore going passages; I would not have complained of the things which ye have spoken, if they had been meat for me, but I assure you, your counsels are not nourishing: I can find no food, much less any sweetness or fatness in them; Your counsels want the due seasoning of wisdom, and the right temperament of holy zeal: They are either unsavory or tastlesse, sapless stuff; Such, as I am so far from being refreshed with, that indeed they are a burden to me; and the remedy you prescribe me, is worse then my disease. How can you expect, that I should submit or subscribe to what you have spoken, or that I should rest and acquiesse in your reproofs or advices, seeing I assure you, they are not for me, they hit my state or spirit no more, then unsavory meat doth my palate; or that which I abhor to touch, can please my taste: And therefore, with my soul, I refuse and reject what you have spoken; And you have not only not satisfied me all this while, but you have vext or tired me, and instead of mitigating my sorrows, have added to them.

But an objection arises against this; and one of the Ancients is very angry with those, who make this application to the counsels of Eliphaz, as if Job had rejected them, as unfit food, and unsavory meat. Let no man (saith he) think that this holy man despised the counsel of his friend, who himself was humble, as a fervant.

To which I answer, That the counsels of Eliphaz, are to be considered, either in the doctrine, or in the use. His counsels, in the doctrine of them; were good and savoury, he spake wholesome food; but as to Jobs case, he was quite mistaken in their use: and so instead of easing, troubled him. A Physician may give his sick patient; that which is good in it self, very cordial and sovereign, and yet it may kill him instead of curing him, if it be not proper for his body, and his disease. Thus it is also in giving counsel what we speak, must be fitted to the person, and to the season; There are many good counsels, of which we may say, as Hushai did of Ahithophel's, ill ones, 2 Sa. 17. 7. They are not good at this time. That which is good counsel to a man at one time, may be, or might have been, ill, to the same man at another, I have many things to say, saith Christ, but ye cannot bear them now, Joh. 16. 12. And that which one man can bear, another cannot at the same time. And therefore the Apostle was made all things to all men, 1 Cor. 9. 2. And accounted himself debtor, both to the wise, and to the foolish, to the learned and unlearned, to the weak, and to the strong; that is, he looked upon it as his duty, to speak truths, suiting the state of every degree and sort of men; which is the meaning of his rule to all the dispencers of holy mysteries, that they divide the word aright: The rightness respects, not only, or not so much the subject or word divided, as the object, or persons to whom the division is to be made, in giving everyone his portion, or food convenient for him. One man may surfeit with that which another digests kindly, what fattens a second, may sicken or starve a third. This plainly is the meaneing of Job; what Eliphaz had said, was not savoury food for him, nor dressed for one in his condition: His soul did even refuse to touch, what he spake, because his soul was not of that temper, for which Eliphaz had fitted his speech; He was a Physician of no value to him, because he brought a wrong potion, and mistook his case; his was good searching physic for the foul stomach, and gross spirit of a hypocrite: but it is enough to kill the heart of an upright-heart, when God seems angry with him, and appears against him, when he is smitten without. and smitten within, by sore afflictions of mind and body; then for his comforters to smite him with their tongues, to lay at him with hard words, and wound him with their unreasonable jealousies, then for his counselors and helpers to be angry with, and opposite against him too. Observe hence;

That not only words untrue, but words misapplied, are unsavory, and may be dangerous. They are no food, and they may be poison. Prudence in applying, is the salt and seasoning of what is spoken. As a word spoken in the right season is precious, and upon the wheel, so is a word right placed: When that faith full Prophet (Ezek. 13.) reproves the false prophets, he saith, They daubed with untempered mortar; ver. 10. it is the word of the text: and why was theirs untempered mortar? even, because they applied the word of God wrong. They made sad the hearts of those, whom God would have refreshed, and they cheered the spirits of those, whom God would have saddened; they slay the souls that should not die, and save the souls alive, that should not live; This was untempered mortar: The Apostle advises all, Col. 4 6. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt. And speech must be seasoned, not only with the fault of truth, but with the salt of wisdom and discretion: and therefore the Apostle adds, that ye may know how to answer everyone; that is, that you may give every man an answer, fitting his case, and the present constitution of his spirit. Of some have compassion (saith the Apostle Jude, ver. 22.) making a difference, and others save with fear. This shows the holy skill of managing the word of God, when we make a difference of our patients, by our different medicines, and not serve all out of the same box. Hence our Lord calleth those great Teachers of the Gospel, and dispensers of his Oracles, Light, and Salt; You are the Light of the world, and you are the salt of the earth, because they were to speak savoury things to every person, to every palate, as well, as to enlighten them with knowledge, and prevent or cure the corruption of their manners, and keep their lives sweet. As there is an unsavoriness in persons, when they are mis-employed, so there is an unsavoriness in speeches, when they are mis-applied. The history of the Church, speaks of one Eccebolius, who changed religion so often, and was so unsettled, that at last he cast himself down at the congregation door, and said, Trample upon me, for I am unsavory salt. And that word (though in itself a truth) which is unseasonably delivered, or unduly placed, may be cast at the doors of the Congregation, to be trampled on, for (in this sense) it is unsavory salt; Such corrupt the word, and their's is, but corrupt communication, such as cannot minister grace unto the hearers, and often grieves the holy Spirit of God. These work-men, for their ill division of the word of God, have reason enough to be ashamed; and the Lord may justly reprove them, as he did Jobs friends, Chap. 42. 7. Ye have not spoken of me (nor of my ways) the thing that is right.

IN the former part of this Chapter, we have had Job defending his former complaint of life, and his desire of death. In this context, from the 8th verse, unto the end of the 12th, he reneweth and reinforceth that desire. He not only maintains and justifies what he had done, but doth it again; begging for death as heartily and importunately, as he did in the third Chapter, O that I might have my request! and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

The request it self, is laid down in the 8 ^•h and 9 ^•h verses: and the reasons strengthening it, in the 10, 11, and 12, verses. So, these 5 verses are reduceable to these two heads;

• 1. The renewing of his desire to die.
• 2. An enlargement of reasons confirming that desire.

It is such a vehement desire, and so expressed, as David's was, 2 Sam. 23. 15. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. David did not long more to taste a cup of that water, then Job did to taste the cup of death.

The sum and scope of Jobs thoughts in this passage, may be conceived thus. He would assure his friends, that his faith was firm, and his comforts flowing from it, very sweet; That, it was not impatience under the troubles of this life, but assurance of the comforts of the next; which caused him so often to call for death. That, these comforts caused his heart to triumph and glory in the very approaches of the most painful death, and made him despise, and lightly to esteem all the hopes of life. That, he was gone further then the motives which Eliphaz used, from the hopes of a restitution to temporal happiness: he now was pitched upon, and lodged in the thoughts of eternal happiness. That, he called for death, not, as that, with which he had made any Covenant, or was come to any agreement with, but only, as that, which would bring him to his desired home, The one Thing he desired. That his comforts had not a foundation in a grave, where all things are forgotten, but in the Covenant of God, who remembers mercy forever; and therefore, it should not trouble him, to die, before he was restored to health, riches and honor (which his friends proposed to him, as a great argument of comfort, and of patience) For in death he should have riches and glory; and hence it was, that he had rather endure the extremist pains of death, then stay to receive any outward comforts in this life. His desires to be dissolved, were not so much, from the sense of his present pain (for he would harden himself to endure, yet more) as from the apprehension of future joy; This, was not a fancy or a dream, but he had good proof, and real evidence of it in the whole course of his life which had been as a continued acting of the word of God, and to a fitting him for nearest communion with God. This in general.

The letter of the Hebrew runneth thus, Who would give me, that my request, or that my petition might come. He had sent up a request, a prayer, a prayer for death, and he thought his prayer too long gone upon that message; Prayer was not quick enough in its return from Heaven, every hour was a year till he heard of it, therefore (saith he) O that somebody would give me, that my request might come back again unto me! The word whereby he expresses his request, notes a very strong desire, a strong cry, a strong prayer; implying, that Job had sent up mighty requests, or strong cries about it. As it is said of our Lord Christ, Heb. 5. That in the days of his flesh, he sent up strong cries unto God, who was able to deliver him; Christ sent up strong cries to be delivered from death, and Job sent up strong cries for death. A word of the same root, signifies the grave; the grave is a craving, a begging thing; the grave is never satisfied, as it is in the Proverbs, The grave saith not, it is enough: And the grave is therefore expressed by a word that signifies to desire, or request, or to ask a thing importunately; because, the grave, hath a mouth, as it were, continually open to ask, and beg, and cry out for more morsels, it consumeth all, and is never full; such a desire Job put forth for death.

It is a repetition of the same desire, in other words. What it is to long, hath been opened in the third Chapter, ver. 21. Who long for death: Here Job reneweth the same suit again, O that I might have the thing that I long for! or the thing which I expect with great expectation and vehemency of affection. I shall not stay upon it: But only give you the general sense a little varied.

In this passage, Job shows himself assured, that his comforts should not end, though his life ended, before he was restored to earthly comforts. And he thus seems to answer Eliphaz, who had made large promises of outward felicity. I am not stayed at all in my desires to die, because I may possibly live in greater worldly honor and fullness, then ever I enjoyed: All that is in the creature, is below wy longing, I have not a sweet tooth after worldly dainties: I shall not envy any who cut-live me to enjoy them, let them divide my portion, whatsoever it may be, among them also: The thing which I long for, is death (not for it self) but as that, which will bring me to the last of my ill days, and the first of my best. Jobs thoughts were in a higher form then his friends: They thought a golden offer of riches, would have made him a gogge to live. But Jobs heart lived above these, even upon the riches of eternal life; To enjoy which, he even longs for temporal destruction, and cutting off.

I have spoken at large in the third Chapter, concerning the lawfulness of such a request, and how far Job might be approved in it; therefore I need not discuss it here; Only observe in general, That

A praying soul, is an expecting soul.

Job had prayed, and prayed earnestly, and though it was but a prayer to die, yet he lived in the expectation of an answer. When prayer is sent up unto God, then the soul looks for it's return. Prayer is as seed sown: After this spiritual husbandry, the soul waits for the precious fruits of Heaven. Psal. 62. 1. My soul waiteth upon God; and (Psal. 85. 8.) I will hearken what the Lord God will say; Job had sent up his request, and now he was hearkening for an answer. O that I might have the thing that I look for! Habbakkuk in the second of that prophecy, verse 1. having prayed about the great concernments of those times, resolves, I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the Tower, and will watch to see, what he will say unto me. They who send Ambassadors to foreign Princes, wait for a return. Thus it is with the soul, having put up it's request and sent an Embassy to God.

Observe, Secondly.

Answer of our prayer is the grant of God.

Nothing stands between us and our desires, but his will. If he sign our petition, no creature can hinder us of our expectation.

Observe, Thirdly,

God often keeps the petitions of his servants, by him unanswered.

Observe, Fourthly,

The return of prayer is the souls solace and satisfaction.

As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from that far Country, Prov. 25. 25. O that my request might come; and O that I might have the thing that I long for!

Would you know what his request was? He explains that in the 9 ^•h verse, and a man would wonder, that one should be so very earnest to have such a request. Many have prayed to God to save and deliver them, but how unnatural doth this prayer seem, to be cut off and destroyed? Yet the thing which Job doth more then pray for, long for, is this, That it would please God to destroy him. and that he would let loose his hand and cut him off.

Some read, That he who hath begun, would make an end in destroying of me; For the word signifies both to be willing to do a thing, and likewise to begin to do a thing; therefore they make out the sense thus, That he who hath begun thus to destroy me, to tear and consume me, would finish his work, and make an end of me; As if Job had said, I am already near unto destruction, a borderer upon the grave. God hath begun to destroy me, I would have him to go on and perfect that work. As in works of mercy, Deut. 32. 4. He is the Rock, and his work is perfect. When he begins to deliver, he will make an end. So likewise, when he begins to destroy, he can make an end too; Job desires, that his afflictions might be perfected, to the destruction of his dying body, and that mercy might begin in the triumphs of his soul.

But rather take it in the other sense, as we render it, To be willing to do a thing; Even that it would please God, or, even that God would be willing to destroy me! As if he had said, I find as it were a kind of unwillingness in God, to make an end of me, his bowels seem to yearn over me, he seems yet to be upon the dispute, whether to cut me quite off, or no: now I even desire that God would lay aside that his tenderness and compassion, that he would determine and resolve to destroy me, that he would acquiesce, and fully rest satisfied in that resolution.

The word here used, to destroy, notes to beat a thing to powder, or to beat a thing to pieces, Psal. 143. 3. He hath smitten my life down to the ground, that is, He hath beaten me as it were to dirt: So Job here, I would have the Lord even beat me to dust or dirt. The word is used for contrition of spirit, Isa. 57. 15. I dwell with him that is of an humble heart, and of a contrite spirit: That is, with him, that hath a spirit beaten to powder, or all to pieces, as any hard thing is with a hammer or pestle; A hard heart, is a heart all in a lump, condensate and closed together; but an humble, a repenting heart, is a heart beaten small and ground to powder; Thus Job desires here, O that it would please God to beat my life down to dust, and break me all to shatters; that he would crush me (as Eliphaz spake in the 14 ^th Chapter, ver. 19.) as a Moth.

Observe then in how sad a condition, Job was, who not only makes, but renews such a request, as this. Some upon a sudden pang wish to die, and hastily call for death, yet are willing it should take it's own time, and come leisurely: and as soon as death appears, they are crying, as hard for life. It is rare for any man's second thoughts, to keep up, to such desires. Job spake once, and he speaks it over again; O that I might die, yea he woos destruction, and is an importunate suitor for the grave. How sad is a man's outward condition, when he hath only this complaint left, that he cannot die? when a man hath no help, but in destruction, or healing but in a deeper wound? Job in this appears like a man (that is to be pressed to death) lying under a heavy weight, yet the weight not heavy enough to crush him to death, he cries out, more weight, more weight. It will be a kindness to crush out my breath and bowels; the greatest favor I expect in this world, is, but to have more weight laid upon them, that I may die. Some of the Martyrs, when the fire was scant, have cried out, more fire. The cruellest flame was their friend, and the more the fire raged the more merciful it was to them. The book of our Martyrs reports of reverend Latimer, that when he was giving witness to the truth, and glorifying the name of Christ in the fire; he cried out, Oh, I cannot burn, the fire came not fast enough upon him. Such this expression of Job seems to be, Oh, I cannot die, I cannot be destroyed, I cannot perish yet; O that the hand of God would lay more weight upon me, that I might die. He seems to ask such a courtesy, as that Amalekite▪ said, King Saul craved of him, 2 Sam. 1. 9. Stand I pray thee upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. This is the favor, the only favor, that remains for me. I am capable of no worldly comfort, but a quicker dispatch out of the world.

Here is the same Petition, though other language, That he would let loose his hand. That's an elegant expression; The word signifies to loose the bond, that a man may have use of his hands or feet. As prisoners are loosed, Psal. 146. 2. The Lord looseth the prisoners: So that it is, as if Job had said, Lord thou hast been smiting and wounding me, but I see thou hast not given thy hand the full scope, thy hand is as it were bound or tied behind thee: As you know, a man that hath great advantage of another, or is much his over-mach, will say to him, I will fight with thee with my hand tied behind me. The truth is, God is able to contend with all the creatures, with his hand bound behind him, with his hands fast bound, that is, without putting forth the least part (to speak on) of his power; He can overcome with speaking; Job observing here, that God contended with him (as it were) with his hands bound or tied up, desires now that, God would give himself full scope, and put out his strength, and not strike, as if his hand were a prisoner. And he may have a respect in speaking thus to the restraint or binding up of Satan's power, In this work Satan was God's hand; God put power into the hand of Satan, All that he hath, is in thy power, or in thy hand, Chap. 1. 12. First, God loosened Satan's hand, to take away his estate. Next, he let loose his hand a little further to the afflicting of his body; but saith God, spare his life, there he bound up his hand again. Now Job alluding (probably) to that restraint: Lord (saith he) loosen thy hand a third time, do not only loosen it, to take away my estate, to take away my health and strength, but O that thou wouldest loosen it, to take away my life too, enlarge I pray thee Satan's Commission, who is thy hand, let it quite loose, that he may make an end of me, and cut me off.

The word here used to cut off, comes up to heighten Jobs sense still, signifying to cut off, with an insatiable appetite of revenge; As if he should say, Cut me off, spare me not, spare not my blood, do it, as they, who are most greedy of blood, and thirst most vehemently after revenge. Let Satan, that blood-sucker, come with as great revenge (thy hand being loosened from restraining his) as ever the greatest Tyrant hastened with, to suck the blood of innocents; Let him greedily cut me off, even, as if he were to have some great gain, or get some rich booty by my blood; What profit is there in my blood? (saith David, Psal. 30. 9.) Let him make what profit he can of my blood, saith Job The word signifies to covet or desire gain; And it notes the worst kind of covetousness, covetousness of filthy lucre, or covetousness of bloody lucre. Hence Job saith: Let God cut me off, as if he were to have profit, or raise himself a revenue out of my blood; or let Satan come upon me, and take his penny-worths out of my blood, let him murder me, as if he were to find all manner of treasure in my bowels, and could thence fill and adorn all his chambers of darkness with spoils. We may note from hence;

First, That God dispenseth and acteth his power as he pleaseth. He looseth his hand gradually, as to him seemeth good.

First, To the estate, then to the body, and when he wills, he can reach the life. Secondly observe;

If God put out his power, no creature can stand before it. If God do but let loose his hand, man is cut off presently; It is but as a little twig, or as grass before the since, or before a sword, there is no more in it. As when God openeth the hand of his mercy; he satisfieth the desire of every living thing, Psal. 145. 2. So when God looseth the hand of his judgments, he takes away the life and comforts of every living thing. God hath a hand full of blessings and mercies; if he please but to open that hand, all things are filled with comfort: God hath another hand full of judgments and afflictions; if he open or loosen that, all creatures fall before him, like a withered leaf. The reason why the enemies of God live and are mighty, is because God doth not fully loosen his hand against them: if he would but unprison his power, and let out his hand, he can with ease destroy, and cut them off in a moment. Therefore the prophet prays but for this one thing, Psalm. 74. 11. That God would pluck his hand out of his bosom; why with drawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom: Lord (saith he) this is the reason, why enemies yet prevail, thy hand is tied up, that is, Thine owe act hath tied up thy hand, thy will stays thy power, or thy power is hid in thy will. God's power kept in by his will, is his hand in his bosom. Among men, a hand in the bosom, is the emblem of sloth, Prov, 19 24. Man hides his hand in his bosom, because he will not be at the pains to work: God is said to hide his hand in his bosom, when it is not his will and pleasure to work: therefore he saith: Lord, if thou wouldest but let loose, and put out thy hand, all mine enemies shall be consumed. And that's the reason, why there are such various dispensations of providence in these times; when the enemy prevails, God with draweth his hand, he keepeth his hand in his bosom. And when at any time his servants have victory, it is, because his hand hath liberty. If God holds his hand, men stretch forth theirs in vain.

Observe; Thirdly,

Assurance of a better life will carry the soul with joy through the sorrows and bitterest pains of death.

It was not any Stoical apathy, or ignorant regardlessenesse of life which raised the heart of Job to these desires. He did not invite his end, like a Roman, or a philosopher, or by the height and gallantry of natural courage, set the world at naught, and bid defiance to destruction. But he had laid up a good foundation against this day; upon this he builds his confidence. He knew, as Paul, that he had Christ, while he lived, and should have gain when he died; The joy which was set before him made him overlook the cross which was before him. So much of his request, now he tells us the consequence, or effect it would have upon him, in case it were granted.

If I had but this suit granted, I were refreshed, notwithstanding all my sorrows, the very hope of death would revive me. Nothing doth so much refresh the soul, as the hearing of a Prayer, and the grant of a desire; when desire cometh it is as a tree of life (saith Solomon) therefore Job might well say, when my longing comes, I shall have comfort; and lest any should think, that as David would not drink the water he so longed for, when it was brought unto him: So when the cup of death should be brought to Job, he might put it off somewhat upon those terms which David did, and say, I will not drink it, for it is my blood, my death: therefore he adds,

As if he had said, though some call hastily for death, and repent with as much haste, when death comes, yet not I, I would harden myself, &c.

The Hebrew (to harden) hath a three-fold signification among the Jewish writers, though it be used but this once only in all the Scripture. And hence there is a three-fold interpretation of these words, I would harden myself in sorrow, It signifies,

• 1 To Pray or to beseech.
• 2 To heat or to Warm, yea to scorch and to burn.
• 3 To harden or to strengthen, strengthening is hardening in a metaphor.

According to the first sense, the text is rendered thus, Then should I yet have comfort, yea, I would pray in my sorrow, that is, I would pray yet more, for an increase of my sorrow, that I might be cut off: If I had any hope, that my request should be granted, this hope would quicken my desire, and I would pray yet more, that I might obtain it.

Secondly, as the word signifies to warm or to heat, the sense is given thus, Then should I have comfort, yea I would warm myself in my sorrow: And so it refers it to those refreshings, which his languishing soul, his soul chilled, as it were, with sickness and sorrows, should receive, upon the news of his approaching death. This news (saith he) would be as warm clothes to me, it would fetch me again, out of my fainting, to heart of dying. But, besides a warming or a refreshing heat, the word also notes scorching, burning heat. Mr. Broughton takes that signification of the word; I shall touch that, and his sense upon it, by and by.

We translate according to the third usage of the word. I would harden myself; and so the construction is very fair, I should yet have comfort, yea, I would harden myself in sorrow, that is, I would now set myself to endure the greatest sorrows and afflictions, which could come upon me, for the destroying and cutting off the thread of my life. And so, he seems in these words to prevent an objection before hinted; Why Job, dost thou desire to be cut off, and to be destroyed? thou hast more pain upon thee already, then thou art able to bear; thou criest out of what thou hast: thou must think, when death comes, thy wound will be deeper, and thy pain sharper? Job seems to answer, I have considered that before, I know there will be a hard brunt at parting, I prepare for it, and am thus resolved I would harden myself in sorrow; that is, I would set myself to bear the pangs and agonies of death; if I had but this hope, that my misery were near expiring. The Apostle useth that phrase (2 Tim. 2. 3.) in his advices to young Timothy. Thou as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, endure hardness, or bear evil. As if he had said, thou dost not know, what hardship thou shalt be put unto in thy ministry, I who am a veterane, an old beaten (though never conquered) soldier, in this warfare of Christ, have been put to much hardship in my time; and from my own experience, I advise thee, to inure thyself to hardship to lie hard, to fare hard, to work hard, to hear hard words, and receive hard usage, A tender spirit and a delicate body, which must have warm, and soft, and fine, and sweet continually, is unfit for the warfare of the Gospel. Such a sense is here, I know I must endure more, than now I do, but I would harden myself against that time, and resolve to endure it, let come, what could come, I am resolved and have fore-thought the worst.

Further, for the clearing of these words, it is considerable, that some learned Interpreters put the two middle expressions into a parenthesis, and read the whole thus, I should have comfort (though I should scorch with pain, and though God should not spare me) for I have not concealed the words of the holy One. One, thus, This yet is my comfort, even while I scorch with pain and God doth not spare me, that I have not concealed the words of the holy One. Mr. Broughton (as I touched before) comes near this sense and translation. So I should yet find comfort: though I 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 parch in pain: when he would not spare; For I kept not close the words of the most Holy. That is, when the long expected hour of my death shall come, though God, to take away my life, should heat the furnace of my affliction seven times hotter then hitherto, so that I must parch in pain, yet I should have comfort. Or, take it in Master Broughtons own gloss, in all these pangs; if God would make an end of me, it should be my comfort, and I would take courage in my sickness to bear it, by my joy, that I should die, because I professed the Religion of God. So that the strength of Job, to bear the hand of God, was from the conscience of his former integrity, in doing the will, and maintaining the truth of God.

Job having taken up his hope, that he should have comfort, and this resolution, that he would harden himself in sorrow, speaks now, as if he were at a point, let God do what he pleaseth, let him not spare; as if he had said, what course soever the Lord shall see good to take for the cutting me off, I am content he should go on with it, Let him not spare. The word signifies to indulge or show mercy to him, whom, by all right a man might justly destroy (Ezek. 5. 11.) Because thou hast done thus and thus, saith God therefore will I also diminish thee, neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity. Job seems to invite, what God threatens others, Let him not spare, let him not have any pity, let him take his full swing in destroying of me.

In this sense it is said, Rom. 8. 32. That God spared not his own son: That is he abated not anything, which justice could inflict. Christ therefore saves to the uttermost, because he suffered to the uttermost. He was not spared one blow, one drop, one sigh, one sorrow, one shame, one circumstance of all, or any one of these; which justice could demand, as a satisfaction for man's sin. Yea though (in a sense) he cried to his father, that he might be spared yet he was not.

There is a three-fold mercy in God. There is a preventing mercy, mercy that steps between us and trouble. And there is a delivering mercy, mercy that takes us out of the hand of trouble: There is a third kind of mercy, coming in the middle of these two, and that is called sparing mercy: and that is twofold; First; sparing for the time, when God delays and stays long ere he strike.

Secondly, sparing for the degree, when the Lord moderates and mitigates, abates and qualifies our sufferings, not letting them fall so heavy upon us, as they might: This sparing mercy, stands (I say) in the middle of the two former; it is not so much as preventing mercy, stopping trouble that it come not; neither is it so much as delivering mercy, removing it, when it is come. Now Job did not only, not ask delivering mercy, that he asked not sparing mercy; Let him not spare me in the time, let him not delay or loose time, let him come as soon as he will. And let him not spare me in the degree and measure, let him strike me as hard, and lay his hand as heavily upon me, as he will. David (Psal. 39. 13.) makes this his request, O spare me that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more; That is, abate and mitigate my sufferings that I die not, but Job desireth not to be spared at all. He rather saith, take away all my strength, that I may go hence, and be seen no more. Observe hence,

That the hope troubles will end, comforteth, yea hardeneth in bearing present troubles. Then will I comfort myself then will I harden myself, let him not spare, if I may have my request, and die. The sharpest sting of trouble, is, that it is endless, and it is next to that, when we cannot look to the end of it, nor see any issue or way out of it; That which discourages the damned, in bearing their sorrows, and softens both their flesh and spirits, to receive home to the head, every arrow of wrath, and dart of vengeance, is, they see no end, and are assured there will be none. They know, they cannot be cut off, and therefore they cannot harden themselves in sorrow; no, that very consideration, makes their hearts, which have been hardened to commit sin, tender to receive punishment, and exactly sensible of their pains; could they see, that at last they should be cut off, even they would be hardened to bear the torments of Hell, in the mean time, though that time should be very long, yea as long as time can be, only not endless. The pain it self, doth not afflict so much, as the thought that they shall be afflicted forever: As the assurance, that the glory of Heaven shall never end, infinitely sweetness it; so the assurance that the pains of hell shall never end, infinitely sharpens them: And not to see the ending of worldly troubles near, puts us further off from comfort, then the bearing of those troubles. Therefore saith Job, if I might be assured, that God would cut me off I would harden myself in sorrow, and let not God spare; I would not desire him to hold his hand, to mitigate or abate my pains. Yea I would account every blow an embrace, and every wound a reward.

In these words, Job gives the reason, or an account of his renewed prayer and request to die. As the desire of Job was strong and passionate, so likewise it was well grounded. He had a very high reason, an excellent ground, upon which he bottomed this request to die: His reason was spiritual, and therefore strong. He begs to be delivered from the troubles of his life, though by a painful death, because he was clear in himself, that he had led a blameless life. That which set him above the pains of bodily death was the tranquility of his spirit in this testmony of his conscience, I have not concealed the words of the holy One; As if he had said, You may wonder why I should be so forward and ready to die, why I seem so greedy after the grave, why I am such an importunate suitor for my dissolution; The account I give you is this, I have the testimony of a good conscience within me, notwithstanding all the troubles which are upon me, notwithstanding all your harsh vnfriendly accusations, jealousies and suspicions of me, yet my own breast is my friend, my heart speaks me fair, and gives me good words, even these, It tells me, that I have not concealed the words of the holy One: That I have not smothered any light he hath sent me, that I have not refused any council he hath given me, that I have not willfully departed from any rule he hath prescribed me, that I have been faithful to God, to his cause, and to his truth, that I have declared his will, and spoken his mind to others; that I have not hidden anything he hath given me in charge to declare, or committed to my trust; the word of God hath appeared in my life and therefore I am not afraid, yea I have boldness to die, and to appear before God.

I have not concealed] The word signifieth to hide a thing, so as it be neither heard of or seen.

But may not we conceal the words of the most high? it is said of Mary, that she hid the words of Christ in her heart and of David, that he hid the commandments of God in his heart, Psal. 119. 11. Did not the wise merchant hide the treasure, namely Gospel truth (Math. 13. 44.) as soon as he had found it? It should seem all these concealed the word of God; how then is it that Job improves this, as a special point of comfort, that he had not concealed the words of the holy One?

There is a double hiding, or concealment of the truth. There is first a hiding from danger; Secondly a hiding from use. There is a hiding to keep a thing safe, that others shall not take it from us; and there is a hiding to keep a thing close, that others may not take the benefit of it, with us. When it is said, that Mary, and David, and the wise Merchant hid the word of God, it was, lest they themselves should lose it, lest any should deprive them of it, they hid it from danger: They laid it up as a treasure in their hearts; but they did not hide it from the knowledge, or use of others; and that is it which Job affirms of himself, I have not concealed the words of the holy One.

And there are four ways by which the word of God is sinfully hid or concealed, from all which Job seems to acquit himself.

The first is, when we conceal the word of God by our own silence; when we know the word and truth of God, and yet we draw a veil over them, by not revealing them: The Apostle Paul (Acts 20. 27.) acquits himself in this, to the Church of Ephesus, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God; and verse. 20. You know how I kept back nothing, that was profitable unto you▪ Silence to what is spoken, is consent: and silence when we should speak, is concealment.

There is a second way of concealing the word of God, and that is by silencing others: Some conceal the words of the holy One themselves, and they cannot endure that others should publish them: The chief Priests and the Rulers (Acts 4 18.) charged Peter and John, that they should not speak at all, nor teach anymore in the name of Jesus: They would stop the Apostles mouths from speaking the words of the holy One: These keep the truth locked up (as Christ charges the Lawyers, Luk. 11. 52.) by taking away the key of knowledge.

Thirdly, There is a concealing of the word of God, under false glosses and misinterpretations, or a hiding of it under errors and misconstructions; This is a very dangerous way of concealing the words of the holy One: The Pharisees made the law of God of none effect, by their expositions, as well as by their traditions, by the sense they made of it, as well as by the additions they made unto it.

Fourthly, The word of the holy One, may be concealed in our practice and conversations. The Apostle exhorts (Phil. 2. 16.) To hold forth the word of life in a pure conversation. The lives of Christians should publish the word of life. The best way of preaching the word, is by the praictse of the word. The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, that is, who, by their unrighteous practices and ungodly conversations, imprison, fetter, restrain and keep in the word: Mans holy life is the loudest Proclamation of the word of God. And a sinful life is the concealment of it.

Job here acquits himself from all these concealements; I have not e • ncealed the words of the holy One, either by my own silence, or by imposing silence upon others, I have not concealed the word of the holy One, by my own corrupt glosses and interpretations, nor by a corrupt practice and conversation: I have desired and endeavored, that the whole word of God might be visible in my actions, and audible in my speeches, that I might walk clothed, as it were, with the holy counsels and commandments of my God.

There is a reading of the words, different from this. Whereas we say, I have not concealed the words of the holy One, that gives it thus, I would not conceal the words of the holy One, and so the word of the holy One, is taken, not for the truths of God in general, but for that special word of decree or sentence which God should pass out against him; A if he had said. Let not God spare me, let him write • s bitter a sentence against me, as he pleaseth, for my part, I would not conceal the, word of the most High, but I would publish his judgment and sentence against me, yea I would praise him and extol him for it. The vulgar Latin to this sense, I would not contradict the word of the holy One; Let him not spare me, for as for my part, whatsoever God shall determine and resolve, whatsoever word God shall speak concerning me, I will never withstand or open my mouth against it. This is a truth, and carries in it a high frame of holiness, when we can bring our hearts to this, that let God write as bitter things against us, as he pleaseth, we will never contradict his word or decree, but our minds and spirits shall submit wholly and fully to his dispositions of us, and dispensations towards us: It is as clear an evidence of grace, to be passive under, as to be active in, the word of God. Not to contradict his writ, for our sufferings, as not to conceal what he speaks for our practice. But I rather stick to the former interpretation, Job giving this as a reason of his great confidence in pursuing his petition for death, because he had been so sincere, holding forth the word of God both in doctrine and in life.

And so we may observe from it. First,

That the testimony of a good conscience, is the best ground of our willingness to die. That man speaks enough for his willingness to die, who hath lived speaking and doing the will of God; and he is in a very miserable case, who hath no other reason why he desireth death, but only because he is in misery. This was one, but not the only reason, why Job desired death, he had a reason transcending this, I have not concealed the words of the holy One, and I know if, I have not concealed the word of God, God will not conceal his mercy and loving kindness from me. David bottoms his hopes of comfort in sad times, upon this, Psal. 40. 9, 10. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation, I have not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest (he was not actively or politically silent) I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart (if lay there, but it was imprisoned or stifl'd there) I have declared thy faithfulness: and thy salvations I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth, from the great Congregation. Upon this he falls a praying with a mighty spirit of believing, verse. 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord, let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me: for innumerable evils have compassed me about.

The remembrance of our active faithfulness to the truth of God, will bear up our hearts in hoping for the mercy of God. He that in David's, and in Jobs sense can say, I have not concealed the words of the most high, may triumph over innumerable evils, and shall be more then a conquerer over the last and worst of temporal evils, death. God cannot long conceal his love from them, who have not concealed his truth.

Secondly observe, positively;

That the counsels of God, his truths, must be revealed.

God hath secrets which belong not to us, but then he puts them not forth in a word, nor writes them in his book; he keeps his secrets close in the cabinet of his decrees and counsels; but, what he reveals either in his word, or by his works, man ought to reveal too. It is as dangerous, if not more, to conceal what God hath made known, as to be inquisitive to know what God hath concealed. Yea, it is as dangerous to hide the word of God, as it is to hide our own sins. And we equally give glory to God, by the profession of the one, as by the confession of the other. Paul with much earnestness professes his integrity about this, as was even now touched, Act. 20. Fourthly observe;

That the study of a godly man, is to make the word of God visible. I have not concealed, that is, I have made plain, I have revealed, or I have published the words of the holy One; Much of Jobs mind is concealed under that word, I have not concealed. For in this negative there is an affirmative; as if he had said, this hath been my labor and my business, my work in the world, to make known so much of the will of God, as I know. This was the work of Christ here below, Father I have glorified thee upon earth, I have finished the work, which thou gavest me to do, Joh. 17. 4. What this work was, he shows, verse. 6th, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Lasty observe;

That it is a dangerous thing for any man to conceal the word of God, either in his opinion, or in his practice. For it is, as if Job had said if I had ever concealed the words of God, I had been but in an ill case, at this time; God might now justly reveal his wrath against me, if I had concealed his word from others; or God might justly hide his mercies from me, if I had hid his word from men▪ Smothered truths, will one time or other set the conscience in a flame, and that which Jeremiah spake once, concerning his resolution to conceal the word of God, and the effect of it: will be a truth upon everyone, who shall set himself under a resolution to do, what he under a temptation did; Jer. 20. 9. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name: what follows? Then his word was in my breast, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing. If a gracious heart hath taken up such a sudden resolution to conceal the word of God, he quickly repents of it, or smarts under it: He finds that word, as a burning fire in his bones, he is not able to bear it. I was weary with forbearing (saith the prophet) Nothing in the world will burden the conscience, so much as concealed truth: and they who have taken a meditated resolution, that they will not reveal the word of God, may be sure, that word will one time or other reveal it self to them, in the Light and heat of a burning fire, seeding upon their consciences.

I have not concealed the words; whose words? The words of the Holy One. Who is that? The Holy One, is a periphrasis, for God, When you hear that Title, The holy One, you may know who is meant. This is a Title too big for any but a God; All holiness is in God, and God is so holy, that properly he only is Holy; Hence the Scripture sets God forth under this, as a peculiar attribute; The Holy One; The Prophets often use this addition or style, The Holy One of Israel.

The Holy One; Is One separate or set apart from all filthiness and uncleanness; No evil dwells with God, none comes near him. Therefore he is The Holy One, He is so separated from evil, that he cannot behold evil, or look on iniquity (Hab. 1. 13.) except with a vindictive eye. Sin never got a good look from God, or ever shall.

Further, God is called The Holy One, in three respects. First, Because he is all holy in himself; Secondly, Because we receive all holiness from him: Thirdly, Because we are to serve him in holiness and righteousness all our days. A Holy God must have a holy Service. God is The Holy One;

First, In his Nature; his essence is purity. Or, he is essential purity.

Secondly, he is holy in his Word; those are frequent adjuncts of the word of God; holy, pure and clean.

Thirdly, He is holy in his works: There is not the least imaginable stain or defilement upon anything he hath done.

These three put together, lift up the glory of God in this title The Holy One. He that is holy throughout in his nature, holy in his word, holy in his works, is the Holy One; Yea, he is, as Moses styleth him in his triumphant song, Exod. 15. Glorious in holiness, A glorious holy One.

Or again, We may consider God The holy One;

First, Radically and fundamentally, because the Divine nature is the root and original, the spring of all holiness and purity; All holiness is in God, and there is no holiness to be had, but in God alone.

Secondly, God is The holy One, by way of example and pattern, or in regard of the rule and measure of holiness: (1 Pet. 1. 16.) Be ye holy, as I am holy; the Holiness of God, it is the exemplar and pattern of all the holiness, that is in the creature.

Thirdly, God is The holy One, by way of motive; He is, as the rule of holiness, so likewise the reason of our holiness; therefore another Scripture saith, Be ye holy, for I am holy, I am The holy One, and that is the reason, why you must be holy too.

Fourthly, God is, The holy one, effectively, because he works, conveys and propagates all holiness, to, and in the creature. Nothing can frame a heart to holiness, but the finger of God. Man can no more make himself, or another holy, than he can redeem another or himself.

Fifthly, He is called, The holy One, by way of eminency or super-excellency; because his holiness is infinitely beyond all the holiness of men and Angels. Angels are holy, and God is pleased to say of men, that they are holy, but not man, nor Angel, can be called, The holy One. His supereminency in holiness shines forth in such beams and rays, as these.

First, Holiness in God it is not a quality, but, his essence. Holiness in Angels is a quality, the essence of many Angels continues, though their holiness be lost and vanished; the lapsed Angels, who are now devils, keep their nature, but their holiness is gone; therefore holiness was but a quality or accidental to them; So, in the Saints, holiness is an infusion, a quality, a grace; most men never had any holiness, and the man would remain, though his holiness should be lost. But in God, his essence and his holiness are the same; The holiness of God, It is the holy God, as the wisdom of God, it is the wise God: and the power of God, it is the powerful God. The attributes of God, for our learning, are distinguished from his nature, but, in him they are the same.

Secondly, God is The holy One eminently, above men and Angels, because he is absolutely perfect in holiness. Absolutely perfect: first, because he is holy, extensively (if we may so speak of God) in all parts, he is holy throughout; and then, he is holy intensively, as he is holy in all parts, so he is altogether holy in every part. Holy men have holiness in every part, yet they are holy but in part; and though Angels be holy in every part extensively, and have also a perfection of holiness, yet they have not an absolute perfection of holiness; therefore Angels themselves are chargeable with folly, compared with God, Chap. 4. 18. God is so light, that in him there is no darkness at all, he is so holy, in him, that, there is no unholiness at all. But men, the best of men, all the saints upon earth, have darkness with their light, and unholiness mixed with their holiness.

Therefore in the third place, the eminency of God in holiness appeareth in this, that, God is ever equally holy, ever in the same degree and frame of holiness: Angels are so too, because they are confirmed; and though at the present, the Saints are not, yet, when Christ shall set them up, in that glorious estate, they shall keep the same frame forever. But the Saints upon earth are unequally holy; For, first, they are growing, their estate here is an increasing estate, they are more holy one year than another, as they grow more in knowledge, so in every grace: And then, in regard of the exercise, they are more holy at one time, than at another; which of the Saints hath not found, or doth not find much variety in his spirit. Now a heart enlarged in prayer, and anon straightened, now a heart believing, and anon doubting; now humble, anon lifted up with pride, &c.

But as the holy One, is, perfectly and absolutely holy, so, he is ever equally in the same degree, and tenor of holiness, not the least variety or shadow of turning in him. Put all these together, and the title is clear, How God by an excellency is called, The holy One. As he is so strong, that all the power of the creature, compared with his, is weakness, and so wise, that all the wisdom of the creature compared with his, is folly: So he is so holy, that, compared with him, all holiness, is unholy, and he alone, The holy One. Observe, hence,

First, That the holiness of man consists in his conformity unto God.

Holiness is our likeness to God, or the application of our minds and actions to God, as the Scholles define it. God, the holy One, is, (if we may so speak) the standard, the pattern, and the object of all holiness. There is a twofold conformity to God in holiness.

First, a conformity to the nature of God.

Secondly, a conformity to the will of God, or to that which God wills. These make up the total holiness of the creature.

First, Holiness is our conformity to the nature of God. And therefore believers are said to be partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1. 4.) This participation, is our analogical resemblance unto the divine nature: First, in his attributes. Secondly, in his affections. In his attributes, when we are patient, merciful, just, faithful, true-loving, as God is. These are the image of God in us, and by these God becomes (as it were) visible in man. As those invisible things of God, even his eternal power and God-head are seen in the things which are created, so those, other invisible things of God, even his eternal holiness and purity, are seen in those, who are sanctified. And in the same sense that God speaks of Magistrates in regard of his power deposited in their hands. I have said ye are gods, we also may say of all the faithful, in regard of his holiness infused into their hearts, ye are gods; and as to live, or do sinfully, is (as the Apostle phraseth it) to walk ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) as men, so to live and do holily is in our sphere to walk ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) as God. And as this holiness arises from a resemblance of God in his Attributes, so in his Affections; when we love what God loves, when we hate, what God hates; when, what, pleases God pleaseth us also; when, what provokes his Spirit, provokes ours. This is holiness.

Secondly, Holiness is our conformity to the will of God. That is, to whatsoever God wills us, either to do, or not to do. The will of God is the rule of holiness, as his nature is the pattern of it. His internal will, called by the School-men, The will of his good pleasure, is the firstly-first rule (as they speak) His external will, or his will expressed and signified by his word, is the secondly-first rule of holiness. Every action of man is holy or unholy according to it's conformity with, or variation from this will. There is no more holiness in any work, then there is of the will of God in any work; to do holily and to do the will of God are the same David a holy man is described by both these, Act. 13. 22. I have found David, the son of Jesse, A man after mine own heart, there's conformity to the will of God: which shall fulfill all my will, there's conformity to the will of God, the result of both is holiness.

Unholinesse and impurity arise from our conformity or adhesion to those things, which are unclean and unholy. In externals and corporals if a man's hand or his garment touch an unclean thing he hath the mark or impression of that uncleanness upon his hand or upon his garment; and this likeness to an unclean thing, makes his hand or garment unclean. So for inward uncleanness or defilment, when the soul inordinately cleaves, and the mind drenches it self in filthy things, or drinks in filthy objects, when our thoughts are steeped in puddle waters, this defiles the mind, and makes our thoughts unclean; Our thoughts are such, as the things they are familiar with: If they converse with filthy and unclean things, with worldly and base things, the image and impression of such things is sealed upon our thoughts, and the spring of them our spirits. On the other side, by our conversing and reverend familiarity with Christ; in holy Ordinances, we receive stamps and impressions of holiness from him. When our hearts and affections are raised up and pitched upon God, this makes them holy.

God is the Objective cause of holiness, looking upon him, we become holy (2 Cor. 3. 18.) We (saith the Apostle) all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord (that is, we looking upon that glory, holiness and excellency, which is in the Lord) are changed into the same image: That is, we are made conformable unto him: we receive (as it were) the engravings of holiness upon our souls by beholding the Holy One. The eye of faith (as well, yea more, then the eye of sense) affects the hearts. Laban's sheep conceived according to the color of the rods, which lay before them in the water troughs. Vision assimilates both in nature and in grace, yea and in glory too. In heaven we shall be perfectly holy, because we shall perfectly (in Christ, who is the express image of his person) see God, and so be like him, that's the Apostles argument, 1 Joh. 3 1. We shall he like him, for we shall see him as he is, And proportionably here, such as our visions of God are, such is our likeness unto God. Secondly, observe.

They who want holiness, must go to God for it; for he is the holy One. Are any of your hearts unholy? Whither will you go? To what Coast will you trade for holiness? Or where shall you find the merchandize of it? Go whither you will, go to what holy Ordinance, to what holy duty, to what holy Minister you will, your vessels will return unfraight and empty of holiness, if you tread not to the holy God. We must deal with Ordinances and by Ordinances; but, if we only have to do with them, neglecting to meet with God, we shall make nothing of them, we shall not traffick in them to any spiritual enriching or advantage. Ordinances have a relative holiness or a holiness passing through them; but they have no inherent holiness, or holiness passed by them; They are Conduit-pipes, not springs, or the well-head. Therefore as when you would have mercy, you go to the merciful God; As, when you would have pardon of sin, you go to the sin pardoning God; As when you would have wisdom and light to direct your way, you go to the wise God and the Father of lights. So when you would have holiness, and be made pure, whither will ye go, but to the pure and holy God? Be diligent in holy duties, and holy Ordinances, but stay not in them, pass through them, and never rest till you come to God in Christ, who is, The holy One, and he only can, and he hath said he will make you holy.

Observe; thirdly,

All sin and unholiness are contrary to the very name and nature of God. Contrary to the name of God, He is called holy; and contrary to the nature of God, He is the holy One. And in this, we see the reason, why God hates sin with a perfect hatred; man hates that, which is contrary to his nature, and contrary to his name. And in this also we see the reason, why God is such a severe avenger of sin, He is the holy One: Can he (think you) take part with, or spare that which is contrary to himself? Sin, as much as in it lieth, puts God out of the world, therefore sin is called God-murder, as being that, which would murder God: Sin would not allow him a being in the world, who gave the world it's being. Sin (in the nature of it) is, The unholy thing, and God is, The holy One; These two must contend forever: so far as things or persons are unholy, they directly strike at the Being of God; Sin would put down all rule and all dominion, but it's own.

Observe, Fourthly,

They who despise holiness despise God himself. They who despise holiness, despise the very glory of God, God is glorious in holiness, and this is his glorious Name, THE HOLY ONE. Some of the Profane wretched Jews, derided and blasphemed God, under this title; the Prophet had long threatened judgment, and had told them, that the holy God would be avenged of them for their filthiness and profaneness for their hypocrisy and idolatry. But when these wretches saw God delaying to come out, and bring forth the treasures of his wrath against them, they fall a jeering, and they jeer at God, under this title (Isa. 5, 19.) Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it; as if they had said, God is too slow let him make more hast, and let the counsel of the holy One of Israel draw nigh, and come that we may know it; him, that you have so often told us of, The holy One, let him make hast and bring on his work. Without question God came speedily upon those, and he will come speedily upon all those unclean spirits and tongues who blaspheme that holy Name, The holy One.

Lastly, Hence we learn, Why none can see God, why none have any fitness for communion with God, but holy Ones, holy persons; the reason is, because God is the holy One. That great Law is gone out from the mouth of God, Levite. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in those that come near me; why sanctified? Because God is the holy one; Unless we sanctify God, we cannot draw nigh to God. As holiness is a separation from evil, so i • is an approximation to the chiefest good. But some may demand, how can man sanctify God? God sanctifies us, but can we sanctify him? We cannot sanctify God, as he sanctifies us. We do not sanctify God by adding or communicating any holiness unto him; but we sanctify God by acknowledging his holiness, or by acknowledging that he is, The Holy One; drawing nigh unto God with a holy heart, with holy affections is the sanctfying of God. For this is the language of such preparation, I have a holy God to go unto, therefore I must have a holy heart to come unto him with; this is sanctifying God; And that's the reason why none can see God, but they, that are holy, Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord; because God himself is holy, therefore they cannot see God, who are unholy. There must be an inward holiness, holiness in the Organ: to take in the holiness of the object; God first works holiness in us, and then we behold him, the holy God: And that was the reason, why the Prophet (Isa. chap. 6. when the voice proclaimed that thrice holy Name of God, Holy, Holy, Holy,) cried out, I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, I have an unclean heart, and how shall I stand before this holy, holy, holy God; This made his spirit recoyl, though he was a holy Prophet: If the remainders of unholiness in him, made his spirit faint, when there was an appearance of the holy God: How will they that are nothing but corruption, or a lump of uncleanness, lying still in the dregs of nature, be able to stand before God, The holy One, the holy, holy, holy One!

This is the sum of the first reason, upon which Job grounds his request to die, it was not the misery he suffered, but the integrity in which he had lived. He had not concealed the words of the holy One, therefore as his affliction made his life troublesome to him, so the goodness of his cause and conscience, made death welcome to him.

JOB (as hath been shown) in this context from the 8 ^th verse, renews his former request and desire of death, confirming it by divers arguments, some of which were opened in the 10 ^th verse, especially, that, from the clearness, and integrity of his own conscience, in that, he had not concealed the words of the the holy One: He had dealt faithfully in the cause of God, and therefore he was not afraid to appear before God. And his desire did not hang about his lips, as if it would return and deny itself: therefore in this 11 ^th verse he puts forth two reasons further, why he moves or re-enforces his motion to die. The first is grounded upon the small hope, he had to live long, if he should desire it, What is my strength, that I should hope? The second is grounded upon the strong hope, yea, assurance which he had, that it should be well with him in death, or that death, could be no damage to him. And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? Put these two together: And then consider, is it any wonder, that a man in much misery desires to die speedily, when he hath no hope, no ground of hope, that he can live long, and when he hath no fear, no ground, no nor shadow of fear, that it shall be ill with him, when he dies? This I conceive is the sum and strength of his reasoning, contained in the 11 ^th verse.

I shall now open the words distinctly.

Some render it, What is my strength, that I should bear? that I should be able to sustain this weighty burden, this mighty load of affliction, pressing my wounded soul, and wearied body. Thus it refers to his present sufferings, to the enduring and standing under which, he found his own strength altogether insufficient. And so the [My] in the text, What is [my] strength, seems to be opposed to some other strength; As if Job had said, Eliphaz you advised me (in the former Chapter, verse. 8.) to seek unto God, and to commit my cause unto him, to seek help at his hands. Why do you think, I have not done that, all this while? Do you believe that I have stood out these assault in My own strength? What is My strength, that I should bear? That I should bear this burden so long, as I have born it? Surely I have been held up by the power of God and prayer all this while: God hath put his everlasting arms under me, otherwise I had fallen before this day, hid I not prayed in aid from heaven, I had not lived thus long upon the earth; for what is my strength compared to these burdens, which are upon me?

This is a good sense; For, as the Apostle speaks (Gal 2. 10.) The life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, So Job seems to say, the life which I have lived, ever since these afflictions have encompassed me, I have lived by the power of God, and the strength of faith in him. What i • my strength, that I should bear? We have this treasure (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4. 7.) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power, may be from God, and not from us; As he speaks there, respecting the burden of the Ministry: So we may, in respect of any burden of trouble, or weight of affliction. We have these afflictions laid upon our earthen vessels (and one would wonder, that an earthen vessel should not crack and shatter to pieccs under them) but it is, that the excellency of the power might be from God, and not from us; when we are weak, then we are strong, strong in God, and in the power of his might. God loves to show the world, what his strength can do in a weak creature, as well, as what his grace and mercy can do for a sinful creature.

This (I say) is a good sense, but the word rather signifies to hope; and yet these two are not at any great odds: for hope is the strength, the bearing-strength of the soul: What is my strength, that I should hope? That I should wait and tarry, that I should expect or stay for such and such changes, as thou hast promised? Psalm. 130 5. we have these words put together, I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait; and in his word do I hope. The soul which is in a hoping condition, is also in a waiting condition; waiting and hoping ever attend the same thing. No man will wait at all for that of which, he hath no hope, and he who hath hope, will wait always He gives not over waiting, till he gives over hoping. The object of hope is some future good, but the act of hoping is a present good, and that is present pay to bear our charges in waiting. So then the word implies both a patient writing, and a hopeful trusting. So Christ expounds it, Mat. 12. 21. rendering that of the prophet, Isa. 42. 4. The isles shall wait for his Law, thus, In his name shall the Gentiles trust. Noah (after the strength of the deluge was spent) opened the window of the Ark, and sent forth the Dove, and she returned; then saith the text, He waited seven days, and again he waited, yet other seven days, hoping at last the flood would be dried up, and the waters return into their ancient channels. Now (saith Job) what is my strength, that I should hope or expect deliverance, and therefore, why should I wait for it. The waters of my afflictions are so deep, and swollen so high that I have no hope to see dry ground again.

And in this passage he seems to answer, what Eliphaz speak in the 5th Chapter, verse. 16. and 25. (for doubtless Job applies himself exactly to what Eliphaz had spoken, and the truest interpretation of his answer will be in finding out and suiting the references to what the other Propounded) Eliphaz in the 16. verse of the fifth Chapter (where he makes a report of the wonderful works of God) had said, So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth: And at the 25, verse, he tells Job that a godly man (notwithstanding all his afflictions) may know that his tabernacle shall be in peace, and that his seed shall be very great. Job in answer to those words, replies, What is my strength that I should hope. As if he had said, Eliphaz you speak of great hopes that the poor may have, and you speak of a peaceable Tabernacle, of a flourishing offspring; Alas my condition is such, I am so worn out with pain, with sicknesses, with diseases, with distempers with griefs that I have no hope left in regard of any strength in me, ever to enjoy such promises. What is my strength, that I should hope? What is my strength that I should expect to live to see such good days, as you speak of, that my Tabernacle should be in peace, that I should have plenty, that I should have a numerous issue? Alas my strength is gone; what is my strength that I should look after these things. Not that Job measured all his hope by his own strength; but here he expresses the grief and pain, which was in his sensitive part, or upon his outward man, thereby to answer the sour reproofs and sweet promises of Eliphaz: For we find Job himself in the thirteenth Chapter, verse. 13. resolving thus: Though he kill me, yet will I trust (or hope) in him; he would trust and hope in God though he died, therefore he did hope, while he lived. And it is the property of that grace (and where it is in strength, it sh • wes as much) to hope against hope: Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope believed in hope; When there was no strength in Abraham, no possibility in nature, yet against hope, he believed in hope: So at this time there was such a grace in Job, he had a hope, by which he could hope against hope; but when he looked into his own stock of strength, What is my strength, that I should hope? I know the strength of God, is a rock sure enough for my hope to anchor in: Abraham, said in effect, what is my strength, that I should hope to have a child? for he looked upon himself as a dead man, but, saith he, there is power in God; he knew his own weakness, but he considered it not, waxing strong in faith, and giving glory to God. So here, while Job saith, What is my strength that I should hope? my strength is dried up and withered, and so is my hope in my own strength: The strength of God is vigorous and green, and in him my hope also is green and vigorous: Though all the earth about us, be like a dry heath and barren wilderness, yet our hope buds and blossoms like a plant, while it is rooted by the springs of heavenly promises,

The letter of the Hebrew is: That I should prolong or lengthen out my soul, that my soul should inhabit longer in the tabernacle of my body: The word prolong, is differently joined to life, or days, Deut. 5. 16. Honor thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that, thy days may be prolonged, &c Ezek. 12 22. Son of man, what is that proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? To prolong days, and prolong life, are the same. Yet hear the word (Nephesh) soul, which we translate, life, may be taken for, desire, which is a vehement act of the soul. The soul expresses itself, so much in desires, that the same word may express both. And so we may render Jobs sense, thus, What is my end that I should lengthen out, or extend my desires any further after the things of this world: or that I should defer, and put off my desires after the things of the world to come: Is there anything in this life worth my staying for it, or anything so worthless in the next, that I should not wish presently to enjoy it? In this sense the word (Nephesh) is often used, as Gen. 23. 8. Abraham speaks to the children of Heth, If it be your soul or your desire, we translate, if it be your mind, that I should bury my dead. So Prev. 23 2. If thou be a man given to thy appetite, or whose desires are thy Lord and master, as the elegancy of that place bears. And again, Psal. 27. 12. Psal. 41. 2. Eccl 6. 9. The word is applied, to signify the will or desire. So here,

His [End] may be considered two ways.

First, His end, may be taken for the latter part of his life, which Eliphaz promised would be very comfortable, Thou shalt come to thy grave in a good old age, as a shock of corn cometh into the flour; As if Job should say, you are promising me good days, and a happy old age, but, what is mine end? what's the latter part of a man's life, that he should desire to prolong his days, to take it out? why should I desire to prolong my life, I am now well stricken in years, and as for the end, the latter part of a man's life, it is nothing (for the most part) but trouble and sorrow? As old Barzillai (2 Sam. 19. 35.) when David offered him the pleasures of the Court) answers, I am thus old, and can I taste my meat, and taste my drink, or hear music? What is the Fagge-end of man's life, that one should hunger after it? The sweetest comforts of this life are in the fore-part of life, in the spring of youth, in the strength and flower of age. As for the winter of life, what is that but wet and cold, but clouds and darkness? What is my end (of old age) that I should desire my life to be prolonged or eeked out to that.

But rather, we may take this End; First, For the end of his troubles; As if he had said, What end so gainful or comfortable can I have of these evils, that should recompense my pains in bearing them, till I receive it? No worldly comforts can answer my sorrows; and therefore why should I desire to prolong my life for them?

Secondly, Take End, for the very last term of life, not that latter part or condition of a man's life, troublesome old age, as before; or a renewed estate as here. But take End, for the ending▪ the termination, the period of life; What is my end, that I should prolong my life? and so, End is as much as death, what is my death that I should desire to live? I know no evil in death, that should make me afraid of the end of my life; I know no such trouble in dying, that I should be desirous to spin out this troublesome life longer, surely the trouble and pain of death, is not so much as the present trouble and pain of my life, and as for any other trouble, I fear none: then, What is my end, that I should prolong my life, that I should not desire death, or that you should be so angry with me for desiring it? Hence observe, first,

There is no strength in man, that may give him assured hope of long life; What is my strength that I should hope? No, though man be in the flourish of his age, the greenesse of his years: yet what is youth, or strength, or beauty? what all those fair leaves and fruits, which hang upon and adorn this goodly tree, that he should hope to hand long? Man in his best estate, is altogether vanity, Psal. 39. 5. He that hopes to live upon any of these things, hopes in a vain thing, & trusts, but in a shadow. Our hopes to live this natural life as well as the spiritual, and eternal, must be in the living God. The Image of death sits upon the best of our strength and beauty; while we grow, we decline, and while we flourish, we wither. The lengthening of our days, is the shortening of them, and all the time we live, is but a passage unto (and should be but a preparation for) death. We are most miserable, if in this life only we have hope; and we are most foolish, if our hopes of this life, be in our own strength.

And because there is no strength in nature, which may give us hope to live long; It is our greatest wisdom, to consider what provision we have in grace, to maintain our hopes, that we shall live forever. They are in an ill case, who when they cannot hope to live long, care not to settle their hopes of living eternally. It is a most sad spectacle, to see a languishing body, and a languishing hope meet in one man. Some have a Calendar in their bones, showing them, they have but few days here, and many distempers upon the whole body, crying in their ears with a loud voice, what is your strength, that you should hope to live? who yet prepare not at all to die. They are both unready and unwilling to be dissolved, when they see no hope to keep up their tabernacle from dissolution.

Secondly, (taking the word in the last sense, which I conceive rather to be the mind of the holy Ghost in this place) observe,

That there is no evil in the death of a godly man, which should make him unwilling to die, or which should make him linger after this life. What is the end of a godly man, that he should prolong his life? All the bitterness of death is removed, or sweetened by Christ. Death the King of terrors, is made a servant, to let us in, to our comforts, by the power of Christ, that prince of life who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. A believer buries all his fears of death in the grave of Christ. He looks upon death as the funeral of his so rows, and the resurrection of his joys. When the Psalmist had described the troubles and stormy conflicts of a godly man, together with the flourishing outward pomp of the wicked, he concludes with this advice, Mark the righteous man (observe him well, take special notice of him) the latter and of that man is peace; if his end be peace, there is nothing in his end, which can make him afraid of it, or put it off. All desire peace, they especially, who are wearied out with war. The life of the holiest man is a warfare, and his end is peace. Then what is his end, that he should prolong his life.

When a worldly man looks upon his end, he saith, O what is my end, that I should desire to die? His end is such, as makes him justly afraid to die. There is nothing in the end of a wicked man, but matter to feed the fear of death, and the desire of prolonging life, as long as he can. This is the reason, why, when God calls him to die, he is deaf at the call; yea, that call is death to him, before he dies. Lot had a mind to prolong his time in Sodom, it was a goodly City, and he was not well assured, whether to go, or how he should be lodged next night. This caused him to linger so long, till the Angels came and thrust him out: Natural men have all their portion and estates in the Sodom of this world. And if they hear a message of departing or going out, they linger and make excuses, they run behind the door or hang about the posts, till God thrusts them out of the world, and pulls from them their pleasures, by head and shoulders, as we say. They would never leave the world, if they might enjoy it, because they have nothing to enjoy beyond it.

A worlding groans, because he must be unclothed of his house of earth, and the Saints groan earnestly, that they may be clothed upon with their house from heaven; Who would not be willing to exchange a suit of flesh, a suit of sackcloth, and sorrow, for a suit of glory, for a clothing of immortality and garments of everlasting praise.

These words may refer to the former part of the eleventh verse, What is my strength, that I should hope? What is it? Let us seriously examine and consider what my strength is, Is my strength, the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? Am I made of such hard mettle, think you, that I am able to endure anything? Only a body of brass and sinews of Iron, are strong enough to endure this trial. Stones and brass are hard bodies and heavy bodies, they can bear blows and knocks without breaking; They yield not easily to the hammer; It is hard to make an impression upon them, with many, and those violent strokes. To say a man is as strong as stones, or that, he hath a body of brass, is to give him strength, which is not man's, and to set him two degrees below himself. Beasts are stronger, and can endure more hardship then man. Trees are stronger, and can endure more than Beasts. Stones are yet stronger, and can endure more then Trees. Therefore, while he asks, whether his strength be not only, like that of beasts, who have no reason, or like that of trees, which have no sense; but like that of stones and brass, which have no vegetation or growth, he puts it to the utmost, as if he had said,