Exposition of Job 4-7

JOB having in the former part of this Chapter contested with his friends, and expostulated the matter with God: now turns himself into another posture, even to humble his soul, and make confession of his sin. He had justified himself against the accusations of men, but now he accuses, and judges himself in the presence of his God. He will a while forget his sorrows, and bethink himself of his sins, I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men?

The words may be taken two ways.

• 1. As a confession or a prayer.
• 2. As a confession or a grant.

I shall first open them under the notion of a repenting prayer and confession of sin.

I have sinned.] As if he had said, Lord, if thou holdest me thus long upon the rack of this affliction, to gain a confession of me, to make me confess, here I am ready to do it, I do it, I have sinned.

The word signifies to miss the mark we aim at, or the way, wherein we would walk. And so it is put strictly, for sins of infirmity, when the purpose of a man's heart is (like the Archers, when he draws his bow) to hit the white, or (like the honest travellers in his journey) to keep the right way, and yet he miscarries, and is drawn aside.

But is this a sufficient confession? What! to say only in general, I have sinned. Did not hard-hearted Pharaoh (Ezod. 9. 25) False-hearted Saul (1 Sam 15. 24.) and Traitor-Judas) Matth. 27. 4.) make as good a confession as this. Everyone of these said, I have sinned, and what doth Job say more? It is surely no great cost nor pain to sinful nature, to bring up such a confession as this.

I answer; First, a general confession may be a sound confession; It is one thing not to express particular sins, with the circumstances of those sins, and another thing purposely to conceal them. I grant, implicit confession may be as dangerous as implicit faith. And to dig in the earth, and hide our sins in the Napkin of our excuses, is worse than to hide our Talents in the Napkin of our idleness. And as it is most dangerous, knowingly to conceal sin from God, so it is very dangerous to do it through ignorance or inadvertency; Some confess sin in general terms only, because they know not what their sins are, or have quite forgot them; As Nebuchadnezzar called the Astrologers, and Sorcerers, and Chaldeans, and told them he had dreamed a dream, but he could not tell what it was, For the thing was gone from him, Dan. 2. 5. Some such there are, who can, or, will only say, They have sinned, they have sinned; but what, they cannot tell, or they do not remember, Those things are gone from them. That which is written of the learned Bellarmine, a great Cardinal, and a Champion for Auricular, particular Confession of sin to man, seems very strange, That when he lay upon his death-bed, and the Priest after the Popish manner, came to absolve him, he had nothing to confess: at last he thought of some sleight extravagancies of his youth, which was all he had to say of his own miscarriages: We see a man may de a Scholar in all the knowledge of the world, of nature, and of Scripture, and yet not know his own heart, nor be studied or read in himself. He that is so, in a spiritual notion, can never want particular matter in his most innocent days to confess before the Lord, and to shame himself for. What though he hath escaped the pollutions of the world, and is cleansed from the filthiness of the flesh? yet he knows that still in his flesh there dwells no good thing, and that in his spirit, there are, at least touches of, many spiritual filthiness, as pride, unbelief, &c. besides his great deficiencies in every duty, and in his love to Jesus Christ, which is the ground of all. So then, in any of these senses, to confess sin only in general, is a sinful confession. And yet Job made a holy confession here, and so did the Publican (Luk. 18.) when he smote his breast and said only thus, God be merciful to me a sinner.

For secondly, though to speak a general confession be an easy matter, and every man's work; yet to make a general confession, is a hard matter, a work beyond man. As no man (in a spiritual sense) can say, Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost; (1 Cor. 12. 3.) so no man can say (in a Holy manner) I have sinned, but by the Holy Ghost; Good and bad, believers and unbelievers, speak often the same good words, but they cannot speak the same things, nor from the same principles; nature speaks in the one, in the other, grace. The one may say, very passionately, he hath sinned, and sometimes almost drown his words in tears, but the other saith, repentingly, I have sinned, and floods his heart with Godly sorrows.

Thirdly, to clear it yet more, the general confession of the Saints, have these four things in them.

First, Besides the fact, they acknowledge the blot, that there is much defilement and blackness in every sin; that it is the only pollution and abasement of the creature.

Secondly, They confess the fault, that, they have done very ill in what they have done, and very foolishly, even like a beast that hath no understanding.

Thirdly, They confess a guilt contracted by what they have done, that their persons might be laid liable to the sentence of the law for every such act, if Christ had not taken away the curse and condemning power of it. Confession of sin (in the strict nature of it) puts us into the hand of justice; though through the grace of the new Covenant, it puts us into the hand of mercy.

Fourthly, Hence the Saints confess all the punishments threatened in the Book of God to be due to sin; and are ready to acquit God, whatsoever he hath awarded against sinners: O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Dan. 9. 7.

And, as in this confession, for the matter, they acknowledge, the blot, the fault, the guilt, the punishment of sin: so for the manner (which sets the difference yet wider between the general confessions of wicked and Godly men) they confess;

First freely; Acknowledgements of sin are not extorted by the pain and trouble which seazeth on them, as in Pharaoh, Saul and Judas. But when God gives them best days, they are ready to speak worst of themselves: And when they receive most mercies from God, then God receives most and deepest acknowledgements of sin from them. They are never so humbled in the sight of sin, as when they are most exalted in seeing the salvations of the Lord. The goodness of God leads them to this repentance, they are not driven to it, by wrath and thunder.

Secondly, they confess, feelingly; when they say they have sinned, they know what they say. They taste the bitterness of sin, and groan under the burdensomeness of it, as it passes out in confession. A natural man's confessions run through him, as water through a pipe, which leaves no impression or sent there, nor do they (upon the matter) anymore taste what sin is, then the pipe doth of what relish water is. Or if a natural man feels anything in confession, it is the evil of punishment feared, not the evil of his sin committed.

Thirdly, they confess sincerely; they mean what they say, & are in earnest both with God and their own Souls. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile, Psal. 32. 2. The natural man casts out his sins by confession, as Sea-men cast their goods over-board in a storm, which in the calm they wish for again. They so cast out the evil spirit, that they are content to receive him again when he returns, though it be with seven worse then himself. Even while they confess sin with their lips, they keep it, like a sweet bit, under their tongues: And wish it well enough, while they speak it very ill.

Fourthly, they confess believingly; while they have an eye of sorrow upon sin, they have an eye of Faith upon Christ: Judas said he had sinned in betraying innocent blood (Mat. 27. 4.) but instead of washing in that blood, he defiles himself with his own, he goes away and hangs himself. No wicked man in the world (continuing in that state) did ever mix Faith with his sorrows, or believing, with confessing, he had sinned. So much for the clearing of the words, and the sense of this general confession. Hence observe, first,

While a Godly man maintains his innocence, and justifies himself before men, he willingly acknowledges his infirmity, and judges himself before God. Job had spent much time in wiping off the aspersions cast upon him by his friends, but he charges himself with his failings in the sight of God. Secondly observe,

God speaks better of his servants then they do of themselves. When God speaks of Job, we find not one blot in all his character, all is commendation, nothing of reproof. He saith (c. 1. v. 21.) in all this Job sinned not: but for all that, Job saith, I have sinned: A hypocrite hath good thoughts of himself, and speaks himself fair; He flatters himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful, Psal. 36. 2. A godly man thinks and speaks low of himself, he accuses himself in his own eyes, though his integrity be found very acceptable with the Lord. Thirdly observe,

The holiest man on earth, hath cause to confess that he hath sinned. Confession is the duty of the best Christians. First, The highest form of believers in this life, is not above the actings of sin; though the lowest of believers, is not under the power of it. And if the line of sinning be as long as the line of living, then the line of confessing must be of the same length with both. While the Ship leaks, the pump must not stand still. And so long as we gather ill humors, there will be need of vomits and purgings.

Secondly, Confession is a soul-humbling duty, and the best have need of that, for they are in most danger of being lifted up above measure. To preserve us from those self-exaltations, the Lord sometimes sends the Messenger of Satan to buffet us by temptations, and commands us to buffet ourselves often by confession.

Thirdly, Confession affects the heart with sin, and engages the heart against it. Every confession of the evil we do, is a new obligation not to do it anymore. The best in their worst part, have so much freedom to sin, that they have need enough to be bound from it in variety of bonds.

Fourthly, Confession of sin, shows us more clearly our need of mercy, and indears it more to us. How good and sweet is mercy to a soul, that hath tasted, how evil, and how bitter a thing it is to sin against the Lord. How welcome, how beautiful is a pardon, when we have been viewing the ugliness of our own guilt?

Fifthly, Confession of sin, advances Christ in our hearts. How doth it declare the riches of Christ, when we are not afraid to tell him, what infinite sums of debt we are in, which he only, and he easily can discharge? how doth it commend the healing virtue of his blood, when we open to him such mortal wounds and sicknesses, which he only, and he easily can cure? Woe be to those who commit sin abundantly, that grace may abound; but it is our duty to confess sin abundantly, that grace may abound.

Lastly, Though we need not confess sin at all to inform God: he knows our sins, though we will not make them known; and hath an eye to see, though we should not have a tongue to confess. Though (I say) we confess not to inform God what we are, or what we have done, yet, we must confess to glorify God. While we shame ourselves, we honor him. My son (saith Joshua to Achan. c. 7. v. 19) give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel; and make confession unto him: Every attribute of God, receives this gift of glory by man's confession. Justice is glorified, and mercy is glorified, patience is glorified, and holiness is glorified. Holiness is glorified in opposing sin, and patience in sparing the sinner; mercy is glorified in pardoning sin, and justice in receiving satisfaction at the hand of Christ for the pardon of it. Fourthly observe.

Holy confession of sin, leads the way to gracious pardoning of sin, Job begins the next verse with a vehement prayer for pardon. And why doest thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity. Sin concealed and kept close, grows upon us: And it grows three ways; First, in the strength of it; Secondly, in the guilt of it; Thirdly, in the terror and vexation of it, Psal. 32. 3, 4. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long. Confession is a means to obtain the abatement of sin, in all three. The strength of it is weakened, the guilt removed, and the terror overcome. Then hear the counsel of the Prophet (Isa. 43. 26.) declare that thou mayest be justified.

Thus far of the words as they are a confession of sin. I shall now handle them, as they are a concession or a grant that he had sinned; and so the sense may be given thus: I have sinned. what shall I do unto thee? As if he had said; Let it be granted, or subpose that I have sinned, and sinned as deeply as my friends have charged me; sup ••• e I have been as wicked as they imagine, what th • n if this were my case, what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men:

The later words plainly import a question, What shall I do unto thee? But the sense of the question is not so plain: The question may be taken two ways: Either affirmatively, or negatively. Take it affirmatively; and so the sense is, what shall I do? that is, Lord direct, me, council me, order me, teach me what becomes me to do in such a case, in such a sinful condition as I, either, confess myself to be in, or, am supposed to be in. That's the affirmative sense.

What shall I do?] The word which we translate [do] signifies working or doing, under a twofold qualification.

1. Working with great willingness and readiness of mind; and hence it is applied to the workings of sin in natural men, who work with the greatest freedom that can be. Man sins naturally, and therefore freely: he is carried on with a full swing, with tide and wind he sins, nothing in himself contradicting or giving a contrary vote: He is a true worker of iniquity, Psal. 5. 5.

2. Working with energy and success, and the doing of a thing not only effectually, but willingly, Numb. 23. 23. What hath God wrought? When God works, he works thoroughly; he doth not his business to halves. So Isa. 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us; that is, thou hast brought them to pass, they have succeeded through thy help, and the influences of thy blessing.

The word being taken in this height of sense, & the question for an affirmation, What shall I do? that is, show me, direct me what to do; we may observe from it, First, That,

What to do in case of sin, is a point of the highest consideration, I have sinned, what shall I do? If ever we have need to go and ask counsel, to sit down and debate the mater with our sevles or others, it is, when we have sinned. Such is the nature of sin, and such the consequences, that it calls us to highest consideration what to do about it. Matters of great consequence, are matters of great consultation: Sin hath an influence upon an eternity. If anything be more worthy your thoughts then that, let it have them.

Secondly, Look upon the question as following Jobs confession: Observe thence,

That sincere confession of sin, makes the soul very active and inquisitive about the remedies of sin. I have sinned; the very next word is, What shall I do? Many make confession of sin, who are never troubled about the cure and redress of sin; Lord what shall I do? is not the next question to, Lord, I have sinned. Nay, it may be the next action is, to sin over the same sin, they have confessed. As soon as those Jews heard of the foulness of their sin in crucifying Christ, and of the sadness of their condition; their question is like this of Job, what shall we do? what shall we do that we may be saved? As Christ speaks to the woman of Samaria (Job. 4. 10.) when he offered her the water of life, If thou didst know the gift of God, and who it is that speaks unto thee, thou wouldest have asked, &c. That is, if thou wert sensible of the excellency and virtue of this water, and thy need of it, thou wouldest be very inquisitive how to get it, how to have a taste of it. As in regard of Christ, and the benefits we have by him; so of sin, and the evils which come by it: When a man hath confessed and acknowledged his sin, we may say to him, if thou didst but know what thou hast confessed, if thou didst but know what thou hast acknowledged, thou wouldest presently be asking, how shall I get free? how shall I get clear of these sins w ^ch are so deadly, poisonous, destroying & condemning? He that is but sensible what the wound of sin is, will never be at rest, never give over enquiring, til he hath found a plaster or a medicine for it. He that knows what he saith, when he saith I have sinned, will resolve, as David in another case, that his eyes shall not have a wink of sleep, till he sees where to have help against it.

Thirdly, In that he saith, what shall I do? Observe,

That a soul truly sensible of sin, is ready to submit to any terms which God shall put upon him. What shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Put what terms thou wilt upon me, I am ready to accept them. That was the sense of their question (Acts 2. 32.) what shall we do? show us the way, let it be what it will, we will not stand making of conditions, we will not pick and choose, this we will do, and that we will not do, this we will submit unto, and that we will refuse; no, let the Lord write what articles he pleases, we intend not to debate, but yield and subscribe unto them. When the Jailor found himself in the bonds of his iniquity, he was ready to enter into any bonds of duty, Acts 16. 30. Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Lastly, From the question in the affirmative, Observe,

That God is to be consulted and inquired after in all doubtful cases, especially in our sin-cases. I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? He calls upon God, to know what he should do, and to learn what course he should take. Though, when we have opportunity to speak to men, that's good, and a duty; yet we must not rest in the counsels of men, what to do in sin-cases: God must be consulted. After the people had committed idolatry in making the Calf, you have sinned (saith Moses) and now I will go up unto the Lord, that I may make an atonement for you; I will go up to the Lord, that I may understand from him, what course to take for the removing of this sin, though we have not such a mount to go up unto, as Moses then had to speak to God; yet there are ways for the soul in all sincases, to make addresses unto God; A sinner may say, I will go to the Lord, and make my atonement: whatsoever advice and direction we receive from men, we must inquire whether it be an advice and counsel established in Heaven. And the reason is clear, God is the person offended in every sin, and therefore he must be consulted about the remedy of sin. Again, God only can resolve us what will please him; we may pitch upon a wrong course, and take a wrong way; we instead of pacifying God, may provoke him? instead of satisfying, further displease him: Therefore we must say, when we have sinned, Lord what wilt thou have us to do? his advice will lead us to Christ for ease and peace.

So far for the question taken in the affirmative sense, What shall I do unto thee? show me what I shall do, and I will readily submit unto it.

Secondly, Take the question negatively, what shall I do unto thee? And so I find two senses of it.

First, Some render it thus, what have I done against thee? and then the meaning is this, I have done nothing against thee, or I have not hurt thee by sinning: What have I done against thee? wherein have I injured thee, that thou layst thy hand thus severely upon me in these grievous afflictions, both upon my soul and body? I am hurt, what have I hurt thee? There is a truth in this: though I take it not for the truth of this place. A man may say when he hath sinned what hurt have I done unto God? and yet all the hurt and wrong which God receives, he receives by sin. Our sins are no hurt unto God, by abating anything of his happiness, or fullness, or intrinsicall essential honor; take it thus, and our sins cannot hurt God: All the darts of our sins, fall infinitely short of God, they cannot reach him, so, as to annoy him: And we have that language expressly in the 35 Chapter of this book of Job, ver 6. If thou doest sin what doest thou against him? (that is, thou doest nothing against God, as a real damage to him) or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? Sin as many sins as you can, you cannot impare the happiness of God, or diminish his greatness: he is out of the reach of the creature in that sense. As on the other side, if a man be never so holy and good, or do never so many acts of righteousness, yet God hath no good or gain by it, we cannot advantage God by our holiness; and that is the language of this Scripture too, Job 35. 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him; or what receiveth he of thine hand? We make no addition to the happiness of God by all our holiness, Job. 22. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or any gain unto him that thou makest thy ways perfect? That which is infinite cannot increase, neither can it be increased. God is a above all gain and loss, above all accesses of pleasure or pain. When the Scripture saith, he is delighted in the services of the Saints, and takes pleasure in his people, we must understand them in the same sense, as those Scriptures, which describe him displeased with the sins of men, angry and grieved, because of their provocations. All the motions of God's delight or grief, pleasednesse or displeasure, are only expressions towards the creature, not any impressions upon himself. But I shall let that sense pass.

Secondly, in the negative, take the question thus, What shall I do unto thee? Or, as the Septuagint reads it, What can I do unto thee? That is, I can do nothing to thee? Lord I have sinned, and if thou seekest for satisfaction at my hands, I am able to make none. And so he speaks like a poor, undone, broken man, to his rich creditor arresting him for a dept, which he is unable to pay. The poor man falls down at his feet, and saith, Sir, I confess I owe you a great sum, you have my bonds, I confess my hand and seal, but what shall I do unto you? I cannot pay you a penny, I have nothing, I have lost all, I am not worth a groat, what will you have of me? This sounds such a kind of melting, pitiful language, I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee; O thou preserver of men? Lord, when I look into my stock, into my treasure & revenues, I see I have nothing to satisfy this debt of sin, I have run in, and stand engaged to thy Majesty for; what can I pay thee? And so the word [do] signifies a retribution or recompense; so it is used in the second verse of this Chapter, where he speaks of the hireling, waiting for his work, that is, for the reward of recompense of his work, the payment of his wages. What shall I do? is as much, as, what shall I pay, or what shall I render? This is a due debt, but I have nothing to pay, no way of making satisfaction, for all the damage I have put thy holy Majesty to, by my sins.

Or thus, there may be a three-fold negation in the Question, What shall I do unto thee?

First, I can do nothing to escape thy power, I cannot get a way from thee, J cannot rescue myself from under thy hand.

Secondly, I can do nothing to satisfy thy justice.

Thirdly, I can do nothing, to pacify thine anger. J cannot only not pay the dept, but I cannot appease thee, or turn away thy displeasure in the least degree.

From the Question taken in this sense, we may observe. First, That,

The holiest man on the earth by all his sufferings and doings cannot satisfy the justice of God for one sin. I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee? When the Angels had sinned, what could they do unto God, in this respect? These three negations lay upon them, and do lie to this day, and shall to all eternity. They sinned but once, yet could they not escape out of the hand of God. Though spirits and powers, yet they could not maintain their state against the power of God, and are therefore cast into prison, and reserved in chains of darkness to the judegement of the great day. They could not pacify the wrath of God towards them, God is as highly displeased, and his wrath burns as hot against them, as ever. Now if sinning Angels could do nothing to God, what can sinful man do? The Question is put Micah 6. 6. Where with shall I come before the Lord? And bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings? with calves of a year old? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? or with ten thousand rivers of oil? shall I give my first-borne for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? These Questions are denials; come not before God with any of these. Then what is it, that God doth require? He hath shown thee, what is good, to do judgment and righteousness, to walk humbly with thy God. But why these things? What, though I cannot make a price for my sin with calves and rams, and rivers of oil, though my children will not be accepted as a ransom for my transgressions, yet can I make a price for them, out of justice and righteousness and humble walking? No, not out of these neither. The Lord doth not require these, for the payments of our debt, as we are sinners, but for the payments of duty, as we are creatures. There is a double debt to God: a debt to the justice of God for sins committed, and a debt to the law of God for duties enjoined. The former no man is able to pay, but with eternal sufferings. The latter, the Saints (through grace) do pay by their daily holy actings.

There is a three-fold deficiency in all that man can do, to satisfy the justice of God.

Frist, all is imperfect and defiled, our services smell of the vessel, thorough which they pass, and taste of the cask into which they are put. There is a stamp of our sinfulness even upon our holy things. And can that which is sinful satisfy for sin?

Secondly, whatsoever we do is a debt, before we do it. All our duties are owing before we perform them. And can we pay the debt of sin, by those duties which were due, though sin had never been committed?

Thirdly, The greatest deficiency is this, our works want the stamp of God's appointment for that purpose. God hath nowhere set up man's righteousness, as satisfaction for man's unrighteousness. Hence, if it should be supposed, we had performed perfect righteousness according to the whole will of God commanded, yet we could not satisfy the justice God offended, unless God had said, that he would accept that way of satisfaction; it is the appointment and institution of God, which renders what we do acceptable unto himself. Surely, all that Jesus Christ did or suffered for us in the flesh, had not satisfied the justice of God, if God had not appointed that Christ should come to do and suffer those things for the satisfying of his justice. It was the compact between Christ and his Father, which made him a Savior, Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. Sacrifices were refused by God, it being impossible, that they should purge sin (Heb. 10. 4.) Then the ear of Christ was opened or bored; as a servant, according to the law in that case, Exod. 21. 6. to receive and do the will of his Father. Or, as the Seventy interpret, which the Apostle follows, God prepared him a body. Then Christ undertakes the work, And said, loe I come to do thy will O God. Why? In the volume of the book it is written of me. That is, thou hast decreed and ordained from everlasting; The record is clear for it, that I am he, whom thou hast ordained to do thy will: Hence the Apostle concludes at the 10th verse, That we are sanctified (that is, saved) by that will through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all: As inserting, that the very offering of the body of Jesus Christ could not save us, but by the will and ordination of God. His hanging and dying on the cross had not delivered us from death, unless it had been written in the volume of the Book. There is nothing satisfactory, but what the law, or the will of the Law-giver makes, or agrees to accept, as satisfactory. In the volume of the book, there is nothing written, which appoints man such a work, and therefore he cannot do it.

There is some what to be done by way of thankfulness, but nothing can be done by way of payment. That question (Psal. 116. 12.) affirms as much, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? We must render unto the Lord for his benefits; but we cannot render to the Lord for our sins. We ought to take up the Cup of Thanksgiving: but Christ hath, and he alone was able, and he alone was ordained to take and drink the Cup of Satisfying.

Secondly, observe (which depends upon the former.)

That pradon and forgiveness of sin, come in at the door of free grace. Free-grace doth all. What can I do? J can do nothing, O thou preserver of men; J can only (nor that without thy help) acknowledge my sin: it must be thine infinite goodness to pardon it. When a man hath travel'd through all duties and doings, he must at last sit down in God's love, and rest in this, that God is merciful to poor sinners, Isai. 55. 1. Come unto me, O all ye that are thirsty, come without money or without price: There is nothing in the creature that God requires as a price of his favor: his milk and his honey, his bread and his water are all gifts and bounties unto his people. He calls us to buy these because we shall have them, as willingly from God, as any things from man, for our money; & he calls it a buying without money, because no value can be set upon it high enough, nor any heart receive it freely enough. To offer money, that is, to think to obtain any of that favor, by what we do, is the most dangerous offer in the world. We read how dreadful the issue was to Simon Magus, when he offered money, for the gifts of the holy Ghost, and yet those gifts were such, as a man may have, and go to hell with them, for they were but gifts of miracles and of healing, and the like: But this gift of the favor and love of God in the pardon of sin, is such a gift, as whosoever hath it, is sure and safe forever: And therefore (the gift being much more precious than that of Simon Magus) Take heed of offering this kind of money for it, your works and doings. To do so is the worst Simony in the world. Better offer literal money for those gifts of the holy Ghost, then this figurative money for the favor of God in the pardon of sin. What Peter threatened Simon Magus, may be affirmed of them. Their money must perish with them, That is, their prayers and tears, their sorrows and their humblings, their alms and good deeds, forasmuch as they have thought, that this gift of pardon may be obtained by such money. They have neither part nor lot in that mercy, for their hearts are not right in the sight of God. A good work trusted to, is as mortal, as a sin unrepented of.

Again, There is somewhat to be done, when we have sin'd but nothing to be paid. That's Gospel-language, when a man hath sinned, to say, What shall I do? Those converts in the Acts who inquired, What shall we do? were told by the Apostles of some what to be done, Repent and be baptized, believe and thou shalt be saved. These are ways wherein salvation is tendered, not works for which it is bestowed. It is a dangerous error, so to lift up the grace of God, as to deny the industry of man through grace, & because he can do nothing by way of satisfaction, that, therefore he must do nothing. The Apostles gave Gospel-counsel, yet when men asked them, what shall we do to be saved? They said not, ye must do nothing, God will save you by his free grace: no, they called them to repent and believe, &c. Take heed, when ye have sinned, to say we need not mourn for sin, we need not be humbled, we need not repent, for, Lord, what can we do unto thee, O thou Savior of men? These are the inferences of our own spirits, not of the Spirit of Christ. They who lift up the grace of Christ, to lessen the necessity of gracious actings in themselves, show they know not the meaning of his grace, and have not indeed tasted how gracious the Lord is. To deny our own righteousness, and to be very active in the ways of righteousness is the due Gospeltemper. The Apostle, Phil. 3. 8. counts all things but loss and dung; all duties and humblings, all legal righteousness and obedience, not that he refused righteousness, or neglected duties, but he would not mingle them with Christ, or bring them in as contributions to the purchase of blessedness. Our righteousness and holy duties are dung and dross in justification; but they are gold and precious things in sanctification: without these, we cannot walk worthy of our holy calling, or, as it becomes the Gospel of Christ.

So much for these words, what shall I do unto thee?

Here is the Compellation, or the title, under which Job bespeaks the Lord (and it is a royal one) The preserver of men. The words signifies, both to preserve and to observe; and hence it is applied to our keeping the law of God, Psal. 119. 22. I have kept thy testimonies, I have kept them, by observation, that is, I have obeyed thy Commandments. The word is often applied to God, in reference to man's protection and preservation, Deut. 32. 10. Moses describes the care of God over his people Israel, He found them in the wilderness (as a people wandering and going astray) and he kept them as the apple of his eye; that is, he looked to them and had a continual tender care over them. So Psal. 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine eye.

The Septuagint render it, O thou observer of men; What shall I do unto thee, O thou who art the observer and looker into the very hearts of men? Lord saith he, what wilt thou have me to do? Thou lookest quite through me, and seest all that is in me, I need not declare myself unto thee, thou knowest me altogether, Thou who art the searcher of the heart, and the trier of the reins; Thou who art a most vigilant watcher over all my ways, what have I done, or spoken, but thou knowest and canst easily observe. Thus Job speaks at the 14 ^th of this book, verse. 16. Thou numberest my steps; a man observes another curiously, when he tells how many steps he treads, it is an expression, noting the exactest observation. Solomon joins the act of keeping with observing, Prov. 24. 12. If thou sayest, behold he knoweth it not (this is the refutation of an Atheist) doth not he that pondereth the hears, consider it, and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know? He that preserves us in our ways, must needs see us in all our ways.

Again, Preserving or keeping may be understood two ways.

First, There is a preserving or keeping of man, that he shall not escape. And

Secondly, A preserving or keeping of man, that he shall not take hurt. Some understand it in the first sense, O thou preserver of men! that is, O thou, who art so strict a keeper and watcher over men, that they cannot escape thine hand. A man is said to be in safe custody, when he is a prisoner, and so the sense is thus given, Lord, thou hast me fast enough, I cannot break away from thee, I am locked up within iron-gates and bars, what wouldest thou have me do unto thee? Thou mayest put what conditions thou pleasest upon me, I must submit. Such language we have (Lam. 3. 5, 7.) which may illustrate this, He hath built against me, and compassed me with gall and travel, he hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out, he hath made my chain heavy. You see, he speaks of God (as we may speak with reverence) as of the master of a prison, who saith to his under-officers, there is such a one, look to him well make his chain heavy, that he may not get a way, put him in a place, where there is a strong wall, least he break prison. This sense of the word makes Job speaking like Jeremy, He hath built against me, he hath compassed me about, he hath made my chain heavy upon me.

But the second sense, according to the letter of our Translation, is most clear and apt, O thou preserver of men! Thou, who keepest man, least he take hurt or fall into danger; As if Job had bespoke God, thus, Thou art the Savior and protector of men, thou hast not only given man a being, but thou providest for his well-being: thou art a preserver of our outward estates, and a preserver of our spiritual estates; A God, in whom we live, move, and have our being, as well, as we receive being, life and motion from thee; and therefore seeing such is thy nature, and this thy office, to be a preserver of men, what wouldst thou have me to do unto thee? Why dost thou thus destroy me, and break me to pieces? Why dost thou follow me with affliction upon affliction, till I am utterly ruined and undone? Thus Jacob (Gen, 28. 15.) If thou wilt keep me in the way that I shall go, he makes a vow to God, and indents or articles with God to be kept and preserved by him, The word there is Thomer, but that and this are used promiscuously, as Psal. 121. 4. The keeper of Israel, In the word of the text, and Psal. 31. 23. The Lord preserveth the faithful; he preserveth them, from the reach of dangers and troubles incompassing them on every side.

So then in this title, we have the work and office of God held forth, the second act of his power. The first is the act of creation, the second is this act of preservation or providence. Preservation or ptovidence is a continued creation. Observe from this title; First.

Man wants a preserver. If God having made man, and set him in the world, had left him to his own keeping, what would become of him? When God trusted man to go a little alone, and did not hold a special hand of preservation over him, to keep him from or in temptation, how quickly did he fall and loose himself? Man like a little child (which if the mother or the nurse leaveth alone unwatched or uneyed) runs into dangers and deaths every moment. Man is a weak creature, therefore he needs a preserver. Again, man (as fallen especially) is a foolish creature, he hath no understanding to guide himself, he is as ignorant as a child (if God leave him) how to dispose of his own ways, and order his goings; The way of man is not in himself, neither is it in him that goeth to direct his own steps.

Lastly, Man walks in the midst of enemies. He is beset with dangers, therefore he needs a protector; what would become of a man, living in a throng of adversaries, were it not that he hath a God, whose name is the preserver of men?

It is good for us to know God by this Name in every letter of it, in the full extent of it.

First, Immediately, his own hand and out-stretched arm, is our safety, Zech. 2. 5. I will be unto Jerusalem a wall of fire round about; If you want a wall, I will be your wall, my immediate providence shall be your defense, rather then you shall not be defended. Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh brass? was Jobs question, Chap. 6. 12. We may resolve it, the strength of God is more then the strength of stones, and he, The Spirit is more firm then brass. The Romans in their wars used to call out the Tutelar gods of those Cities they besieged, &c. as believing them a stronger defense to those places, than walls or forts. And yet our God is more then a wall of stone or brass, he promised to be a wall of fire. Now, who can batter down a fire, that is it's own fuel, or who can set up ladders to scale the flames?

And as the Lord is a wall of fire, so a wall of water for the safety of his people, Isa. 33. 21. there will I be a place of broad rivers, and of streams; that is, I will be their preservation; the broad river preserves a place from the invasion of enemies: waters are stronger then bulwarks of stones. And least any should object, though broad rivers keep of Foot or Horse, yet they give advantage to ships; therefore it is added, I will be such a river to thee, as wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant Ship pass thereby. But if any shall venture their Navies upon these streams to thy annoyance, then know (as the 23. verse. intimates). Their tacklings shall be loosed, they shall not well strengthen their masts, they shall not spread their sails; They shall be so ruffled and entangled, that the lame shall take the prey, that is, the weakest resistance shall subdue them and make prize of their whole fleet, even of their invincible Armado's. I love the Lord my strength, my rock, my tower, my fortress, my buckler, the horn of my salvation; Ps. 18. 1, 2. all these titles meet in this one, The preserver of men.

Secondly, God is a preserver of men mediately by instruments: he preserves man by man, and man sometimes by the beasts of the earth, and fowls of the air, but chiefly he preserveth men by Angels; Are they not ministering spirits, sent out for the good of those that shall be heirs of salvation? (Psa. 91.) He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, they shall bear thee up in thy ways, least thou dash thy foot against a stone. A promise so full of sweetness for faith to feed on, that the devil hath no way to elude it, but by tempting us (as he did Christ) to over-act it, & surfeit faith into a presumption, by a willful needless throwing ourselves into danger.

And there is a necessity that God himself should thus take upon him the preservation of men: This necessity is three-fold.

1. None are strong enough to preserve us without him, our enemies would break thorough all strength below God: so that, if he were not our preserver, none could: In vain is salvation hoped for from hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. Jer. 2.

2. None are wise enough to preserve us, except the Lord. As evil spirits are powers, for strength; so likewise serpents, for policy and craft; this craft of hell cannot be discovered, much less disappointed, without wisdom from Heaven.

3. None but God are patient enough to be the preservers of men, I believe if the Angels left to their natural temper, were set to be keepers of men, they had all given over this charge long before this time, as it is supposed, they who fell, refused to undertake, or take it up, at first, Angels have not the patience to keep such a froward piece as man. It is a wonder God doth not give over that care, and instead of preserving dash him in pieces. When the Lord told Moses, he would send an Angel before him, and drive out the Canaanite (Exod. 34. 2.) For I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiff-necked people, least I consume thee in the way. The text saith, when the people heard this evil tidings, they mourned, and no man did put upon him his ornaments. Why, what was it that troubled them? was it that the Angel is sent now to conduct them to Canaan? That was told them (Chap. 23. 20.) and they well satisfied with it, Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. I answer, The Angel in the 23. Chapter is by all (that I meet with) agreed to be the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Angel of the Covenant; but the Angel, chap. 33. appears to be a created Angel and rather threatened them, then promised them. And though the Lord is pleased to signify a reason of sending this Angel in favor to them, namely, least he himself consume them in the way, for their stubborness. Yet the people are not satisfied with this tidings; surely they thought if the Lord was not able to bear their provocations, much less could an Angel, and therefore if he should send an Angel, and withdraw his own presence from them, they must perish; A mere Angel could not have borne their manners as the Lord did; receiving provocations from them, and continuing preservations over them those forty years.

It is yet further observable, that the Hebrew is not only singular, but a particular: The preserver of Adam, or, of that man, which hath some speciality in it, We translate in general, the preserver of men; but the preserver of man, or of that man, is more emphatical. God preserveth all, but he hath a special eye of preservation upon some, Thou preservest man and beast, saith the Psalmist, the beasts of the earth are preserved, but man is preserved more: And among men, some are more preserved. It is a truth, the great God preserveth his greatest enemies; a wicked man were not able to lift up a hand or a tongue against him, if God did not uphold him: but God is the special preserver of that man, that is, the preserver of a godly man, or of godly men. As Christ is the Savior of all men, but especially of those that believe; so the preserver of all men, but especially of those that believe; he hath a care of them, beyound the care he hath of the world. The care which God hath of the rest of the world, compared with that towards his own, is but carelessness, and he (as it were) neglects the whole world to look to his own people. As it was said of Constantine, that for the love he bare to Constatinople, he undress'd and unadorn'd all the other Cities of the Empire, to beautify and adorn that: God seems to take off from all men in the world, to lay it on, upon his people; The very gleanings of those mercies which his people have, are better then the whole vintage of the world: And the Lord is therefore a special Savior to his people, because,

First, They are more precious than the rest of the world: and that calls for most care, which hath most worth. A man takes more care of his jewels, then of the lumber in his house; These are my Jewels, saith God (Mal. 3.) A man carries his jewels about him, or keeps them in a safe cabinet.

Secondly, Neerenesse of relation calls for that care; will not a man perserve his wife, his spouse? The Church is the spouse of Christ. Will not a man preserve his children? if his house be on fire, bring my children out saith he: The heart of God is towards his children, he must provide them a porton. Yea they are his portion, he makes a revenue of them (Deut. 32. 9.) A man will preserve his revenue, that wherein his estate lies: All that God hath on earth (though he hath such a fullness in himself, that he needs nothing from his Church, yet, all that he hath) he is pleased to say, he hath it from his Church: and therefore God is said to be great in Zion; He is the same great God all the world over, but it appears not so, what he is, to the men of the world, as to the Saints in Zion it doth: yea he is little in the eye of the world, in comparison of what he is in Zion, therefore he takes great care to preserve his Zion. Lastly observe.

The preserving care of God over man, especially over that man, over his own people, is a perpetual care. Preservation is a continued act, if God should leave us one moment, and stop providence, creation would be dissolved: This continuance of his care, is eminent towards his Church; Isa. 27. 3. Least any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Night and day divide all time between them: to do a thing night and day, is to do it continually. Psa. 121. 4. He that keepeth Israel, neither slumbereth no • sleepeth; A slumber is less than sleep; but God will not so much as slumber in his thoughts towards us, all his, are waking thoughts. Futher, his love is without intermission, that knows no stops nor breaches, therefore his care is so too. His people's dangers are without intermission, therefore his preservation is so too. Enemies oppose his people without intermission, therefore he protects them so too. The Devil goeth about like a roaring lion, he is ever in motion, he goeth about as an Abaddon or Apollyon, the destroyer and devourer of men: The care of Christ prompts him to a like vigilancy, He goeth about preserving; his act of preservation runs parralell with that of the enemies opposition: God watches that his people may have some quiet rest and sleep. As the story reports of Alexander the great, that he told his Soldiers, I watch more than any of you all, that you may sometimes have quiet sleep: his care dispensed with some of their carelessness. It is most true of God, he wakes forever, and he watches forever, to preserve us, that, we may sleep in quietness and confidence. Solomon reprooves some secure ones, who are as they, who sleep on the top of the mast (Pro. 23.) But the Saints may sleep (in regard of fear, though not of endeavor) on the top of the mast, while they remember that both the helm and the winds are in God's hands. As our spiritual estates, so our temporal are kept (as with a garrison in their degree) by the power of God through faith unto salvation. So much for the title, O thou preserver of men.

Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee?] The word signifies to meet one, to come the opposite way; Hence some translate this, why hast thou set me contrary to thyself? because he that meets another, comes the contrary way, the way opposite to him: Why hast thou put me as an object against thee? or, as an enemy to thee? the object stands directly before us, and we desire to have an enemy right before us. And the word may be taken simply for an enemy, or adversary, who stands opposite to us, both in his actions and designs, and against whom we direct both ours. We render, wherefore hast thou set me as a mark? and that suites the sense of the word fully, because a mark at which a man aims, is set in direct opposition to him; we level our atrowes or bullets at the mark right before us, Job thought himself thus placed, why hast thou set me as a mark to meet with, or intercept thy shot, thy arrows, thy bullets, thy blows upon my breast? Wilt thou make the bosom of thy servants, like the breast of an enemy, a But to receive all thy arrows? A mark is as a standing enemy; and an enemy is a moving mark to shoot at: a mark is a lifeless enemy, and an enemy is a living mark: his meaning then is; Thou hast set me against thee, as if I were an enemy, as if I were one, against whom thou resolvest to direct all thine arrows, and aim every stroke: so the word is used, Judge. 8. 21. where Zebah and Zalmunna, two Kings taken captive by Gideon, said to him, rise thou and fall upon us; it is this word, set us before thee as a mark for thy victorious sword: So the Prophet (Amos 5. 19.) tells us that a man in hopes to escape the hand of God, shall be as if a man did flee from a Lion, and a Bear met him, such a man is but a mark for a Bear, who thinks to out-run this Lion. That expression (1 King. 5. 4.) is very clear to this sense, where the peacefulness of Solomon's reign is described, thus, there was neither adversary nor evil occurrent; the word we translate, evil occurrent, it is that in the text, no evil met or befell them. So then the sum of all is, That Job expostulates or complains before God, that he was as it were, the man chosen out amongst all the men in the world, to be as the mark and But against which God shot his afflictions, and leveled all his arrows: As if he had said; There are many mo about me, and thou doest not so much as touch one of the hairs of their heads, there are men that receive not so much as one shot from thee, but I am made thy standing mark, why is it thus Lord? So he expresseth himself, in other words, but to this very sense, chap. 19. 11. chap 13. 24. Wherefore holdest thou me for thine enemy? or (according to the letter of the Hebrew) among those who straighten thee, as an enemy straightens a City, in the time of a siege: And this he doth to move God to pity and compassion; Lord, saith he, I am set as a mark against thee. You would be much moved (a tender heart would) to see a man bound fast to a post, and another standing off with his bow bent, and his arrow on the string, with his gun or pistoll cockt, aiming at his breast: Job presents himself in such a posture, as if the Lord had bound him fast to a post or to a tree, and were pouring vollies of shot, and sending showers of arrows upon him continually.

Observe, first the manner of the language, which is by way of a vehement question, or expostulation, Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee?

Man is very inquisitive to know the reasons of God's dealings with him. That's one thing.

And secondly which is near the same,

It is some satisfaction and ease to the mind smitten by the hand of God, to know the reason why he wounds, why he smites. Why hast thou set me as a mark? as if he had said; if I could but learn this, and see the reason of it, surely I should receive thy wounds as kisses, and take thy strokes as embraces. When Gideon saw so many evils and troubles upon Israel, Jud. 6. and the Angel told him, the Lord was with him, Then, why is it thus (saith he) Can you give me a reason, why God being with us, it is thus with us? To know the reason of our pain, is a great ease, and almost the care of it. If the people of God did but know what infinite reason he hath (reason of the highest temperament of wisdom and goodness) why he lays affliction upon them, and makes them as his marks, they would be abundantly satisfied with it. What is the reason why the Saints coming out of great affliction, are willing to confess, it is good for us that we were afflicted, and blessed be God that we were chastened. It is, because then they see more clearly the reason why God afflicted them, and they then begin to taste the fruit of those afflictions. If while the affliction is upon us, we knew what good God meaneth us, what honor he intendeth us, we should bear it, not only with courage and with patience, but, with joy. If Job had been but fully acquainted with this, that God therefore set him up as a mark to shoot at, that he might be to all the world a mirror of patience: that God intended him this honor, that his name should be upon record in his Book so long as there was a Church, surely he would have borne all with more patience and ease than he did; But he was groping in the dark, and therefore enquires, wherefore hast thou set me as a mark against thee? The words are not only, or not so much, an expostulation, because he was set as a mark, as an inquisition, why he was set as a mark. Thirdly note,

God sometimes seems an enemy to his faithful servants. For one to be before God as a But continually shot at, what other interpretation can sense make of it, but this, that God looks upon him as an enemy? Jacob saith of Joseph (Gen. 49. 23.) the archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him. Joseph was as the common mark of his Bretherens envy. But in this case, as it is said of Joseph (Gen. 42.) when his brethren came to him, he made himself strange to them. (Joseph strained himself, and used his art, to overcome his nature, he made himself strange: Joseph was of a meek and loving disposition, and therefore like a Player upon a stage, he only acted the part of a rigid master or governor.) Thus many times the Lord takes upon him the posture of an enemy, and forces a frown upon a poor creature, whom he loves and delights in with all his heart; he makes him as his mark to shoot at, whom he lays next his own heart. Thus the Church speaks, Lam. 3. 12. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows; And (Job 16. 13.) that, you may see how his language agrees with other Scriptures; His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare. He poureth out my gall upon the ground. How exactly he speaks! A man shoots at a hairs breadth that shoots thus; when God sends his archers, their bows shoot so true, that they cleave the reins asunder: the reins are in the midst of a man, and to cleave the reins, is to shoot level: as pouring out the gall, or unbowelling, imports to shoot dead.

Fourthly observe this, Why hast thou set me as a mark?

God takes the most eminent and choicest of his servants, for the choicest and most eminent afflictions. He makes a Job the white. Why hast thou chosen me? There was great reason, God should choose him, he was the most eminent in holiness and grace of all about him: he was the most remarkable man for grace and goodness, therefore he must be the mark. They who have received most grace from God, are able to bear most affliction from God. God doth this in infinite wisdom: as the Apostle, Rom. 14. 11. gives an excellent advice in reference to weak brethren, such as are weak receive, but not to doubtful disputations; take heed how you engage your weak brethren in doubtful disputes, you may loose them so; take those that are strong and able, such as have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, such as are well ballasted for a storm, take these men, if you will, to doubtful disputations, but do not take weak brethren. If God will not have us take a weak Christian to a doubtful disputation; surely then, he calls such to sufferings, of whose strength he is well assured: A man under great affliction, is brought to a very doubtful disputation; therefore the Lord will not bring a weak one, one low in grace to it, but he takes out the strong: As the General of an Army chooses out the valiantest and most experienced veterane Soldiers, to put them upon hard adventures, it is not wisdom to venture a fresh-water Soldier upon difficult services. God will not put new wine into old bottles: as it is in acting duties, so in sufferings. And as Christ orders the word in such wisdom, that he will not have counsel given, to any soul, who is unprepared to receive it, or unable to bear it. John 16. 12. I have many things yet to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now; therefore I will defer, until you have got more strength: So God saith of a young Christian, one that is newly come in; thou hast great afflictions to undergo before thou diest, but thou art not fit to bear them yet, I will defer thy trial till thou art grown more hardie, through more communion with me, to fit thee for that encounter. As our Lord Christ told Peter (Joh. 21. 18.) When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whether thou wouldest not. That is, when thou wast young and inexperienced thou enjoyest thy liberty; but when thou shalt be grown older in years, and stronger in grace, thou shalt willingly stretch forth thy hands, and quietly suffer thyself to be bound to the Cross (Peter was not nailed as Christ, but tied to the Cross) and there die in witness of my truth; for this Christ spake, signifying by what death he should die and glorify God, ver. 19.

Fifthly, In that he saith, Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee? Why doest thou run thus against me? Observe,

Man in sinning, runneth contrary to God, and God in afflicting seemeth to run contrary to man. Every act of sin, is a direct opposition unto God: we set God as a mark, and shoot arrows of disobedience against him; sin is a missing the mark of duty, but it ames to hit the Lord, as a mark, who charges us with that duty. In affliction God runneth upon us, and makes the trangressor his mark. Moses (Levite. 26. 41.) speaks both ways; If your uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and ye acknowledge that ye have walked contrary unto me, and that I have walked contrary unto you, that I have made you a mark, and shot at you by my judgments, and that you have made me a mark, shooting at me by your sins; then I will remember, &c. So that our sinning is a walking contrary unto God, and God's corrections are his walking contrary to us: There is an excellent expression, noting how sin strikes, (and as it were) shoots at God (Job 15. 25, 26.) He stretcheth out his hand against God speaking of a wicked man) and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty; (here this word is used) he runneth upon him; even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. See how he describes a wicked man in his natural course; what doth he? he runs upon God, he runneth upon him, even upon his neck; as a man that encounters an enemy, runs upon him, and sets his feet upon his neck; he runneth upon the thick bosses of his bucklers, a warrior hath bosses upon his arms, both for beauty and defense. The enemy runs upon the very bosses and fears nothing: such is a wicked man He runs against God; will not God run upon him? He will certainly be upon the bosses of their bucklers, and upon their necks too, one time or other, till they shall be forced to cry out, that as they have been burdens unto God, so now they are burdens to themselves. Thus Job concludes in his own case.

The former words, are the cause, and these the effect. Thou hast set me as a mark; what follows? O, I am a burden to myself! The Septuagint read thus, so that I am a burden unto thee, or, so, that I am burdensome to thee. And then his meaning may be conceived thus, Lord thou settest me as a mark, so that I become burthensome unto thee; I have such a weight of afflictions upon me, that I am forced to complainings and expostulations wherein I am afraid, I am burthensome to thee; as poor Suters when they cry long in the ears of a Judge or Magistrate, he saith forbear, you are very troublesome, very burthensome to me.

The Rabbins observe, that this was the ancient reading of the Text, I am a burden unto thee, and that the Scribes, who wrote out the Bibles in Hebrew, made this alteration, a burden to myself; because they conceived it was unbecoming the Majesty of God, that Job should say, he was a burden to him. There is a general truth in that translation, a burden unto thee; The sins of man are burthensome to God, the frowardness and impatience of men, are burthensome unto God: But I conceive our translation carries the sense fairer, in a reflection upon his own tired spirits, So that I am made a burden to myself, that is, thou dost even throw me upon myself, whereas heretofore thou wast wont to bear me, and take my burden upon thyself. Alas I faint, I cannot stand under myself, I am weary of my life, because I am left alone to bear it, I know not what to do with myself, I am so burthensome to myself. Hence observe. First,

Outward afflictions, poverty, sickness, want, &c. are burdens, and they make a man burthensome to himself. It is a great burden to have our comforts taken away from us. The removing of comforts lies like a heavy weight upon the spirit: the removing of health from the body is a weight upon the soul; fear is a burden, care is a burden, and so is pain. Therefore God calls us to cast all those burdens upon him, Psal. 55. 22. Secondly, observe,

Man left to himself, is not able to bear himself. Man is much borne down by the weight of natural corruption. Hence the Apostle calls it, A weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, (Heb. 12. 1.) or dangle about our heels, to burden us, as long garments do a man that runneth. Our ordinary callings and affairs, left upon our own backs press us to the earth, much more do our extraordinary troubles and afflictions. And therefore he adviseth, Cast thy burden upon the Lord (he assures in the next words) and he shall sustain thee. As implying, that man cannot sustain or bear his own weight. And though, it should seem we have strength to spare for others, and are therefore commanded to bear one another's burdens, (Gal. 6.) yet no man of himself, no not the holiest Atlas, nor the spirituallest Porter on earth, is able to bear his own self, unless Christ be his supporter, who is also, therefore, said to uphold all thiags by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3. Because no creature in a natural, or man in a spiritual capacity can bear his own weight.

Thirdly, From the connection between these two phrases, Thou hast set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself; what is it that makes my life to be so burthensome to me? It is this, because I am set as a mark before thee, that is, because thou seemest to be an enemy to me: And so the note from the connection is this.

That which presses and burdens the soul ahove all, is the apprehension that God is against us. Job in many things looked unto God under these temptations, with sad thoughts, as if he were his enemy: so he expressed himself in the sixth Chapter, The poison of his arrows drinks up my spirits, he setteth himself in battle array against me. In these temptations and desertions, this was the burden of his spirit, that God appeared as an adversary, Why doest thou set me as a mark against thee? Let the Sabians and the Chaldeans shoot at me as much as they will, let fire and winds contend with me, and make me the mark of their utmost fury; I can bear all these. Job was light hearted enough, when he thought he contended only with creatures, and that creatures only contended with him; but in the progress of this trial he finds God against him, withdrawing comforts from, and shooting terrors at him; now he is a burden to himself, he can bear this no longer. As Caesar said in the Senate (when he had many wounds given him, yet this wounded him most, that he was wounded by the hand of his son) What thou my son? So when a believer looks this way and that way, and fees many enemies, Satan and the creatures, all in arms against him; he can bear all their charges and assaults, but if he apprehend God opposing and wounding him, he weeps out this mourneful complaint, What thou my Father? What thou my God? Thou who hast so often shined upon me, dost thou darken thy face towards me, and appear mine enemy! These apprehensions of God, will make the strongest Saint on earth, a burden too heavy for himself to bear. That which causeth the most burdensome thoughts in the Saints, is the inevidence of their pardon; Sin unpardon'd is in itself a burden: and our not knowing sin to be pardoned, is a greater burden: but our jealousies and fears, that it is not pardoned, is the greatest burden of all, and that which adds weight, yea an intolerableness to all other burdens. Hence Job in the next verse, and with the last breath of his answer, points directly at that which pinched him.

In the former verse we found Job humbly confessing his sin, and earnestly enquiring of the Lord a reason of his sorrows, why he had shot him so full of arrows, that now he was not so much wounded as loaded, And become a burden to himself.

In this verse he sues for the pardon of those sins, and so for the removal of those sorrows. That the bow might speedily be unbended, and not a shot more made at his bleeding breast. In the answer of which suite, he desires speed and expedition, lest help being retarded, come too late: for he professeth that he cannot hold out his siege long, he must needs make his bed in the grave, and then being sought for, he shall not be found.

We may consider the words two ways.

• 1.
  • In the
    • Form
      • of them.
    • Matter
• 2.

In the form, they are a vehement expostulation. Jobs spirit hath been heated all along with the fire of his sufferings, and here he speaks in the heat of his spirit, and with fiery desires after mercy: He keeps up his heart to the same height and tenor still, There it was, Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee? Here's another Why, and why dost thou not pardon my transgression? As before he was grieved to be set up as a mark for afflictions to aim at; so now he desires to be made a mark for mercy to aim at.

I shall note one thing from hence, before I come to open the words; They who are sensible of the evil of sin, will pray heartily for the pardon of sin. Expostulation is earnest prayer; expostulation is a vehement postulation, a vehement enquiring after or desiring of a thing, Why dost thou not pardon my sin? may be resolved into this, O that thou wouldest pardon my sin! Or, Wilt thou not pardon my sin? The matter of this prayer requires such a form, such a vehemency of spirit in him that prays. If there be any petition in the world about which the spirit should be fired, it is in this, when we pray for pardon of sin.

Will not a man whose body is defiled by falling into the mire, call hastily for some to cleanse and wash him? Will he not say, if it come not speedily, why do ye not bring away the water there, sin is the defiling and bemiring of the soul, and pardon is the cleansing of it.

If a man be deeply and deadly wounded, will he have only some few feeble desires, or make cold requests for a Surgeon. Will he not call and call aloud? Call and call again for help and healing? Sins are the wounds of the soul, and pardon is the only cure of it.

If a man hath broken his bones, will he not be very earnest to have them set again? Sin is the breaking of the bones, and pardon is their setting. How doth David cry to the Lord (Psal. 51. 8.) That the bones which he had broken might rejoice; Sin had broken his bones first, and the hiding of God's favor from him, was a second breaking.

If a man's peace, or the peace of a Nation be disturbed, is there not earnest crying (as at this day) to have it repairs and re-established? Sin troubles our peace, the peace of the soul, and the peace of Kingdoms, Sin is the great make-bate, and pardon is the returning of our peace, and quieteth all again, and therefore no marvel, if we cry out, Why doest thou not pardon our sins?

He that is greatly in debt, and fears every hour to be arrested and cast in prison, is trying all friends to get security, and protection. Sinning is a running in debt with God, and it brings us under the danger of his arrest every-moment: forgiveness cancels the bond, when the sin is pardoned, the debt is paid, and the soul discharged; And therefore no wonder if in this case, we hear or make strong cries, Why doest thou not pardon our sins. My son (saith Solomon, Prov. 6. 4. speaking about suretyship) if thou be surety for thy friend (if thou hast engaged thyself for another) Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eye-lids, deliver-thyself as a Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Not to give rest to the eye, nor slumber to the eye-lids, notes the hottest pursuit and greatest intention of spirit about a business; Thus busy Solomon advises a man to be, who becometh surety for another. Then what should we do, who have contracted huge debts ourselves? How should we in this sense give our eyes no rest, and our eye-lids no slumber, till our souls be delivered, as a Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler; that is, from all the power and challenge, which the Law without us, conscience within us, Satan pursuing us, and the justice of God threatening us, can any way make or have against the peace of our souls. That's the first thing from the manner or form in which Job sues for the pardon of sin. His spirit doth not fall, he grows not flat upon this point, but is as high and earnest here, for the pardon of sin, as in any of his requests for the ease of his pained body, or the dissolution of it.

Why doest thou not pardon my sin, and take away mine iniquity? I shall first show what is meant by pardoning and taking away; and then, what by transgression and iniquity, and so put the sense of all together.

The Septuagint reads it, Why dost thou not forget my transgression? Or bury it in the grave of oblivion: and the word may signify to forget, as well, as to take away. But generally it imports the lifting up or taking away of that which lies heavy upon us, either in a moral or in a natural notion, Hos. 11. 4. I was to them, as they that take off the yoke; And because pardon is the taking away or lifting off of sin, therefore it is often put for the act of pardoning.

Hence also it is applied to that gesture of the Priests, when they received gifts and sacrifices, because they were wont to elevate and lift them up. Hence Christ the substance of all the Sacrifices, is said to be lifted up, himself saith, As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, (Joh. 3. 14.) we may say, as Aaron lifted up the Sacrifices at the altar, so the Son of man was lifted up. This lifting up, noted also the acceptance of those Sacrifices, and the favor of God to those who brought them. When Pharaoh bestowed a great favor upon his chief Butler, Gen. 43. 30. according to his dream, he lifted up his head: Joseph expounded so, After three days Pharaoh shall lift thine head; that is, he shall freely pardon thy offense, and bestow some great honor, gift or reward upon thee. And in this sense it is proper to the text, when sin is pardoned, a man's head is lifted up himself is advanced indeed.

The Lord proclaims his name in this tenor, (Exod. 34. 7.) The Lord, the Lord, forgiving (or lifting up) iniquity; and Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven or lifted up.

Further, this word signifies, not only, to take or lift off a burden from another, and lay it down: but so to lift it off from another, as for a man to take it upon himself, and bear it in his stead, from whose shoulders it was taken. And in this strict sense, we are especially to understand it in the point of pardon; for pardon is not the taking away of sin from a man, and laying it, none knows where: but sin being taken off from man, some other shoulders are prepared to bear it, even the shoulders of our Lord Christ, on him our sin is laid, All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, Isa. 53. 6. when the burden of dept was taken off from us it was charged on Christ. He did not take or lift the burden of sin from us, and throw it by, but he bare it himself; nothing but this could complete the work of pardon: therefore it was also prophesied, Isa. 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows, And (1 Pet. 2. 22.) who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree; that is, in his humanity or human nature, while he dwelt with us in the body. Body is not here opposed to Soul, but includes it; as sometime the whole work is laid upon the soul of Christ, not excluding his body, Isa. 53. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. By the whole man this offering was made, and the whole man bare our sins on the tree. That passage, Mat. 8. 17. (where the first prophecy of Isaiah is quoted, is very emphatical) when Christ had healed many of their outward distempers, this reason is added, That it might be fufilled, which is written (sc. Isa. 53. 9.) himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Now Christ took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses, when he took and bare our sins: when he took sin, he took that which was the necessary fruit of sin, our sicknesses and our sorrows; For as in Scripture Christ is said to be made sin for us; that is, with the sin he bare those affiictions and sorrows, which are the consequents of sin; so here, when it is said, He bare our sorrows and our sicknesses, it takes in the bearing of those sins, which procured and produced those sorrows.

The Greek words used by the Evangelist are full with this sense, He took them to him, he received them upon himself; he (as it were) translated them from poor sinful man, to his own body.

The word also imports his taking our sins and sicknesses upon him, as a vesture or a garment, and so wrapping himself in them. We know our sins by nature clothe us as a garment, ours, is not only a burden, but a clothing of sin and filthiness, Take away his filthy garments (saith the Lord concerning Joshua the high-Priest) then follows, and unto him I said, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. Man saw not his own nakedness, till he was clothed with sin, Gen. 2. Christ to answer that, clothes and wraps himself with our sins, as we ourselves were wrapped about and clothed with them; he clothes himself with our sorrows, as we ourselves were clothed with sorrow. In which sense (among others) Christ may be called a man of sorrows; as we may call a man clothed with rags, a man of rags; and a man clothed with silk, a man of silks.

The second word of the Evangelist, Mat. 18. 17. signifies to bear as a Porter bears a great burden; Christ took up that burden onder which all the Angels in heaven would have sunk, he took it up like a mighty Sampson, and carried it out for us. The scape-Goat was a type of this, Levite. 6. 22. And the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited; or a land cut off and separated from other lands and people, figuring hereby the total abolishing of our sins, which being carried into a land, where no man dwells, shall be as lost and gone forever, not to be found when they shall be sought for: who can find that, which is, where no man ever was; pardoned sin is carried and (as it were) hid out of the sight both of God and man, for it is not; and that which is not, is not (according to man) to be seen. In allusion to all which, Christ (Jo. 1. 29.) is pointed at by the Baptist, with, Behold the Lumb of God that takes away the sins of the world; he takes sin off from the world, upon himself, and carries it away no man knows whither. That for the first word, pardon, why doest thou not pardon my sin.

The second word is rendered by our Translatours, Take away, why doest thou not take away mine iniquity? Others thus, Why doest thou not cause mine iniquity to pass away? Or, Why doest thou not put away mine iniquity? So we rranslate, 2 Sam. 12. 13. where as soon as David confessed his sin, saying, I have sinned, Nathan answers, and the Lord hath put away thy sin; he hath made it to pass away.

The word signifies, first, simply, to pass away or to pass by.

Secondly, to die, perish or vanish away, that which passes by us is vanished, as to us: So the word is taken, Psal. 37. 36. where David speaking of the flourishing estate of wicked men, saith, I have seen the wicked in great prosperity, flourishing as a green bay tree, yet he past away and loe he was not: A man unpardoned, sees, or should see, his sins growing up as a mighty tree: sin unpardoned, flourishes like a green bay-tree, it roots in the soul, and guilt nourishes it; but when pardon comes, sin passes away, and it is not, because, that which gave it sap, is not.

Further, this word (which is very considerable) is applied to the committing of sin, as well as to the pardoning of sin: For, when it is joined with those words, The Commandments of God, the Statutes of God, the Word of God, or the like, it signifies to violate, to break the bounds, to transgress: for in sinning a man passes by the Word and Commandment of God, the precepts which God hath given, and the charge God hath laid upon him, he goeth away from all; when man sins he passeth by the Commandment of God, and when God pardons, he passeth by the sin of man, or he causeth his sins to pass away.

So that this word, Take away, put away, or cause to pass, notes the removing of sin, both in the guilt and punishment; When sin is past by, all the punishments due to sin are passed by, the sinner shall never be touched, or feel the weight of God's little finger in judgment; when God comes with his revenges, he passes such by, as in that plague of Egypt, the slaying of the first born, which was therefore called the Lord's Passover, in memorial whereof, that great ordinance was appointed the Jews, of keeping the Passover, and eating the Pascal Lamb, Exod. 12. 13, 14. In this sense the word is used, Amos 7. 8. when God was resolved to punish and charge the sins of that people upon them, he saith, Behold I will set a plumbe-line in the midst of my people, Israel, and what follows? I will not again pass by them anymore. God came before, once, and again, armed to destroy them, but when he came, he past by them, he put up his sword, he unbent his bow, he stopped up the vials of his wrath; when a cloud of blood and judgments hung over their heads, he sent a breath of mercy, and caused it to pass over them; but now (saith he) I will not again pass by them anymore; that is, I will surely punish them, so the next words interpret, the high places of Isaac shall be dissolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid wast.

Some translate that in Amos, I will not anymore dissemble your wickedness or your sin; and that carries a fair sense, for when a man pardons or will not punish an offense, he seems to take no notice of it, for that (properly) is to dissemble a thing; (as simulation is to pretend that which is not, so dissimulation is to take no notice, or not to hold forth that which is;) God passeth by and dissembles the sins of men, in a gracious way when he will not observe or look upon them to question or punish them.

The Greek word (Matth. 26. 39.) answereth this Hebrew, where our Lord Christ ptayeth earnestly about the removal of the cup, Father (saith he) if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me; In the same sense that sin is said to pass away, the cup of God's displeasure and wrath passes also away, when sin is pardoned: therefore Christ prayed thrice, that the cup might pass away from him, that he might not be dealt with as a sinner, but that there might be a course found out to spare him, and save the glory of his fathers justice: Yet (he submits) not my will but thy will be done, if it must not pass away, I am contented it should not pass. Thus far we have seen, what is meant by pardoning and taking away.

A word upon those two terms, transgression, and iniquity (which are the objects on which pardoning mercy works) Why doest thou not pardon my transgression, and put away mine iniquity? Trangression and iniquity, are words of great significancy: for in them all manner of sins, especially sins of a greater stature are comprehended.

The former transgression, notes a violation of the Commands of God with a high hand, or a rebellion of the mind, when pride of spirit shows itself very much. There is a spice of pride in every sin: Because of pride (saith Solomon) cometh contention; all the contentions we maintain against the word and will of God, rise from the pride of our own hearts, because we cannot submit to the will of God; but in some sins, pride holds up her head more proudly. Such sins this word notes, it is not (simply) any sin, but sin very proudly and rebelliously committed.

The latter word Iniquity, imports the crookedness and inequality of a thing; when it turns this way or that way, and extends not in a strait and right line. Hence it is applied to the vitiosity and perverseness, to the crookedness and inequality of man's nature. Our nature is a crooked piece, and that makes all the crookedness in our lives. The Latins speak so, in a moral sense, they call ill manners, and ill mannered men, crooked men, and crooked manners. David, Psal. 51. 5. bewaileth his birth sin under this notion, I was born in iniquity: And he that was first borne in the world, applied this word to himself, saying; my iniquity (the perverseness, the crookedness of my ways) is greater than can be forgiven, or made straight, Gen. 4. 13. So that this word also (take it strictly) implies more than a bare act of sin, arising from infirmity, weakness or inanimad vertency; it rather notes those sins which are committed from a crooked purpose, from an ill or false bent of the heart: when the mind sees that which is right and good, just and strait, and yet turns to crooked paths, and follows that which is perverse and worse.

Take one thing further. This word in Scripture, signifies not only the act of such sins; but secondly the punishment of them, Psal. 31. 10. Gen. 19. 15. And thirdly, it is put for the means of expiation or pardon, Hos. 4. 8. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. But how did the Priests eat up the sin, and set their hearts on the iniquity of the people? Sin can make us but a hungry banquet. The text bears variety of interpretations. But to the point in hand, sin is here put for the sacrifices offered up for sin, out of divers of which, the Priests had a portion for themselves to eat; so that the Prophet here describes the horrible profaneness of those degenerate Priests, who set their hearts upon the sacrifices, because themselves were fed by them, not because the people came to seek the favor of God, and make their peace by them, when they had sinned. As Physicians may be said to eat the diseases of the people, and set their hearts upon their sicknesses, when they (because their own gain is in it) are pleased to hear of spreading sicknesses, &c. Or as Lawyers, eat the contentions and quarrels of the people, when they are glad to hear of Suits, &c. because they grow rich by it. So those base-spirited Priests were said to eat the sins of the People, and set their hearts on their iniquities, because they were glad to have of a multitude of sacrifices, their provisions being enlarged by them. So that then, iniquity is the sacrifice for iniquity, in which sense also Christ is said to be made sin for us, namely, a sacrifice for sin, 1 Cor. 5. 21.

From the words thus opened, we may observe;

First, to whom Job addresseth himself for pardon: is it not unto God? And why doest not thou pardon my transgression?

God only can, pardon sin. Pardon is his act, his proper and peculiar act, he can do it, and none can, but he. We read it among his royal Titles (Exod. 34. 7.) the Name of God is proclaimed in this style, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and in truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression an sin. Pardoning sin, is put the last of those seven attributes, in which the Lord manifested himself to Moses, as being that, wherein all the former are sum'd up, and into which they convey their several blessings, to make man completely blessed; or to show that none can be a pardoner of sin, but he who is vested with all those foregoing glorious titles, and therefore none, but God alone. Hence the Prophet Micah (chap. 7. ver. 18.) puts the question, and challenges all the world; Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning iniquity? Shew me one if you can, there is no sin-pardoning God besides thee. Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning? As if the Prophet had said, some will be, or have been offering at this work, but they all have been, or will be found mere bunglers at this work. None can pardon as thou dost. None can pardon, 1. So freely. 2. None so fully, 3. None so continually, 4. None eternally, 5. None so indifferently, whether in respect of sinners or sins, as thou doest. It is all one to thee, what the sins are, and all one to thee, whose the sins are, so they come to ask thy pardon. And that which is a disadvantage to ask pardon of man, is an encouragement to ask it of God, the greatness of our sins. The Psalmist did, and any man may make that his plea, Lord pardon my sin, for it is great. Dare any be a competitor with God in this work? The Pharisees put the question right, if they had not mistook the person to whom they put it, Mark 2. 7. Who is this that forgiveth sins? none can forgive sin but God alone. Again sin (in one sense) is committed only against God, and for that reason also, God only is the pardoner of it: Psal. 51. Against thee only have I sinned. Only the creditor can remit the debt, and he the offense, to whom we have done the wrong. God is wron • d in all sins chiefly, and the wrong is so much his, that it may well be called only his, therefore without him no pardon.

But man is charged to forgive his brother: Luke 17. 4. Forgive thy brother seven times; and Christ hath taught us to pray for the forgiveness of our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us, Mat. 6. 12.

I answer, there are two things in all second-able sins; First, disobedience against God; Secondly injury to man; That which man can, or is required to forgive, and be a pardoner of, is only the injury done unto himself, so as not to revenge it; he cannot take off the sin against God, or stay him from taking vengeance.

But other Scriptures speak of a power committed to man, to remit and forgive sin, John 20. 23. Whose sins ye remit are remitted, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

I answer, This power is not authoritative and magisterial, but ministerial and declarative. God hath set up such an institution, that man should pardon man, because many men, yea most men are not competent judges of their own estates, whether they be fit for pardon or no: Many wicked men, would remit and loosen themselves when as their sins are to be retained; they see not their sins, as another man may and doth see them: The Apostle Peter could say to Simon Magus, Acts 8. 23. I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity; Simon Magus did not perceive it, he did not know his own condition, he flattered himself, and thought all well, because lately sprinkled with the water of Baptism; therefore some must declare these men bound, and hold them still under sin.

Again, There are others, whose hearts are upright and sincere, such as are indeed reconciled to God, and all whose sins are pardoned; but they are not able to make it out, and they cannot clear up this thing from the word to their own hearts: therefore they need a helper, to declare them pardoned, for they cannot speak or declare it to their own souls: in such cases, both for the conviction of presuming sinners, and the help of upright-hearted, yet weak and doubting Christians, God hath left this power with his Ministers, whose sins ye remit they are remitted, and whose sins ye retain are retained. As in the case of leprosy, Lev. 15. The Leper was brought to the Priest, and set before him as a Judge in that point; many were not competent Judges of their own diseases, they could not resolve it, whether they had the leprosy or no; some perceiving a scab or a sore rising upon them, thought (presently) it was the leprosy, when indeed, it was not, and so wronged themselves; Others who were indeed infected, would not be persuaded that they were, therefore the Priests office was, to determine these cases, to bind and restrain, to loosen and let them go, as he saw cause: In which ceremonial practice, we have the shadow of this Gospel practice, in the power of remitting or retaining, of binding or of loosing sin, according to the various conditions of men. Yet all this while God keepeth the great work in his own hand, he is the pardoner, and therefore Job (as the whole tenor of the Scripture rules it) made his address to him, why doest not thou pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity?

Secondly, From these expressions about the pardon of sin, we may learn what the pardon of sin is; Pardon of sin, is the removing or the lifting off, the passing away of sin from the sinner; that properly is pardon of sin. Scripture language is very various and copious about this thing, and yet all runs into this general; I shall instance some of them.

First, Pardon is often expressed by a Metaphor from paying of a debt, 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little Children, because your sins are forgiven you; the word notes, your sins are paid, your debts are satisfied; the same word the Apostle useth, Rom. 8. 32. in reference to the sufferings of Christ, God spared not his Son; He did not spare him the debt, that is, he neither forgave the whole, nor compounded with him to take half, or a part, and remit the rest; no, he made him pay all fully down. So, to be pardoned, notes the sparing of the debt, letting the debt pass, without calling us to account about it.

Secondly, Pardon of sin, is the removing it out of sight (Isa. 38. 17.) Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back, saith Hezekiah, that is, thou hast put them out of thy sight. As when man is said, to cast the Word of God behind him, Psal. 50. 17. or behind his back, Neh. 9. 26. The meaning is, he regards it not, at all to obey it; so when God casts the sin of man behind his back, the meaning is, he will not regard or see it all, to punish it. That phrase used by the Prophet Micah, is of the same importance, though of a deeper sense, chap. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Who can live thither to fetch them up? But, may they not rise up or swim, out of themselves? Surely no; our sins are not cork or wood, but they are iron or lead, they are like stone, or like a mil-stone. To show how irrecoverably the Egyptians were destroyed in the red-Sea, it is said, they sank like lead in those mighty waters (Exod. 15 10.) and to show how irrecoverably Babylon shall be destroyed, the holy Ghost saith, that, Babylon shall be like a great mil-stone cast into the Sea by a mighty Angel (Rev. 18. 21.) The casting of a stone, iron, or lead into the sea, was anciently the Emblem of everlasting forgetfulness, or of a resolution, never to recall that which was resolved. † A learned Hebrician observes, that it was a custom among the Jews, to take those things which they abominated as filthy and unclean, and cast them into the sea; which act, noted either the purging of them, or the overwhelming them out of sight forever: And a like usage is noted by a reporter of the manners of the Americans, that those barbarous people either desciphering some wicked thing upon a stone, or making a symbol or sign of it, used to throw it into a river which should carry it down into the sea, never to be remembered.

Thirdly, Pardon of sin, is noted by washing and purging, to show that the filthiness of it, is removed from us, Psal. 51. 2.

Fourthly, By covering, Psal. 32. 1. and by not imputing, ver. 2.

Fifthly, By blotting out, Isa. 43. 25. and blotting out as a thick cloud, Isa. 44. 22. All these notions of pardon concur in this one, that sin passes away, is lifted up and taken off from the Conscience of the sinner, when it is pardoned: The sum of all which is read in that one text, Jer. 50. 20. In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, &c. (why?) For I will pardon them, whom I reserve. So that pardoned sin, in God's account is no sin; and the pardoned sinner, is as if he had never sinned: Forgiveness destroys sin; as forgiving a debt destroys the debt, and cancelling a Bond, destroys the Bond. Thirdly observe,

When sin is pardoned, the punishment of sin is pardoned. Both words signify both the punishment, and the sin; and Job having complained that he was set up as a mark, and wounded by sharp afflictions, now seeks ease in the surest and speediest way, the pardon of sin, why doest not thou pardon my transgression, &c.

There are three things in sin; The inward matter, the foul evil, the stock, the root of sin, which is natural corruption dwelling in us, and flowing out by actions. Secondly, The defilement and pollution of sin: Thirdly, The guilt; when we say sin is pardoned or taken away, it is not in the former (though in pardoned persons corruption is mortified, and the actings of it abated) but in the latter, the guilt is taken away, which is the Obligation to punishment, and so the punishment is taken away too; nothing vindictive or satisfactory to the justice of God, shall ever be laid upon that soul, whose sin is pardoned: Hence Isa. 33. 24. the Prophet fore-showing, how happy a pardoned people shall be, assures them; The inhabitant shall n •• say, I am sick, the people that dwell therein, shall he forgiven their iniq •• ty; When iniquity is forgiven, our infirmity is cured: When the soul is healed, the body shall be recovered, Both the body natural, and the body politick. Plague, and sword, and famine, and death, all these evils go away, when sin goes; Judgments are nothing else but unpardoned sins; sin unpardoned, is the root which giveth sap and life to all the Troubles which are upon man or Nation: And as sin committed, is every judgment radically, that is, there is a fitness in sin to produce and bring forth any evil upon man; so pardon of sin is every Mercy radically; when you have pardon, from thence every other particular Mercy springs; you may cut out any blessing, any comfort out of the pardon of sin; particular Mercies are but pardon of sin specificated or individuated, brought into this or that particular Mercy; of all blessings you may say, this is pardon of sin, that's pardon of sin, and toother is pardon of sin. Forgiveness destroyeth that wherein the strength of sin lies, it destroyeth our guilt, and to us abolisheth the condemning power of the Law: in these the strength of sin lies. Hence when the people of Israel had committed that great sin in making the golden Calf, the first thing Moses did, was, to pray for the pardon of sin, and he did it with a strange kind of Rhetoric, Exod. 32. 32. Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of Gold. And now if thou wilt forgive their sin; what then Moses? There's no more said; Moses is silent in the rest, it is an imperfect speech: a pause made by holy passion, not the fullness of the Sentence. Such are often used in Scripture, as Luk. 13. 9. And if it bear fruit, what then? Our own thoughts are left to supply the event: Our translators add, well. The Greek translators supply that in Exodus, thus; If thou wilt forgive them their sin, forgive them: We may supply it with the word in Luke, If thou wilt forgive them, well. As if Moses had said, Lord forgive them, and then though they have done very ill, yet, I know it will be very well with them; God cannot with-hold any mercy, where he hath granted pardon, for that with the antecedents and requisites of it, is every mercy. Moses knew what would follow well enough if they were pardoned, and what if they were not: therefore he adds; And if not, blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written: If their sins must stand upon record, Moses would not; he knew, if they were an unpardoned people, they were an undone people, all miseries would quickly break in upon, yea, overwhelm them, and he desired not to out-live the prosperity of that people. If Israel must bear their sins, they must also bear the wrath of God, and if their sin be but taken off, then his love is settled on them: God gives quail sometime, but he never gives pardons in anger. Fourthly observe,

The greatest sins fall within the compass of God's pardoning mercy. The words in the text are of the highest signification. Job speaks not in a diminutive language, he is willing to lay load upon himself; they whose hearts are upright will not stand mincing the matter, and say they have sins, but theirs are small ones, sins not grown to the stature of other men's. As the sins of a godly man, may be very great sins, so (when they are) he acknowledges that they are. I know not where to set the bounds, in regard of the nature or quantity of sin; what sin is there w ^ch a wicked man commits, but a godly man (possibly) may commit it, excepting that against the holy Ghost? These Job did, and the Saints may put to God in confession: and as he did not, so they need not be discouraged to ask pardon for them, because they are great. The grace of the Gospel is as large as any evil of sin, the Law can charge us with. The grace of the Gospel is as large as the curse of the Law; whatsoever the Law can call or show to be a sin, the Gospel can show a pardon for it; whatever the Law can bind us with, the Gospel can unloose. The Mercy-seat covered the whole Ark; The Mercy-seat noted the forgiveness of sin; and if you read the description of it (Exod. 25.) you shall find that it was exactly, to a hairs breadth, of the same dimensions with the Ark, wherein the Law was put: intimating, that there was mercy and pardon for sin, let it come out of any part of the Law laid up in that Ark. As the least sins must of necessity have a pardon, so the greatest sins are in a possibility of pardon: And the truth is, there is no sin, as it is an Anomy, a transgression of the Law, without the compass of pardon. It is not the malignity of the sin, but the malignity of the sinner, that makes it incurable; the sin against the holy Ghost is not unpardonable, because there wants mercy large enough to pardon it, but because it refuseth the mercy which should pardon it, and the medicine that should heal it.

Fifthly, Observe, who it is that here presseth thus for pardon; it is Job, and was Job never pardoned till now? Or was this, (think you) the first time that ever Job prayed for pardon? Had not Job thought of this business before? Without question he had; he was one of whom God gave this testimony, that he was a just and an upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil; He that did all this, and was all this, must first be in favor with God, and yet Job crieth out, Why dost thou not pardon my transgression? Whence observe,

They whose sins are pardoned, must yet pray for the pardon of sin: Yea, they who, upon good grounds, have assurance, that their sins are pardoned, must yet pray for the pardon of their sins, 2 Sam. 12. 13. When Nathan told David, God hath put away thy sin; he assured him that he was pardoned, and doubtless the heart of David opened by Faith to let in that gracious Message; he was not faithless, but believing. Yet David in his penitential Psalm penned afterward, prays, (O how earnestly!) for pardon, again and again? That which a man is assured he hath, he may pray to have and enjoy: make it so high, which some make the grand objection against this point. Why should we pray (say they) for that which we have already: I say, a man may pray for that, which he hath already, and is assured he hath. Christ himself was assured of the love of his Father, and that his Father would stick to him forever, and he knew God was near unto him, yet he cries (Mat. 27. 46.) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Which Question may be resolved into this Petition, My God, my God, do not forsake me. When David had received a Message by the Prophet concerning a great temporal Mercy, the establishing of his house, that, God would settle him and his Posterity in the Throne forever; the text saith (2 Sam. 7. 15.) he presently went in, and sat before the Lord, and there makes a most earnest Prayer; and what is it about? He prayeth that God would settle and establish his Kingdom, verse. 25, 26. And now, O Lord God, the thing which thou hast spoken concerning thy Servant, and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as thou hast said, &c. and let the house of thy Servant David be established before thee.

Might not the Lord answer (according to this Objection) why doest thou trouble me about this? Did not I send thee a Message even now, that I would establish thy Kingdom? Dost thou think I have forgotten my Promise, or will be unfaithful to it? We find not David thus chidden for praying thus. Nay at v. 27. you shall see how David makes this the very ground of his prayer, Lord (saith he) thou hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee, &c. Even because thou hast revealed this unto me, that thou wilt build me an house, therefore upon this very ground I make this prayer, that thou wouldest build it. And to show, that he was full of Faith, the thing should be done, before he prayed it might be done, he adds, v. 28. Thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant. Now therefore let it please thee, to bless the house of thy servant. No man could be fuller of Assurance, or fuller of Prayer than David was. Likewise Christ knew and was assured, that his sheep, his elect people, should continue forever, and that none should be able to take them out of his hand, yet how abundantly doth he pour forth his Spirit in prayer about these things, Joh. 17. Again, Christ was assured he should be delivered and upheld in death, Yet in the days of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and tears to him that was able to save him from death, and he was heard in what he feared, Heb. 5. 7. He was not afraid of the event, whether he should hold out and prevail or no, whether he should conquer and obtain the victory or no, he doubted not the success of this war, though it were with principalities and powers; His fear was only a natural passion, which he took upon him, when he took our nature upon him. He was certain of the issue, and knew he should carry the work through against all the armies of hell, he would never have undertaken it else: yet he prayeth with strong cries, that he might be strengthened. So then, it is no argument, because a Believer knoweth his sin is pardoned, that therefore he should not pray for pardon; for many things, of which there was clear and certain evidence, that they were, or should be, have been prayed about; it is our duty, for it hath been the practice, both of Christ, and of his people to pray in such a state.

Further we may Answer: Matters of Faith are of Two sorts:

First, Such as are fully accomplished, acted and completed in all the parts and circumstances of them: for, and about such things, we are not to pray. No man is to pray for the Redemption of the World, for that is a thing past, and yet it is a matter of Faith: But the pardon of sin, though it be complete in itself, and a matter of Faith to us, yet it is completing and perfecting every day more and more. Pardon is given us, yet we feel not all, which pardon gives. It is a settled act on God's part, yet it is in motion on ours; that is, in a perfective motion. Therefore, though we are assured that our sins are pardoned, and shall stand pardoned forever, yet we may pray about the pardon of them.

Thirdly, Suppose a man know his sins are pardoned, yet he may pray to know it more, and that his evidences may be made yet clearer to him; for though sin cannot be more pardoned in respect of God at one time, than at another; yet in regard of man it may. He apprehends the pardon of his sin more now, than before, and may hereafter apprehend it more, than now: And it is worth the while to bestow pains in prayer for pardon, to have the pardon a little more enlightened: The degrees of any grace or favor, as well as the matter and substance of them, are worthy all our seekings and most serious enquiries at the throne of Grace.

Fourthly, He that hath assurance of the pardon of sin, is to pray for the pardon of sin, because he continueth still to sin: And though it be a truth, that sin uncommitted is pardoned in the decree and purpose of God, yet we must not walk by the decrees of God, but by his commandments and rules. His decree pardons sin from all eternity; but his rule is, that we should pray for pardon every day, as we pray for the bread we eat every day, Matth. 6. 11, 12. We must not say, God hath pardoned all sin at once, therefore no matter to ask it again: or I have once had the sight of pardon, and therefore the sight of sin, shall never trouble me; seeing we are directed to search our hearts for sin, and to seek to God for pardon continually. So long as we sin it becomes us to be suitors for the pardon of sin. He that hath ceased to sin, may cease to ask the forgiveness of sin, till then, I know neither rule nor promise, that gives a dispensation for this duty.

To close this point, there are two Cases wherein believers are especially to renew their suits about the pardon of sin.

First, (which though it be lamentable, yet it is possible) in the case of falling into scandalous and gross sins: These not only weaken assurance, and be-night the soul, but exceedingly dishonor God, and grieve the holy Ghost. This caused David to pray and cry for the pardon and purging of his sin, as freshly and as strongly, as if he had never received a pardon, or any evidence of God's love (of which yet he had great store) before that day, Ps. 51.

Secondly, In times of great troubles and trials, whether personal or National, the Saints re-enforce prayer about pardon: This was Jobs case, his personal afflictions occasioned him to beg the remission of sins; and not only remission for sins, then committed, but for all the sins, he had committed either before or after Conversion. Even our formerly pardoned sins, need pardon, when we loose the sight of pardon, and when the soul hath no visions, but visions of terror, it must seek visions of peace, in the free grace of God, renewing and sealing pardon in the blood of Jesus Christ.

Job having thus breathed his spirit in arguings, complaints, and prayers, moves the Lord, for a speedy end and gracious answer: otherwise he sees no way, but he must breath back his spirit into the hands of the Lord who gave it, and lay his body in the dust, from whence it was taken.

What he means by this sleep, hath been handled, (Chap. 3. 13.) where it was shown that death is called a sleep, why, and in what manner, death is a sleep. The word here translated, to sleep, signifies properly to lie down: but the sense is the same, because men lie down, when they compose and fit themselves to sleep. And the dead are called down-liars, as well as sleepers in the Hebrew. The Septuagint reads it, now shall I go to the earth. David speaks near this language, Psal. 22. 15. Thou hast brought me to the dust of death.

Observe hence, whether we are travelling, and where we must take up a lodging for our bodies, ere long. They whose heads are highest, they who lie in beds of Ivory, must lie down in a bed of earth, and rest their heads upon a pillow of dust. Most sleep in the dust, while they live, but all must sleep in the dust, when they die; Earthly men have earthly minds, and they cannot rest, but in earth, for it is their Center. Only he who hath laid up his heart in Heaven, can comfortably think of laying down his head in the dust.

Further, it is remarkable in how pleasing a notion Job speaks of death, when his life was most unpleasant to him. He complained of restless nights in the third, fourth, thirteenth, and fourteenth verses of this Chapter: yet he could think of a time, when he should lie quietly in his bed, and not have so much as a waking moment, or a distracting dream. And when he was once gone to this bed, the curtains of darkness being close drawn about him, he should open his eyes no more, till the eye-lids of that eternity-morning opened, therefore he concludes;

In the Hebrew, Thou shalt seek me in the morning, is but one word. And some cut out a latin word fit to serve it. We may English it strictly to the letter▪ If thou morning me, that is, if thou comest to seek me (as the force of this word hath been formerly given) with never so much diligence and care, I shall not be found, thou wilt not have Job alive upon the earth to bestow thy mercies upon, For

The Hebrew is, And not I, that is, I shall not be alive, I shall not be to be had, he means a non-existence, not, a non-essence: a being he should have, but he should not appear to be. It is as if he had said, Lord I shall not be a Subject capable of outward deliverances and bodily comforts, unless they come speedily, Lord if thou wilt give me any help, give it, for death hastens upon me, as if it hoped, to be too nimble for, or, to out-run thy succors.

Mr. Broughtons translation seems to intend another sense, which others of the learned Hebricians favor too. He renders the latter part of the verse thus, Whereas I lie now in the dust (referring it to his present condition; I am now lying in the dust, to be pitied of the keeper of men, so he himself expounds, Lord I lie in the dust, a pitiful object, then) Why doest thou not quickly seek me out, that I should no more be, which he interprets, I would by a quick death be rid from these pains. As if in these words Job had again renewed his former desire of death; concerning which, many things have been spoken from preceding passages of his reply, and I will not double upon them here.

But I take the former reading and meaning of the words, as most proper to the coherence, & conclusion of Jobs discourse: and so they are but a repetition or re-enforcement of what he spake at the 7, and 8. verses: There he said, O remember that my life is wind, mine eye shall no more see good, the eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more, Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. Here he speaks the same thing in some variety of words, Thou shalt seek me in the morning, and I shall not be. The severity of my sickness threatens to prevent thy earliest preparations for my relief.

Thus (through the strength of Christ) some discoveries have been made about this first congresse, or charge between Eliphaz and Job. But Job hath not yet done; Behold a second and a third Combatant, ready to enter the list against him; And when these three have once tried their skill and strength upon him, they all three charge him a fresh, a second time, and two of them, a third: Was ever poor soul held so hard to it, as he! How much doth the life of grace make him exceed man, when he (as a man) could scarce be reckoned among the living? Truth and grace will triumpth and prevail, notwithstanding all the disadvantages of flesh & nature. Is it not strange, that a man should not be weary with arguing, while he often professes he was wearied with living? That while he could scarce fetch his breath for pain, he should do so much work (in a manner) without a breathing. For, as the Messengers of his troubles gave him no rest; But while one was yet speaking, there came another also and said, &c. And while a second was yet speaking, a third came and said, &c. So neither did these disputants about his troubles. While Eliphaz and Job were yet speaking, Bildad answered and said, &c. While Bildad and Job were yet speaking, Zophar answered and said. What Eliphaz said, and Job answered in this first undertaking, you have heard: The opening of what Bildad had to say, and Job to answer, waits (till the Lord shall be pleased to vouchsafe it) a further opportunity. What is now (as himself hath pleased to enable his unworthy instrument) offered, waits upon him for his blessing. To him all blessing is forever due; on him let praises ever wait, for all his blessings. Amen.