Exposition of Job 38-42
Thus we see, what the sacrifice was, both for kind and number. The next words tell us, what they must do with their sacrifice.
Why to Job? several reasons may be given, why they should go to Job; I shall name five or six.
First, Because they had wronged Job, and therefore they must be reconciled to him.
Secondly, Because God would have them understand, that himself, notwithstanding their ill opinion of Job, approved him as a good man, yea, as a man far exceeding them in godliness, though they had judged him an hypocrite, or an ungodly man. Thus the Lord sent them to Job, that they might eat their words, and receive a full conviction of their error.
Thirdly, God would have them go to his servant Job, to make them sensible, that the favor he intended them, was very much for Jobs sake, and that they must, in part, be beholding to Job for it.
Fourthly, The Lord sent them to Job, that he might give a high evidence of his grace, especially, of his charity in forgetting injuries, and requiting good for evil. His friends had reproached him ten times, and grieved his spirit very much, yet he must show how ready he was to forgive them, and pray that they might be forgiven.
Fifthly, God would have them to go to Job, that they might know that Job was reconciled to them as well as himself.
Sixthly, God would have them go to Job, that this might humble them, or that they might show their humility and submission. It was a great piece of self-denial, for them to go to Job, after such a contest; and entreat him to speak for them, of whom they had spoken so hardly, and with whom they had long contended so bitterly. Thus the Lord tried both Job and them; the Lord tried Jobs charity, and their humility. We are hardly brought to confess that we have wronged others, or have been out and mistaken ourselves. 'It is no easy matter for a man to acknowledge himself overcome; 'tis extreme hard to become a suppliant to one, whom we lately despised and trampled upon. All this is his hard meat, and not easily digested; yet Eliphaz and his two friends must digest all this, before they could acceptably obey the Lord's command, in going to his servant Job.
Nor was it an easy matter, for Job to forget so many affronts and unkindnesses, as he had received from his friends. ' It is hard for a man that hath been wronged and reproached, yea, condemned, to pass air by, and not only embrace his opposers and reproachers, but pray and solicit for them. Thus the Lord, in sending them to Job, took trial both of Job and them. The Lord commanding them to supplicate him, whom they had offended, and expecting that he should make suit and supplication for them who had offended him; put both their graces to it, and in a most sweet and gracious way, at once healed the breach, which had been between Job and them, as also that between them and himself. Who ever took up a difference more sweetly, or reunited dissenting brethren thus wisely? Go to my servant Job,
That is, those seven bullocks, and seven rams.
Here (as was said before) was the facrifice; but who was the Priest? The text saith, Offer up for yourselves, which may intimate that, that as they were to offer a sacrifice for themselves, so, that they themselves offered it. But as Interpreters generally, so I conceive Job was the Priest, who offered it in their behalf, We read ( chap. 1.5.) that Job offered sacrifices for his children, and there it was shown that he was the Priest. Every sacrifice must be offered by a Priest; the people brought the sacrifice unto him to offer for them. No sacrifice is acceptable without a Priest: Therefore Jesus Christ, who was our sacrifice, was a Priest also, none could offer him but himself, he was both sacrifice, and Priest, and Altar. So then, whereas the Text saith, they were to offer a burnt-offering for themselves, the meaning is, they were to bring it unto Job, and he to offer it for them. The Priest offered, and Israel offered; that is, Israel offered by the Priest; they brought the matter of the sacrifice to the Priest, and the Priest slew and presented the sacrifice to the Lord. It is one thing to offer, another thing to slay the sacrifice. They offered a sacrifice who brought it, or at their cost caused it to be brought to the holy place; and this any of the people might do. They offer it upon the Altar to the Lord, who were especially appointed thereunto: These were the Priests only. Before the Ceremonial law, as given by God to Moses, the Priest-hood lay in the eldest or father of the family, upon which account Job was a Priest; whereas afterwards, the Priest-hood was settled in the family of Aaron, and it was forbidden to any, but one of hs line, to offer sacrifice.
So that, when the Lord said to Eliphaz and his two friends, Go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering, he directed them to Job, as having the honor of Priest-hood in him, and so the power of doing it for them, or in their behalf. Offer up for yourselves
That is, a sacrifice wholly consumed by fire. The Hebrew is very elegant, make an ascentton to ascend. The whole burnt-offering was the most perfect offering; and therefore the Hebrews express it by a word that signifieth the perfect consumption of it in the fire, and so the ascension of it to heaven in smoke and vapor, as a sweet odour in the nostrils of the Lord, as the Apostle speaks ( Ephes. 5.1.) and as David (Psal. 141.2.) A part of many sacrifices was saved to feast upon afterwards, as the harlot spake ( Prov. 7.14.) I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows: but the burnt-offering was wholly consumed, and sent up unto the Lord. Go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering.
Hence note;
Though the fire of his wrath be kindled (as it is said in the former verse) yet he is willing to have it quenched. The Prophet Micah (chap. 7.18.) makes this report of God, He retaineth not his anger forever, that is, he retaineth it but a little while, he is speedily pacified, and forgives; and sometimes (as here) he forgives, without any higher signification of his anger than a bare rebuke. The Lord did not lay the least mul • t, the least chastening or affliction upon Eliphaz and his two friends, though his wrath was kindled against them. I grant, it is not so always; some smart sorely, and pay dearly for their errors. When the anger of the Lord was kindled against Aaron and Miriam ( Num. 12.9.) for speaking against Moses (as those three had against Job ) he was not then so easily pacified; for, first, it is said in the close of the 9th verse, he departed, and ( ver. 10.) the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; here was much displeasure, yet not all, for it followeth, and behold Miriam became leprous, white as snow. In this case God was angry with two that had spoken against a servant of his; and they felt more than a bare rebuke, here was a blow given, and that a sore one. The Lord deals gently with some sinners, that none may despair; and severely with others, though his servants, that none may presume.
Only let us remember, that when the Lord at any time doth chasten and rebuke his servants for sin with great severity, he doth not drive them away, nor discourage them, but would have them look to him for pardon and healing. When he judgeth them (as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 11.32.) he doth not condemn them; or if we call it a condemnation, yet he doth not condemn them with the world, nor as he condemns the world. God condemns the unbelieving world to destruction, but he condemns his servants only for their humiliation. The goodness of God appears much in these two things.
First, In his flowness to anger, his mercy doth even clog his justice, and gives it leaden feet, it comes slowly.
Secondly, In his readiness to show mercy. The Scripture saith he is slow to wrath, and ready to forgive; his goodness doth even add wings to his mercy, causing it to fly swiftly, to the relief of sensible and humbled sinners; or (as one of the Ancients expresseth, he sharpeneth the sword of his justice with the oil of his mercy; and so it becomes a healing, as well as a wounding, sword.
Secondly, In that the Lord himself gave this direction, Take unto you seven bullocks, and seven rams, &c.
Observe;
When man sinned at first, or when the first man fell into sin, there he had lain forever, if the Lord had not shown him a way out: Had it been left to man to devise a way to recover himself when he was fallen, his fall had been irrecoverable, he had never found how to get at once his sin pardoned, and the justice of God satisfied. This was the Lord's own invention (and it was the most noble and excellent one, that ever was in the world) he shown fallen man at first how to get up; and here he gave direction to these fallen men, what to do that they might: The Lord, who was their Judge, was also their Counselor.
Thirdly, Consider the particular way of their peace-making, it was by sacrifice, Take unto you seven bullocks, and seven rams, &c.
Hence note;
Sacrifices have been from the beginning. Cain and Abel brought their offerings unto the Lord ( Gen. 4.3, 4.) Noah, also, built an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar (Gen. 8.20.) Abraham offered the ram for a burnt-offering ( Gen. 22.13.) Now though the law for sacrifices was not formally given in those times, yet it was really given. All those elder sacrifices were of the Lord's appointment, and by his direction, as well as those in and after the days of Moses. There is no expiating of sin against God, by the inventions of man. Heathens offered sacrifices to their Idol-gods, imitating the worship of the true God (The Devil is God's ape.) Typical sacrifices were of God, for the taking away of the sin of man: And so was the true sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ; when he (that is, Christ) said, sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offering, and offering for sin, thou wouldst not (that is, thou wouldst not have those legal sacrifices, nor didst ever intend to have them, as satisfactions to thy offended justice, ultimately to rest in them) then said he (that is, Christ) Lo, I come to do thy will, O God (Heb. 10.8, 9.) It was the will of God, that Jesus Christ should be the expiatory sacrifice for the sin of man; by the which will ( v. 10.) We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. The sacrifice of Christ himself had not saved us, if it had not been of God's appointment; nor could any sacrifice have so much as shadowed the way or means of our salvation, if God had not appointed it.
Fourthly, Consider the purpose for which the Lord commanded Eliphaz, &c. to offer their sacrifice, it was to make an atonement for their sin.
Hence Observe;
There was never any way in the world, from first to last, to help a sinner but by a sacrifice; and who was the sacrifice? Surely Jesus Christ was the sacrifice; it was not the blood of bulls and goats, of bullocks and rams, that could take away sin, as the Apostle argueth at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews, these could never take away sin, these only pointed at Jesus Christ, who alone did it, by bearing our sins, and by being made a sacrifice for them. To typify or show this, we read in the law of Moses, that the sin of the offender was laid upon the sacrifice; and a sacrifice for sin, was called sin by the Prophet, long before Christ came ( Dan. 9.24.) He shall make an end of sin, that is, when Christ shall come in the flesh, he shall make an end of all sacrifices for sin; and so the Apostle called it after Christ was come, and had suffered in the flesh (2 Cor. 5.21.) He made him to be sin (that is, a sacrifice for sin) for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The sacrifice was called sin, because the sin of the person who brought it, and in whose behalf it was offered, was laid upon the sacrifice; there was as it were a translation of the sin, from the person to the sacrifice. In which sense Luther is to be understood, when he said, Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the world; not that he had any sin in his nature, or any sin in his life, but because he had the sins of all that are or shall be saved, laid upon him; as the Prophet spake ( Isa. 53.6.) The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all; or (as our Margin hath it) He hath made the iniquity of us all to meet on him. And there is no atonement for sin, but by a sacrifice. So the Lord ordained the offering up of a whole burnt-offering for the taking away of sin, that sinners might see what they had deserved, even to die; and not only so, but to be wholly burnt and consumed in the fire of his wrath. Impenitent sinners shall be consumed in fire, that shall never be extinguished, nor ever extinguish them; they shall abide in an ever-living death, or in an ever-dying life. They who rest not upon the sacrifice of Christ, once offered, must be a sacrifice themselves, always offered to the justice and wrath of God.
Here it may be questioned, why the Lord commanded them to offer seven Bullocks and seven Rams? what could the blood of seven do more than the blood of one?
I answer, First; This being a great sacrifice, possibly the Lord commanded it, thereby to intimate the greatness of their sin. Two things chiefly show the greatness of a sin. First, the greatness of the punishment laid upon the sinner. Secondly, the greatness of the means used for the healing of that breach which sin hath made.
I answer, Secondly, the number seven being a Symbol of perfection (as was said before) figured the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who by one offering, hath forever perfected them that are sanctified (Heb. 10.14.) A perfect number of sacrifices was fittest to shadow the infinite perfection of that one sacrifice, which makes, and which only makes all the comers thereunto perfect. For though a person under the Law having offered his sacrifice, was no more reckoned guilty of that sin by men; yet his conscience did still accuse him of, and charge him with sin, and therefore sacrifices were renewed ( Heb. 10.1, 2.) nor could the accusings of conscience be quieted, but by looking to Christ by faith, whom the sacrifice shadowed, and the sacrificer was to point at.
Fifthly, In that the Lord sent Eliphaz and his two friends unto Job with their sacrifice,
Observe;
The counsel of Christ directs to this ( Mat. 5.23, 24.) If thou bringest thy gift unto the Altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the Altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. This general command of Christ, is the same in effect, with what the Lord here long before gave particularly and personally to Eliphaz and his two friends; they must first go and be reconciled to Job, and then offer their sacrifice. This the Apostle also gave in charge (1 Tim. 2.8.) I will therefore, that men pray everywhere, holding up holy hands; but how? without wrath and doubting. There are two things required, if we look to be accepted of God in any service. First, Faith. Secondly, Love or charity. There must be faith, else we cannot lift up holy hands without doubting: There must be love, else we cannot lift up holy hands without wrath. They who are suing for, and expecting favor and mercy from God, have need to discharge themselves of all wrath and revenge towards man. With what face can any expect favor from God, who will not acknowledge wherein they have wronged man?
Sixthly, Observe;
Job had been wronged, no man more, by the censures of his friends; and God was so tender of his honor and reputation, that his friends must make him reparation, before God will accept their sacrifice. One reason why God is so tender of the credit of his servants, is, because they are tender of his, and will undergo any wrong, rather than his Name shall be blasphemed or wronged. As God will himself honor them, who honor him (1 Sam. 2.30.) so he will one time or other, some way or other, retrench and cast back upon men, all that dishonor which they have received from men, or cause them to take it off, and wipe them clean whom they have undeservedly aspersed.
Observe, Seventhly;
There is a twofold submission, which is the duty of a Christian. First, to God ( James 4.7.) Secondly, to man; and this is twofold.
First, To those that are over us, and above us, in power ( Rom. 13.1. Tit. 3.1.) And thus not only are subjects to submit to Magistrates; but all of a lower degree, are to submit to their superiors, servants to their Masters, wives to their Husbands, children to their parents.
Secondly, There is a submission to those that are wronged by us; and though they be our inferiors, yet (in this sense) we are to submit to them, that is, acknowledge that we have wronged them. The Apostle James intimates such a submission (Chap. 5.16.) and the Apostle Paul speaks it plainly ( Eph. 5.21.) Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God. Here is a mutual submission, a submission in case of wrong (and doubtless that rule of Scripture is extendible to other cases) not only of equals one to another, but of superiors to inferiors. Our spirits like not this, we hardly submit to those that we have wronged; but there's no remedy, we must. Some say they will submit to God, but they cannot submit to man, they cannot stoop to that. Let such remember, that without this submission, even to an inferior whom we have knowingly wronged, or are made to know (which was the case here) that we have wronged, we cannot hopefully apply to God for peace and reconciliation.
Eighthly, Observe;
God sent Eliphaz and his two friends to Job, not only that they should acknowledge they had wronged him, but that Job might freely and fully testify (so far as concerned him) his forgiveness of that wrong. As it is the duty of them that have wronged others to submit to them in the acknowledgement of it; so they that are wronged, ought to forgive & receive them in that submission. We must forgive, as we look to be forgiven ( Mat. 6.12.) We cannot pray believingly, that God would forgive us the guilt of our iniquity committed against himself or others, unless we forgive others the injury which they have done us.
Observe, Ninthly;
Jobs friends had done him wrong; and as they (good men) were ready to give satisfaction, so Job (good man) was as ready to take it. Many wrong others, but will give no satisfaction; many are wronged by others, and will take no satisfaction, nothing will quiet or appease them. Jobs friends and himself were highly to be commended, that they were willing to give, and he to take satisfaction. The Apostle urgeth this ( Eph. 4.26, 27.) Be angry and sin not, let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. They give up their hearts as lodging-chambers to the devil, who let the Sun go down upon their wrath; therefore it followeth ( verse. 31.32.) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice, and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you. They that know what it is to be forgiven by God, they that know what need they have continually of God's forgiving grace & mercy, will be as ready to accept satisfaction, as any can be to give it. This was eminent in Job, as will appear further in opening the next words in this verse. Go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering,
How eminent Job was in prayer, and how available his prayers or intercessions were for others, may be collected from that in the Prophet ( Ezek. 14.14.) where he is joined with Noah and Daniel. Job being here called to pray for his friends, was put upon another piece of the Priestly Office. There were two parts of the Priestly Office, and Job is adorned with them both. First, the Priest was to offer sacrifice. Secondly, to pray for the people. Jesus Christ filled up both these parts of the Priestly office for us. First, he offered himself a sacrifice for us. Secondly, he interceded, yea, he ever liveth to make intercession for us ( Heb. 7.25.) Job, as in offering up a sacrifice, so in praying for his faulty friends, was a type of Christ; My servant Job shall pray for you. But for what should he pray in their behalf? Surely, that their sin might be forgiven, and they find favor with God,
The word here rendered to Pray for, is elegant and significant, implying a forinsecal act, when an advocate in Court moves the Judge in behalf of an offender; so that when the Lord saith, My servant Job shall pray for you, his meaning is, he shall deprecate the wrath and vengeance that your sin hath deserved, and entreat my favor for you, and seek your peace with me. My servant Job shall pray for you.
Hence observe, First;
Not only is it a duty to forgive them, and be reconciled to them; but to pray for them, and heartily wish their good. The Apostle James having said (Chap. 5.16.) Confess your faults one to another; presently adds, Pray for one another: yea, Christ commands us to pray for the good, not only of those that confess they have wronged us, and desire reconciliation to us, but to pray for our enemies, that is, such as still hate us, and continue to contrive all the mischief they can against us. It is a duty, not only to pray for them that acknowledge their fault, but for the • also who go on in their fault against us; enemies do so. Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. These are Christ's, not only counsels, but commands ( Mat. 5.44.) Even for them we should pray, that God would pardon their sin, turn their hearts, and give them repentance, which is the best we can pray for them.
Again, the Lord saith, My servant Job shall pray for you.
Hence observe, Secondly;
God having spoken to Job about this matter, undertook for his performance; My servant Job shall pray for you, I will put it into his heart to do it. The Lord may very well be bound for a good man, that he shall do his duty, because, as he hath promised, so he will help him to do his duty. Thus the Lord engaged for Abraham (Gen. 18.19.) Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I am doing? I know Abraham (I am well enough acquainted with Abraham) that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. I know him, I will be surety for him. The Lord speaks with confidence concerning his people, that they will do this and that, they will humble themselves before him, and that they will forgive and pray for their enemies; he knows they will do all these things, because he knows he hath given them power and a heart to do them. The Apostle was confident of the obedience of the Church of Galatia (Gal. 5.10.) I have (saith he) co fidence in you, through the Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded. When the Apostle undertook that they should do their duty, he did it respectively to a divine assistance and presence with them; I have confidence in you (not in yourselves, but) through the Lord, &c. but God undertakes absolutely, My servant Job shall pray for you.
Thirdly, Note;
The Lord having assured them that his servant Job should pray for them, tells them in the next words, Him will I accept; which intimates, that his p • ayers should have a great power with God for them ( James 5.16.) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; and it doth so in a twofold respect.
First, For him • elf. A godly man gets much good of God in his own case, by prayer.
Secondly, It prevails very much with God, in respect of others. 'It is a great honor with which the Lord crowns the prayers of his faithful servants, that they prevail, not only for themselves, but for others. Thus the Lord spake to Abimelech (Gen. 20.7) Now therefore restore this man (meaning Abraham) his wife, for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee. And his prayer was answered. When the Lord had smitten Miriam with the Leprosy, Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, heal her now, O God, I beseech thee; and she was healed (Numb. 12.13.) Thus Samuel's prayer prevailed (1 Sam. 7.9.) And Samuel took a sucking Lamb, and offered it up for a burnt-offering, and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel (not for himself, but for Israel) and the Lord heard him. And in the twelfth Chapter of the same Book ( verse. 19.) the people begged prayers of Samuel; And all the people said unto Samuel, pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not. And at the 23d verse, Samuel said, As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way; and he prayed for them, and the Lord spared the people at that time. Not to pray for others, proceeds from uncharitableness: not to desire the prayers of others, proceeds either from ignorance, not knowing of what value the prayers of others, who are godly, are; or from pride, that we will not be beholding to others for their prayers. It is a great mercy to have the prayers of good men going for us.
Fourthly, Note;
Eliphaz and his two friends were good men, yet the Lord did not give answer to them, but to the prayers of Job. The prayers of others may be answered, when ours are not, in a double respect.
First, Others may be in a better p • aying frame than ourselves. Everyone that is in a praying state, is not always in a praying frame, especially not in such a praying frame as another may be in; another may be in a better praying frame, and so may prevail more for us, than we for ourselves.
Secondly, Some other persons may be more accepted with God, than we; some are, as it were, favorites with God. God shows favor to all his servants, but all his servants are not his favorites: Moses was a favourite, Abraham was a favourite, God called him his friend; and Job was a favourite. The Lord shows favor to many, who yet are not his favorites. Kings and P • inces show favor to all their faithful subjects, yet but one (possibly) is a Favorite. The Lord's chief favourite, is his Son Jesus Christ, he hath his ear continually: I knew, said Christ ( John 11.42.) that thou hearest me always. Now, as Christ is a favourite above all men; so among good men, some have favor with God above others. A King will hear a favourite, when he will not a common person. Our Annotators upon this very place, tell us out of Mr. Fox, that when Sir John Gostwich had falsely accused Arch-Bishop Cranmer to King Henry the VIII, he would not hear him, nor be reconciled to him, till Cranmer himself, whom he had wronged, came and spake for him. Thus the Lord will not be reconciled to some, till the wronged party intercedes for them. Yet we must remember, that the power or effect of all our prayers, depends upon Jesus Christ alone; by him it is, that any have access to the father, and he is the way to the holiest, the beloved, in whom God is well pleased, whom he heareth always, and through whom God heareth his best beloved favorites on earth.
Observe, Fifthly;
The Lord told not Eliphaz and his two friends, of anything else that Job should do for them, he only saith, Job my servant shall pray for you. If the Lord doth but stir up the heart of a Job, of a Moses, of a Jacob, a Wrestler in prayer, to pray for us, who knows what mercy we may receive by it! And therefore, when the Lord forbids his favorites to pray for a people, as sometimes he doth, it is a sign that such are in a very sad condition, yea, that their case is desperate. Jeremiah was a mighty man with the Lord in prayer, and the Lord said to him ( Jer. 14.11.) Pray not to me for this people for good. Jeremiah was forward to pray for them, but the Lord stopped him, Pray no more; not that the Lord disliked his prayer; but, because he was resolved not to forgive them, though he prayed for them, therefore he said, pray not. The Lord would not let such precious waters run wast, as the prayers of Jeremiah were. They are in a remediless, ill condition, of whom the Lord saith, pray not for them. Of such the Apostle spake (1 John 5.16.) If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask and God shall give him life. There is a sin unto death, I say not that he shall pray for it. The pardon of a sin unto death is not to be prayed for. Every sin deserves death, but every sin is not unto death: They who sin so, are past prayer; and in how woeful a plight are they, whose sins are past prayers! They who have been much in prayer themselves, and afterwards fall off from, or walk contrary unto their prayers, come at last to this miserable issue, that either they give over praying for themselves, or others are stopped from praying for them. And though an outward bar be not laid upon their friends prayer, as in Israel's case, yet there may be a bar upon the spirit of such as used to pray for them. It is a bad sign, when the Lord shuts up the heart from praying for any one; and it is a sign of mercy, when the Lord enlargeth the heart of any that are godly to pray for others.
Sixthly, Observe;
I ground it upon the text, Job shall pray for you; but you must carry a sacrifice, which implied their faith; and they must carry a sacrifice to Job, and that implied their repentance; and both implied that they prayed for themselves also. It is in vain to offer a sacrifice without faith and repentance (being in this frame) My servant Job shall pray for you. The prayer of faith prevails not for those that go on in their unbelief and impenitency. Job prayed for his friends; and they repenting and believing, he prevailed for them. The reason why the Prophet Jeremiah, in the place before mentioned, as also ( chap. 7.16.) was commanded not to pray for that people, was, because they were a hardened people in their sins, and therefore his prayers could do them no good. Yea, the Lord told him ( cha. 15.2.) that though not only he, but other great favorites joined in prayer for them, it should do them no good. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my mind could not be towards this people. The reason why those eminent favorites, and mighty men in prayer, could do no good, was (as was said before) because they were unbelieving, and hardened in their sins, as appears upon the place. The Prophet Ezekiel speaks the same thing ( chap. 14.14.) Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job (this Job that we have in the text) were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord. Jobs prayers obtained good for his friends; but the children of Israel were in such a condition, that though Noah, Daniel, and Job were praying for them, they should get no good by it; their sins were so high, and their hearts so hard, that the prayers of the holiest men in the world could not prevail with God for mercy.
It cannot be denied, but the prayers of a godly man may profit a wicked man, an unbeliever, an impenitent person, for his conversion to the faith, and the bringing of him to repentance; but they profit not any man, who as he hath not faith, so continues in his unbelief.
Yet, I grant, that the prayers of a believer may profit such an unbeliever, as to the avoiding of some temporal evil, or as to the obtaining of some temporal good; as is clear in Abraham's prayer for Abimelech (Gen. 20.7.) But how much soever a godly man prayeth for the pardon of a wicked man's sin, or the salvation of his soul, he shall never be pardoned or saved, unless himself repent and believe. They who never pray in faith for themselves, shall not get favor with God, by any prayer of faith made by others for them.
Now as from this, and such like Scriptures, it appears, that the prayers of godly men, for good men here on earth, are very pleasing unto the Lord, and receive great answers: So they do absurdly, who, from this Scripture infer, that the Saints departed pray for us, as if they knew or understood our condition; and they do more absurdly, who living here on earth, pray to the Saints in heaven to pray for them. The Scripture speaks nothing of prayers to departed Saints, nor of departed Saints praying for us; the Scripture speaks only of the living on earth, praying for those that live on earth. Job was alive in the body, and so were those three men, to whom the Lord said, My servant Job shall pray for you.
The Lord having assured Eliphaz and his two friends, that Job would pray for them, giveth them encou • agement to go and desi • e his prayers, by a gracious promise.
For (saith he) him will I accept; and threateneth them in case they should forbear, in the next words, Lest I deal with you according to your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, like my servant Job.
First, Of the gracious promise, him will I accept. The Hebrew saith, his face will I lift up. Acceptation with God is the lifting up of the face of man; then man lifteth up his face with boldness when he is accepted with God. When God refused to accept Cain and his offering, his countena • ce fell, or was cast down ( Gen. 4.5.) Unless the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, as David prayed ( Psal. 4.6.) we cannot with any comfort, much less with true confidence, lift up our face or countenance unto God. That's the significancy of the word.
God is no accepter of persons, as the word is often used in Scripture ( Deut. 10.17.) The Lord is a great God, mighty and terrible, which regardeth not persons. It is the same phrase in the Hebrew, with this in the Text, he lifteth not up faces, that is, the Lord doth not accept persons upon any outward respect.
First, The Lord doth not accept persons for their personableness, as I may say; the Lord doth not delight in any man's legs, his delight is in them that fear him (Psal. 147.10, 11.) he doth not accept men for their goodly stature, as he told Samuel, when he would needs have poured the oil upon the first-born of the Sons of Jesse (1 Sam. 16.7.) Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 'It is the beauty of holiness and integrity in the heart, not the beauty of fairness upon the face, with which God is taken; 'tis a lowly mind, not a high stature, which God accepts.
Secondly, The Lord is no accepter of persons, as to the nation or country where they were born or live. Thus the Apostle Peter spake ( Acts 10.35.) I perceive, that God is no respecter of persons; but in every Nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. God doth not prefer Jews before Gentiles, Barbarians or Scythians: that a man had his birth in this or that Nation, neither helps nor hinders acceptation with God.
Thirdly, The Lord accepteth no man's person for his riches ( Prov. 11.4.) Riches profit not in the day of wrath. No man's person is acceptable to God for his purse, or his penny, no not at all.
Fou • thly, The Lord • ccepteth no man's person for his worldly greatness, honor and dignity; He poureth contempt upon Princes (Psal. 107.40.) The day of the Lord is against the hills and mountains (Isa. 2.14.) The great God regardeth not any man merely for greatness; the Lord accepts no man's person upon these or any such like accounts: He only accepts the persons of those that fear him, and do his will.
The Lord's acceptance of any person, in the sense of this promise concerning Job, is, First, To show favor and manifest affection to him. Secondly, To honor a • d highly esteem him. Thirdly, (Which is here specially intended) to answer his prayers, and grant his requests, not only for himself, but for others. When a person is once accepted, his prayers shall not be denied, nor suffer a repulse. The Lord accepteth persons, as a King the persons of those loyal Subjects, who come to entreat his favor and pardon for those that have offended him, and rebelled against him; he grants their suit, and treats them fairly. In this sense the Lord maketh promise to Eliphaz and his two friends, that he will accept Job.
Hence, Observe;
Him will I accept, saith the Lord, of Job. This was a favor beyond all the favors, that follow after in the close of the book, about the doubling of his estate. If Jacob (Gen 32.20.) was so taken with a hope of acceptance by his brother Esau; Peradventure he will accept me; If when he was accepted by Esau, he said ( chap. 33.10.) I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me: Then, how much more should we rejoice in this assurance, that God hath accepted of us, and that he is pleased with us! If the Apostle ( Rom. 15.3.) prayed so earnestly, and desired others to strive with him in prayer to God, that his service, which he had for Jerusalem, might be accepted of the Saints; then how much more should we pray, that our services may be accepted of God, and rejoice when they are accepted! The Apostle made it his chief work, to get acceptation with God (2 Cor. 5.9.) Wherefore we labor, that whether present or absent (that is, whether living or dying) we may be accepted with him; we are ambitious of divine acceptation. The word which we translate labor, noteth a laboring after honor, which ambitious men labor much after, implying that to be accepted with the Lord is a very high honor, indeed the highest honor.
There is a twofold acceptation. First, Of our persons. Secondly, Of our services. The former is the ground of the latter, and Jesus Christ is the foundation of both ( Ephes. 1.6.) He through glorious grace hath made us accepted in the beloved. Jesus Christ is so dearly beloved of the father, that he is called, The Beloved, as if only beloved. The acceptation of our services is often promised in Scripture, as a high favou • ( Exod. 28.38. Ezek. 20.40, 41. Isa. 56.7.) This Moses prayed for in the behalf of the Tribe of Levy, which Tribe was appointed to offer sacrifice, and to pray for the people, ( Deut. 33.11.) Bless Lord his substance, and accept the work of his hands. What was the work of Levies hands? it was to offer sacrifice, to which prayer and intercession was joined. That Levi, who had the priest-ho • d fixed in the family of Aaron, should be accepted in the work of his hands, was a blessing not only to himself, but to many more. This David prayed earnestly for ( Psal. 19.14.) Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. He put up a like prayer ( Psal. 119.108.) Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will-offerings of my mouth, O Lord. This was the prayer of Araunah for David (2 Sam. 24.23.) The Lord thy God accept thee. So great a privilege it is, for our persons and services, to be accepted with the Lord; that when once we have it, we may rejoice all our days ( Eccles. 9.7,) Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works. Solomon doth not mean it of a sensitive joy only, much less of any sensual joy, but of a gracious and spiritual joy. In this joy we may eat and drink, when our work is accepted; and our work is never accepted, till our persons are.
Now, if it be so great a privilege to be accepted with the Lord, how great a misery is it not to be accepted? this inference floweth naturally from that great truth. And how great a misery it is, not to be accepted of God, several Scriptures hold out. The Prophet ( Amos 5.22,) declareth no other judgment upon that people but this, The Lord accepteth them not. And the same declaration is made by several other Prophets ( Jerem. 14.10, 12. Hos. 8.13. Mal. 1.8, 10.) Acceptance is our greatest mercy, and non-acceptance our greatest misery; and that's the reason why the understanding and faithful servants of God are so strict, or (as the world accounts it) precise and scrupleous, that they will not turn aside, no not in those things which are called small matters, and of which many think God will take no notice. They desire to be accepted of God in everything, and because they know (in some measure) what is acceptable to him, therefore they would do nothing, no, not the least thing, which is unacceptable to him ( Prov. 10.32.) The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable. The lips are organs or instruments of speech, not of knowledge; the understanding knoweth, the lips only speak: Yet here Solomon ascribes the work of the understing to the lips; and this he doth, because there is or should be a great cognation, between the understanding and the lips; we should speak nothing but what we understand, we should speak only what we know, and according to our knowledge. The lips of the righteous have such an intercourse with their understanding, that their very lips may be said to know what is acceptable, and therefore they speak what is acceptable. It is said of David, that he guided the people with the skilfulness (saith our) with the discretion (saith another translation) with the understanding of his hands, saith the original ( Psal. 78.72.) The hand hath no more understanding, skill, or discretion seated in it, than the lips; yet because David consulted with his understanding, in what he did with his hand, it is said, He guided them by the skilfulness, or discretion, or understanding of his hand. Thus the lips of the righteous understand and know what is acceptable; and they know that unless they have an aim to honor God in small matters, yea, in all matters, they greatly dishonor him, and so cannot be accepted with him at all. The excellency of a gracious heart, appears greatly when he maketh conscience of doing the least thing which he knows, ye, only fears, will be unacceptable to God, or wherein he may run the hazard of this privilege, his acceptation with him.
There are three things, which show why it is so great a privilege, to be accepted with God, and why his servants are so careful not to do anything that is unacceptable unto him.
First, Because, Once accepted with God and always accepted. For though possibly a person accepted may have some frowns from God upon his uneven walkings, or sinful actings; yet his state of acceptation, continues firm in the main. The Lord doth not utterly cast off his favorites, no, nor any whom he taketh into his favor, or a nearness with himself.
Secondly, If we are once accepted with God, he can make us accepted with men; and that, not only with good men ( Rom. 14.18.) but, even with bad men. God can give us favor in the eyes of those men, who have not an eye to see, that we are in his favor. Daniel, who was so careful to keep up his acceptation with God, That he purposed in his heart, not to defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat (Dan. 1.8, 9.) Of him it is said ( ver. 9.) God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love, with the Prince of the Eunuchs. He, a conscientious Jew, had great acceptation with him, who was an idolatrous Heathen.
Thirdly, If once accepted of the Lord, we need not be much troubled, though we are reprobate to the world, though the world reject and cast us off, yea, cast us out. The Lord's acceptation of us, will bear or may bear up our spirits, in the midst of the worlds reproaches, repulses, and rejections.
Again, When the Lord saith, Him will I accept.
Observe;
Jobs three friends were godly men, questionless they were, yet they had not that acceptation with God which Job had. All that are godly have acceptation with God, but they have not all alike acceptation ( Acts 10.35.) In every Nation, they that fear him and work righteousness, are accepted with him: Which we must not take merely for a moral or legal righteousness, but as in conjunction with an Evangelical righteousness. Now let them be who they will, that fear God and work righteousness, they are accepted: but all are not equally accepted; him will I accept, saith the Lord concerning Job, with an Emphasis; why was it so? because Job was one of the most eminent persons for godliness, yea, the most eminent, at that time, upon the face of the whole earth, as was shown at the 2d verse of the first chapter. Noah was a man highly accepted of the Lord above others, and he was righteous above others ( Gen. 7.1.) Thee (saith God) have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Possibly there might be others righteous, but there was no man so righteous as Noah, and none so accepted as he.
And if it be inquired, who amongst good men are most accepted, or accepted beyond other good men? I answer,
First, They among good men are most accepted, who live most by faith. As without faith it is impossible to please God, in any degree ( Heb. 11.6.) so they that live most by faith, please God most, or in the highest degree, and are most accepted by him. Abraham, who lived so much by faith, that he was called the father of the faithful, was so much accepted of God, that he is called The friend of God (Jam. 2.23.)
Secondly, Among godly men, they who are most upright in their walkings, who walk with a single eye, and with a right foot, are most acceptable; such a man was Job. The character given him (Chap. 1.1.) was, A man perfect and upright.
Thirdly, They that walk most humbly, are most acceptable unto God. For, 〈◊〉 God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (Jam. 4.6.) so he showeth grace, that is, favor, or graceth and adorneth them with his favors. When one said ( Mich. 6.6.) Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? &c. The Prophet answered ( verse. 8.) He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? That is, as he requireth of thee to exercise justice toward all men, and mercy to the poor, or any in misery, so to walk humbly with himself; that is, to acknowledge thou hast need of the righteousness of a Savior, and of the mercy of a God, how much righteousness and mercy soever thou hast exercised towards others. When we are low in our own eyes, then are we highest in God's eye; when we, as it were, reject ourselves, and all that we have done, as unworthy of any acceptation, then are we most accepted of the Lord.
Fourthly, Among Believers, they are most accepted with God, who are most fruitful in their lives, and do most good in their places, and according to their opportunities. The Lord loveth a fruitful Christian. Many are barren trees, unfruitful ground, little can be seen of good which they do; these are a burden to God. But, when a Christian (as it is said of Christ, Act. 10.38.) goeth about doing good; when a Christian, as Christ giveth the account of his own life ( John 17.4.) Glorifieth God on earth, and finisheth the work which God gives him to do, O how acceptable is such a one to God! And therefore,
Let us labor to know, and do what is acceptable to the Lord. The Apostle would have us prove what is acceptable to the Lord (Eph. 5.10.) that is, First, study the Word, to find out what is acceptable to the Lord. Secondly, approve and embrace with our whole hearts, what we find to be so. Thirdly, practice and do what we have so approved or embraced. And because the Scripture speaks of some duties which are specially acceptable to the Lord, I shall instance the Point in a few particulars.
First, Doing right to everyone ( Prov. 21.3.) To do justice and judgment, is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. This is true, or may be affi • med of justice, both commutative and distributive. To do justice in our dealings with men, called commutative justice, is more acceptable than sacrifice, that is, than any outward worship given to God without this. 'It is true also, of distributive justice, which is done by Magistrates in rewarding good men, and in punishing them that do evil; these works of justice also, are more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Secondly, The true worship and service of God, which the Apostle calls sacrifice, is highly acceptable to God ( Rom. 12.1.) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. These first Table-duties, when in consort with those former second Table-duties, are highly honorable, and therefore cannot but be highly acceptable to the Lord. Sacrifice to God, without justice to man, is mere hypocrisy; Justice to man, without sacrifice to God, is no better than Heathenish morality: Both united, are the beauty of Christianity.
Thirdly, To serve Christ, that is, to aim at the honoring, as well as the enjoying of Christ, with our Gospel-privileges and liberties, is exceeding acceptable. The Apostle having said ( Rom. 14.17.) The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost, presently adds ( verse. 18.) He that in these things (that is, in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost) serveth Christ, is acceptable unto God; that is, this shows he is a person accepted with God. The doing of things purely acceptable to God, is a clear and strong argument of our acceptation with him.
Fourthly, To do any good we do, be it little or much, with a willing mind, is very acceptable to God (2 Cor. 8.12.) If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath. Though it be little that we have, yet if the mind be free, if there be much of the will in it, though but little of the purse (if we have no more to give, or give according to what we have) if there be much of the heart in it, though but little of the hand (if we do according to the power that is in our hand) the Lord hath a very great respect to it.
Fifthly, To be much in prayer for others, especially for those that are in power over us, is very acceptable to the Lord (1 Tim. 2.2, 3.) I exhort that supplications, &c. be made for all men, for Kings, and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. As it is good and acceptable in the sight of God, that we should lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, under Kings and all in authority; so that we should pray for Kings, and those that are in authority.
Sixthly, When children do well requite their parents; that (saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5.4.) is acceptable unto God.
Seventhly, To suffer patiently for well-doing, is greatly pleasing unto God (1 Pet. 2.20.) In a word, they among good men are most acceptable of God, who are most zealous in doing anything in a right manner, which for the matter is acceptable unto God.
Observe, Thirdly;
The Lord doth not speak here of accepting Job strictly for himself, but of his acceptation in the behalf of his friends, Him will I accept, that is, for you; I will be entreated by him, I will not give you the honor to be entreated by you, but to him I give it, I will be entreated by him. The Prophet Elisha said to the King of Israel (2 Kings 3.14.) Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee; he would not vouchsafe that bad King a look, but for the respect that he bare to good Jehoshaphat. And it is a truth, that God would not have so much respect to some good men, were it not for the sake of some others, who are better. Yet, that the Lord accepts one man's person more than another's, or one man's person for another, is primarily and principally, in and for the sake of Jesus Christ. Job had acceptation with God more than his friends, and for his friends; he had the former by his being in Christ, and the latter as he was a figure of Christ. No man's person, no man's work is accepted of, otherwise than in relation to Christ. The Apostle affirms this fully ( Eph. 1.6.) He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Christians are beloved, but Christ only is the Beloved: we are accepted in him, the beloved, as to ourselves; and 'tis in the beloved that any are accepted more than others, or for others.
Take this Inference from the whole.
It is dangerous to stand in the way of their prayers, who are accepted of God. That man is more safe, against whom a thousand are acting, than he against whom any one godly man upon a just ground is praying. The Lord hath done great things against evil men, upon the prayers of the faithful, as well as he hath done great things for good men at their prayer. David by one ejaculatory petition, spoiled the plot of Achitophel; the Lord, according to that short prayer, turned his counsel into foolishness, and so overturned the whole design laid against his servant David. Thus far of the promise, which the Lord gave Eliphaz and his two friends for their encouragement, to go unto Job and entreat him to offer up a burnt-offering, and to pray for them, for him will I accept.
Now followeth a threat, in case they did not:
As if the Lord had said, Do not slight this advice that I give you, no, nor forslow it, make hast to make your address to Job; I will accept him, and I tell you, I will not accept you alone; therefore make hast, and do as I have commanded, else
There is some difference in the reading of these words.
First, Some read, Lest I do or act folly to you. But how can the Lord do or act folly towards any? We may expound this translation, by that ( Psal. 18.26.) where David saith of the Lord, With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure, and with the froward or perverse, thou wilt show thyself froward or perverse. But how doth the Lord show himself froward with those that are froward? there is no frowardness in the Lord, he is always in a composed and sedate frame, infinitely beyond any passion or perturbation: the meaning is only this, The Lord will deal with men according to what they are; the actings and effects of his providence shall be towards a froward man, as if he were froward. If a man deal perversely with God, he will deal with him as if he were perverse; and with the pure, God will show himself pure, that is, he will carry it purely towards them; they shall receive good, who are and do good. Thus here, go, saith the Lord, and do as I bid you, Lest I deal folly to you. In the Hebrew Language, to do kindness with one, is the same as to exercise or show kindness to him. That form of speech is used, Gen. 20.13. Gen. 24.49. Gen. 40.14. And so to do folly with one, is to show or exercise folly to to him. The Lord doth folly to them that do folly; that is, he makes them see by his wise doing, how foolishly they have done.
Others express it thus, Lest I deal foolishly with you, or, folly to you; that is, lest I do that which may be accounted foolishness in me. You having appeared Advocates in my cause, and pleaded for me ('tis folly to pay any man with unkindness for the service he hath done us.) Well (saith the Lord) look to it, I will not accept you, but deal folly to you, or foolishly with you, in the sense of some men (possibly) but wisely in my own. The Lord is always to be admired, in his wisdom, holiness, and in the serenity of his spirit; yet in the opinion of the wise men of this world, he may seem to deal foolishly, or do folly.
Secondly, The words may be rendered, Lest I do that which may be disgraceful to you. Thus the Chaldee paraphrase readeth, Lest I put a disgrace, or an affront upon you, and make it appear, to your shame, that you have not carried it aright in this matter, but have been shamefully out. The word here used, is several times used in Scripture, to note the defiling or disgrace of a thing ( Nahum. 3.6.) I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and I will make thee vile, that is, I will disgrace thee, and (as it followeth) I will set thee for a gazing stock. So ( Micah 7.6.) when the Lord would show the exceeding sinfulness of those times, he saith, Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide, keep the door of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom; for the son dishonoreth the father; it is this word, the son disgraceth the father, he dealeth with his father as if he were a Nabal, a very fool. When a son knoweth not his distance, nor performeth his dury, he dishonoreth his father. The Prophet ( Jer. 14 21.) speaks in a way of deprecation, Do not abhor us, for t • y name sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory. The Lord is • ometimes so angry with his people, that he even casteth dirt upon the throne of his glory, that is, upon his Church, in and by which he should be glorified, as upon his Throne. The Lord disgraceth his Church, the throne of his glory, when his Church disgraceth him, and dishonors his glory • us name ( Deut. 32.15.) Jesurun waxed fat, and kicked (that is, Israel, the Church was waxen fat; the Lord fed Jesurun his Church to the full, they had not a lean se • vice of it: but what did J • surun?) he forsook God wh ch made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. The word which we transla • e, he lightly esteemed, is the word of the Text: Now when Jesurun did lightly esteem or disgrace the Lord, he soon after disgraced Jesurun, his Church, The throne of his glory. This is a good sense of the words; do as I di • ect, lest I put a disgrace upon you. Thus folly is put fo • the punishment of folly, as sin often, for the penal effects and fruits of sin; as 'tis said (1 King. 13.34.) This thing • ecame sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off.
Our reading saith, Lest I deal with you according to your folly; that is, according to your sin, and the hard censures which you have given of my servant Job, and, as it followeth, In that you have not sp ken of me the thing that is right. These things have been your folly; and 〈◊〉 do not speedily repair with your sacrifice to Job, and get him to pray for you, what you can do yourselves, will not mak • amends for your folly, nor mend this breach, but, I will deal with you according to your folly, you shall taste of the fruit of your doings; the reward of your hands, or of your tongues, shall be given to you. That's the general sense of our translation; As if the Lord had said, Lest I make you understand by your sad experiences, by the punishments and chastisements laid upon you, that you have done very foolishly, and were greatly mistaken in your apprehensions of me, and of my providences concerning Job. Or thus, ye have declared much folly in the management of this matter with my servant Job, ye have offended against the common Laws of friendship and humanity, insulting over a man in misery; and your folly hath been greater, while, against the Laws of piety, ye have judged of a man's holiness, by his outward unhappiness, and have censured him as a bad man, because he hath in this world endured so much evil. This hath been your sin, ye have in this dealt foolishly with my servant Job; therefore hasten to him, and do as I have said, Lest I deal with you acaccording to your folly.
Hence note, First;
And not only is it simple folly, which a man committeth for want of wit, or because he hath little understanding (what a man doth for want of wit and understanding, is simple folly ) but sin is wicked folly, which is the abuse of wit, and parts, and gifts, yea, the overflowing of lust. And though we cannot charge these men, that they did intentionally use their wit and parts to grieve Job, yet it proved so; though it was not the end or design of them that spake, yet it was the issue of their speech; they did him a great deal of wrong, and doubtless, Satan stirred much, or provoked them to use their parts and gifts to embitter the spirit of the poor man, and God left them to do it. This was their folly; and all such actings or speakings are no better, nor do they deserve better or softer language. This word folly, is often applied in Scripture, to sin, especially to great sins. Another word is used in the Proverbs of Solomon; but in several other places, sin is expressed by this ( Gen 34.7.) When that great affliction fell upon Jacob, the ravishing of Dinah, her bret •••• came home very wroth, saying, He hath committed folly in ••••• l. So ( Judges 19.23. Judges 20.6.) the abusing of the Levites Concubine is called the committing of folly. Whoredom is expressed by folly ( Deut. 22.21.) And this word, with reference (I conceive) to the sin of whoredom, which is spoken of in that place, is translated villainy (Jer. 29.23.) All sin is folly, especially any great sin is so. For,
First, It is a folly to hurt ourselves. No man can hurt us, if we do not hurt ourselves by sin. The Apostle Peter saith (1 Epist. 3.13.) Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 'It is strange, that any should. Though it be true enough that many have had, not only a will to harm them that follow good, but have actually done them many and great outward harms; yet this is a great truth, none can indeed harm them that follow good, because all harms turn to their good. Nothing can hurt us but our sin.
Secondly, Sin is folly, for in sinning we strive with one that is too hard for us. Do we (saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.23.) provoke the Lord to jealousy? (are we so simple?) are we stronger than he?
Thirdly, It is folly to do that by which we can get no good, that's the part of a fool ( Rom. 6.21.) What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed? What have ye got by them? have ye made any gains or earnings to boast of? the end of those things is death; & is it not folly to begin that which ends in death, and that a never-ending, an eternal death.
Fourthly, It is folly to sin, for by that, at best, we run a hazard of our best portion, for fading pleasures, and perishing profits. If we have any pleasure by sin, it is but pleasure for a season, and that a very short one too. What a foolish thing is it to venture things that are incorruptable, for perishing things? It were a great folly for a man to venture gold against grass: they do infinitely more foolishly who sin against the Lord; for all that they can get by it, is not so much, to what they hazard, as grass to gold ( Mat. 16.26.) What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? As all flesh is grass, so all that flesh lusteth after is no better. What kind of Merchants, what kind of Exchange-men are they, that will traffick or truck away their souls, for the profits or pleasures of sin? and 'tis for one of these that most, if not all men, traffick away their souls.
Secondly, Observe;
What rod soever he layeth upon their backs, what shame, what poverty, what sickness he affl cts them with, It is but according to their folly, they have but their own, they have no reason to complain. The Prophet told the people of Israel, as one man, when under grievous affl ctions ( Jerem. 4.18.) Thy ways and thy doings, have procured these things unto thee: Thou hast no reason to complain, for thy punishment is of thy own procurement, that is, thy sin is visible in thy punishment, thou eatest but the fruit of thy own doings, how bitter soever it is. Another Scripture saith ( Num. 32.23.) Your sin shall find you out, that is, you shall suffer according to what you have done, and reap what ye have sowed. And is it not folly to sow to the (corrupt) flesh, when of the flesh we shall reap corruption (Gal. 6.8.) The flesh is a corrupt thing, and can yield us no better a thing than it is (the effect is like the cause) corruption, that is, a miserable condition both here and hereafter, now and forever.
Thirdly, Note;
All this is included in the going of these men to Job. As if the Lord had said, I will punish you Eliphaz, and Bildad, and Zophar for your folly, unless ye repent. They that are in a state of grace, cannot expect favor from the Lord, unless they turn from their sin, and give him glory by repenting and believing. Good men doing evil may suffer for it, as well as the worst of men. The Lord will see a work of repentance and sel • -humbling, a work of faith, looking to Christ the sacrifice, else he will deal with them, even with them (as he threatened these good men) according to their folly.
But what was the folly of Eliphaz and his two friends, for which the Lord threatened to deal so severely with them? The latter part of the verse tells us, what God accounted and called their folly.
The Lord had told them as much at the seventh verse, My wrath is kindled against you, because ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right. Here the Lo • d pointeth them to their sin again, and layeth his finger afresh upon the soar.
But why doth he so?
Take these three reasons why. Probably the Lord repeated these words,
First, To show that he was very sensible of their sin, in speaking amiss of him, and very angry with them for it. They provoked the Lord much, when they measured him, as it were by themselves, or by their own meet-wand, in his ways of judgment, and procedure with Job; and therefore they must hear of it a second time, or (as we say) at both ears.
Secondly, The Lord telleth them again of it, that he might fasten the sense of their sin more upon them. We very hardly take the impression of our follies and failings, we are ready to let the thoughts of them wear off and slip from us; they abide not, but glide away as water from a stone, or from the swans-back, unless fixed by renewed mindings: and for this reason the Lord repeateth the mention of sin so often, in the the ears of his people, by the ministry of his word, that the evil of it may more fully appear to them, or that they may the more clearly see, and the better know how bad, how base, how foolish a thing it is to sin against him.
Thirdly, I conceive, the Lord repeated these words, to confirm the judgment which he had given before concerning them in those woe • ds, Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right. As if the Lord had said, that which I said before, I say again, I do not change my opinion, either concerning you or my servant Job; and therefore, I say it once more (the rep •• ting of a matter is for the confirmation of it, as Joseph told Pharaoh about the doubling of his dream.) Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right,
These words also are a repetition, yea, a triplication, and more than so, this is the fourth time, that the Lord hath called Job his servant, in the compass of two verses, three times in this 8th verse, and once in the 7th.
But what should be the meaning of this? why did the Lord call Job his servant so often, even four times, as it were in one breath?
I answer, First, It intimates that Job was the Lord's steady servant, that what he was at first he was then at last, and what he had been long ago he was still. Some have been called the servants of God, who have given it over in the plain field; but here the Lord calleth Job his servant, over and over, four times over, as being his sure servant.
Secondly, It was to show that as Job retained the same duty and respect to the service of God, so God retained the same opinion of Job, and of his service then as at first.
Thirdly, The Lord in repeating this relational title, servant, so often, would assure us that he knew not how (if I may speak so) to speak more honourably of him. The Lord gave no other title to Moses (Num. 12.7.) nor to Caleb (Num. 14.24) nor to David (2 Sam. 7.5, 8.) The Lord did not speak this so often, because he wanted other titles to give him, or because he had not variety of phrases to express himself by, but as if he knew not where to find a more honorable title. I grant that title of relation, Son, is more noble, and more endearing; but that is not at all spoken of in the Old Testament, nor is it given to any particular person in the New. Believers, as to their state, are all the sons of God; but no one believer is spoken, either to, or of, under this title, Son. The Apostle Paul still called himself only a servant of God. He that is the Lord's servant, is the best of free-men. We have enough to glory in, when we are his servants. The History reports of the French King, That the Ambassador of the King of Spain repeating many great titles of his Master; the King of France commanded this only to be mentioned of him, King of France, King of France; implying, that this single title King of France, was as honorable as that large roll of titles given the King of Spain. Thus the Lord calleth Job his servant, his servant, his servant, to show that all honor is wrapped up in this word, A servant of God.
Fourthly, This repetition may signify, That Job had been a very great, good, and faithful servant to the Lord; not only a servant, but a laborious and profitable servant to the Lord; so the Scripture calls those who are laborious in his service, though at best, as to the Lord, we are unprofitable servants, nor can any be profitable unto him.
Fifthly, The Lord multiplieth this title upon him, because whatsoever a godly man doth, is service to the Lord. This word service is comprehensive of all duties; to hear the Word is, to serve the Lord; to pray, to fast, to give alms, is to serve the Lord all is service to the Lord.
Job was every way a servant of the Lord.
First, As he was a Ruler. To rule well in a family is to serve the Lord; to rule Nations is to serve the Lord much more. Job was a ruler, and he ruled well in both capacities, as was shown in opening the 29th, 30th, and 31st chapters.
Secondly, Job was a great servant of the Lord, as he was a worshipper.
Thirdly, Job was a great servant of the Lord, as he was a sacrificer; he had the honor of the priest-hood.
Fourthly, Job was a great servant of the Lord, as a teacher of the truth; he had instructed many, as Eliphaz acknowledged ( chap. 4.3.) And as he was a great servant of the Lord in teaching the truth, so in opposing error; he stood firm to his own opinion (the truth) against the tenent of his friends.
Fifthly, Job served the Lord as he was a sufferer. To suffer is very great service, especially (as he did) to suffer greatly. We serve the Lord as much with his cross upon our backs, as with his yoke upon our necks, or his burden upon our shoulders. Job was a great servant of the Lord's, as in holding forth the doctrine of the cross, or maintaining that God afflicts his choicest servants; so in bearing the cross himself.
Sixthly, Job was a great servant of the Lord in praying for his friends, and in being so willing to be reconciled to them; and therefore, the Lord having had so many services of him, and so many ways, repeateth, my servant Job, my servant Job, as if he could not say this word often enough, My servant Job.
Thus we have the Lord's command or charge given to Eliphaz and his two friends, what they must do for the quenching of that fire which was kindled in his breast against them, for their folly in dealing with his se vant Job. How they answered that command, will appear in the next words.
Vers. 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job.
This verse holds out the obedience of Eliphaz and his two friends, to the charge and command which the Lord gave them in the eighth verse; where the Lord said to these three men, Take to you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, &c. This Text answereth that command, they went, and did according as the Lord commanded them. Their obedience to the Lord's command is described three ways.
First, by the speediness of it; They went.
Secondly, by the exactness of it; They went, and did according as the Lord commanded them.
Thirdly, by the good issue and fruit of it; The Lord also accepted Job.
These were the three persons who had to do with Job in that long contest opened in the body of this book; these are the persons against whom the Lord's wrath was kindled, because they had not spoken of him the thing that was right, as his servant Job; these were the persons to whom the Lord gave command to b ing their sacrifice to Job, and offer it up for themselves, that reconciliation might be made; the • e persons went, all three went: As all th ee were wrapped up in one fault, as all three were in the same sin, so they all three joined together and agreed in their obedience to the command of God, and in repentance for their sin and faultiness.
Having received a command to go, they did not tarry and stay to co • sider whether they should go or stay, they did not put in any demur to the matter, but went; which implieth, first (as was said) the speediness of their obedience, they went presently; secondly, the willingness of their obedience, their minds were in the work, as well as their bodies; thirdly, the cheerfulness of their obedience, they went as if they had been to take a pleasing or pleasant Journey. They went; and what did they? They went
Their obedience was not only speedy, and willing, and cheerful, but exact. These words, They did according as the Lord commanded them, yield us a great example of full, of complete obedience; they not only did what was commanded, but they did it as it was commanded, yea, and they did it because it was commanded, for that must come in to make up the fullness of our obedience. Here is then a great example of humility, of modesty, of meekness, and of submission to the will of God, They went and did according as the Lord commanded them. What was that? They brought their sacrifice, first, for kind, and secondly, for number, as the Lord had commanded them: The Lord commanded them to bring Bullocks and Rams; they brought them: The Lord commanded them to bring seven Bullocks and seven Rams; they brought them as the Lord commanded, both for kind and for number.
Secondly, They brought them to Job. The Lord said, Go to my servant Job; they went to Job according as the Lord commanded them.
Thirdly, We must suppose they entreated Job to undertake the Office of a Reconciler, of a Mediator, of a Priest, between God and them, according as the Lord commanded. Though this piece of their submission and obedience be not expressed, yet it is intimated and implied; nor could it be omitted, it being not only a part, but the principal part, of that duty which the Lord laid upon them. Thus in all things they submitted and were obedient according to the command of the Lord.
First, In that we have all three named here in this matter of obedience; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went,
Observe;
It was a blessed sight to see those three men coming as one man about this duty, not one of them drawing back, not one of them putting in any plea against the command of God. There are three things wherein it is very pleasant to behold the people of God joining in one.
First, when they join or are one in Opinion and Judgment, when they all think the same thing, and are of one mind in the truth.
Secondly, When they join together and are one in affection, when they are all of one heart, though possibly they are not all of one mind, or, when they meet in affection, though not in opinion, ( Psal. 133.1.) Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity! And when David had spoken admiringly of this goodly sight, he spake declaratively concerning the goodness of it ( verse. 2.) It is like the precious ointment upon the head: 'It is so, first, for the sweetness of it; 'tis so, secondly, for the diffusiveness of it (as followeth) that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments.
Thirdly, (which is the matter in the text) it is a blessed thing to see them joining together in duty, either as duty is considered
First, in doing that which is good; or, when, as the Apostles word is (2 Cor. 6.1.) they are (among themselves) workers together in any good work; we say (to fill up the Text) workers together with God. That's a blessed sight indeed, when we join with God, and God joineth with us in his work: It is also a blessed sight, when all the Ministers of Jesus Christ, and any as members of Jesus Christ, join in any good work, in this especially, to beseech all we have to do with, that they receive not the grace of God in vain.
Secondly, in turning from evil, and putting iniquity far from them; in praying for the pardon of sin, and making their peace with God. In this work the three in the Text joined together. 'It is a good work to turn away from evil, especially when all who are concerned in it join in it. A great mourning is prophesied ( Zech. 12.11, 12, 13.) And the land shall mourn every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the Family of the house of Levi apart, and their Wives apart, &c. Here's a great mourning with a turning from sin prophesied of, as also the manner of it; Every family shall mourn apart: But though they shall mourn apart, yet they shall all join in mourning; a whole family shall mourn apart, not a part of a family; and as the whole of a family shall mourn, so • ll the Families shall mourn and repent, and seek reconciliation to God, as if they were but one family, yea, but one person. As to join in sin, and to be brethren in iniquity, is the worst of unions, indeed a combination against God; so to join as Brethren in mourning for sin, and repenting of our iniquities, is a blessed union, and highly pleasing unto God.
Secondly, In that it is said, They went and did as the Lord commanded,
Observe;
We must make no excuse, no delay, we may not dispute the commands of God, nor may we at all excuse ourselves from doing the commands of God: These men did not so much as desire to be excused; they said not, it is true, we have failed, but it was through ignorance, or we had a good meaning in what we said, we intended Job no hurt; may we not then be spared this cost and trouble? we hear of none of this, but presently they did as the Lord commanded. Though the command of the Lord be hard and very unpleasing to flesh and blood, yet we must speedily obey it. The command which these men received was to flesh and blood a hard command. Is it not hard to flesh and blood,
First, to confess that we have erred, and are out?
Secondly, Is it not hard to flesh and blood? goeth it not against the grain, to submit to one whom we have wronged?
Thirdly, Is it not hard to flesh and blood, to honor whom we have reproached and thought light of? All these are hard meat to flesh and blood, and we can hardly digest them (as was touched before) yet these men without disputes and delays went about the work. Abraham received a hard command from God, a far harder command to flesh and blood than these men received: For, First, they received a command to go and offer bullocks and rams in sacrifice; but Abraham was commanded to offer his Son in sacrifice. Secondly, He was to offer his only Son; that was harder. Thirdly, He was to offer his only Son Isaac, whom he loved. A man may have an only son, who is a vexation and a trouble to him: but as he was a son, and an only son, so a son whom Abraham greatly loved; yet God laid this hard and grievous command upon him, Go and offer up thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, upon one of the mountains that I shall show thee (Gen. 22.2.) When Abraham had received this command from God, to offer up his son for a sacrifice, as these had received a command to offer up beasts in sacrifice; What did Abraham? He rose up early in the morning (saith the text) and saddled his ass, and took two of the young men with him, and Isaac his son, and went unto the place which God had told him. As here these men went, so Abraham went, he did not linger, nor lie long in bed, but rose up early in the morning. This was an amazing work of obedience to the command of God, a very hard and grievous command of God. Abraham had shown an eminent act of obedience to the Lord, before this offering up of his son; when God called him out of Ur of the Chaldees, he went. The Apostle saith ( Heb. 11.8.) By faith Abraham when he was called, to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out not knowing whither he went; he followed God as it were blind-fold. So the Apostle yielded present obedience, he made no diversions, no stop; When it pleased God (said he) who separated me from my mothers womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him amongst the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were Apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, &c. (Gal. 1.15, 16, 17.) He conferred not with flesh and blood, that is, neither with his own heart, or with his own interest, what would be safest and best for him, nor did he go to consult with other men who were flesh and blood, but followed his call. Whatever God commands we have nothing to do but to obey. As the Centurion said ( Mat. 8.9.) I am a man under authority, and I have soldiers under me; and I say to one, go, and he goeth; and to another, come, and he cometh; and to a third, do this, & he doth it: Such an obedience are we to yield to the commands of God. The Apostle giveth a like charge concerning servants, with respect to all their masters lawful commands ( Tit. 2.9.) Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things, not answering again, that is, not gain-saying, or not contradicting, as the word may be translated. When a servant receiveth a just command from his master, he must not contradict, he must not put in his advice, thus or thus, but follow the orders given him. Now, if Masters on earth ought to receive, in all lawful commands, such obedience from their servants, how much more is this due to our Lord and Master in heaven? especially, if we consider what the commands of the Lord are, under these three titles or attributes of them.
First, They are all just and good. It is impossible for God to command that which is not right to be done, for his command maketh that right which is done, whatsoever it is; his will is righteousness itself, and the rule of it.
Secondly, His commands are not only just and good in themselves, but they are good to us, they are given for our profit and benefit, it is our interest as well as our duty to obey them. In keeping them there is great reward (Psal. 19.11.) yea, the keeping of them is a great reward. Do not my words (saith the Lord, Mic. 2.7.) do good to him that walketh uprightly?
Thirdly, The commands of the Lord are easy: That's the Apostles meaning, when he saith (1 John 5.3.) His commandments are not grievous. The Lord doth not put grievous things, nor heavy burdens upon his people. My yoke (saith Christ, Mat. 11.30.) is easy, and my burden light. Easie and light to a spiritual mind; to the new creature, though grievous to corruption, and burdensome to the flesh. Hard things are easy, and heavy things light to a suitable mind; whereas easy things are hard, and light things heavy to a mind that is not so. Seeing then the commands of the Lord are just in themselves, good to us, and not grievous, he being our Sovereign, we ought speedily to obey whatsoever he commands; and leaving off, or laying aside all disputes and excuses, presently fall upon the work which he at any time calleth us unto. This was commendable in Eliphaz and his two friends, They went and did as the Lord commanded them.
Thirdly, Observe;
We may do what the Lord commandeth, yet not as he commandeth. The Lord's commands must be done, as we say to a hair, to a tittle, they must be done exactly: It is not enough to do what God commandeth, but according as he commandeth. The As is remarkable. Not only must we do good, but we must do it in a good way, that is, in God's way. First, The matter must be according to his command. Secondly, The manner must be according to his command; and this a twofold manner. First, the external manner must be as the Lord hath commanded. David bringing home the Ark (2 Sam. 6.3.) they carried it on a new Cart, when it should have been carried upon the Levites shoulders; that was a failing in the outward manner of that work. Hence that confession of David, when he undertook that work a second time (1 Chron. 15.13.) The Lord made a breach upon us at first, for that we sought him not after the due order. We must worship God aright, for the outward manner of his commands and institutions, else we dishonor him, while we intend to worship him. Secondly, The inward manner must be according to the command of God. 'It is possible we may hit the outward form of worship, yet miss in the inward manner of it. The Lord searcheth the heart, he knoweth what is within, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4.24.) that is, according to the truth of the rule made known in the word, and in truth of heart. The inward manner of worship is,
First, That we worship in faith; Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11.6.) If we have not a justifying faith, yea, if we have not a persuading faith ( Rom. 14.5, 23.) that what we do is according to the will of God, our worship i • not according to what the Lord hath commanded, and so becomes sin to us.
Secondly, That we worship in love. Though we do never so many holy services to the Lord, if we do them not in love to him, we fail in the inward manner of our worship. The sum of all the Lord's commands, is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. It is not he • ing and praying, but these in love, which is the fulfilling of the commandment. Every duty must be mixed also with love to man. We may do many things commanded to men, yet, if we do them not in love to men, we do nothing as the Lord commandeth. Thus the holy Apostle concluded peremptorily (1 Cor. 13.1.) Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, &c. and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cimbal; and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burnt, and have not charity, it profiteth nothing.
Thirdly, To do all that the Lord commands according to the inward manner, is to do all in humility; that is, First, Acknowledging that we have no power of our own to do anything; Secondly, That we have deserved nothing, how much soever we have done, or how well soever we have done it.
Thus in doing the Lord's commands we should labor to answer the mind of the Lord fully, and to hit every circumstance, to omit nothing, no not the lest thing. Moses (Exod. 10.16.) being to carry the people of Israel out of Egypt, would not compound the matter with Pharaoh: Ye may go said Pharaoh (after he had been broken by several plagues) Only let your little ones stay; no, saith Moses, that is not as the Lord hath commanded me. And at another time, he said, Go, only let your cattle stay; no, saith Moses, this is not as the Lord commanded, I will not leave so much as a hoof behind me. And so said Moses concerning the observances of the law, For, thus I am commanded, or this is as the Lo • d commanded, as we read all along the books of Exodus and Leviticus. We are not full in our obedience, till we obey fully. It is said of Caleb (Num. 14.24.) He had another spirit, he followed the Lord fully, that is, as to matter and manner, as to outside and in-side. Let us labor to be full followers of God; not outside followers of God only, but in-side followers. Let us not rest in the in-side, when we are not right in the outside, nor please ourselves with an outside service, when we are careless of the inward. Thus of their obedience, as considered in general, They did according as the Lord commanded.
Further, consider their doing as the Lord commanded them in that special matter, their reconciliation, first to himself, and then to Job.
Hence Observe, Fourthly;
Though the means which God appointeth seem to us improbable and weak, though it be troublesome and chargeable, as here the offering up of so many bullocks and rams, yet we must do it; Yea, though it put us to shame before men, by the acknowledgment of our errors and mistakes, as here Eliphaz and his two friends also did, yet we must do it. They who are ashamed of sin, will not be ashamed to acknowledge their sin. But what must we do to be reconciled to God or ma • ?
They who desire reconcilion with God, must go out of themselves, and go to Jesus Christ; they must (as Eliphaz, &c. did) bring a sacrifice to God, not (as they did) of bullocks and rams, but (which was shadowed by those legal sacrifices) the sacrifice of Jesus Christ himself, Who by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Heb. 10.14.)
They who desire reconciliation with man, must do that which God here appointed these men, go to him whom they have wronged, and acknowledge their error, or that they have wronged him; they must also desire his pardon and prayers. Thus did these men, and they did as the Lord commanded for their reconciliation, first, to himself, and then to Job.
Fifthly, We may consider this their obedience, as to the spring of it. What made them so ready, when the Lord commanded them, to go and do as he had commanded them? doubtless this was one thing, the men were now humbled, God had brought them to a fight of their sin; Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right; this they were made sensible of, and confessed, and so obeyed.
Hence, Observe;
They who are made sensible of the wrath of God, deserved by and kindled against them for their sins, will do anything which he commands for the obtaining of his favor. God may have anything of an humble soul; had the Lord commanded these men to go to Job, and offer sacrifice, before he had convinced them of their sin, they might have flung away over the field, and not have kept the path of his commandments; but having humbled them they submitted. When Peter had preached that notable Sermon, which pricked his hearers at the very heart ( Acts 2.37.) Then they said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? They were not only ready to do what they were commanded, but did even ask for commands; What shall we do? They, as it were, threw down a blank, and desired the Apostles to write what commands they would that tended to salvation; as if they had said, we are ready to do what the Lord commandeth, and according as the Lord commandeth: Thus being made sensible of their sins, and of the wrath of God, which they had provoked against themselves, by crucifying the Lord of life, They cried out, what shall we do? We will submit to anything that is fit to be done. Saul, afterward Paul, came out with fury to persecute the Disciples of Christ; but the Lord having beaten him from his horse to the ground, he trembling and astonished, said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? (Acts 9.6.) He was fit to take any impression, and to be molded into any form, by the hand of God. They who have been made to know what it is to break commands, are willing to obey and keep them. This was the first spring of their obedience; God had humbled them.
There was a second spring of their obedience, which will yield a sixth Observation: For, as the Lord had convinced them of their sin, so he had given them hopes of mercy in the pardon of it, and of reconciliation to himself. So much was intimated in that gracious counsel given them; Take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams, and go and offer up a burnt-offering for yourselves, &c. This was a comfortable word, and doubtless they understood it so, and said in their own hearts, God might have made us a sacrifice, but he commands us to offer a sacrifice. And what doth this signify? Surely, that he will be gracious to us, and is ready to pardon us. Having these hopes of pardon, they went and willingly did what the Lord commanded, they went to Job, they submitted to him whom they had contemned, they honored him whom they had despised before.
Hence note;
The Lord did not only show them their sin, and terrify them with kindled wrath, but shown them a sacrifice, and this presently won upon them. The love of God is more constraining than his wrath; and hopes of pardon and salvation, than the fear of punishment and damnation: both have their effects, and are strong motives, wrath and love, but the strongest is love. As when the Apostle beseeched the Romans (Rom. 12.1.) to present themselves a living sacrifice, he besought them by the mercies of God: So when the Lord commanded these men to offer up slain beasts in sacrifice, hope of mercy was the motive. 'It is mercy w ch moves most effectually, to offer both our services & ourselves a sacrifice unto God; that's the same Apostles argument again (2 Cor. 7.1.) Wherefore having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves (that is, use all means of cleansing ourselves, let us go to Christ for the cleansing of ourselves) from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. The end of the Commandment is charity (1 Tim. 1.5.) that is, 'tis charity or love which gives the Commandment its end. What is the end of the Commandment? it is that we should obey and fulfil it. To what end doth the Lord give us Commandments? it is that we should keep them. Love is the end of the Commandment, as it gives the Commandment a completing end. Now, whence comes our love, either to God or man? Surely from the manifestation of God's love to us. So that, when the Lord manifesteth his love to us, raising and confirming our hopes by promises, then our love appeareth in doing and keeping Commandments; and therefore, love is there joined with faith unfeigned, a faith without hypocrisy or deceit. Now, the work of faith in God for pardon and reconciliation, is grounded upon a sacrifice. Thus, as Evangelical obedience is better than legal, so mercy revealed in the Gospel, quickens to obedience, more than wrath revealed in the Law. The sight of mercy, and the sense of the lov • of God, in sending his own Son to be a sacrifice for us, works more upon us, than if the Lord should threaten to make us a sacrifice, or to consume us in the fire of his wrath forever. It was the sacrifice which made these men go to Job and humble themselves, they perceived there was hope now, and that though they had failed, yet the Lord was ready to rece • ve them, and would not deal with them according to their folly, as he told them he would, if they did not (according to his command) go to Job with their seven Bullocks, &c. and offer up a burnt-offering. They went and did as the Lord commanded them.
But what came of it? how did they speed? what was the issue of all? The Text saith,
This may seem a strange connection; they going and doing as the Lord commanded them, one would have thought, it should be said, And the Lord accepted them, whereas the Text saith only thus, The Lord also accepted Job.
But were not Jobs friends accepted? shall we think that they lost their labor? not so neither; without all question these three b • inging their sacrifice according to the command of God, both for matter and manner, were accepted too: yet, because it was at the request and prayer of Job for them, therefore the Text saith not, The Lord accepted, but, The Lord also accepted Job; that is, he offering sacrifice, and praying for them, they were accepted. This showeth us the great mystery, or the sum of the Gospel; the Lord did not accept them in themselves, but he accepted Job in sacrificing for them, and all in Christ. And consider, it is not said, The Lord accepted the sacrifice, or the prayer of Job, but, The Lord accepted Job; his person was accepted in and through the sacrifice or intercession of Christ, and his sacrifice and intercession for Eliphaz and his two friends were accepted also in him.
How the Lord testified his acceptance of Job, whether by consuming his sacrifice with fire from heaven, or by any other outward token of his favor, is not here expressed, and therefore to us uncertain; only this is certain, and that is enough for us to know, that God accepted him.
What it is to accept, was shown in opening the former verse.
In brief, to be accepted, is to have favor with God, our petitions answered, and the things done which we move or petition for. The Lord also accepted Job.
And when 'tis said, The Lord also accepted Job, this implieth, that Job did willingly undertake the service and duty for his three friends. Though it be not said, that Job offered sacrifice and prayed for them, yet both are wrapped up and understood in this conclusion, The Lord also accepted Job. This gives evidence or witness to the goodness of Job, and his eminence in grace; how full of love, how ready to forgive was he! He did not insult over Eliphaz, &c. nor say, now I have got the day, God hath determined the matter for me; he did not tell them, ye have wronged and abused me, ye have unjustly censured and reproached me; but putting their unkindnesses into oblivion, and laying aside the thought of them, he laid out his soul to the utmost for the healing or making up of the difference (arising from their folly) between God and them.
For the better improvement of these words,
First, Let us compare them with those in the eighth verse. Here it is said, The Lord also accepted Job; and there the Lord said, Him will I accept; there it is a promise, here a performance.
Hence note;
A word from God is as sure as his deed; our hope upon promise, as good as possession; In hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie, promised before the world began (Tit. 1.2.) Christ will be Amen, that is, performance (2 Cor. 1.20.) to all the promises (2 Cor. 1.20.) As they are all made in him, so they shall everyone of them, and in everything, be made good by him, unto the glory of God by us; that is, we shall at last have abundant cause of glorifying of God, in performing and making good of all the promises, upon the undertaking of Jesus Christ for us. No man shall fail of acceptance, that is under (as Job was) a promise of acceptation; get under promises, and you shall partake the good promised.
Secondly, Whereas upon their doing according as the Lord commanded, presently it followeth, The Lord also accepted Job,
Note;
If Eliphaz and his two friends had not done as the Lord commanded them, they could not rightly have expected God should do what he promised, accept Job, and so themselves. There are promises of two sorts. First, of preventing grace; these are made to the wicked and unconverted. Secondly, there are promises of rewarding grace; these are made to the godly, who must perform the duty commanded, if they would receive the mercy promised. As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy (Gal. 6.16.) If you will have peace, you must walk according to rule; the Lord is not bound to fulfil promises, if we take liberty to break Commandments, or neglect to do them. And they who have true faith in the truth, and faithfulness of God to fulfil the one, can never take liberty to break the other. None are so sure to the Command, as they who have fullest assurance in the Promise.
Here are but few words, yet much matter; and who knoweth how much mercy? Here is much, yea, all in a little, The Lord accepted Job.
Hence note, Thirdly;
Acceptation with God is the happiness of man, and should be his satisfaction. If we are accepted in our services, we are bountifully rewarded for them; and if our persons are accepted, we shall be everlastingly saved. When the Lord accepted Job, he he heard his prayer for his friends, they were reconciled. This good news, The Lord also accepted Job, was enough to make their hearts leap for joy. Acceptation is a reviving word, the sum of all that we can wish or pray for; 'tis enough & enough to confirm our faith, and to wind up our assurance to the very highest expectation of a supply to all our wants, and of pardon for all our sins. All the kindnesses of God are comprehended in this one word, Acceptation.
Fourthly, The Lord accepted Job. Here is no mention at all of accepting his sacrifice, yet that was accepted too.
Hence note;
If our persons are accepted, our services are; and if the services of any are not respected, it is because their persons are not. 'It is said ( Gen. 4.4, 5.) The Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; but unto Cain and his offering, he had no respect. Respect or no respect to what is done, always begins with the person of the doer.
Yet further, Job was accepted; but u • on what account? or how was Job accepted? not in himself, nor for himself, but in Christ the promised Messias.
Hence note, Fifthly;
When we have done all, we deserve nothing, we are only accepted. The Lord accepted Job, not for his own sake, not for the worth of his service, not for the worthiness of his person, but for him whom he in that action represented, and in whom he believed, Jesus Christ. Job himself needed Christ for his acceptation; 'tis in and through him that any are accepted. The word Acceptance plainly implieth, that there is nothing of merit in us; acceptation notes grace and favor. This respect to us, is not for any desert in us.
From the whole, we may infer,
Did the Lord presently accept Job and his friends, or Job for his friends? then what confidence may we have, that Jesus Christ, who is our everlasting sacrifice and Advocate, who is entered into the holiest, the Sanctuary of heaven, and there pleads for us with his own blood, is accepted for us, and we through him. Christ's suit shall never be refused, nor shall we, while we come to God through him. This act of divine grace, was, as I may say, but a shadow or figure of that great work of Jesus Christ, in reconciling sinners, and making them accepted with the Lord; and therefore, as often as we pray, Christ's everlasting sacrifice should come to our remembrance, for the confirmation of our faith, and our encouragement against fears. We may argue down all our doubts about acceptation by Christ, upon this account, that Jobs friends were accepted at his suit, and their acceptation not bottomed on him, nor in his sacrifice, but as both shadowed Christ. Where the Reconciler is accepted, they that are in him, and for whom he makes request, are accepted too. What the Lord spake from heaven ( Mat. 3.17.) This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, reacheth all believers to the end of the world, whose head and representer Christ is. Let us adore, and ever be thankful, that we have received such grace in Christ; for, though Jesus Christ in his person is of infinite worth, and his sacrifice of so great a value, that it became a price sufficient for the ransom and redemption of all sinners: yet, it was of free grace that Christ was made a ransom for sinners, and we accepted through him.
Secondly, Take this Inference:
That the prayers and supplications which Believers put up to the Lord, obtain mercy and good things for others, may strengthen faith, that they shall obtain for themselves.
Thirdly, We may infer,
He no sooner fell out with himself for his former miscarriages, but the Lord, as it were, fell in love with him afresh. What a favourite was he grown, who could thus readily get an answer, and obtain favor for those, against whom the Lord said, My wrath is kindled?
Thus much concerning the judgment and determination of God in this matter, which put a period to the long continued controversy between Job and his three friends, and reconciled both parties both unto God and between themselves. O how blessed is the issue of the Lord's Judgment and undertaking towards his servants and children! When once he was pleased to appear in the case, he soon silenced both sides, and made them in the conclusion both of one heart, and of one mind.
And no sooner was this humbling and reconciling work done and over, but restoring and restitution work followed, as will appear in opening the third and last part of this Chapter, which is also the last part of the whole Book.
JOB, Chap. 42. Vers. 10.
10. And the Lord turned the Captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
THis verse begins the third part of the Chapter. We have seen J • b humbled before God in the first part; we have seen Jobs friends reconciled to God, and his anger turned away from them in the second: In this third, we have Job himself restored, or the restitution of Job to as good, yea, to a better estate than he had before; and this was done when he prayed for his friends: The Crown is set upon the head of prayer.
The restitution of Job is set down two ways.
First, more generally, in this verse, where it is described three ways.
First, by the Author of it, The Lord; it was he that turned the Captivity of Job.
Secondly, by the season of it; When he prayed for his friends.
Thirdly, by the degree and measure of it; Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. His was not a bare return or restitution, but with advantage, and that to a duplication.
Before I open the words as translated by us, I shall briefly mind the Reader of another translation. The word which we render Captivity, is by some rendered Repentance; and there is a twofold interpretation of that rendering.
First, Some refer it to God, and read the words thus, The Lord was turned to repentance concerning Job: And then the meaning is, the Lord repented or changed his dispensation with respect to the affliction of Job, when he prayed for his friends. The Scripture speaks of the Lord's repentance two ways.
First, that he repenteth of the good which he hath done for, or bestowed upon man ( Gen. 6.6.) It repented the Lord that he had made man; he seemed as one troubled in his mind, that ever he had set up man in such a condition. And as there the Lord repented of his making mankind in general in that good natural state, so elsewhere he is said to repent of his doing good to some men in particular, as to their civil state (1 Sam. 15.11.) The Lord repented that he had made Saul King, that he had set him upon a Throne to rule men on earth, who had no better obeyed the Rule given from his own Throne in heaven.
Secondly, The Lord is said to repent of the evil which he hath either actually brought upon man, or threatened to bring upon him. In the former sense Moses saith ( Deut. 32.36.) The Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servanss, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left; that is, when they are in an afflicted low condition, the Lord taketh the opportunity or season to restore them, and then he is said to repent concerning any afflictive evil brought upon his people. In the latter sense (as he is said to repent of the evil threatened) it is said of repenting Nineveh (Jonah 3.10.) The Lord repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not. Thus the Lord is turned to repentance with respect to evil, either brought or threatened to be brought upon a people; for which we have that remarkable promise ( Jer. 18.7, 8.) At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them. If they turn, I will turn. Another word is used in the Hebrew there, but it imports the same thing. Repentance in God is not any change of his Will, Counsel, or Purpose; it only notes a change in his providences and dispensations. The Lord is of one mind: who can turn him? (Job 23.13.) But he is not always of one way; he repenteth, that is, he changeth his way sometimes, and so he did towards Job: He once cast him down, and left him as a captive bound hand and foot under the power of Satan, as to his outward man and worldly enjoyments; but the Lord turned and repented, that is, turned his Captivity. This sense and reading is much insisted on by several Interpreters, and it is a comfortable truth; yet I am not satisfied that it is the truth intended in this place.
Secondly, Others who follow that translation, refer this repentance to Job, and so the sense is this, The Lord turned at the repentance, or upon the repentance of Job when he prayed for his friends; of which repentance we read in the fo • mer part of the Chapter. The Observation which naturally ariseth from this interpretation, is clear from many other Texts of Scripture.
The Lord turned in mercy to repenting Job when he prayed for his friends. And this was promised to God's peculiar people the Jewish Nation (2 Chron. 7.14.) If my people which are are called by my Name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear in heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. This was performed to the Ninevites, a heathen Nation; when they repented of the evil which they had done, God repented of the evil which he threatened to do unto them, or bring upon them, and did it not, brought it not. But I shall not stay upon this useful point here, because it is grounded upon a translation which is not (as I conceive) so clearly grounded upon the Original as our own.
The Hebrew is very elegant, He turned the turning or captivity of Job. Why his Captivity? Job was never lead captive in person, he was not carried away prisoner by the Chaldeans an • Sabaeans, who captivated his cattle. How then is it here said, The Lord turned the captivity of Job?
I answer, These words, The Lord turned the Captivity of Job, may be taken two ways.
First, thus, He turned that to Job (whatsoever it was) which was lead into Captivity. So some translate, The Lord restored that which was taken from Job. His Cattle, which were taken away by violent men, & his children, which were taken away by a vehement wind, were returned or restored to him again. The word Captivity is elsewhere in Scripture taken tropically for things or persons captivated; that which is captivated is called captivity. The Lord turned the captivity of Job, that is, he returned that which was captivated or taken away. Take a Scripture or two for that s • nse of the word captivity (Judge. 5.12.) Awake, awake Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song, arise Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.. That is, bring them back who were taken captives; or thus, lead those captive who have taken thy people captives. So ( Psal. 68.18.) which is quoted by the Apostle ( Ephes. 4.8.) When he ascended up on high, he lead captivity captive. The Psalmist gives us a prophesy, and the Apostle reports the history of the glorious ascension of Christ. When he ascended up on high, he lead captivity captive. Which text, as the form • r, may be taken two ways.
First, Christ ascending, led those captive, who had led poor soul • • aptive, that is, the devils; which the Apostle expresseth thu • ( Col. 2.15.) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, that is, in his cross or • uffering • , or (as our Ma • gin hath it) in himself: And as Christ spoiled those principalities, and triumphed over them, not only really, but openly in his passion; so he led them captive and triumphed over them more openly in his ascension.
Secondly, He led those that were captives, sinful men, captive; he brought them out of a miserable captivity into a blessed captivity, that is, from the cap • ivity of sin, Satan, and the world, into a cap ivi • y to himself. The Apostle speaks so of the mighty power of the Word, in the mini • tery of the Gospel: The weapons of our warfare (that is, the weapons with which we, the Ministers of the Gospel, m • ke war upon sinners to convert them) are not carnal (that is, weak) but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, &c. and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience Christ (2 Cor. 10.4, 5.) Not only are our persons, but our thoughts captivated to Christ, by the power of the Spirit ministered in the Gospel. Thus the Scripture speaks of captivity in both these notions: the captivaters and the captivated are called captivity. Here in this place, we may take it in the latter sense, the Lord turned the captivity of Job; that is, what was captivated or taken away, the Lord, as it were, fetched back again, and restored it to him. In this sense Abraham, when he heard that his Nephew Lot was taken captive, led captivity captive (Gen. 14.16.) He pursued them that had taken him captive, he brought back Lot, and the rest of the prisoners, together with the spoils. Thus the Lord did not only deliver Job from all those evils, which he was under, but restored the good things to him which he had lost or were carried away.
Secondly, We may take it thus, The Lord turned the captivity of Job; that is, he took away, or called in Satan's commission, which he had given him over Jobs estate and body, and by which Satan held Job in captivity, or as his captive; for as we read ( chap. 2.6.) Satan could not touch him, till he had leave, or a letter of license from God; till God said, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thy hand (chap. 1.12.) Nor could he touch his person, till his commission was enlarged; and the Lord said again, Behold, he is in thine hand, but (or only) save his life (chap. 2.6.) And as soon as his commission was taken away, or called in by God, he could trouble him no longer. The Lord forbidding the devil to meddle anymore with him, Turned the captivity of Job.
Hence, Observe;
The afflicted condition of Job was a captivity. Troubles in our estate, troubles in our relations, troubles in our bodies, troubles in our souls, are like bonds and prisons. It is a very uneasy and an uncomfortable condition to be in prison, and so it is to be in any afflicted condition considered in itself. Job spake as much of himself, while his affliction continued upon him strongly ( chap. 13.27.) Thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and thou lookest narrowly unto all my paths. Job was not only as a man in captivity, but as a man in the stocks, which is a great hardship in captivity. David calleth such an estate an imprisonment ( Psal. 69.33.) The Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners. Some are prisoners strictly, being under restraint; all are prisoners largely, or (as we say) prisoners at large, who are in any distress. The Lord maketh many prisoners by sickness and weakness of body, as also by poverty and the want of bodily comforts and conveniences. The afflicted condition of the Church in any kind is expressed by captivity, as captivity, in kind, is sometimes the affliction of the Church. The ten tribes were led into captivity by Salmanazar, Judah by Nebuchadnazzar. Hence that promise ( Jerem. 30.18.) Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents; And that prayer ( Psal. 14.7.) O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion. When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. This Scripture may be taken both strictly, as a prayer for their return out of proper captivity, and largely, for their deliverance out of any adversity: So ( Psal. 126.1.) When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream. Read also ( Zeph. 2.7.)
Secondly, From the author of this turn, The Lord turned the captivity, &c.
Observe.
He is the author of these comfortable turns, and he is to be acknowledged as the author of them. The Psalmist prayed thrice, Turn us again (Psal. 80.3, 7, 19.) The waters of affliction would continually rise and swell higher and higher, did not the Lord stop and turn them, did not he command them back, and cause an ebb. Satan would never have done bringing the floods of affliction upon Job, if the Lord had not forbidden him and turned them. It was the Lord who took all from Job, as he acknowledged ( chap. 1.21.) and it was the Lord who restored all to him again; as we see here the same hand did both in his case, and doth both in all such cases ( Hos. 6.1.) Let us return to the Lord for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. David ascribed both to God ( Psal. 66.11, 12.) Thou broughtest us into the net; thou layedst affliction upon our loins: thou hast caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water. The hand of God led them in that fire and water of affliction, through which they went; but who led them out? The Psalmist tells us, in the next words, Thou broughtest us into a wealthy place; the Margin saith, into a moist place. They were in fire and water before. Fire is the extremity of heat and dryness; water is the extremity of moistne • s and coldness. A moist place notes a due temperament of • eat and cold, of dryness and moistness, and therefore el • gantly shadows that comfortable and contentful condition, into which the good hand of God had brought them, which is significantly expressed in our translation, by a wealthy place; those places flourishing most in fruitfulness, and so in wealth, which are neither over-hot nor over-cold, neither ove • -dry nor over-moist. And as in that Psalm David acknowledged the hand of God in this, so in another, he celebrated the Lord's power and goodness for this ( Psal. 68.20.) He that is our God is the God of salvation, and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death; that is, the out-lets or out-gates from death, are from the Lord; he delivereth from the grave, and from every grief. The Lord turned the captivity of Job, not only p eserving him from death, but filling him with the good things and comforts of this life.
Thirdly, Note;
As he can quickly make a great change from prosperity to adversity, and in a moment b • ing darkness upon those who enjoy the sweetest light; so he can quickly make a change from adversity to prosperity, from captivity to liberty, and turn the darkest night into a morning light. For such a turn the Church prayed ( Psal. 126.4.) Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south, that is, do it speedily. The south is a dry place, thither streams come, not by a slow, constant currant, but as mighty streams, or land-floods, by a sudden unexpected rain; like that (1 Kings 18.41, 45.) Get thee up (said Elijah to Ahab) for there is a sound of abundance of rain, and presently the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. When great rains come, after long drought, they make sudden floods and streams. Such a sudden income of mercy, or deliverance from captivity, the Church then prayed for, and was in the faith and hope of; nor was that hope in vain; nor shall any, who in that condition wait patiently upon God, be ashamed of their hope. The holy Evangelist makes report ( Luke 13.16.) that Satan had bound a poor woman eighteen years, all that time he had her his prisoner; but Jesus Christ in a moment made her free. Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? The devil, who had her in his power eighteen years, could not hold her a moment, when Jesus Christ would turn her captivity, and loose her from that bond. If the Son undertake to make any free, whether from corporal or spiritual bondage, they shall not only be free indeed (as he spake, John 8.36.) at the time when he is pleased to do it, but he can do it at any time, in the shortest time, when he pleaseth. We find a like turn of captivity is described ( Psal. 107.10, 11, 12, 13, 14.) such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, because they rebelled against the word of the Lord, &c. These ( verse. 13.) cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses: He brought them out of darkness, and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Thus far of the first particular considerable in Jobs restitution, the Author of it, The Lord turned the captivity of Job.
The second thing to be considered, is the season which the Lord took for the turning of Jobs captivity; the Lord did it saith the text,
Some conceive the turn of his captivity was just in his prayer time, and that even then his body was healed. I shall have occasion to speak further to that afterwards upon another verse. Thus much is clear, that
That is, either in the very praying time, or presently upon it, the Lord • urned his captivity. Possibly the Lord did not stay till he had done, accor • ing to that ( Isa. 65.24.) It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Or according to that ( Dan. 9.20.) While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplications before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God: Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me, about the time of the evening oblation, and he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am come forth to give thee skill and understanding; at the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee, &c. What commandment came forth? even a command for the turning of their captivity. Thus here (I say) possibly the Lord gave out that word of command, for the turning of Jobs captivity, at that very time when he was praying for his friends.
But without question, these words, when he prayed for his friends, note a very speedy return of his prayers; that is, soon after he had done that gracious office for them, he found matters mending with himself, and the answers of prayer in the mercies of God coming tumbling in thick and three-fold. His captivity fled far away when he had thus drawn near to God; he had, as a very full and satisfactory, so a very speedy answer,
Prayer is the making known our wants and desires to God. It is a spiritual work, not a mere bodily exercise; it is the labor of the heart, not lip-labor. Jobs prayer was a fervent working, or effectual prayer (as the Apostle James speaks, chap. 5.16.) not a cold, slothful, sleepy prayer; when he prayed, he made work of prayer. Many speak words of prayer, that make no work of prayer, nor are they at work in prayer. Job prayed in the same sense that Saul (afterwards Paul ) did ( Acts. 9.11.) when the Lord Jesus bid Ananias go to him, for, Behold he prayeth, implying, that he was at it indeed. He had been brought up after the strictest rule of the Pharisees, who prayed much, or made many prayers; but he prayed to so little purpose before, that we may well call that his first prayer, and say he had never prayed before. Job prayed for his friends, as Paul for himself; he was very earnest with God for them, and prevailed. Extraordinary cases call for extraordinary layings out in duty. It was an extraordinary case, When he prayed
The Hebrew is, When he prayed for his friend. It is usual in the Grammar of the holy Text, to put the singular for the plural: 'It is so here, either, First, because he prayed for everyone of them distinctly, and by name; or, Secondly, because he looked upon them all as one, and bound them up in the same requests, When he prayed
They are called his friends, to show the esteem that he had of them, notwithstanding all their unkindness and unfriendliness towards him. He prayed for them in much love, though they had shown little love to him; and his heart was so much towards them, that the Text speaks as if he had forgot himself, or left himself at that time quite out of his prayers. Doubtless Job prayed for himself, but his great business at that time with God, was, for his friends.
Now, in that Jobs prayer is said expressly to be for his friends, not for himself, though we cannot doubt but that he prayed, and prayed much for himself;
Observe;
He seldom drives this blessed trade with heaven for self only, and he sometimes doth it upon the alone account of others. 'It is a great piece of spiritualness, to walk exactly, and keep in with God to the utmost, that so our own personal soul concerns may not take up our whole time in prayer, but that we may have a freedom of spirit to enlarge for the benefit of others. Many by their uneven walkings, exceedingly hinder themselves in this duty of praying for friends, and of praying for the whole Church. Uneven walkings hinder that duty in a twofold respect.
First, Because they indispose the heart to prayer in general; which is one special reason why the Apostle Peter gives that counsel to Husband and Wife (1 Pet. 3.7.) to walk according to knowledge, and as being heirs together of the same grace of life, that (saith he) your prayers be not hindered; that is, lest your hearts be indisposed to prayer.
Secondly, Because uneven walkings will find us so much work for ourselves in prayer, that we shall scarce have time or leisure to intend or sue out the benefit of others in prayer. He that watcheth over his own heart and ways, will be and do most in prayer for others. And that,
First, For the removing or preventing of the sorrows and sufferings of others.
Secondly, For the removing of the sins of others; yea, though their sins have been against himself, which was Jobs case. He prayed for those who had dealt very hardly with him, and sinned against God in doing so; he prayed for the pardon of their sin, God being very angry with them, and having told them he would deal with them according to their folly, unless they made Job their friend to him. This was the occasion of Jobs travelling in prayer for his friends; and in this he shown a spirit becoming the Gospel, though he lived not in the clear light of it. And how uncomely is it, that any should live less in the power of the Gospel, while they live more in the light of it? To pray much for others, especially for those who have wronged and grieved us, hath much of the power of the Gospel, and of the Spirit of Christ in it. For, thus Jesus Christ, while he was nailed to the Cross, prayed for the pardon of their sins and out-rages, who had crucified him, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23.34.) Even while his crucifiers were reviling him, he was begging for them, and beseeching his Father that he would show them mercy, who had shown him no mercy, no, nor done him common justice. And thus (in his measure) Jobs heart was carried out in his prayer for his friends, that those sins of theirs might be forgiven them, by which they had much wronged him, yea, and derided him (in a sort) upon his Cross, as the Jews did Christ upon his. This also was the frame of David's heart, towards those that had injured him ( Psal. 109.4.) For my love they are my adversaries (that's an ill requital; but how did he requite them? we may take his own word for it, he tells us how) but I give myself unto prayer; yea, he seemed a man wholly given unto prayer. The elegant conciseness of the Hebrew is, But I prayer; we supply it thus, But I give myself unto prayer: They are sinning against me, requiting my love with hatred, But I give myself unto prayer. But for whom did he pray? doubtless he prayed, and prayed much for himself; he prayed also for them. We may understand those words, I give myself unto prayer, two ways. First, I pray against their plots and evil dealings with me (prayer was David's best strength always against his enemies) yet that was not all. But, Secondly, I give myself to prayer, that the Lord would pardon their sin, and turn their hearts, when they are doing me mischief; or, though they have done me mischief, I am wishing them the best good. David (in another place) shown what a spirit of charity he was clothed with, when no reproof could hinder him from praying for others (in some good men, reproofs stir up passion, not prayer) ( Psal. 141.5.) Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness (smite me, how? with reproof; so it followeth) Let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head, for yet my prayer shall be in their calamities; that is, if ever they who are my reprovers fall into calamity, though they may think they have provoked me so by reproving me, that they have lost my love, and have cast them out of my prayers, or that I will never speak well of them, or for them again, yet I will pray for them with all my heart, as their matters shall require; I will pray for them when they have most need of prayer, even in their calamity. Some heighten the sense thus; The more they sharpen their reproof, the more I think myself bound to pray for them. It shows an excellent spirit, not to be hindered from doing good to others, by anything they do or speak against us, nor by their sharpest (though perhaps mistaken) reproofs of us. Thus it was with this good man, Job prayed for his friends, who had spoken much against him, and not only reproved him without cause, but reproached him without charity; and God turned his captivity when he prayed for them.
Hence observe, Secondly;
We never reap more fruit or benefit by prayer ourselves, than when we lay out ourselves in prayer for others; and then most, when we pray for those who have deserved least at our hands. Prayer for unkind friends, is the greatest kindness we can do them, and the noblest way of recompensing their unkindness. Holy David was much in this way of duty, and found the benefit of it ( Psal. 35.12, 13.) They rewarded me evil for good, to the spoiling of my soul; but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled my soul with fasting (that is, I was greatly affected with, and afflicted for them in their affliction; and see what followed) My prayer returned into my own bosom. There is some difference about the Exposition of those words; but I conceive that is clear in itself, as well as to my purpose, that David received fruit and a good reward for those prayers. As if he had said, If my prayer did them no good, it did me good; if it did not profit them, it profited me; my prayer returned into my own bosom, I found comfortable effects of it. We never gain more by prayer, than when we pray for those by whom we have been losers; we never find more comfort by prayer, than when we pray heartily for those by whom we have found much sorrow: whatever good we pray for in the behalf of others, falls upon our own heads; and the more we pray for good upon the heads of those that have done evil to us, the more good is like to fall upon our own heads and hearts. Christ saith ( Mat. 10.13.) When ye come into an house, salute it (Christ means not a Courtly complemental salute, but a Christian spiritual salute, wishing them mercy and peace, as is plain by that which followeth) and if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. As if he had said, When ye come into an house, good or bad, salute it; if the house be good, they shall receive the benefit of your prayer, if not, you shall have the benefit of it yourselves; though they get no good by your good wishes to them, or prayers for them, yet you shall. This is more expressly assured us again by our blessed Savior ( Luke 10.6.) Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, peace be to this house (bestow a prayer upon them) and if the Son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall turn to you again; your prayers shall not be lost, nor shall ye be losers by your prayers.
Hence take these two Inferences.
The worse they are (if not so bad as to be past prayer, by the Apostles rule, 1 John 5.16.) for whom we pray, the better are our prayers, and an argument, as of our greater faith in God, so of our greater love to man.
Yet this is not to be understood, as if we should pray for the prosperity of enemies, or evil men, in their evil purposes or practices (this were to pray at once for the misery of Zion, for the downfall of Jerusalem, and the dishonor of God.) Our prayer for enemies, should only be, that God would change their hearts, and pardon their sins, as was touched before. I grant, we may (in some cases) pray, Lord, overturn, overturn them; or (as David against Achitophel) Lord, turn their counsels into foolishness; yet even then we should also pray (with respect to their persons) Lord turn them, turn them. The Gospel teacheth us to do so ( Luke 6.28.) Bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you: Not that we should pray for a blessing on them as they are cursers and despisers, but that they may repent, and give over their cursed cursings and despiteful usages. The Apostle is full for this ( Rom. 12.14.) Bless them that persecute you, bless and curse not (verse. 19.) Avenge not yourselves. And as we should not avenge ourselves, so we should be sparing in prayer, that God would take vengeance; and if ever we put up such prayers, beware they flow not from a spirit of revenge. We, indeed, are sometimes afraid to be over-gentle and kind-hearted towards them that offend us; and this bad Proverb is too much remembered, If we play the Sheep, the Wolf will eat us up, as if to do our duty, were to run further into danger, and that it must needs turn to our wrong, not to avenge our wrongs. But know, if we carry it meekly like sheep, we have a great Shepherd, who will take care of us, and is able to preserve us from the Wolf. Consider these two things in praying for enemies, or for those that have any way wronged us.
First, If by prayer we gain them ('tis possible by prayer to turn a Wolf into a Sheep) then it will be well with us, they will be our friends.
Secondly, If they continue Wolves and enemies still, God will be more our friend, and turn the evil which they either intend or do us, to our good.
A second Inference is this.
This Inference appears everywhere in Scripture. And as the Lord himself hath often invited or encouraged us to the duty of prayer for ourselves by this promise; take one instance for all ( Psal. 50.15.) Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me; that is, thou shalt have both occasion and a heart to glorify me. So the Lord's servants have often had experience of his power and goodness in delivering them; or, as 'tis here expressed concerning Job, of turning their captivity; take one instance for all ( Psal. 34.4, 6.) I (said David) sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The Lord, who doth us good when we pray for others, cannot but do it when we pray for ourselves. The Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.
But some may ask, will the Lord turn any man's captivity, when he prayeth for his friends? whose prayer, and what prayer is it that obtains so high a favor?
I answer, in general; It is the prayer of a Job. That is,
First, The prayer of a faithful man, or of one who is perfect and upright with God. It is not the prayer of every man that prevails with God ( Jam. 5.16.) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (only) availeth much. Nor is it the prayer of a mere morally righteous man, that availeth; he must be an Evangelically righteous man, that is, a man estated by faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, As 'tis the prayer of the faithful, so the prayer of faith; as it is the prayer of one in a state of grace, so of one acting his graces, especially that grace of faith. It is possible for a man that hath faith, not to pray in faith; and such a prayer obtaineth not ( Jam. 1.5, 6, 7.) If any man (saith that Apostle) lack wisdom; we may say, whatsoever any man lacketh, let him ask of God; but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for let not that man (the man that wavereth) think that he shall receive anything (that is, any good thing asked) of the Lord. To ask without faith, may bear the name, but is not the thing called prayer; and therefore such receive nothing when they ask.
Thirdly, It is the prayer of a person repenting, as well as believing. Job was a penitent, he repented in dust and ashes for the evil he had done, before he obtained that good for his friends and for himself by prayer. If my people (saith the Lord, 2 Chron. 7.14.) Which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways (there's complete repentance) then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their Land (there is complete mercy.) Some pretend, at least, to be much in believing, yet are little, if at all, in repenting and humbling themselves under the mighty hand of God. How can their prayers prevail, for the turning away of their captivity, who turn not from iniquity? If I (said David, Psal. 66.18.) regard iniquity in my heart (his meaning is, if I put it not both out of my heart and hand, by sound repentance) God will not hear me; that is, he will not regard, much less favourably answer, my prayer. It is a piece of impude • c • , I am sure, such a piece of confidence, as God will reject, and wherein no man shall prosper, to expect good from God by prayers, while our evils are retained, or abide in our bosoms unrepented of. God hath joined faith and repentance together; woe to those who put them asunder. They who either repent without believing, or believe without repenting, indeed do neither; they neither repent, nor believe, nor can they obtain anything of God by prayer. But, the prayer of a faithful man, made in faith, and mixed with sound repentance, will make great turns; such a one may turn the whole world about by the engine of prayer.
But, what is there in such a prayer, that should make such turns, and move the Lord to change his dispensations, or our conditions? I answer,
First, Such prayer is the Lord's own Ordinance or appointment; and he will answer that. When we meet God in his own way, he cannot refuse us; he seals to his own institutions, by gracious answers.
Secondly, As prayer is the Ordinance of God, so he hath made promise to hear and turn the captivity of those that pray, as was shown before. Promises are engagements to performance. God will not be behind hand with man, as to any engagement: For, as he is powerful, and can, so he is faithful, and will do whatever he hath engaged himself to do by promise. A word from the God of heaven, is enough to settle our souls upon forever, seeing his word is settled forever in heaven (Psal. 119.89.) Half a promise, or an half promise, an it may be (Zeph. 2.3.) from God, is better security than an absolute promise, than an it shall be, yea, than an oath from any of the sons of men.
Thirdly, Prayer honors God. Our seeking to him in our wants and weaknesses, in our fears and dangers, are an argument that we suppose him able to help us, & that all our ruins may be under his hand: Such a seeking to God, is the honoring of God; and therefore, God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and call upon him. Our coming to God in all our wants, shows, that he is an inexhaustible fountain; so thick a cloud, thar we cannot weary him, nor he spend all his waters, how much soever he showers down, or spends upon us. He can distil mercies, and drop down blessings everlastingly. We often want vessels to receive, but he never wants oil to give. It is the glory of Kings and Princes, that so many come with petitions to them; that they have many suitors at their gates, may possibly burden them, but undoubtedly it honors them; doth it not signify, that he hath a purse to relieve their necessities? or power to redress their wrongs and injuries? O thou that hearest prayer, is a title of honor given to God ( Psal. 65.2.) To thee shall all flesh come. As God hath said ( Psal. 50.15.) they that call upon him shall glorified him, for help received, so they do glorify him, by calling upon him for help: No marvel then, if he turn a Jobs captivity, when he prayeth.
Fourthly, Prayer is the voice of the new creature. The Lord loveth that voice, 'tis music, the best music, next to praise, in his ear. Let me hear thy voice (Cant. 2.14.) that is, let me hear thee praying, or thy prayer-voice; let me see thy countenance: for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. The Lord delighteth in prayer; therefore the Lord will turn the captivity of a Job when he prayeth.
Fifthly, Prayer is not only the voice of the new creature, but it is the voice of the Spirit with the new creature. The Spirit himself maketh intercession for us (Rom. 8.26.) 'It is the holy Spirits work to form requests in our hearts to God. As the Spirit itself witnesseth with our spirits, that we are the children of God (Rom. 8.16.) so he prayeth in the spirits of God's children. The prayer of a believer hath the power of the holy Spirit in it, and therefore it must needs make great turns. God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed.
Sixthly, Jesus Christ presents such prayers, the prayers of faith, the prayers of repentance, unto God his Father. Christ's intercession gives effect, or gets answer to our supplications. The Father hears the Son always ( John 11.42.) and so he doth all them, whose prayers are offered to him by the Son ( Revel. 8.3.) The angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints, upon the golden altar which was before the throne. The angel there spoken of, is the angel or messenger of the Covenant, prophesied of ( Mal. 3.1.) that is, Jesus Christ, 'tis he, he alone, who offers the incense of his own prayers, with the prayers of all Saints, upon the golden altar, which is before the throne; and being there represented doing so, presently (as it followeth, ver. 5.) There were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, signifying the wonderful effects of prayer, till it should come (after many turnings in the world, or, as I may say, after a world of turnings) to the Lord's turning of Zion's captivity, as here of Jobs.
Seventhly, Jesus Christ doth not only present the prayers of believers to God, but also prayeth in them; when saints pray he prayeth in them, for he and they are mystically one: And as Christ is in believers the hope of glory (Col. 1.27.) so he is in them the help of duty; and so much their help, that without him they can do nothing (John 15.5.) Now a believers prayer being, in this sense, Christ's prayer, it cannot but do great things.
Lastly, As Jesus Christ presents the prayers of believers to the Father, and prayeth in them, or helps them to pray, by the blessed and holy Spirit sent down, according to his gracious promise, into their hearts; so he himself prayeth for them, when they are not actually praying for themselves. For (saith the Apostle, Heb. 7.25.) He ever liveth to make intercession for them. The best believers do not always make supplications for themselves; but Christ is always making, as well as he ever lives to make, intercession for them. The Apostle (speaking of Christ's intercession) useth the word in the present tense or time, which denoteth a continued act ( Rom. 8.34.) Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. The sacrifice of Christ (though but once offered) is an everlasting sacrifice; and this other part of his priestly-office, his intercession, is everlasting, as being often, yea, always or everlastingly offered. The way or manner of Christ's making everlasting intercession for us, is a great secret; it may suffice us to know and believe that he doth it. Now it is chiefly from this everlasting intercession of Christ, that both the persons of the elect partake of the benefits of his sacrifice, and that their prayers are answered for the obtaining of any good, as also for the removal of any evil, as here Jobs was for the turning of his captivity.
Thus I have given a brief accompt of this inference, that if prayer prevails to turn the captivity of others, then much more our own. Prayer hath had a great hand in all the good turns that ever the Lord made for his Church: And when the Lord shall fully turn the captivity of Zion, his Church, he will pour out a mighty spirit of prayer upon all the sons of Zion. The Prophet fore-shown the return of the captivity of the Jews out of Babylon (Jerem. 29.10.) After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word towards you, in causing you to return to this place; for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. But what should the frame of their hearts be at that day? the 12th verse tells us, And ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken. These words may bear a twofold sense. First, The sense of a command; Then shall ye call upon me, and then shall ye go and pray, That is your duty in that day. Secondly, I conceive they may also bear the sense of a promise; then shall your hearts be enlarged, then I will pour out a spirit of prayer upon you, And ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken. We may conclude the approach of mercy, when we discern the spirits of men up in and warm at this duty. Many inquire about the time, when the captivity of Zion shall fully end? we may find an answer to that question best, by the enlargement of our own hearts in prayer. David speaking of that, said ( Psal. 102.17.) He will regard the prayer of the destitute (the meanest and lowest shrubs in grace, as the word there used imports) and not despise (that is, he will highly esteem, and therefore answer) their prayer: How much more the prayer of the tall cedars in grace, or of the strong wrestlers, when they call upon him, and cry unto him, with all their might day and night? The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.
Nor was it a bare turn. As Job did not offer a lean sacrifice to God in prayer, but the strength of his soul went out in it; so the Lord, in giving him an answer, did not give him a lean or slight return, but, as it followeth,
The Hebrew is, The Lord added to Job to the double. Some translate too barely, The Lord made an accession or an addition; but that doth not reach the sense intended: For, a little more than he had before, had been an addition to what he had before; but double is more than a little, or the common notion of an addition; the Lord gave him twice as much, or double, to that great estate which he had before. This doubling of his estate may be taken two ways.
First, Strictly, as four is twice two, and eight twice four. In that strict sense it may be taken here, as to his personal estate; but as to persons it will not hold, the number of his children was the same as before. If we compare this chapter with the first chapter ( ver. 3.) we find his estate doubled in strict sense: Whereas Job had then seven thousand sheep, now saith this chapter ( ver. 12.) he had fourteen thousand sheep; and whereas before he had three thousand camels, now he had six thousand camels; and whereas before he had five hundred yoke of oxen, now he had a thousand yoke of oxen; and lastly, whereas before he had five hundred she asses, now he had a thousand she asses. Here was double in the letter; the Lord added all his cattle double in number: Yet we need not tie up the word double, or twice as much, strictly to that sense. Therefore
Secondly, Double may be taken largely, and so double or twice as much, is very much. He added to him double, that is, he made a very great addition, possibly in some things treble, yea, fourfold to what he had before. And thus the Lord made good what Bildad had spoken to Job, closely hinting, that surely Job lay in some secret sin, and was not right with God, because God let him lie in that forlorn condition, and did not so much as restore him to the same, much less raise him to a better estate, than he had before ( chap. 8.6, 7.) If thou wert pure, and upright, surely, now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. It is usual in the Hebrew, to say those things are double, which excel and are great. Thus spake Zophar (chap. 11.6.) O that God would speak and open his lips against thee; and that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is. Know therefore, &c. The secrets of Divine wisdom are double to what is, namely, to what they appear, or are apprehended to be: The wisdom of God is double, yea, an hundred fold more than what man is able to conceive it to be; The secrets of God's wisdom are unsearchable, and past any creatures finding out. Thus in other Scriptures double is put for very much ( Isa. 40.2.) Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. We must not think that Jerusalem made satisfaction to the Lord for her sin • , much less may we imagine that Jerusalem's sufferings did exceed her sins, or the desert of her sins: For 'tis said ( Ezra 9.13.) Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. And ( Lam. 3.22.) It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. But the meaning of double th • re, is plainly this, she hath received a very great punishment, the Lo • d hath made her feel the sorrowful effects of her sin fully; For said Daniel (chap. 9.12.) Under the whole heaven hath not been done, as hath been done unto Jerusalem. This is called a double recompense by another Prophet ( Jerem. 16.18.) I will recompense their iniquity, and their sin double, because they have defiled my land. And thus Jeremy prayed, against the opposers and despisers of his prophesy ( chap. 17.18.) Destroy them with double destruction. So then, when it is said, the Lord added double, or twice as much to Job as he had before, it noteth, at least, a very great addition to the prosperous estate which Job had before, even in outward things.
Hence Observe, First;
Job did not pray for the doubling of his estate, or for great things in the world; we find him many times giving up his hopes as to temporals, when he would not give up his hopes as to spirituals and eternals: Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him; he also shall be my salvation. He submitted his life to God, in hope of a better life, but he had little or no expectation about the things of this life; yet the Lord gave him abundance with his life, as also an abundant, or long life, as we read at the end of this Book. There are two special reasons, why the Lord gave Job a great increase in temporals.
First, Because in those Old Testament times the promises went much in temporals.
Secondly, Because Job having lost his credit in the world, when he lost his estate, spiritual supplies would never have set him right in the eye of the world, he had suffered, as to his reputation in spirituals, by his loss in temporals; and therefore the Lord doubled his estate, to vindicate his reputation in the eye of the world. And the Lord did this unsought & unthought of by Job; therefore (as the point saith) it is a truth, that while we are careful about spirituals, the Lord takes care of our temporals ( Mat. 6.33.) Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Secondly, Note;
The Lord is a bountiful rewarder two ways.
First, For what we do, we shall not lose our labor in serving him. God gives good and great wages (1 Cor. 15.58.) Be ye steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for as-much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord; that is, labor abundantly, for your labor shall have an abundant reward: Not only shall it not be in vain, but richly rewarded. The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love (Heb. 6.10.) The Lord should be unrighteous to forget our labor of love; not because any labor of ours can endebt him to reward us, but, because he hath freely promised to reward us.
Secondly, The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of us for what we suffer: And that, First, When we suffer under his own hand. Secondly, When for his sake we suffer peaceably and patiently under the hand of men. Job was a great sufferer both ways; he suffered greatly under the afflicting hand of God, and he suffered greatly under the violent hands and reproachful tongues of men, and the Lord was to him a bountiful rewarder, with respect to both: For he did not only heal his wounded state, and make him up as well as he was before, according to that in ( Jerem. 30.17.) I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thy wounds; but he did it double, insomuch, that he, who in the days of his former prosperity, was only the greatest of all the men of the East, became in the days of his latter prosperity, greater than he had been himself. The Lord hath plentiful rewards for the godly, and so he hath (though of another kind) for the wicked. He (saith David) plentifully rewardeth the proud doer (Psal. 31.23.) There is a reward of wrath, as well as a reward of favor. Wrath is the reward of proud men: Thus the Lord will plentifully reward proud Babylon, at one time or other, by some hand or other ( Revel. 18.6.) Reward her, even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. Babylon shall at last lose double blood, for the blood that she hath drawn, yea (as the Text saith) double, double, that is four times as much; and who knows how much that double unto her double means? For 'tis said ( ver. 7.) How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her. Now as no man can tell nor imagine, how much she hath glorified herself, nor how deliciously she hath lived; so no man can tell how much torment and sorrow she shall have! Yea, we read not only of a double, and quadruble, but of a seven-fold reward of wrath for evil men ( Psal. 79.12.) Render unto our neighbors seven-fold into their bosom. And surely that Scripture means bad neighbors. Now as the Lord doth plentifully reward the proud and evil doers in a way of wrath, so he will plentifully reward well-doers and well-sufferers, whether under his own hand, or the hand of man, in ways of mercy. And if so, then,
First, Fear not to lose by God, and that in a twofold respect. First, When he cometh to borrow of you for the poor. He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord (Prov. 19.17.) Every time we are asked to give to the poor, upon due occasion, God sends to borrow of us, and he will surely repay what he hath borrowed; therefore fear not to lose by God, when he borrows of you for the poor. Secondly, Fear not to lose by God, when he takes all from you, and makes you poor. Sometimes God doth not come a borrowing, but he cometh a taking; he will have all, whether you will or no: He will sometimes take all away by fire, by losses at sea or land; in these, and such like cases, fear not • o be losers by God: But, First, Trust him, as Job did. Secondly, Be patient, as Job was. They that have an interest in God, and a portion in the promise, need not fear they shall lose a thread or a shoe-latchet by God, though his providence takes all away, and strips them (as it did Job ) naked. What God takes from his servants, he keeps for them, and will restore to them, either in the same kind with much more, as he did to Job at last, or in some other kind, which is much better, as he did to Job at first. While Job was deprived of his all worldly good things, God gave him much patience at first, so that when all was lost and gone, he could say, Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither: The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken, blessed be the name of the Lord. While this frame of heart lasted, it was better than all that he had lost; and though through the extremity of his pains and temptations, it was somewhat abated, and his patience somewhat ruffled, yet it was never wholly lost; and when it was worst with him, his faith failed not, which was best of all.
Now what the Apostle spake concerning those troubles which befell the Israelites in the wilderness, They happened for examples (1 Cor. 10.11.) So all these troubles and takings away, happened to Job as our example, or (which the Greek word signifieth) as a type, that we should be patient under the Lord's hand in taking; and remember for the encouragement of our faith, the Lord's bounty in restoring. For this end the Apostle James calleth us to consider this dealing of God with Job (Jam. 5.11.) Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. What is that to us (may some say) that Job was patient? Yes, all the matter is to us, it was written for our example and admonition; and saith the Apostle, ye have not only heard of the patience of Job, but have seen the end of the Lord. Here is an exercise of those two noble senses, Hearing and Seeing, mentioned, and doubtless for great purposes both. But why doth he add, ye have seen the end of the Lord? Some interpret these words as a second instance; the Apostle mentioning Job in the former words, and Christ in these, Ye have seen the end of the Lord, that is, how it was with Christ in his sufferings. The Lord Jesus Christ was well rewarded for all that he suffered, God highly exalted him (Phil. 2.7.) because he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 'It is a truth, if we take those latter words of the verse, Ye have seen the end of the Lord, for the issue of Christ's sufferings. But I rather conceive, that the whole verse relateth unto Job; and so the end of the Lord in the latter part, is the end which the Lord made with Job. As if the Apostle James had said, Hath it not been set before your eyes, what end the Lord made with him? or how he gave him double in the end? Be not afraid to lose by God, either borrowing or taking, for he is a bountiful rewarder.
Secondly, As we should not be afraid to lose by God (when he comes either to borrow a part, or (as the case was with Job ) to take all from us) so, let us not be afraid to lose for God (which was touched before, together with the former Inference, upon the 11th verse of the 41 Chapter.) We have no ground in the world of fear, when all that we have in the world is taken from us for God's sake, that is, for righteousness sake, seeing, God who here restored to Job double, all that himself had taken from him, hath also promised to give his faithful servants double for all that is taken from them (upon his account) by men, or which they lose for him. That's the meaning of the Prophet ( Isa. 61.7.) For your shame ye shall have double; that is, ye having suffered shame, or been put to shame for God's sake, or for doing that which is honorable and commendable in itself, shall receive double. What double? As by shame we are to understand any evil suffered, so by double any good promised as a reward for suffering that evil, especially such good as stands in direct opposition to that evil. As if it had been said, ye shall have double honor for shame, and double riches for poverty, and double health for sickness, and and double liberty for imprisonment and captivity. 'It is much to have double reparation of any loss; yet this doubling is a poor matter to what is promised in another place, to those who lose for God. We have Christ's word, with an asseveration for it ( Mat. 19.28, 29.) Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel: And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name sake, (here are great sufferings, but behold a greater reward followeth; not like Jobs, twofold, but an hundred-fold; so saith that Text) shall receive an hundred-fold, and (which is ten-thousand-fold more than that) shall inherit everlasting life. Be not afraid to lose for God. Job had double, who lost by God, and so may you; but if ye lose for God, here is an hundred-fold for you. But some may say, this hundred-fold is a great way off, in the next Life. I answer, If it be so, yet do not think ye shall be losers; for if ye should never see good day more in this world, yet if ye are assured of everlasting life in the world to come, is not that enough? What pitiful spirits have they, that are not willing to take their hundred-fold in the life to come! Yet mark it, Jesus Christ doth not put us off so neither; therefore another Gospel expresseth the promise fully, to meet with this objection ( Mark 10.29, 30.) when some told Christ, they had left all to follow him, Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the Gospels, but he shall receive an hundred-fold, now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come, eternal life. Jesus Christ gives present recompenses, as well as future; in this time, as well as in the time, or rather eternity, to come. And that there is a kind of Synchronism, or near joining, in time of payment and loss, of suffering and rewarding, some have found in the letter; they have had great worldly exaltations, soon after their depressions in this world. And Jesus Christ, who made this promise, hath made it good in spirituals, to the experiences of many thousands, who have lost all for him; they have had that at present given into their souls, which hath been to them, or in their estimation, an hundred-fold better than what they lost. They that have indeed suffered loss for Christ, never complained of their sufferings or losses; they have often triumphed in them, and rejoiced (as the Apostle Peter speaks, 1 Epist. 1.8.) with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. If any think they do foolishly, who suffer worldly losses for Christ's sake, let them remember this return of a hundred-fold, and be ashamed of their own folly in thinking so. It is not foolishness, but true wisdom, to lose much, for the gain of more. Are not they wise, who lose one, upon good assurance to get an hundred? have we not Christ's word for it? and is not that good assurance that it shall be so? Sure, no Merchant can put off his goods at a better market, than he that putteth them all off for God. How rich would men be, if they could get an hundred for one? Such a rich trade hath Christ opened, and they are the wisest Merchants now, who venture in it, and will be so accounted in the end, even by those who now call them fools and mad-men. That which is lost for Christ, is sown; and though the seed that is cast into the ground, may seem cast away, yet it will spring up again. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart (Psal. 97.11.) And what Christ saith of the good ground, is most true in this case; that seed of light is sown in such ground as will bring forth, to some thirty, to some sixty, to some an hundred-fold. Therefore, to conclude this Inference, Be not afraid to lose for God; he will not only see you indempnified, but (at least) doubly rewarded. Job, who once lost by God, or by the hand of God upon him, was repaid by the same hand with him, double in kind; and if we have double in a better kind, double faith in God, and double love to God, and double zeal for God, and double peace in our own consciences, this is an hundred-fold better than all we can lose for him, in or of this world.
JOB, Chap. 42. Vers. 11.
11. Then came there unto him, all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, & did eat bread with him in his house; and they bemoaned him, and comforted him, over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; every man also gave him a piece of money, and everyone an ear-ring of gold.
IN the former verse we have the blessed turn of Jobs state in general; The Lord gave him twice as much as he had before: In this verse, begins the particular account of Jobs restorings. There were four things wherein Job suffered loss.
First, He suffered the loss of his estate.
Secondly, The loss of his children.
Thirdly, The loss of his health.
Fourthly, The loss of his friends.
Jobs repair begins with his last loss; his friends were the last that he lost in the day of his affliction, but the first that he recovered in the day of his restoration. The first budding or spring of Jobs felicity, after so long and sharp a Winter of sorrow as he had gone thorough, was, the putting forth of fresh and fragrant acts of love from his ancient friends, that of late had forsaken him, and left him in the hour of his temptation.
This verse, wherein the account is given about this first mercy, I may call, or entitle, The address of Jobs friends, and in it we may consider,
First, How they are described, or what they are called. First, as to their relation, His brethren, his sisters, and acquaintance came. Secondly, in their quantity or number, they came all: Here is all, all, all; All his brethren, and all his sisters, and all that had been of his acquaintance before; there was not one missing, not one that forbore to make this friendly address unto him.
Secondly, As we have an account who they were that came to him, so what they did when they came; and that is set forth four ways in this one verse. First, They did eat bread with him. Secondly, They bemoaned him. Thirdly, They comforted him. Fourthly, They were very bountiful, and very respectful to him; They gave him everyone a piece of money, and everyone an ear-ring of gold. Thus you have the state and parts of this verse, which I call, The address of Jobs friends unto him.
Then. The word in the Hebrew, is the ordinary copulative, And, which hath various renderings in Scripture, according to the state of the place. Here we translate it, Then, which may have a double reference. First, to the turn of his captivity, Then they came. Secondly, to his prayer for his friends, and the Lord's acceptance of him; when God had so eminently declared his favor to him and his friends, upon his intercession, Then there came unto him,
Brethren and sisters are taken two ways in Scripture.
First, Strictly; and so they that are of, or have the same parents, at least, one of them, are brethren and sisters.
Secondly, Brethren and sisters are taken largely, for all of the kindred. The kindred of Christ, are called his brethren ( Mark 3.31.) Then came his brethren, and his mother, standing without, that is, his kindred; for whether Christ had any brother, in a strict sense, as born of the same Mother, we have nothing from Scripture to affirm; it is generally agreed that he had not, his brethren were his kindred at large. Abraham spake truly, though not the whole truth ( Gen. 20.12.) when he called Sarah his sister, that is, his kinswoman. Moses called Israel brother to the Edomites, who were distant from that people, many degrees, they descending from Esau, these from Jacob (Numb. 20.14.) Thus saith thy brother Israel; that is, Israel that is of thy blood, though a great way off, Isaac being their common Father. Thus here, all Jobs brethren and sisters are all his kindred; and not only these, but,
The Hebrew is, All that knew him before, that is, had familiarity and converse with him before. Christ ( Mat. 7.22.) said of those that did so hotly press acquaintance upon him, I know you not, ye are not of those that I know, or have had fellowship with, you are none of my acquaintance. So that, there was a collection of all Jobs relations and friends at that time, they all flocked to him, and thronged about him, as to and about some strange sight; the fame of his restoration was soon blown all the Country over. Hence the Septuagint render the words paraphrastically; All his brethren heard all that had befallen him; and so they came.
But, where was his wife? There is no mention here of her return; she had spoken as a foolish woman (Chap. 2.10.) and did not answer the duty of her relation after that, as he complained (Chap. 19.17.) My breath is strange to my wife, though I entreated for the children's sake of mine own body; yet doubtless she returned to her duty, and honored him as her head and husband, now at last, else the mercy had not been complete, but defective in a very considerable part of it.
Now, in that Jobs restoring, or the repair of his losses, began with the return of his friends,
Observe;
He that loseth the affection of friends, loseth a great possession, a great interest. Friends indeed are great helps, great helpers; to be in a friendless condition, is to be in a helpless condition; to have friends, is a very valuable mercy. Let us bless God that we have men to friend us, above all, that God is our friend.
Secondly, These words, Then came all his brethren, imply, that when he was in an afflicted condition, none of his friends came at him, neither those that are here called his brethren and sisters, nor those that are called his acquaintance.
Hence observe;
Doubtless, among those brethren, sisters and acquaintance of Job, some, that I say not, many, were godly, yet even they left him, in the day of his distress. Men are but men, and they oftentimes show themselves inconstant to man. As Christ had those that followed him for the loaves, so have we too. Friendship followeth the purse, the bag; and when all is gone, such friends are gone. When Christ himself was in affliction, those that were in near relation to him, his very Disciples, left him; they all left him, and Peter denied him. When the Apostle Paul was in a great affliction, and stood as a prisoner, to answer for his life before Nero, his friends durst not appear; At my first answer (saith he, 2 Tim. 4.16.) no man stood with me, all men forsook me. He had not a friend that would own him, nor appear for him, in the time of his affliction and persecution; and he prayed that God would not lay it to their charge, that they had been thus unfriendly to him.
Then, First, Let us not trust in friends, no, not in a brother; and not only, not in a brother at large, but not in a brother in the strictest sense, not in a brother of the same blood and bowels with us, no, not in a brother of the same faith with us ( Mich. 7.5.) Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. Trust not in nearest friends, no, not in godly friends; they may fail: Though we are to trust them so, as not to suspect them, yet we are not to trust them so, as to rely upon them, or to make them our strength; for then they prove Egyptian reeds, which will not only not support, but wound us. That's good counsel ( Isa. 2.21) Cease ye from man (let him be who he will, though a brother, though of most intrinsic and nearest acquaintance, though never so great and potent, yet cease from him; the reason there given, is) his breath is in his nostrils; the man is frail, his life is short and uncertain, he may not last long. And we may take another reason from the Point in hand; his love is uncertain, as well as his life, and his affections seldom last long; let us therefore have weaned affections from those that affect us, and are friendly to us.
Then, Secondly, 'It is our wisdom to get Christ for a friend; he is a friend forever: He that would have a friend to stick to him in adversity, as well as prosperity, let him get Christ to be his friend, who is unchangeable, whose love fails not; that's our greatest and surest interest. Christ having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end (John 13.1.) That's the spirit of unfeigned friendship ( Prov. 17.17.) A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. That's true of a real friend, who lives up to the rule of friendship, He loveth at all times, and therefore to the end. When the Prophet Malachi saith (Chap. 1.6.) A son honoreth his father, his meaning is, a son should or ought to honor his father, or, a son who knoweth his duty, will honor his father; so, a friend ought to love at all times, and a true friend will: yet that Scripture in the Proverbs is chiefly true of Christ, and absolutely true of him only; he alone is such a friend as loves at all times. Hence that divine challenge ( Rom. 8.35.) Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? And then the Apostle proceeds from who, to what. As no person, so nothing, can separate us from the love of Christ. Shall tribulation, or anguish, or peril, or sword? shall these separate us from the love of God? no, these shall not, these cannot; these cannot make Christ strange to us, nor love us the less; he loves in tribulation, as well as out of tribulation; in straits, as well as in our greatest enlargements; in sickness, as well as in health; in disgrace with men, as well as when most honored and cried up by them; when naked, as well as when clothed; as well in rags, as in the richest array. Hence that confident conclusion ( verse. 38.) I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, &c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And if so, then we see where our true interest lieth: Let us make sure of Christ; he will never leave us; all earthly friends may. Friends are a great mercy, but they are not a sure mercy.
Again, Consider Jobs friends, who came not at him when in that afflicted condition; yet as soon as ever God turned his captivity, and made him prosper in the world, then they would own him, then they came.
Hence note, Thirdly;
That they came then, is an intimation, if not a proof, that they came not before; but then they came. What Christ spake in another case, I may apply by way of allusion to this; Where the carcase is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together. When Job was up, his friends appeared. All are ready to worship the rising Sun. When the face of things and times change with us, then the faces of friends change towards us, then they have other respects and countenances for us; this spirit of the world hath been anciently observed, even by Heathens; If you be happy, or restored to happiness, you shall number many friends, though you had none before. Such friends, are like those birds that visit our coasts in Summer, when 'tis warm weather, when everything flourisheth and is green, then some birds visit us, who all the Winter, when 'tis cold, frost and snow, leave us.
Fa • there, it may be conceived, that several of Jobs friends left him, not only upon the occasion of his poverty and want, but upon the supposition of his hypocrisy and wickedness; many of them might have the same opinion of him, which those three had, who particularly dealt with him, that surely he was a bad man, because the Lord brought so much evil upon him. Now, when the Lord restored Job, they had another, a better opinion of him, the Lord also giving a visible testimony of his accepting Job.
Hence note, Fourthly;
God suffered Jobs integrity to lie under a cloud of supposed hypocrisy, but at last the Lord restored him to his credit, as well as to his estate, and made his unkind, and not only suspicious, but censorious friends, acknowledge that he was upright and faithful. The Lord promiseth ( Psalm 37.6.) to bring forth the righteousness of his servants as the light, and their judgment as the noon-day; that is, a right judgment in others concerning them, as well as the rightness of their judgment in what they have done and been, or his own most righteous judgment in favor of them. They who had a wrong judgment, and took a false measure of Job (measuring him by the outward dispensations of God, and judging of his heart by his state, and of his spirit by the face of his affairs) these were at last otherwise persuaded of him. 'It is, as the way, so the sin and folly of many, to judge upon appearance, upon the appearance of God's outward dealings; they conclude men good or bad, as their outward condition is good or bad; and therefore, the Lord, to redeem the credit of his faithful servants that lie under such misapprehensions, sends prosperity, and manifests his gracious acceptance of them, that men of that perverse opinion may be convinced, and delivered out of their error.
Note Fifthly;
See what a change the Lord made at that time, both in the state of things, and in the hearts of men, when the Lord outwardly forsook Job; friends forsook him, children mocked him, acquaintance despised him, his very servants slighted him: yet no sooner did the Lord return in the manifestations of his favor, but they all return, desiring to ingratiate themselves with him, and strive who shall engage him most. God can quickly give us new friends, or restore the old. The hearts of all men are in the hand of the Lord, who turns them from us, or to us, as he pleaseth. When God manifests his favor, he can command our favor with men. Though that which is a real motive of the Lord's favor to his people, their holiness, and holy walkings, gets them many enemies, and they are hated for it by many; yet the Lord discovering or owning the graces of his servants, by signal favors, often gets them credit, and sets them right in the opinion of men. Thus it was with Job; all his friends returned to him, upon the Lord's high respect to him in turning his captivity.