Exposition of Job 38-42
Again, in that Jobs friends came to him,
Observe, Sixthly;
It is a duty to do so in both the seasons, or in all the changes of our life: It is a duty to do so in times of prosperity, when God shines upon our Tabernacle. When any receive extraordinary mercies, it is the duty of friends to show them extraordinary courtesies, and to bless God for them, and with them. When Elizabeth's neighbors and cousins heard how the Lord had shown great mercy upon her, they rejoiced with her (Luke 1.58.) It is a duty to rejoice with those that rejoice, and to come to them that we may rejoice with them. It is a duty also to visit those that mourn, and to mourn with them. Friendly visits are a duty in all the seasons of our lives.
Once more. Then came all his brethren, &c. It was late e're they came, but they came.
Hence Note;
They had a long time, even all the time of his long affliction, neglected, or at least slackened this duty of visiting Job; yet they did not reason thus with themselves; It is in vain to visit him now, or our visiting him now may be thought but a flattering with him, or a fawning upon him: No, though they had neglected him before, they would not add new to their old incivilities. We say of repentance (w ch is a coming to God) Late repentance is seldom true, yet true repentance is never too late. None should think it too late to come to God, though they have long neglected him; nor should sinners, who have long neglected God, be discouraged: Though it be best for us, and our duty, to repent betimes; yet God will not refuse a sinner at any time, who indeed repents. Now as late repentance, so any late duty, is better than none, or than a total neglect of it. Jobs friends came to him, though late, and were friendly received. But what came they for? or what did they when they came? That's set forth in four things, as was shown in opening the Text.
First, The Text tells us, They did eat bread with him in his house.
I shall not stay upon that nicety which some take notice of, that when bread and water are named together, they always signify poor fare (1 Kings 18.4.) Obadiah fed the Prophets whom he secured from the fury of Jezebel in Caves, with bread and water: He could not feast them there, but gave them what might keen them alive. So that threatening ( Isa. 3.1.) imports they should not have necessaries. But when bread is put alone, that signifieth (say they) a full, or at least, a very competent and comfortable provision (2 S • m. 9.7.) And so to eat bread together is to feed liberally together. Yet I find these two, bread and water, put together, and signifying a full Table in one place of Scripture. When that Syrian Army, smitten with blindness, was led by Elisha into Samaria, the Prophet said (2 Kinge 6.22.) Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink; then it followeth, he (that is, the King of Israel) prepared great provisions for them. The greatness of the provision which the King p • epared for them, is not spoken of only with respect to their number (an army being many, cannot be fed with a little) but with respect to the nobleness of their entertainment; which yet I conceive was but answerable to what the Prophet desired, when he said, set bread and water before them. As if the meaning were, Make them good cheer: So that bread and water may imply plenty, as well as bread alone. Jobs friends
Did eat bread with him. Not the bread of mourners (as some expound) of which we read ( Deut. 26.14. Hos. 9.4.) but the bread of rejoycers. I shall not omit to mind the Reader of what one of the Ancients meditated upon this passage. Job (saith he) doth here prefigure Christ after his resurrection, restored to his honors, and honored, not only by his Apostles, but also by the fathers, both Jews and Gentiles; the faithful flocking to him, and feasting with him in his house the Church, there with sorrow remembering his sufferings, and in that heavenly Court eating with him the bread of life. Christ after his resurrection called his Apostles to eat bread with him; as here, after Jobs restitution, which may be called his resurrection, 'tis said, All his friends came and did eat bread with him in his house.
Hence Note;
The creatures are given to us, not only for our necessity, but for our comfort, and to maintain society. Solomon saith ( Eccl. 8.15.) Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better a thing under the Sun, than to eat, and drink, and to be merry. He speaks not of a sensual mirth and eating, like voluptuous Epicures, but of eating with gladness and singleness of heart, as 'tis noted of the Primitive Saints (Acts 2.46.) There is no worldly thing better than to eat and drink with sobriety in the use of the creature, and with singleness of heart one towards another. To use what we have, is better than the having of it. To eat together is good, with these limitations or cautions. First, if we eat to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10.31.) Secondly, if we eat with joy in God ( Eccl. 9.7.) Thirdly, if we eat tasting and remembering the goodness of God ( Deut. 6.11, 12.) Fourthly, if we eat fearing to offend God, and wrong ourselves with access ( Prov. 23.1, 2. Luk. 21.34.) Fifthly, if we have a sense of the afflictions of others ( Amos 6.6.) especially of those who have nothing to eat. Sixthly, if we eat with thankfulness, or giving thanks to God, who satisfies our hunger ( Mark 8.6. John 6.11.) Seventhly, if we eat with charitableness, giving a portion of what we have in plenty, to those that are in want and hungry ( Jam. 2.15, 16.)
Again, They came to eat bread with Job in his house. See the nobleness of Jobs spirit. Doubtless, when they came they made their Apologies, pleaded their excuse, and confessed that they had failed in friendship, and had not lived up to the law of love. Courteous and noble spirited Job took all well, past by all discourtesies, welcomed and embraced them: He did not only not upbraid them with former unkindnesses, why came ye not to me in the day of my trouble and affliction, in the day of my distress and sorrow? where were ye? Thus some would have rounded them; ye come to me when all is well with me; but where were ye when I wanted comfort and company? Job, I say, did not only not upbraid them with their former unkindnesses, when they came to him, but took their coming kindly. When the Elders of Gilead came to Jepthah, to desire him to be their Captain against the children of Ammon, he said ( Judge. 11.7.) Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my fathers house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? Jepthah cast their ill carriage towards him in their teeth, and only not rejected them and their request. Thus Job might have said, why did you leave me in the time of my distress? &c. but we have no such language from this good man, not a word of that.
Hence Note;
Job well understood that it was a part of his trial and burden from God, that his friends forsook him, and were once uncivil to him: therefore he would not burden them with it. A godly man considers, it is of the Lord if friends prove unfriendly to him, and that it is for trial whether he can trust upon and cleave unto God alone when friends leave him. Thus to receive unfriendly friends is to be perfect (in our measure) as God is perfect. How unkindly have we dealt with God! and yet when we come to him he accepts of us. They that are sensible how they have refused the Lord sometimes, and that he hath yet graciously accepted of them, they (I say) will be ready to accept of friends that have been froward and unkind to them: It is much the will of God, that we should do so, and 'tis a great part of our conformity unto God when we do so. It was very well that Job gave fair respect to his friends, and treated them lovingly when they came to him; and it was well, and but their duty that they came to him.
Yet this was not all they did; Jobs friends did not only come and eat bread with him (thar had been but according to the custom of common friends) they went further,
They bemoaned him. That's the second friendly office which they did him. The word signifies, to shake the head; so the Latin Translation renders it, His friends came to him, and moved their heads over him, so expressing their compassion. That gesture of moving the head, was used sometimes in derision, sometimes in admiration, in which latter sense the Septuagint take it here, They comforted him, and wondered at all the evils that God had brought upon him. It might well move wonder, that so good a man should suffer so much evil; yet this gesture of shaking the head, is rarely, if at all used in way of admiration; whereas, in way of compassion, nothing is more usual, and it complyeth fully with our translation, they bemoaned him. As they feasted with him, so they bemoaned him, and condoled his former sad stare; and to do so is a proper act of sincere love and friendship.
Hence Note;
We read of Ephraim bemoaning himself (Jer. 31.18.) and there is a twofold bemoaning of ourselves. First, With respect to the sins that we have committed. Secondly, There is a bemoaning of ourselves, as to our afflictions; and possibly both are to be understood in that place concerning Ephraim. 'It is a duty also with respect to others; we ought to bemoan those that are in sufferings, and those that have sinned, as well as our own sins or sufferings. And though, that which gives us the greatest occasion of bemoaning others is their sin, yet 'tis a great duty also to bemoan those that are under sufferings, and to have bowels of compassion, or a fellow feeling of their afflictions.
But it may be objected, what need had Jobs brethren to bemoan him now that he was delivered out of his afflictions, and his captivity turned? were not these bemoanings improper and unseasonable?
I answer, First, Though Job was come out of his afflictions, yet he was but very lately come out of them; he was yet, as it were, upon the borders of sorrow, and was come only a step out of his troubles; so that his tears were then scarce wiped away, or dried up, and the sorrow of his late adversity was even forced to intermingle with the joy of his newly begun prosperity: The remembrance of his affliction was, doubtless, yet very strong upon him, and the pain of it scarce off him; he had, as yet, a taste of the woe • mwood and gall of that most bitter cup, of which he had, a little before, drank so deeply; his wound was but in healing, not quite healed; and therefore they might well bemoan him, as to his former afflictions, in that morning or daybreak of his mercies. Joy and sorrow use to conflict together, and strive for masteries, whether the one shall keep, or the other get the ground, at the beginning of all great changes.
Secondly, This act of Jobs friends in bemoaning of him, might respect not only the abiding sense of his former affliction, but the sharpness, and soreness of it, while it was upon him; so that, as his own remembrance of his former sufferings might still hang upon him, so while his brethren, and other visitants, remembered how grievous and tedious his sufferings had been, it might well stir their compassions, and cause them to bemoan him.
Thirdly, Job had none to bemoan him, while the affliction was actually upon him; Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, said he in the 16th Chapter, yet found little or no pity from any: Now that being a great part of his suffering, that he had none to pity him while he suffered; the Lord sent his brethren to him, when he was new come out of his sufferings, to perform that duty to him, which should have been done him while he suffered.
Further, Because we ought not only to pity and bemoan our friends in adversity, but to help them out, and make a perfect cure; therefore Jobs friends proceed to that duty also: For, having bemoaned him, the text saith,
That is, they used all the means they could to comfort him, they gave him comfortable words, cordial consolations. Job himself had been a great comforter of others (as Eliphaz acknowledged in the 4th Chapter) and now he hath his comforters; even they comforted him concerning his former miseries, who formerly had been miserable comforters.
From the method of their proceeding; First, They bemoaned him; and, Secondly, They comforted him,
Note;
Comforting begins at pitying. It is possible to pity one, and not to comfort him: Some will give bemoaning words, yet are not able to minister real comforts; so then, there may be pitying without comforting, but there cannot be comforting without pitying. God himself is thus expressed (2 Cor. 1.3, 4.) First, He is called, The father of mercies, that is, he is full of pity, full of compassionate bowels. And then, Secondly, He is called, The God of all consolation. He is a comforting God, because a pitying God. If God were not pitiful and compassionate, we should have to comfort from him: so it is with men, if we pity not others we cannot comfort them. Job called his friends miserable comforters (chap. 16.2.) They came to mourn with him, and to comfort him (chap. 2.11.) but had they more affectionately mourned with him, they would have more effectually comforted him. They did not pity him enough in his misery, and so they proved but miserable comforters to him.
Secondly, From the work itself,
Observe;
To minister comfort to the sorrowful, is a greater point of charity, than to minister bread to the hungry, or clothing to the naked. As the soul is better than the body, so those acts of charity, which offer relief to the soul in any kind, are better than those by which the body is relieved. Though to give bread be more costly to us than good woe • ds (we use to say good words are cheap) yet good and comfortable words are worth much more than bread, they are better than gold, yea, than fine gold, sweeter also than the honey, and the honey-comb. The Apostle gave this duty in charge to believers (1 Thess. 5.11.) Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another. And at the 14th verse. Now we exhort you brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak. The weak, in the latter words, are the same with the feeble in the former; and the support spoken of in the one, is nothing else but the comfort spoken of in the other. Comfort to a feeble mind, is like a prop or a pillar to a feeble building, the supporter of it.
And because it is so important a work, to comfort feeble minds I shall briefly name some special cases, wherein the mind of man is feeble, and then hint what word of comfort is most proper for its support, in each case.
First, If the mind be enfeebled by outward wants, apply that comfortable Scripture ( Mat. 6.32, 33.) Your father knoweth that ye have need of those things; which if received by faith will give the mind great support in that case.
Secondly, In case of the loss or death of friends; the Apostle hath put words into our mouths for the comforting of such (1 Thess. 4.13.) chiefly these two ways. First, By remembering that their friends are only asleep in Jesus, or gone to sleep in the bosom of Jesus. Secondly, That they shall be raised again at the coming of Jesus.
Thirdly, In case of suffering and persecution, read comfort and support, Mat. 5.11, 12, 13. 1 Pet. 4.12, 13, 14.
Fourthly, In case of bodily sickness, or any chastenings from the hand of God, we have a store or treasure of comforting words, Heb. 12. from the 5. to the 14th verse.
Fifthly, In case of desertion, or God's hiding his face, take comfort from Isa. 50.10. Isa. 54.7, 8.
Sixthly, When any are under the sense of divine wrath for sin, they may take comfort by meditating all those Scriptures which hold out the free grace of God to sinners, and the full satisfaction which Christ hath made for sin to the justice of God, and so for deliverance from the wrath which is to come (1 Thess. 1.10.) These are the principal cases wherein we need a comforter; and most of these, if not all, met in Jobs case. He was poor and had lost all, that was the first case; his children were dead, that was the second; he was persecuted, vexed, and reproached, that was a third; he was sick and weak in body, that was a fourth; he was under grievous desertions, that was a fifth; he was also under the sense of wrath, the arrows of the Almighty drunk up his spirits. All these evils God brought upon him, and some of them in the highest degree; and though he were then got out of them all, yet (as was said before) being got but a little way out of them he needed comfort; and therefore his new-come old friends and acquaintance, bemoaned and comforted him, as a man newly come out of great affliction.
And we should be much in this duty of comforting others upon these considerations.
First, Comfort upholds the soul, when burdened or weakened, from sinking.
Secondly, Comfort quiets the soul, when tost up and down as with a tempest; comforts wisely and seasonably ministered will make a great calm. Comfort is the repose and rest of the soul.
Thirdly, Comfort quickens and revives the soul when dying away with sorrow; comforts are cordials: For which cause we faint not (2 Cor. 4.16.) And what the cause was which kept them from fainting, we may find both in the verse, going before, in those words, All things are for your sakes (verse. 15.) or in the verse following, Our light affliction, &c. (ver. 17.) Comforts either prevent and keep us from qualms and swoonings, or bring us out of them again. Give wine to him that is of a heavy heart; let him drink and forget his sorrow (Prov. 30.6, 7.) Give him this wine of comfort, and it will renew his spirit more than wine.
Fourthly, Comfort confirms and establisheth the soul, when we are ready to let go our hold. The Apostle sent Timothy, to establish and comfort the Thessalonians concerning their faith (1 Epist. 3.2.) that is, to establish them in the faith (both in the doctrine and grace of faith) by comforting them.
Jobs friends might see cause of comforting him upon many considerations, possibly upon most of these: The Text saith only, They comforted him
The plaster was as broad as the soar, or they administered as many plasters as there was soars; They comforted him over all the evil, &c. This directs us to a great point of holy prudence in comforting the sorrowful, even to comfort them in or about everything, which hath been an occasion of their sorrow. When we are to stop the holes of a leaking vessel, if we stop three or four, and leave but one, we endanger all the liquor in the vessel; you were as good stop none at all, as not stop all: so it is in this case; therefore see how wisely Jobs friends carried it, They comforted him over all the evil
And all that was the evil of suffering. The Lord is the bringer of such evils upon all that suffer them, even upon his dearest and most faithful servants; those evils come from him who is only good, and altogether good: The Lord takes these evils to himself, I create evil (Isa. 45.7.) and faith the Prophet ( Amos 3.6.) Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? As the Lord owns these kind of evils, so we honor God in acknowledging him the Author of them. Our crosses are of God, as well as our comforts; our poverty, as well as our riches; our sickness, as well as our health. This point hath occurred more than once from other passages in this Book, and therefore I shall add no more now.
This was the third labor of love which the brethren of Job bestowed upon him, They comforted him over all the evil which the the Lord had brought upon him.
Yet this was not all, they did not only bestow a mouthful of good words upon him (I speak not lightly of good words, they are a weighty piece of charity) Good words are much better (as was touched before) than gold and silver, and may be much more beneficial and useful to the receiver, than thousands of gold and silver: Yet, I say, Jobs friends did not only bestow a mouthful of good words upon him, for the removal of his inward grief, but they brought their handsful of good things to bestow upon him, for the making up of his outward losses; and this was the fourth act or office of love which they did him, as it followeth,
Here was real kindness, as well as verbal. Though good words (as was said) be a great charity, yet 'tis no charity to give nothing but good words where more is needed, unless this be our case, that indeed we have nothing more to give. The charity of some is only in words, to those who are in extreme need of more; and it is only so, not because they have no more in their hands to give, but, because they have no hearts to give more. To say to a naked or hungry one, be clothed and sed, or to give a large parcel of condoling and bemoaning words, and then do nothing, no not give a Doit, for the supply of his wants; is this love or charity? Jobs friends loved him now, not in word and in tongue only, but indeed and in truth; their deeds shown the truth of their love.
There are two readings of this clause. The word which we here render a piece of money, signifies also a sheep; according to which Master Broughton translates, and so do others, They gave him each one a lamb, we say, a piece of money; the same word signifying both, as is plain from other Scriptures ( Gen. 37.19.) And he (that is, Jacob) bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechems father, for an hundred pieces of money, or lambs, as we put in the Margin. The same thing is reported again, in the same words ( Josh. 24.32.) Now the reason why that word is rendered both a lamb and a piece of money, is, say some, because money in those times, bare the stamp or figure of a lamb upon it; as in sometimes and places money or coin was stamped with the figure of an ox; from whence came that Proverb, The ox is upon his tongue, that is, he speaks as he is bribed. A second reason given of it, is, because the riches of the Ancients was most in cattle; and that kind of riches being as money, by which all things are valued, and by which they made their payments, therefore the same word was used for cattle, and for coin or money. The Latin word for money is also derived from another, which signifies cattle. And it is reported by Pliny, that Severus first stamped money with the effigies or image of sheep and oxen.
Some are most for that reading, they gave him a lamb, because that seems most answerable to the loss of Job; he lost all his cattle, and now everyone brought him a lamb: But it is not much to the matter, whether we take their reading or ours. If it were a lamb, it was worth a piece of money; and if it were a piece of money, it would buy a lamb.
But, why did they bring Job either a piece of money or a lamb? I answer.
First, To testify their renewed friend-ship, or as a signification of their love, and so to ingratiate themselves with him.
Secondly, It might be towards the repair of his losses; everyone brought him somewhat; yet I conceive they bestowed those gifts upon him, rather as an honor than a relief, yet possibly they might intend both in giving them. Upon the one account or the other, or upon both, the Lord brought over Jobs friends to congratulate him with these presents. It hath been an ancient usage to present Princes with gifts in way of honor and homage, as appears plainly from what is of the refusal of some called Sons of Belial (a Title of disgrace bestowed by the Spirit of God upon none but the worst of men) to bring presents unto Saul, the first King of Israel (1 Sam. 10.27.) And many superiors in any kind think themselves slighted, if they have not gifts from their inferiors. Job was a Prince, the greatest man of the East, and for that reason it was but a duty in his friends to bring him presents. Everyone gave him a piece of money (or a lamb)
There is some: dispute what this ear-ring of gold was. The word is translated ( Isa. 3.21.) A nose jewel; which was not a jewel to hang upon the nose, but a jewel that was fastened upon the forehead, and hung down towards the nose. In other places it is called an ear-ring (Gen. 24.47. Gen. 35.4. Ezod. 35.22.) Such jewels were doubtless used, and worn by g • eat persons in the Land of Uz, where Job dwelt, and was chief among them. Jobs friends brought him not only presents of money or cattle, which are useful to all, but jewels, which are ornamentals, and used only by persons of noble quality or of great estate. An ear-ring in some men's ears, would be no more becoming nor better placed, than a jewel in a swine's snout; to which Solomon compares beauty in a woman without wit, discretion, and understanding. A jewel, or an ear-ring, is not for every man's wearing. The presents brought Job, shown him a person of honor. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone an ear-ring of gold.
Hence Note, First;
Though both the giving and taking of gifts, heareth ill, in Scripture and common language, yet there are six sorts of gifts which may lawfully be given and taken; and there is a seventh sort, which none ought either to give or take.
First, Gifts of pure charity, or Eleemosinary gifts, such as are bestowed upon, and distributed among the poor, are a duty. We should be much in gifts of charity for this very reason; because to give them is not so much a bounty, as a duty: A part of all we have, is due to those that have nothing.
Secondly, There are gifts of respect to those who are not in want, yea, to those who abound; these are honorary gifts. 'It is lawful, and a duty also to bring gifts to Kings and Princes, as was shown in opening the words. When Christ is spoken of as a King, the Scripture saith, The Kings of Tarshish, and of the Isles shall bring presents; the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts (Psal. 72.10.) And as that holy Prophesy saith it should be so, so the holy History saith it was so; the wise men of the East came with gifts to Christ, as soon as he was born ( Mat. 2.)
Thirdly, There are gifts of courtesy from equals. One friend sends a gift to another, in testimony of love and kindness, or as rejoicing in the goodness and kindness of God to them, in delivering them from any evil (as Jobs case also was) These are congratulatory gifts.
Fourthly, There are gifts of bounty, such are from superiors to inferiors, to testify their greatness and magnificence.
Fifthly, There are gratulatory gifts, in token of thankfulness for benefits and favors received.
Sixthly, There are gifts of encouragement to those that are industrious and deserve well, which we may call remunerative gifts: These are as oil to the wheel of ingenuous spirits in a good work; it is lawful at any time, and sometimes necessary, to bestow such gifts.
Seventhly, There are gifts of bribery, which pervert justice, and put out the eyes of Judges: They are not the rewards of industry, but the wages of unrighteousness; such as Balak would 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 have given Balaam, he offered him great gifts, I will promote thee to honor. But what was it for? even to hire him to curse the people of God. Let all take heed of giving or taking gifts to pervert justice, or to encourage any in the doing of any wickedness or unworthiness; these are corruptive gifts.
Further, Whereas they gave not only a piece of money or a lamb, but everyone an ear-ring of gold; which we may consider not only as to the matter, as it was gold, but as to the form, as it was an ear-ring, or an artificial piece of gold, & that an ornamental piece of gold; they might have given gold (and probably they did) in the pieces of money which they gave him, but they gave him ear-rings also, in which the fashion or use is most considerable, and the workmanship more worth than the metal.
Hence, Note;
Not only may we wear that which serves for a covering to the body, but that which is for the adorning of it. An ear-ring is an ornament. As all are to wear cloths to hide their shame and nakedness, so some may wear robes, to show their state and greatness. Job received ear-rings; he did not cast them by as vain things. When Abraham sent his servant to take a wife for his Son Isaac, he stored him with cabinets of precious jewels to bestow upon her ( Gen. 24.) and when he found Rebekah at the well, and found who she was, he took a golden ear-ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, and gave them to Rebekah. And afterwards, when her parents had given consent to the marriage, then ( ver. 53.) The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah, &c. Abraham would not send such things to a Wife for his Son, had they been vain in their own nature, or sinful in their use. Yet take the point with these cautions. We may wear ornaments, but,
First, We must not be proud of them.
Secondly, We must not set our affections upon them.
Thirdly, We must beware of an affectation in wearing them.
Fourthly, We must take heed of wastefulness; we may not lavish out an estate upon ornaments, nor make ourselves poor, to make ourselves fine.
I grant some Scriptures speak negatively in appearance, as to the use and wearing of jewels and ornaments (1 Tim. 2.9.) In like manner also let women adorn themselves in modest aparel, in shame fastness and sobriety, not with broidened hair or gold, or pearl, or castly array. This Scripture seems to cross the point directly, and so doth that other (1 Pet. 3.3.) Whose adorning (speaking of women) let it not be that outward adorning of plating the hair, and of wearing of gold, and of putting on of aparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart. How then can good women wear these ornaments?
I answer, These Scriptures do not absolutely forbid the wearing of ornaments, but only as to those exceptions before given, to wear them in pride, or to set our affections upon them, or to affect them, or to wear them wastefully, beyond our purse and place; such wearing of ornaments is indeed unlawful. Again, it is not sinful to have or use ornaments, but to make them our ornaments, that is sinful; our adorning must be the hidden man of the heart, that must be grace: That this is the Apostles mind is clear, because he saith their adorning must not be the putting on of apparel, as well as not the plating of the hair, and wearing of gold. Therefore the negation is not absolute, but comparative; let not them count these their ornaments, but grace or the hidden man of the heart. As the Lord saith, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, that is, mercy rather than sacrifice; so, I will have the hidden man of the heart, not costly jewels and apparel, your ornament; that is, I esteem the one much rather than the other, and so ought you to esteem both yourselves and others accordingly.
Take this caution further. Times of affliction and suffering, are very unseasonable to wear ear-rings of gold and ornaments. When there is any great appearance of the displeasure of God against a people; then how unsuitable are all our pleasant things! The Lord said to the people of Israel, Put off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you (Exod. 32.) When we live in such a time, in humbling days, or are called to humbling duties, we should be very watchful about these things, and rather appear in rags than robe • , with dust upon our heads, rather than with ornaments upon our backs.
Thus far of the first part of Jobs restauration, the return of his friends, and the significations of their friendliness towards him, eating bread with him, bemoaning him, comforting him, and presenting him with gifts of honor, if not of enrichment, pieces of money, and earings of gold: Yet all their civilities and bounties reached but a little way, if at all towards that restauration which the Lord intended him, the doubling of his whole estate, which he soon received in full measure, heaped up, pressed down, and running over, as will appear in opening the two next verses, and those which follow to the end of the chapter.
JOB, Chap. 42. Vers. 12, 13.
12.
So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: For he had fourteen thousand Sheep, six thousand Camels, and a thousand yoke of Oxen, and a thousand She-Asses.
13.
He had also seven sons and three Daughters.
IN these two verses we have the second and the third part of Jobs restauration: His friends were restored to him in the former verse; his further restauration is set down in these two verses.
First, generally at the beginning of the 12th verse: So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.
Secondly, Particularly; and
First, With respect to his Cattle of outward estate; for he had (saith the Text) Fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand Camels, &c.
Secondly, With respect to his issue or children, ( verse. 13.) He had also seven Sons and three daughters.
Vers. 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.
In these words we may take notice of four things.
First, the means, or as I may call it, the procuring cause of Jobs increase, or of his growing and flowing prosperity; it was a blessing.
Secondly, We have here the Author or Fountain of this blessing; it was the Lord.
Thirdly, We have the Subject of this blessing, as here expressed; and that was the latter end of Job, or Job in his latter end.
Fourthly, We have the quantity or greatness of this blessing, which is expressed comparatively, it was more than his beginning. The Lord blessed his beginning, but his latter end was more blessed.
I shall consider the two first together, the cause of his flowing prosperity, a blessing; and the Author, or fountain of it, the Lord, the Lord blessed. There is a twofold way of blessing.
First, a wishing or desiring of a blessing: We are not thus to understand it here, as if the Lord did only wish a blessing upon Job.
Secondly, There is a commanding of a blessing, and so we are to understand it here. The Lord blessed, that is, the Lord commanded a blessing, or effectually poured out a blessing upon Job. The word blessed (The Lord blessed) hath two things in it.
First, It implieth plenty and abundance, a copious and a large provision of good things. For as the word [abundare] in Latin, and to abound in English, comes (say Grammarians ab unda ) from water, because waters abound and flow; so this Hebrew word [Beracah] which signifieth a blessing, comes from, or at least, is near in sound to the word Berecah, which signifieth a Fish-pond, where there is a great confluence of waters, and a great multiplication of fishes, or, a Fountain, from whence waters flow continually. So that to bless, notes the bringing in of abundance, or of a great increase, like the waters of a Fish-pond, or Fish in the waters. To increase as Fish, is to increase abundantly. It is said of the Children of Israel, They multiplied like fish (that's the significancy of the word used Exod. 1.12.) while they were under the oppression of the Egyptians.
Secondly, This Expression, The Lord blessed, imports a powerful effect following it. The Lord blessed the latter end of Job; that is, he made his latter end very blessed. As the Lord's saying is doing, as his word is operative, and will work; so the Lord's blessing or well-saying, is well-doing; his saying is doing, whether for good or hurt. Man blesseth man by wishing or praying for a blessing upon him, or that God would do him good: Man blesseth God, when he praiseth him for his goodness, and for the good which he hath done, either to himself or others: But when God blesseth man, he doth more than wish, he makes him blessed. Man blesseth man ministerially; God blesseth man effectually, as he also did the seventh day ( Gen. 2.3.) And therefore the Lord is said to command the blessing (Levite. 25.21.) especially in Zion, even life for evermore (Psal. 133.5.) Nor was it less than a command, by which The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.
Hence Note;
Every word of God hath its effect; he speaks no vain words: his Word going out of the mouths of his Ministers, returns not to him void, but accomplisheth that which he pleaseth, and prospers in the thing whereunto he sends it (Isa. 55.11.) that is, either for the conviction or conversion of those that hear it. Surely then, the word of blessing going out of his own mouth, shall not return to him void, or without effect. David spake thus of, or to God ( Psal. 145.16.) Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. When the Lord opens his hand, he also opens his heart: and when his heart and hand open, his mouth opens too; that is, he gives forth a word of blessing, and he gives it forth to satisfaction, Thou satisfiest every living thing. And again ( Psal. 104.28.) Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. They, that is, whatsoever lives upon the earth or in the Sea, wait upon thee (as it is said, verse. 27.) that thou mayest give them their meat in due season; that thou givest them, they gather; thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good. The hand of God is full of good, and his blessing fills all with good, out of his hand.
This may comfort the godly in their lowest condition. What was it that raised Job from poverty to riches, from weakness to strength, from the dunghill to the throne? Only this, The Lord blessed him. Though all be lost, his word of blessing will restore all again. If estate be lost, his blessing will make us rich; if health be lost, his blessing will make us well; if strength be lost, his blessing will renew it; if credit be lost, his blessing will repair it, and get us honor for disgrace or reproach. The blessing of the Lord is every good thing to us, and doth every good thing for us. As it is dreadful to stand under the droppings of a curse; to be cursed is every evil: so happy are they who stand under the sweet influences of a promise; to be blessed is every good. And if God blesseth us, the matter is not much, who curseth or wisheth ill to us. The curse causeless shall not come, nor can any curse come where God hath blessed.
But some may inquire, who are they that the Lord will bless? To be blessed, is not every man's portion. A man may be rich, yet not blessed; great, yet not blessed; healthful, yet not blessed: A man may have many blessings, for the matter, yet not be blessed. This then is a material question, Who are they that may expect a blessing from God upon their souls, upon their bodies, upon their estates, upon their families, upon their all?
I answer, First, In general; They that are in a state of grace, they that are in the Covenant, or as the Apostle calls them ( Heb 6.17.) Heirs of promise: These are the blessed of the Lord; and these, both great and small, the Lord will bless ( Eph. 1.3.) Blessed be God, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ. Being in Christ, we are in Covenant; and being there, we cannot miss being blessed with all spiritual blessings, and with whatever is a needful blessing, in outward things to: He that blesseth in the greater, will not with-hold his blessing in the less, according to our need.
Secondly, As they are the general subjects of the blessing, who are in the Covenant of grace, or in Christ, so are they more specially, who act graciously, and walk as they have received Christ; for a person that is in a state of grace, may hinder the blessing from flowing down upon his soul, upon his body, upon his estate, upon anything, upon everything he hath and doth, by acting sinfully, and walking unevenly. David put the question ( Psal. 24.3.) Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? &c. and answered it ( verse. 4, 5.) He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lift up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully; he shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness (that is, a righteous reward, or a reward according to righteousness) from the God of his salvation. Solomon asserts the present performance of what is only promised in this Psalm; he saith not, The just shall receive the blessing, but they have actually received it ( Prov. 10.6.) Blessings are upon the head of the just. By the just man we may understand; First, him that is in a justified state, or him that is just by faith; Secondly, him that walks in a just way, or that do justly: And they who are indeed justified, are not only engaged by that high act of grace to do justly, but are either constantly kept in doing so, or are soon brought to see they have not done so, and to repentance for it. Just and upright men, in these two notions, are so much blessed, that they are a blessing ( Prov. 11.11.) By the blessing of the upright, is the City exalted. As an upright man wisheth and prayeth for a blessing upon the City where he liveth, so he is a blessing to it, and that no small one, but to the greatening, enriching, and exaltation of it. He that is good in his person, becomes a common good to Cities, yea, to whole Nations; such are a blessing, because they receive so many blessings ( Pro. 28.20.) A faithful man shall abound with blessings. This faithful man is one that acts and doth all things faithfully, as appears by his opposition (in the same verse) to him that maketh hast to be rich, of whom the Text saith, he shall not be innocent; that is, he must needs deal unfaithfully or unrighteously; for in making such post-hast to riches, he usually rides (as we say) over hedge and ditch, and cannot keep the plain way of honesty.
Thirdly, As they who are in a state of grace, and they who act graciously in that state, so they who worship holily, or holy worshippers, have a special promise of the blessing. As Zion is the seat of holy worship, so there the Lord commandeth the blessing upon holy worshippers ( Psal. 133.3.) And again ( Psal. 115.12, 13.) He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great; that is, the generality of holy worshippers shall be blessed. The fear of the Lord is often put in Scripture, for the worship of the Lord; and so they that fear him, are the same with them that worship him.
Fourthly, They are the blessed of the Lord, who trust the Lord for all, and so make him the all of their trust ( Psal. 34.8.) O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; blessed is the man that trustith in him; that is, in him only or alone, being convinced of the utter insufficiency of the creature. That man is cursed, who trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm (Jer. 17.5.) therefore, pure trust in God hath the blessing.
Fifthly, They that are a blessing unto others, shall have the blessing from the Lord. What it is to be a blessing to others, read at large in the 29th Chapter of this Book ( verse. 11.) and in 31. Chapter ( verse. 20.) They that do good to others, they especially who do good to the souls of others, are a blessing to others. Now, they who do good, they shall receive good themselves ( Prov. 11.25.) The liberal shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself. He that watereth is a common good, a blessing to the place where he lives, a blessing to the rich, a blessing to the poor, a blessing to relations, a blessing to strangers; upon such, the Scripture assures the blessing of the Lord.
Sixthly, They who promote the worship and service of God, they that are friends to the Ark of God, shall be blessed (2 Sam. 6.11.) The Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom, because he entertained the Ark, shown kindness to the Ark, and was ready to do any service for the Ark of God; he will be a friend to the true friends of his Church.
Seventhly, They shall receive a blessing of God, who strive in prayer for his blessing. Jacob was blessed; but he w • estled for it. They that would have it, must ask it with a gracious importunity; they that seek it diligently, shall find it.
These are the chief characters of the persons whom the Lord will bless. And seeing his blessing is so effectual for the procurement of our good, we should above all things labor to procure his blessing. When Jacob wrestled with the Angel, he asked nothing of him but a blessing ( Gen. 32.26.) He did not say, I will not let thee go, except thou deliver me from my brother Esau; he did not say, I will not let thee go, unless thou make me rich, or great; he only said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me; let me be blessed, and let me be what thou wilt, or I can be. What should we desire in comparison of the blessing of God, seeing his blessing (strictly taken) is the fruit of his fatherly love! A man may be rich, and great, and honored among men, yet not beloved; but he that is indeed blessed, is certainly beloved of God. Esau could not obtain the blessing: Now what saith the Lord by the Prophet of him, as the Apostle quotes the Prophet? ( Rom. 9.13.) Esau have I hated. Esau got much riches, but he could not get the blessing, for he was hated of the Lord; and therefore it is said ( Heb. 12.17.) He found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears; that is, he could not make Isaac repent of blessing Jacob (though through a mistake, yet) according to God's appointment; he could not prevail with him, no, not by tears, to take off the blessing from his brother Jacob, and place it upon himself: And the reason why the blessing remained with Jacob, was, because he was loved of God. The blessing must go, where the love goes. The loved of the Lord, are and shall be blessed; and they who are blessed, have all good with a blessing. (Read, Gen. 24.35. Gen. 26.13. Gen. 28.3. 2 Sam. 6.11. Psal. 107.38.) Yea, as God giveth all good with a blessing, so he giveth himself, who is the chief good, best of all, and blessed for evermore, to those whom he blesseth.
Then how should we desire the blessing of God, or to be blessed by God? It is wonderful, how passionately, and even impatiently, the Votaries of Rome desire the Popes blessing; they think themselves made men, if they can but have his blessing. I have read of a Cardinal, who seeing the people so strangely desirous of his blessing, said, Seeing this people will be deceived, let them be deceived. But we cannot be too desirous of a blessing from the Lord; if we have a blessing from him, and he bless us, we cannot be deceived; we can never miss of comfort, if he bless us.
But whence is it then, that some look so much after creature-helps, not minding the blessing of God? Doubtless it slows or springs from one of these three bad fountains or bitter roots.
First, From ignorance; they know not what the blessing of God means; for, as Christ told the woman of Samaria (Acts 4.10.) If thou knewest the gift of God, thou wouldst have asked, &c. So, did they know what it is to be blessed of God, they would ask it above all things. It proceeds,
Secondly, From a spirit of profaneness in many; they despise God in their hearts, and think it below them to call for his help or blessing. Of such David speaks ( Psal. 14.6.) Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge; or, because ('tis all one in effect) he lives upon the blessing of God, you are ashamed of this; this is poor counsel, think you, as it is the counsel of the poor; this trusting in God, this making God our refuge, this living upon the blessing of God, is a pitiful life, say you. The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God, God is not in all his thoughts, or not at all in his thoughts, to seek unto him, and depend wholly upon him ( Psal. 10.4.) As Ezra was ashamed to require of the King a band of soldiers and horsemen, to help them against the enemy in the way, because he had spoken unto the King, saying, the hand of our God is upon all them for good, that seek him, &c. ( Ezra 8.22.) So, profane persons are ashamed to ask help of God, and his blessing at any time, but then especially, when they have bands of soldiers and horsemen to help them, as will appear further in the next thing. For,
Thirdly, This mindlessness and regardlessness of the blessing of God proceeds in some, from confidence in an arm of flesh, either their own or others. The Prophet reproved the Jews for this in the day of their trouble ( Isa. 22.8, 9, 10, 11.) And he (that is, God) discovered the covering of Judah (that is, what Judah covered himself with, or thought himself safely sheltered by from all danger; what was that? the next words tell us) thou didst look in that day to the armor of the house of the Forest; ye have seen also the breaches of the City of David, that they are many, ye have fortified the wall, &c. but ye have not looked to the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago. The meaning of all is this; ye relied upon, and put confidence in your own strength, but looked not after, nor sought unto me for my blessing; ye thought ye should do well enough, if your magazines were well stored, and your City well fortified, and therefore neglected me. The same Prophet (Chap. 31.1.) shows the same reason why they neglected God, why they looked not to the holy One of Israel, nor sought the Lord; it was, because they went down to Egypt for help, and stayed on horses, and trusted in chariots, because they were many, and in horsemen, because they were very strong. We cannot trust in God, and creatures too. If God alone be not trusted to, he is not at all trusted; and they who put their trust in any creature, withdraw it from God, and make that creature their God. They cannot so much as mind, much less seek a blessing from the true God, who choose to themselves another God.
Again, seeing the Lord's blessing is effectual, then whatever our successes and increases are, let us ascribe all to his blessing. Do not sacrifice to your own nets, nor burn incense to your own drags, but say, this hath God wrought, the blessing of the Lord hath brought it to pass. As the Apostle spake about spirituals (1 Cor. 3.6.) I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase; so 'tis in temporals, all our encreasings are of God: Therefore let us say with the Psalmist, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name be the praise. Do not thank your wit for riches, nor your industry for increase, nor your strength for victory, not any human help for any of your attainments: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, &c. ( Ecrl. 9.11.) All is of God, it is his blessing upon the means, which makes the means successful.
But some may say, are all men to ascribe all their successes and increases to the blessing of God?
I answer, Negatively; All increases and outward successes are not to be ascribed unto, nor fathered upon God. A man may increase in riches, and double his estate, as Jobs was, yet not by the blessing of God: Only that comes by a blessing from God, which is got in God's way, or by good means, according to the characters before hinted of the persons whom the Lord will bless; for they who either make a profession of dishonesty, or are dishonest in their profession, let them take heed of pinning their successes upon God, and of thanking him for them. Many say in their hearts, and some are not ashamed to say it with their mouths, Honest dealers must die beggars. They never came by riches in the way of a blessing, who say honesty is the way to poverty; much less, they whose consciences know and tell them (though others know it not, and so cannot tell them) that they have enriched themselves by the wrong, or raised themselves by the ruin of others.
Job was enriched and raised high, and the Text assures us what enriched him, what raised him; The Lord blessed
We have seen the Author of this blessing: These words show the subject of this blessing, The latter end of Job, or Job in his latter end, together with the quantity and abundance of this blessing, More than his beginning. The Lord blessed
That is, Job in the latter part of his life; and he blessed it more than his beginning, that is, than the former part of his life. God blessed, and greatly blessed the former part of Jobs life, for he was the greatest man of all men in the East; but now Job shall be greater than Job, he shall be greater than himself. His affliction razed down his house, and all he had, to the very foundation; but when God would hold the plummet in his hand, and rebuild him, to what an amazing height did his house arise! The Lord blessed his latter end, more than his beginning. The words are plain, and need no comment. From them we may observe,
It is often so, I do not say, it is always so, in outward things, God deals not with all alike; but it is often so, God gives them their best at last, even in the things of this life. As the Governor of the Feast said to the Bridegroom ( John 2.) Thou hast kept the best wine till now. So the Lord often keeps the best wine of outward comforts, to the very last of our lives. Bildad put it only as a supposition to Job (Chap. 8.7.) If thou wert pure and upright, surely then 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. But we may resolve it as a Position concerning Job; surely he was pure and upright, for God did awake for him, and made the habitation of his righteousness prosperous; his beginning was (comparatively) small, but his latter end did greatly increase, or he had a great increase at his latter end. And though this be not always true, as to outward things, that the Lord blesseth the latter end of a good man more than his beginning; yet it is always true, as to spiritual things, it is always true, as to the best things. The Lord gives his people their best soul-blessings at last; though they have great good before, yet greater good, or their good in a greater measure then; he gives them more grace, more of his Spirit, more of his comforts, and their latter end is most blessed, as it is the beginning of endless blessedness. Abraham said to the rich man in the Parable, Son, remember thou hast had thy good things, and Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. The Lord deals best with all his people at last, one way or other; to be sure, all shall be well with them in the latter end. Solomon saith ( Eccl. 7.8.) Better is the end of a thing, than the beginning. And he said so, not because all things end better than they begin; but because when things or persons end well, it is then surely well with them, whatever their beginning was. That is well, which ends well.
Hence, let us be minded not to judge the work of God before the latter end. The works of God seem cross many times to his people; but he will set all right, and make them amends for all at the latter end. The Apostle James calls us to consider Job's latter end (Chap. 5.11.) Ye have heard of the patience of Job (that is, you have heard of his sufferings in the flesh, and of his suffering spirit) and ye have seen the end of the Lord; that is, what end the Lord made for him. Some give another interpretation of these latter words (as was shown formerly) but this I conceive most clear to the context, Ye have seen the end of the Lord, that is, what end the Lord made for Job: Though the middle part of his life was very grievous, yet God changed the Scene of things, and his end was very glorious. David (Psal. 37.37.) would have the end of upright men marked and well considered; Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, the end of that man is peace. Possibly he hath had a great deal of trouble in his way, but his end is peace. Let not us be offended at the crosses which we meet with in the course of our lives, but look to the promised crown at the conclusion of our lives. Let us not stay in the death of Christ, nor in the grave of Christ, but look to the resurrection and the ascension of Christ. You may see those who are Christ's on the Cross, and in the Grave, but mark and you shall see their resurrection and ascension. The two witnesses are represented slain, yet raised, and then ascending up to heaven in a cloud, their enemies beholding them ( Rev. 11.11, 12.) Despise not the day of small things (Zech. 4.10.) the latter end may have a great increase; despond not in the day of sorrowful things, for the latter end may be full of joy. There are three things which should much comfort us in our afflictions.
First, That they cannot last always, they will have an end.
Secondly, That while they last, or before theyh ave an end, they are medicinal and healthful, they are for our good while they continue upon us, or we in them.
Thirdly, (which we have in the Text) we may expect, that as they shall surely have an end, so that they will end comfortably. No chastening for the present (saith the Apostle, Heb. 12.11.) seemeth joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby. God will not only bring our troubles to an end, but he will give us sweet fruit at the end of them, as a recompense for all our troubles. God will not only bring our sufferings to an end, but to such an end as will make us gainers by them. Those are even desirable and lovely losses, which issue in such advantages.
Secondly, In that the Lord gave Job so great an advance in worldly things,
Observe;
Job was far from praying for such an increase, he never desired that his earthly substance should be doubled in his latter end: Indeed, we find him once wishing that it were with him as in his beginning, but he wished not for more (Chap. 29.2.) O that it were with me as in the months past, as in the day when the Lord preserved me, when his candle shined upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness. Job wished that he were in as good a condition as he once had, but he never wished that all might be doubled, or that his latter end should be more than his beginning; yet the Lord gave him more, gave him double to his beginning, God exceeded his prayers and his wishes. As the Lord is able to do exceeding abundantly for us, above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3.20.) so he often doth; and usually, therefore, moderates the desires and askings of his people, as to the things of this world, that he may out-give their askings, and out-do their desires.
Thirdly, The Lord made Job the greatest man in the East in his beginning, but he blessed his latter end more than his beginning.
Hence note;
God gave Job good measure before, but now according to that expression ( Luke 6.38.) he gave him good measure, heaped up, pressed down, and running over. Let us not say, when God hath given us much, or done much for us, he can give or do no more for us: he hath more in his treasure of temporal good things, and he hath more in his treasure of spiritual good things, than he hath yet given out to any; he can give more faith, how much faith soever he hath given; he can give more patience, how much patience soever he hath given, and so of every grace and good thing. The Lord's stock and treasure can never be drawn dry; he is an ever-over-flowing fountain. If you had much at the beginning, you may have much more at the latter end. So much of these words, as they hold out the restoring of Jobs estate in general; the particulars are sum'd up in the close of the verse:
The increase of his estate is here set forth in cattle only, as his first estate was (cattle were the riches of those times and Countries) yet doubtless his estate increased in everything or kind. First, his family and servants increased, to look to so many cattle. Secondly, his Lands and pastures increased to feed them. Thirdly, his house and buildings increased, to receive and lodge so numerous a Family. Fourthly, his honor and dignity increased. Some affirm, that whereas before, he had only some small principality under his government, now he was declared King over all the Land of Uz. Thus all sorts of good things were given him double; but whether at once, or by degrees, is not expressed.
Some of the Rabbins have a fancy, and it is a wild one, that Jobs cattle which were taken from him, were not carried quite away, but only driven into some other Country, and there kept; so that when he was restored, they were brought home to him again, with this double increase. This may well go for a fancy; for, not his own cattle, but cattle of the same kind, were restored to him double. There is no difficulty in these words. The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, giving double or twice as many Sheep, Oxen, Camels, Asses, as he had before.
Hence note;
Here is nothing said of the best things; all was but Sheep and Oxen, yet in these Job received a blessing. The Lord ( Deut. 28.4.) made large promises of blessings to his obeying people, or to his people in case of obedience, and all in outward comforts; Blessed shalt thou be in the City, and blessed shalt thou be in the field; blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep; blessed shall be thy basket, and thy store. Spiritual things are the best blessings; spiritual things are not only the noblest, but the most necessary blessings. The favor of God, the light of his countenance, pardon of sin, grace in our hearts; these are excellent blessings, and these make us exceedingly blessed; and no doubt but Job did chiefly look after these blessings; this good man desired the light of God's countenance, the shinings of his face upon him, the workings of his grace and spirit in him, the evidences of his love to him, infinitely above cattle, corn and wine. A godly man accounts himself but in a poor condition, if he were to reckon all his estate in Houses and Lands, in Sheep and Oxen; yet these are a blessing from the Lord upon him, and so he accounts them. And still it must be remembered, which hath already been touched, that before the coming of Christ, before there was a full discovery, and a clear manifestation of the grace of God in Christ to his people, they in those times were much led and fed with promises of temporal blessings. The faithful were allured to heaven by earthly things. Jesus Christ (who came down from heaven to lift us up thither, who took our nature, that we might partake of the divine nature, who was clothed with our flesh, to show that God dwelleth in us, and hath joined us to his glory and immortality; Jesus Christ, I say) was known only in shadows and remote prophesies, in those times, and therefore it was necessary the Lord should deal with them accordingly, and allure them by promises of cattle, and corn, and children, especially by the promise of long life (which hath the greatest resemblance to, and bears the fairest image of eternal life) and all because the heavenly life was not then so perfectly discovered, as it is now in these Gospel-times. For though it be a truth, that all the good things of the world are not sufficient to make a love-token, yet God gives those good things to his people as tokens of his love, and they see love in them; and these lesser good things are then best to us, when we can look on them as blessings coming from the love of God, which we may do,
First, When we can say we have got and keep them with a good conscience.
Secondly, When we use and order them with prudence.
Thirdly, When we dispence them charitably and freely, according to the needs and necessities of others. When we truly and intentionally honor God with our substance, in doing acts of love, it shows that he hath given it us in love.
Fourthly, When the Lord with increase of riches, gives us an increase of grace, when our souls thrive as well as our estates, then we may look upon riches as coming to us in love. Sheep and Oxen, Gold and Silver, without a just, and wise, and gracious possessing and using of them, prove curses at last, not blessings, snares, not favors. There are none so unhappy as foolish rich men, none so base as covetous rich men, none so intolerable as proud rich men, none so vile and despicable as sluggish voluptuous rich men, none more ungodly and irreligious, than they who having riches, trust in them, and dote upon them; only when the Lord gives spiritual things with temporal, grace with goods, they are mercies to us. When Luther received a favor from a great Prince, he began to be afraid that God would put him off with such things. A godly man receives a portion in earthly good things, but he will not take all the good things of the earth for his portion.
Now, as all spiritual things are better than temporal, so among temporals, some are better than others. Job received good things when his cattle were doubled, but he had better blessings of this life restored to him than those; his estate restored double in cattle was nothing to his children restored single, as it follows in the next words.
Vers. 13. He had also seven sons, and three daughters.
This is the third part of Jobs restauration sons and daughters. We may consider this blessing, First, In the number, Secondly, In the sex. In number, his children were seven and three. As to sex, they were both sons and daughters; he had seven sons and three daughters, in all ten, just the number he had before, as we read at the second verse of the first chapter.
Some of the Jewish Rabbies (before spoken of) say, his former children were not indeed slain, but removed during the time of his affliction, and that, being ended, were restored the same both in number and person. This is as groundless a dream as the other about his cattle, and so I leave it. For,
That his children were really slain with the fall of the house where they were feasting, the history makes evident in the first chapter; and that he had the same number of children (not the same children) restored, is all that is evident in this.
Only here a question ariseth, and some trouble themselves much about it, to little purpose, how to make good that of the 8th ver. where 'tis said, The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before, whenas he had but just so many sons and daughters as he had before. Here is no doubling of them, and it may be thought, that the Lord, being now blessing his latter end more than his beginning, should have given him more children, double children, because the more children the greater is the blessing.
I answer, First, Negatively. The reason why his children were not double, though his cattle were, was not, First, Out of any want of power in God, he could have doubled his children as well as his cattle. Nor was it, Secondly, For want of love or good will to Job: Nor was it, Thirdly, (As, one of the Ancients, Tertullian, gives the reason) that Job might never want something to exercise his patience with while he lived, forasmuch as he saw himself shortened in that mercy. Nor was it, Fourthly, (As Aquinas conceived) because, if his children had been doubled as well as his estate, then his children would not have had a double estate, nor more than they should have had before. Forty proportionably divided among twenty, yields each of them no greater a portion, than twenty will do to ten. Nor was it, Fifthly, Because the Lord would not have him over-burdened with cares about their education; none of these were any reason, why Jobs children were not doubled to him in number, as well as his cattle. And therefore,
I answer affirmatively,
First, For the word double, or twice as much, in the Text, which this seems not to come up unto, we may easily salve that difficulty, for the Text speaks not of persons, but of things, or of his substance, with respect to doubling or a twice as much. As for his children they come in with an also, as an additional blessing to all the rest; He had also seven sons, and three daughters.
Secondly, Those words twice as much, need not be taken strictly, as was shown before; Job might, and doubtless did receive a double mercy in his children, though their persons were not doubled nor multiplied, as will appear further afterwards.
Thirdly, I answer, it was the pleasure of the Lord; to give him no more than the same number of children, and that may suffice us.
Fourthly, Some of the Ancients are much pleased with this other answer, saying, Job, in a sense, had his children doubled; for his slain children were not lost, but gone before, and lived still in a blessed state: They having immortal souls, and being the seed of the righteous, their father had reason to believe them safe in Abraham's bosom. Those children are not lost to their parents when they die, who are not lost to God, or are not themselves lost children.
Fifthly, Though Jobs children were not doubled in number as his cattle were, yet we may judge them doubled to him in goodness and virtuous qualities. The beauty of his daughters is expressly noted in the following words: And shall we think that God, who had a blessing for Job, blessed his children only with fading bodily beauty? doubtless, their minds were more richly endowed, and their souls more beautiful than their bodies. And if Jobs daughters were such, we may well conceive his Sons were not inferior to them in gracious qualifications, and that they much exceeded the sons he had before his affliction. Some have spoken doubtfully, at least, of Jobs former children, as if (though good, yet) not very good; and they give two reasons for it out of this book. First, Because, when they went to feast at each others houses Job used to offer sacrifice, fea • ing his children had cursed God in their hearts. Secondly, Bildad (chap. 8.4.) seems to lay a blot upon his former children, If thy children (saith he) have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression, &c. which may intimate the sinful miscarriages of his former children in the course of their lives, as well as that dreadful accident by which they died. Yet, I conceive, we need not cast any such blot upon them; they might be good, though these were better, and so a double mercy to their father. He had also seven sons, and three daughters.
Hence note;
When the Lord told Abraham (Gen. 15.2) I am thy shield, and exceeding great reward, Abraham said, Lord what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless? As if he had said, what is an inheritance without an heir? Children are a blessing which God many times denieth his own children: God denied Abraham that blessing long, yet gave it him at last. Abraham's servant reporting the blessings of God bestowed upon his master, put this as chief ( Gen. 24.35.) The Lord hath blessed my master greatly, he is become great, he hath given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, men servants and maid servants (what follows?) and Sarah my masters wife, bare a son to my master, when she was old. Abraham's servant counted this the complement of all his masters outward blessings, that as the Lord had given him a great estate, so a son to inherit and possess it after him. And if children be a blessing? let all who have them take heed of looking upon them as a burden.
And seeing they are a blessing of the Lord, seeing they come from him, let all who have them be admonished to bring them up for him, or, as the Apostle directs, In the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Whatever we receive from God we should use for him, and return to him; our estates should be serviceable to the Lord, and above all we should labor to make our children serviceable to him.
Thus we have seen the three parts of Jobs restauration. First, His friends; Secondly, His wealth; Thirdly, His children, were restored to him. But Job had four losses, and we hear nothing about the restoring of the fourth. First, He lost his substance; Secondly, His children; Thirdly, His health; Fourthly, His friends: Here's a restoring of three of them, but nothing is spoken of the fourth, which I place third, the restoring of his health. Now health being the chief of outward blessings, better than sheep and oxen, and whatever we can have in this world, why was not the restoring of that mercy mentioned?
I answer, Though the restoring of his health and strength be not expressed verbally, yet it is expressed equivalently or virtually; for when it is said he offered sacrifice, when it is said he did eat bread with his friends in his house, these are proofs of his health; and what was last spoken, that he had so many children, proves it much more. So then, though this fourth part of his mercy, be not mentioned, yet it is implied in all that went before.
But, that being granted, 'tis further queried, when his health was restored? whether before he prayed for his friends, or in the time of his prayer for his friends? or whether after all was done? Some make hot disputes about this matter, which surely is not much material, if we knew the certainty of it; nor do I know how any should attain the certain kuowledg of it, seeing the Scripture is utterly silent, as to any determination of it.
There is one question more. The text saith, God gave Job twice as much in cattle, &c. but here is nothing said of his twice as much in grace, here is no mention of any amendment in his spiritual state; his goods were doubled, but was his goodness? did Job recover only in temporals?
I answer, First, The graces of Job were never lost, as his cattle and children were; and therefore there needed no mention of the restoring of his graces. Satan, by the Lord's permission, put him to it, and tried all his graces, but could not rob him of one.
Secondly, Jobs graces were not only not lost, but doubled in that exercise or combat. True grace increaseth by the ordinary use of it, much more by the extraordinary trials of it. And doubtless Job, who was so eminently gracious, increased in every grace, while he continued in this fiery trial. He said of himself ( chap. 23.10.) When he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. I shall come out better than I came in. He lost dross and corruption in the trial, but no grace, nor any degree of grace; his graces were doubled or increased. A believer thrives (as to the inner man) in affliction, how much soever he loseth and goeth backward as a man. As the time of affliction is a special time for the using of grace, so for the increasing of it: Grace never grows more in a gracious heart than in a day of trouble. And though possibly a godly man doth not sensibly, or to appearance grow in grace presently, yet he truly doth so, and in due time it will appear that he hath done so: We may take this chapter for a proof of it. God himself found Job much bettered in his graces, else he had not used him as a mediator for his friends, which was as high a spiritual honor as could be put upon him, acceptance being promised and given him in that work. Nor would the Lord have used that endearing word, My servant, my servant Job, four times in one verse, had not Job improved in his service, which could not be but by the improvement of his graces. God called Job servant once in the first chapter; surely he was become a better servant now that the Lord seemed so much delighted to call him servant in this last chapter of the book, when he had taken full trial of him by suffering, as formerly by doing. We may well conclude, Job was become a more humble servant, a more profitable servant, a more holy servant, a more spiritual servant, than ever he had been, when we find the Lord insisting so much upon, and so often repeating that relation to him, My servant Job. His sufferings had mended his service, and his passive obedience had fitted him more for active. God was so much pleased with his service, that he took pleasure to call him servant. So then, we may answer the query proposed; Jobs increase was not only in cattle (that had been but a poor increase) his increase was also in grace and goodness; and he who was a servant of the Lord before, was then a more approved servant.
The Lord having told us, in the close of this verse, how many sons and daughters Job had, he is pleased to give us a character or description of his daughters in the two verses following.
JOB, Chap. 42. Vers. 14, 15.
14.
And he called the name of the first
Jemima,
and the name of the second
Kezia,
and the name of the third
Keren-happuch.
15.
And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of
Job;
and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
THe former verse gave us the account of Jobs children; He had also seven sons and three daughters: Nor is anything more said of his sons, but that they were seven; but much more is said of his daughters in these two verses, than that they were three; and more is spoken of his daughters in three particulars.
First, They are set forth by their names.
Secondly, By the comeliness of their persons.
Thirdly, By the greatness of their dowry.
Their names are expressed in the 14th verse.
The comeliness of their persons is shown at the beginning of the 15th verse,
The greatness of their dowry is set down at the close of the 15th verse,
Some have queried, why no more is said of the sons of Job, than how many they were? To such, this answer may suffice, it was the Lord's pleasure to have no more spoken of them; and where no more is said, why should we expect more?
If any shall further inquire; but were not his sons worthy persons, that they are put off thus slightly, and mention made only of their number, not of their weight? Were they not worthy to have so much as their names recorded? which honor, and much more, is done their sisters, the daughters of Job.
I answer, We may upon good ground believe, that Jobs seven sons were worthy persons, because they were a great part, yea, the chief part of his restored happiness; for as children are better than riches, so among children, sons are better than daughters, as being the more worthy sex. Sons, if not well qualified, are not only less worthy than daughters, but a great cross to their father: And therefore it would have been a diminishing of Jobs felicity, to have had sons equal in number with the former, yet inferior in virtue and man-like qualities; we may, for this reason, safely conclude, that (though nothing be said of their worth) that Jobs sons were worthy persons, or persons of praise worthy qualities. But seeing we have nothing from divine authority, but only from well-grounded reason, to assert concerning Jobs sons, I shall not stay the reader in any further discourse about them; but proceed as the text doth with the daugtiters, concerning whom we have many things to say from divine authority. And, First, Their names must not be past with silence.
That is, Job, I say, it was he. Though some make a question whether it was he or no? or whether Job gave the name, or the people? I shall determine it upon Job; he
The Hebrew is he called the name of one. Every first is one, but everyone is not first; and therefore to distinguish who this one was, we render the word First. 'It is usual in Scripture to call that one which is First. Thus spake Moses, describing the works of creation ( Gen. 1.5.) So the evening and the morning were the first day: The Hebrew strictly is, The evening was, and the morning was, day one. Any day is one day, the fifth day was one day, and the sixth day was one day, as well as the first; but the fifth or sixth were not the first day; therefore we translate for one day, the first day. Thee here he called the name of one, that is, of the first Jemima.
There is a twofold firstness. First, In order of time. Secondly, In order of honor. First here is first in time. The other two might equal, yea, exceed the first in worth and dignity; but this was Jobs first-born daughter, his first in time. He called the name of the first Jemima.
Hence note, First;
'It is not merely matter of prudence, 'tis not human invention to give names. God himself gave the name to the first man; God called him by the name, which, doubtless himself had given him, when he called him Adam. The proper name of the first man, is a name common to all men; Adam signifying red earth, showeth us of what matter all men are made. And as God called the first man by that name Adam, so Adam gave a name to the first woman, his wife ( Gen. 3.20.) He called his wifes name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And as God gave the first man a name, and he named the first woman, so God appointed the first man to give names to all living creatures ( Gen. 2.19.) The Lord brought all the beasts of the field to Adam to see what he would call them; & whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. The Lord would have nothing nameless, or without a name; surely then, he would have men and women known by their names. Abraham was once called Abram, a high father; but God changed his name, and would have him called Abraham, the father of a multitude. Were it not for names we should be in a great confusion, both about persons and things; we could not distinguish men had we not names to call them by; and therefore the Latins say the word (nomen) signifying a name, comes from (notamen) a word which signifieth a mark of distinction. Whatsoever God is made known by, is called his name in Scripture, because men, and all things else, are known by their names. Though some in a special manner are called men of name in Scripture ( Gen. 6.4.) which we therefore translate men of renown; and men of no account or reputation among men, are called men of no name: yet the poorest, the obscurest man hath a name, by which he is known and distinguished from other men. And as by names we distinguish persons at present, so we preserve the memory of persons, and of their actions, and of their sayings, whether good or bad for hereafter. How can it be cold who did, or who said, this of that, unless we had their names who said or did it.
Secondly, He called, that is, Job called the name of, &c.
Hence note;
To give a name is an act of power; and therefore the Lord, as I shown before, brought all the creatures to Adam as their Lord: Having said ( Gen. 1.28.) Have thou dominion over the beasts of the earth, and the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea, He brought them to Adam, as their Lord, to receive their names ( Gen. 2.19.) It is an act of great power either to give or to change names. When Saul (Acts 9.) was converted or changed, the Lord changed his name, he was no more called Saul, but Paul; being now become the Lord's servant, and (as it were) one of his menial or household servents, he gave him a new name. The Prince of the Eunuchs changed the names of Daniel and his three companions; He gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar, and to Hananiah of Shadrach, &c. ( Dan. 1.7.) Yet we read in Scripture that women very often gave names to their children. 'It is conceived that Eve gave the name to Cain, I have gotten a man from the Lord (Gen. 4.1.) yea, as some expound her meaning in those, words, she thought she had gotten, That man the Lord, even the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised seed (Gen. 3.15.) and then she had gotten somewhat indeed, a possession to purpose, as the name Cain signifieth. In the history of Jacob, we find the mothers, Leah and Rachel, still giving the name ( Gen. 29.32, 33, 34, 35. chap. 30.6, 8. &c. 1 Sam. 1.20.) But as it is well distinguished, though the nomination was often from the mother, yet the imposition or confirmation of the name, was always from the father: the mother desired the name, the father ratified it; as is plain in the case of John the Baptist ( Luke 1.59.60, 61, 62, 63.) Friends present at his circumcision called him Zacharias, after the name of his father; his mother answered, not 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 so, but his name shall be called John. How was this matter determined? They made signs to his father, how he would have him called, he must end the matter; and he called for a writing table, and wrote, saying, his name is John. There have been many nominations from the Mother, but the imposition ever was from the Father; and usually, the Father only is mentioned in giving the name ( Gen. 5.3, 29.) as also here in the Text, 'tis said of Job alone, He called the name of the first
First, Consider the signification of these names in the original Language.
Secondly, Give some account why Job gave them these names; for we must not think they were given (as we say) at a venture, nor in a fancy.
The root of this name in the Hebrew, signifieth Day, or, the light of the day; and so both the Septuagint and the vulgar Latin translate: as if we should render it in English, He called the name of the first, Day.
That, in the Hebrew, signifieth a Spice or Perfume, a very fragrant and pleasant spice, of which Naturalists speak much, and is commonly known by the name Cassia, and so rendered ( Psal. 45.8.) All thy garments smell of Myrrh, Aloes and Cassia: as if in English Job had called his second daughters name, Sweet spice or perfume.
That's a compound word, from Keren, which signifieth a Horn; and Happuch, which among the Learned hath a double signification.
First, It signifieth a powder, of which they made a kind of ointment, wherewith proud ones painted themselves, called in Latin Stibium. Some say it was a mineral; others say it was a plant growing in the Sea, which being ground to powder, was of an excellent redness in color. Here the word Keren signifying a Horn, is prefixed to it, because they used to preserve such painting-powder in a horn. We find this word Happuch made use of in the Verb (2 Kings 9.30.) where it is said, that Jezebel hearing Jehu was come to Jezreel, Painted her face, and tired her head, &c. The Prophet also maketh use of it ( Jer. 4.30.) when he would show how unable anything should be to do them good, the Lord being provoked by their evil deeds. True bodily beauty cannot, much less can a painted face procure them favor with men, with whom the Lord is angry for their wickedness and soul-pollutions; and therefore, saith the Prophet there, Though thou cloathest thyself with crimson, and deckest thyself with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair, thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. When he saith, Though thou rentest thyself with painting, it is only to show, that though they did their best, and used their utmost skill to make themselves look fair, though they should rub their faces with this vermillion, till they cracked their very skin, yet it would do them no good, the enemy would not be enamored with them, nor pity, nor spare them for their fine clothes and fair faces.
Secondly, Others derive this word Happuch from a root, which signifieth to turn, and then the sense of the Text is, He called the name of the third Keren-happuch, that is, The horn of conversion, or of turning. I shall give the reason of that translation by-and-by. The Septuagint render it by a word which signifieth Plenty, The horn of plenty. But I conceive our rendering most proper: He called her name Keren-happuch, that is, The horn of beauty, alluding to the custom of proud women, who to make themselves look fair, and so to ensnare others with their beauty, anointed or painted themselves with that tincturing stuff. Thus we have the signification of these names.
But why did Job give his daughters such names as these?
First, I suppose this may be given as a reason of it, That he might in these names remember, or be minded of, his wonderful restoration. God having brought him out of a low and miserable estate, to a very high and comfortable one, he therefore called the name of the first Jemima, that is, Day, to signify that he who before was in a night, a dark night of sadness and sorrow, of trouble and adversity, was now come to a comfortable day of prosperity. The Scripture saith, Light is sown for the righteous. They may be in the dark, in a dark day, in a day as dark as night, and where the very light (as Job spake, Chap. 10.) is as darkness; but there is a Day coming, Light is sown for the righteous. Job might say, I have been in the dark night of affliction, but now 'tis break of day with me; and therefore that I may remember this goodness of God, my first daughter shall be named Day, that her name may help me to remember the goodness of God all my days.
Again, When he called his second daughter Kezia, that also might refer to his new state. As if he had said, My former condition of stink and filth is passed away; I once sat (as it were) upon a dunghill, being little better than dung myself, full of ulcerous soars; my breath savor'd so ill, that my Wife could not endure me, and I was an offense to all near me: but now the Lord hath renewed my flesh, as the flesh of a child, now I am sweet and clean, my savor is like a perfume; and therefore my second daughters name shall be Kezia, Spice or perfume.
Job might also say, My late affliction was a state of deformity, I was black and uncomely, my face was all as a scab, and my body as a sore, my countenance was slurr'd with tears and weeping (as he complained, Chap. 16.16.) there was no beauty in me; Job might say of himself in that state, as it is said of Christ in the Prophesy, When we beheld him there was no beauty, no comeliness in him: but now my sores are healed, now I have recovered my former strength, freshness and comeliness; and therefore, the name of this daughter shall be, The horn of beauty, to mind me how the Lord hath given me beauty for ashes, and garments of joy for a spirit of heaviness. Thus he might very well, and very piously, give his children these names, to mind him of the blessed change which the Lord had made in his outward condition. And this is the reason of that translation before mentioned, of the name of the third daughter, called Keren-happuch, The horn of Conversion, intimating how great a change the Lord had made in his horn; his horn was in the dust before, it was empty and had nothing in it but filth, whereas now is become or turned to be a Horn of plenty. Jobs estate was changed from poverty to plenty, and his horn raised from the dust to honor and dignity; and therefore he called the name of his third daughter Keren-happuch, The horn of Conversion, or, The change of the Horn. Thus Job might have great reason to call his daughters by these names, with respect to the change of his condition.
Hence observe;
Joseph had a mighty turn in his estate, as the Psalmist epitomizeth the History of Moses in Genesis concerning him ( Psal. 105.17, 18, 19, 20, &c.) He was sold for a servant, his feet were hurt with fetters, he was laid in irons, until the time that his word came; the word of the Lord tried him: The King sent and loosed him, he made him Lord of his house, and Ruler of all his substance, &c. This Joseph had two sons in the Land of Egypt, after this turn of his estate; but what were their names? The Text answers ( Gen. 41.51, 52.) And he called the name of his first-born Manasseh, which signifieth forgetfulness; and he giveth this reason of it; for (said he) God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my fathers house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim, which signifieth fruitful; for (said he) God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. He was once very much afflicted, and now he was very fruitful; therefore, he called the name of his younger son, Ephraim, that he might remember the kindness of God to him, as often as he beheld or spake to, or of, that son. So Moses called his son Gershom (stranger) for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange Land (Exod. 2.22.) We find also names given to things, as well as to persons, by way of remembrance. Thus (1 Sam. 7.12.) after a great victory obtained against the Philistines, Samuel set up a stone, and gave it a name, He called it Eben-ezar, or the Stone of help: The reason was, for (said he) hitherto the Lord hath helped us. The name of the stone, was, to mind them of the Lord's constant readiness to help them, even unto that day. So Moses (Exod. 17.) after that great deliverance from the Amalekites, built an Altar, and called it Jehovah nissi, which signifieth, the Lord is my Banner, to put them in remembrance how the Lord went forth as a man of War, and mightily confounded their enemies. There is a prudence to be used in the names, both of things and persons. We read ( Gen. 10.25.) Unto Eber were born two sons, and the name of the one he called Peleg; and why Peleg? for in his days (saith that Text) was the earth divided. Peleg signifieth division. The whole world, which lay before as one common field in his days, was divided and cantoniz'd into several Countries, therefore his name was called Peleg. And, as many names have been given from past or present providences, so some names have been given, as it were, by Prophesy, with respect to after providences ( Gen. 5.29.) Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son, and called his name Noah, w ch signifieth rest. Why so? not from a providence that was past or present, but from what he believed should be; For this same (said he) shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. Thus much of the names of Jobs daughters, as they signified the providences of God towards him, and the turn of his state.
Secondly, We may consider these nemes, with reference to the personal qualifications or endowments of his daughters, and those twofold; First, their corporal & external qualifications. Secondly, their spiritual & internal qualifications, which we may well conceive Job had a chief respect unto, in giving them these names.
First, He called the names of the first Jemima, or, Day, thereby signifying, First, the clear natural beauty of that daughter, or the brightness of her complexion like the brightness of the day, or as if she shined in beauty like the day, when beautified by the beams of the Sun. Thus Christ spake of the Church ( Cant. 6.10.) Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun? Jobs eldest daughter looked forth as the day, she was of a resplendent comeliness: and we may well suppose, Job, who gave her this name, had prayed she might have, and hoped she would have, and doubtless in her time she had not only a beautiful face, and a comely feature of body, but (which is far better) a beautiful soul, a well-featured disposition of mind, much grace and goodness; in which sense, the Church (in the place last mentioned) is said to look forth as the morning, to be fair as the Moon, and clear as the Sun. The name Day, doth very well shadow, both the virgin beauty of the body, and the divine unspotted beauty of the soul. Secondly, he might call her so, thereby signifying, that as the day is sweet and pleasant, so was she, both as to her bodily aspect in comeliness, and the aspect of her soul in holiness. Thirdly, (say some) he called her name Day, because beauty (bodily beauty they mean) is of no long continuance, it is but, as it were, for a day; like a flower, which a day opens and withers.
He called the second Kezia, or as one of the Ancients renders, Cassia, signifying spice and perfume, to note that she was of a fragrant temper, of a winning disposition and conversation. Grace and virtue yield the sweetest smell in the nostrils of God, and of all good men. The Church ( Cant. 1.3.) saith of Christ, Because of the savor of thy good ointments, thy name is an ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee. These ointments were the precious graces of Christ. 'It is so in some proportion, with all the godly; their ointments (the unction of the Spirit poured upon them) cast a delightful savor. Solomon saith ( Eccl. 7.1.) A good name is better than precious ointment. A good name, arising from good qualities, from grace received and acted, is the most precious ointment, more precious than all the ointments which affect the sense. To be Jemima, beautiful in body as the day, and not to be Kezia, not to have a spirit sweet as Cassia, what is it, but a piece of pageantry, or gilding upon a common post?
Job called the name of the 3d Keren-happuch, or, Horn of beauty; First, with respect to her outside, intimating, that she was a great beauty. Some say, she was called Keren-happuch by an Antiphrasis, because she needed not, much less used, the horn of beauty to make herself beautiful; she was even beauty itself: Her natural beauty exceeded all that artificial beauty which proud women make show of, by painting their faces. She was also a horn of beauty, as to her graces and spiritual endowments. Thus Job might give his daughters these names, not only with respect to the change of his condition, but considering the conditions of his daughters, both with respect to their bodily beauty, and the divine excellency of grace bestowed upon their souls.
Hence note;
The names of Job's three daughters, Day, Perfume, Horn of beauty, might stir them up to approve themselves such as their names imported! Virtuous names, or names of virtue, should mind us to do virtuously. 'It is also a piece of spiritual prudence and policy, to put, as the names of excellent things, of graces and virtues, so of excellent persons, such as have excelled in grace and virtue, upon our children, that they may be provoked to imitate and follow their examples, whose names they bear. The good wishes and desires of parents concerning children, may be silently (if I may so speak) expressed in their names. They who would have their children excel in such a grace or good way, may do well to six it in their names, as prophesying or hoping, at least, they will really be what they are in name, or what their names promise. One of the Ancients reports this practice of the Ancients; We give names (saith he) wherein we hold forth our wishes and desires, and pray to God that our children may answer the signification of their names. Many Scripture-names have mysterious meanings in them. Hosea, signifieth a Savior, his parents therein prophesying (as it were) and showing their faith, that he would be a Prophet, and prove instrumental for the salvation of others. Obadiah, signifieth the servant of God; his parents gave him that name (we may suppose) hoping he would, and wishing he might be a faithful servant of God. Zachariah, signifieth the memery or remembrance of God; his parents earnestly desiring, that God would both remember him (which is all mercy to man) or that he might always remember God (which is all duty to God) Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth; that is; perform all duty to God.
We see then, it hath been usual among godly parents, to give significant names to their children, either that they might be minded of the mercies of God to them, or of the duties which they were to perform to God.
I shall only add for the close of the point, this short admonition to all, to women especially (because the Text speaks of them) that, As it is useful and usual for parents to give good names to their children, so children should have a gracious ambition to make good the signification of their names. What will it advantage a man to be called John, which signifieth grace, if himself be graceless? or to be called Obadiah, which signifieth a servant of God, if he neglect to serve God? or to be called Zechariah, which signifieth the Remembrance of God, if he forget God? Again, what will it benefit a woman to be called Susanna, which signifieth a Lily (a beautiful flower) if she be not like that lilly among thorns, the Church ( Cant. 2.2.) but only a lilly in the wilderness of this world? What will it benefit a woman to be called Tamar, which signifieth a Palm-tree, tall and strait, if herself be of a low, base, and crooked di • position. 'It is better to be a crooked shrub in bodily stature, than a tall strait Palm-tree with a crooked mind, and a low spirit. To be named Jemima, as fair as Day; to be named Kezia, as sweet as spice or perfume; to be called Keren-happuch, as beautiful as the very horn of beauty; what will it advantage any women, unless they have real virtues, and gracious qualities answering these names? Yea, these names will be real witnesses against them at last, and fill their faces with shame. To profess ourselves to be, or to have a name to be, what we are not, is to be deeply hypocritical; and to bear that in our names which we are not, nor take any care to be, is highly disgraceful. But when names are fulfilled in persons; when men and women, who wear good names, are or do the good signified by their names, how precious are their names! and their memories, how honorable! And when the good or virtues of the three feminine names in the Text meet and center in the person of any one woman; when Jemima, the day-light of true knowledge and understanding is joined with Kezia, the perfume of reputation, ascending from Keren-happuch, store of beautiful graces, put forth in the gracious actions of a spotless and unblameable conversation; what Pencil is able to draw to the life the ravishing features of such a person? Such, I believe, were those noble Ladies, Jobs daughters, named in the Text, which was the joy of their fathers heart, and the staff of his old age.
Thus much of the names of Jobs daughters, and of the signification of them; both in reference to the then present change of Jobs estate, and the hope he had of their future good estate; with respect to the beauty and gracefulness of their bodies, but especially to the beauty and graciousness of their souls or minds.
Now as the beauty and virtues too of Jobs three daughters were implied, and wrapped up in their names, so their beauty is plainly expressed in the next words.
Vers. 15. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daugh • ers of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
In this verse we have two things concerning Jobs daughters. First, The supereminency of their beauty. Secondly, The greatness of their dowry or portions, bestowed on them by the bounty of their father. The former we have at the beginning of the verse.
When 'tis said, in all the land, we are to understand it of all the land of Uz: Yet the Septuagint extend it to all lands all the world over, rendering all under heaven; but the word in the Original will not reach so far, though the truth might. But in all that land were no women (or women kind, as Master Broughton reads) found so fair, that is, none were so fair as they. The word found is to be taken as in that of Moses (Exod. 35.23.) Every man with whom was found (that is, with whom there was, or who had) blue and purple, &c. brought them: And as in that which is spoken of Christ ( Phil. 2.8.) He was found (that is, he was or appeared) in the form of a man. So ( Mal. 2.6. 2 Chron. 19.3.) For we are not to conceive that there was an inquiry or search made amongst all the women of the land of Uz who was fairest, and that upon the return, none were found so fair and beautiful as Jobs daughters: The meaning is only this, none were known so fair as they, or they had no known Peers in fairness; and this is a sufficient proof, that those notable names were not given Jobs daughters without a cause, either seen or foreseen, at least desired, the issue answering the desire; In all the land there were none so fair as they.
There is a bodily fairness, and a soul fairness. The word into which we render the Hebrew signifieth properly the fairness of the face or body: but the Septuagint translate it by a word signifying the souls fairness; They say, No women were found better than the daughters of Job. Their goodness without question, as it was far more excellent in itself, so more contentful and delightful to him than their fairness. But we may very well take in both, as was hinted before, namely, that his daughters were excellent, both for the one beauty and for the other. Yet, I conceive, the fairness here spoken of, was that of the body; and we must reckon it as a part of Jobs renewed felicity, not only that he had three daughters as he had before, but that his daughters were fairer than any in the land.
Hence note;
Beauty is not only one of the excellencies of nature, but some part of God's image in man, and much respected in women. The beauty of the body, bears the image of a beautiful mind, and is a figure of holiness; hence that Scripture phrase, The beauty of holiness. It is said of Moses, He was a goodly child; and of Sarah, that she was a very beautiful woman; so beautiful, that Abraham was afraid her beauty might endanger him among strangers. Rebekah also was beautiful, and very fair; and though beauty is no grace, yet it is a grace to grace. Beauty is, and duly may be, a great attractive of love and affection: Though we know it is often an incentive to lust, yet it is an attractive of true love. What is said of the Church ( Psal. 45.11.) So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty, thy spiritual or inward beauty, is true also of outward or corporal beauty. Beauty to some is a portion among men; to others, a favor from God. Beauty is a silent eloquence, a tacit persuasion, it works much. But consider, I speak of that beauty first, which is natural, not artificial; I speak not of beauty out of a box, but of that which is laid on by the hand of God, that's a blessing and a mercy, then especially, when it is joined with better beauty. Only remember, though bodily beauty be a blessing, it is but an inferior blessing; it is a gift of God, yet an inferior gift: And there are many considerations which may keep them humble in their own thoughts, who are most beautiful in the eyes of others.
For, First, As beauty is a blessing, so it is a snare oftentimes; and that in two respects.
First, It proveth a snare to them that have it. If they have not grace, it maketh them proud and vain; such are often given up to new-fangled inventions; their natural beauty will nor serve them, they must have artifical set-offs. Again, much beauty maketh many disdainful of others; and they who are so, are under the disdain of God; and it had been much better for such, if they had been the veriest Doudes (as some call unhandsome ones) or the most deformed creatures in the world. Therefore (I say) remember there is a snare in beauty to those that have it; yet by how much beauty hath the more temptation in it, by so much are they the more to be commended, who being beautiful, overcome those temptations, and continue humble, modest, chaste, discreet, and diligent, avoiding evil, with all the occasions of it, turning from every vanity, and doing good.
Secondly, Beauty is often a snare to others. When the Persian Captive Ladies were presented to Alexander the Great, he called them, The sores or pain of the eyes; He was afraid they might wholly conquer him, who had conquered so great a part of the world. What reason have any to be proud of that, which may ensnare, and so undo, both themselves and others?
Secondly, Consider there is nothing more frail, nor sooner lost than bodily beauty. A little sorrow, a few tears, spoil and fully a a fair face; a fit of sickness withereth beauty, and, inevitably, old age will do it; at best, 'tis quickly gone, and every day, when once at best, abates it; the longer you have it, the less you have of it. Some conceive (as I touched before) that Job called his eldest daughter Jemima, Day, because beauty lasteth but as it were a day; one day bloweth it, and another day blasteth it.
Thirdly, Beauty endangers the weaker sex to become a prey to the lusts of adulterous men, who often lie in wait for such a booty. So then, though beauty be a blessing, yet we have little reason to be proud of it, if these three things be true (as who can deny the truth of any one of them) which have been said of it; and three times three things more might be said of it, with as much truth, to take all off from over-much valuing it, or to abate our valuation of it.
Therefore, above all, look to the beauty of the mind, that's a beauty worth the striving after; and that is truest bodily beauty, which is adorned with soul-beauty, or when the beauty of comeliness is associated with the beauty of holiness. It had been no great matter of commendation to Jobs daughters, that they were the fairest women in all the • nd, if they had not been the holiest. The beauty of the mind is ten thousand times more commendable than that of the body; the King of heaven desires such beauty. It is not a naturally fair face that will make the Lord Jesus desi • e you; and as for an artificially fair, that will cause the Lord Jesus to abhor you. The Kings daughter is all glorious within (Psal. 45.13.) her glory is a spiritual glory. Solomon hath told us what natural beauty is without spiritual ( Prov. 11.22.) As a jewel in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion; especially, that fair woman is so, who (as the Margin hath it) departeth from discretion. They are truly beautiful and lovely, who have beautiful dispositions, and follow beautiful and lovely actions. The Lord said of the Jewish Church ( Ezek. 16.14.) Thy renown went forth among the heathen for beauty; for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee. But what was the comeliness which God had put upon her? It was the comeliness of divine gifts and graces planted in her, and exercised or held out by her. That's the ornament with which the Apostle Peter saith, the good women in the old time adorned themselves, even the hidden man of the heart, a meek and quiet spirit (1 Epist. 3.4, 5.) And let men as well as women strive for these ornaments. They that are deformed in person, may more than make it up, by being conformed to Christ in their ways and works. Better be deformed in body, and conformed to Christ, than to have a well-proportioned comely body, and no conformity unto Christ. It hath been said of some wise and worthy men, that their souls were ill-housed, that is, they had ill shap'd or unhandsome bodies. But though the house of the body be mean and despicable, yet if the inhabitant, or the soul, be wise and good, that makes a mends for all outward deficiencies, yea, for deformities and monstrosities; whereas if the house of the body be never so well framed and built, yet if it be inhabited by a proud, unclean, ignorant, impious soul, how doth that spoil, defile, and dishonor that body, and make it no better than a darksome dungeon.
So far concerning the names of Jobs daughters, who being qualified in body and mind according to the import of their names, were themselves portion enough to any husband; yet Job did not put them off so, but gave an honorable share of his plentiful estate to them, as it followeth,
And well they deserved it. Their father gave them. He made the distribution to prevent contention, which often falls out among children (and possibly might among Jobs ) about their fathers estate. This was a high favor, and somewhat unusual, to give daughters inheritance among their brethren; they use only to inherit, when they have no brethren. For among the Jews, and probably among the Idumeans, it was a custom, and it past into a law among the Jews, that sons should have the whole inheritance; the reason was, because their families and inheritances were preserved distinct by the male, not so by the females. The Hebrew word for a male signifies Remembrance, but that for a female Forgetfulness; because daughters lose the name of their family in marriage, and therefore daughters did not inherit, but when there was no male issue. Thus it was in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, their father left no son, & so they inherited ( Num. 27.7.) An immovable inheritance came not to daughters; they had only a moveable inheritance. But Job giving his daughters inheritance among their brethren, implieth (as some Interpreters conceive) that they had an equal inheritance in lands with their brethren, which is also the opinion of our Annotators; as if out of love to them, and in reward of their virtues, he gave to everyone of them, as to his sons, a portion of land to inherit, so that they shared proportionally with their brethren, by their fathers Will and Testament, and were coheirs with them in his estate equally.
Yet those words, among or in the midst of their brethren, note, faith another Expositor, only an equality in their good qualities & virtues. I suppose, if you take equally in a strict sense, that is, just as much, foot for foot, penny for penny, they did not inherit equally; but if we take it in a common or large sense, so they had as great an inheritance as their b • ethren, they had as much for daughters, as their brethren for sons. Their fathers gave them inheritance among their brethren.
Hence note, First;
(1 Tim. 5.8.) If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. The Apostles meaning is, in that point, he hath denied the faith, and doth not carry it like a believer, no, nor so well as unbelievers or infidels commonly do.
Secondly, Their father gave them inheritance.
Hence note;
Children must not take their portions; their father must give it them. Children must not carve to themselves: It is the privilege of the father to dispose of what he hath, according to right and reason, and the law of the place.
Thirdly, Who were they that had this gift, they were his daughters, Their father gave them inheritance.
Hence note;
Some fathers are all for their sons, and neglect their daughters altogether. Sons should not be denied their privilege, and daughters should not be unprovided for. Sons bear up the name of the family, and daughters may bring both strength and honor to the family; by matching into worthy families.
Note, Fourthly;
The reason why Job went so high, to give his daughters inheritance among their brethren, was, because his daughters were not only beautiful, but dutiful, and though women by sex, yet of a masculine spirit. The very grammar of the Text (as some take notice) leads us to this ground of their fathers bounty and nobleness to them; he dealt with them as with sons, because they had the virtues of sons;; for in three places the Holy Ghost useth the masculine affix (מ mem ) where (according to ordinary rule) he should use the feminine (נ nun ) to show (say they) that Job was not moved by fond affection to his daughters, but sound judgment; he seeing them exceed their sex in virtue, equal'd them in his fatherly provision, with those who were of a more excellent sex, and dealt with them as with sons in their degree.
Lastly, Observe;
We do not hear that there was any discontent in the sons, because the daughters had so much; nor in the daughters, because they had no more: both rested in what their father was pleased to do for them. How much more should we rest content with that portion and inheritance which our father in heaven provides for us? and indeed he will give all his daughters at last inheritance among his sons: For as the Apostle speaketh with respect to grace, so 'tis true in respect to glory, There is neither male nor female; but Christ is all and in all. The grace of God is not more to the male than to the female; and, as it is in the giving of grace here, so it will be in the distribution of glory hereafter: Brethren and sisters, husbands and wives, who are heirs of the same grace of life, shall be all heirs together in the life of glory, o • in the glorious life; and therefore let us be content with what portion or inheritance our heavenly father is pleased to give us, to allor, or allow us in this life.
JOB, Chap. 42. Vers. 16, 17.
16.
After this lived
Job
an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons sons, even four gegenerations.
17.
So
Job
died, being old and full of days.
THese two verses conclude the History and whole Book of Job, and in them we may consider these six things.
First, The length of Jobs life, or how long he lived, even an hundred and forty years.
Secondly, From whence we are to date this account of his life; After this, saith the Text, lived Job an hundred and forty years.
Thirdly, We have here the great increase of his family; he had not only sons of his own, but, saw his sons, and his sons sons, even four generations.
Fourthly, We may consider the comfort and content in which he spent this long life, and run out those many years, which is implied in those words, He saw his sons, and his sons sons, even four generations.
Fifthly, We have the close of his life, So Job died.
Sixthly, The state of life in which he died, set forth two ways; First, Being old (or an old man.) Secondly, Full of days. So Job died, being old (or an old man) and full of days.
Vers. 16. After this Job lived an hundred and forty years.
He survived all his sorrows, and saw a very blessed resurrection of his comforts and enjoyments. After this, that is, after this unparalleled affliction was over-past, after the Winter of his sorrows and troubles was over-blown, after the dark night of his calamity was full spent, After this lived Job an hundred and forty years. The Septuagint make this exposition their translation, rendering the Text thus our of the original, After this Plague or blow lived Job, &c. So that, here we have not the account of the whole race of his life, but of his new life, as we may call i • , or, of his life, in the third edition of it: For, as there are▪ (if I may so speak) three editions of man's life in general, whereof the first was a happy one in Adam, as created; the second, miserable, by Adam, as fallen; the third, more happy than the first, as we are restored by Christ, the second Adam: So there were three editions or volumes (at least) of this one man's life, whereof the first was very prosperous, the second very troublesome, the third more prosperous than the first. This prosperous edition or state of Jobs life, continued an hundred and forty years.
But have we no ghess about the computation of his whole life, or how long he lived in all?
I answer, we have none from the holy Scriptures; and therefore, where the Scrip • ure hath not a tongue to speak, I would say but little: Yet give me le • ve to report the opinion, both of the Jewish Writers, and of several others, both Greek and Latin, concerning that point.
First, It is generally agreed by the Jewish Writers, and by most of the Latins, that Job was threescore and ten years old at the conclusion of his trouble; and if he were seventy when his trouble ended, adding an hundred and forty more after the end of his trouble, it makes up just two hundred and ten years, as the general account of his whole life. Thus the Jewish Doctors conclude the race of Jobs life, as long as the abode of the children of Israel in Egppt, after their coming thither, till their going out.
Secondly, The seventy Interpreters give another reckoning, both of the time he lived after his affliction, and of the time before, and so consequentially of his whole life; for thus they translate, After this trouble, Job lived an hundred and seventy-years; and all the days which Job lived, were two hundred and forty years. Thus they render the Text, but by what warrant I do not understand. The ground of this addition, by which some endeavor to preserve the credit of that translation, is this; The Septuagint (say they) by after this, do not understand only the time when Job was just come out of his troubles, but, by after this, they mean the whole time that Job was recovering out of his trouble, and growing up into that greatness. As if the meaning of those words, after this, were to be taken thus: After Jobs cattle were doubled, and his Family was completed, after he had seven sons and three daughters born unto him, and after his daughters appeared to be according to their names, and the report made of them in the former context, the fairest women in all the Land of Uz; and after he had disposed of them in marriage, to his comfort and content, after all this was in doing and done, he lived an hundred and forty years. Now, for the doing of all this, they allow thirty years, which being added to the hundred and forty years in the Text, make up the full sum of an hundred and seventy years, as they translate; to which, if we add seventy years, which is supposed to have been the time of his life, when his troubles ended, then the total amounts to two hundred and forty years, which the Septuagint in their translation say he lived.
But it may suffice to mention this, it being only the opinion, and possibly the mistake of those ancient Translators. We have no more in Scripture, but that he lived an hundred and forty years after his troubles were ended; and taking it strictly so, he must needs be a very old man, for he was a perfect man, and had ten children before his troubles began.
But why doth the Spirit of God reckon up his years? Surely to set forth a further blessing bestowed upon Job, than as yet had been named, even the blessing of long life. All that is spoken of him, is in a way of mercy; and to make the measure of his mercies full, this is added or cast in, that he lived after the days of his trouble were ended, an hundred and forty years.
Hence note;
Job had many blessings of this life, but his long life on earth was the chiefest of mere earthly blessings. The first Ages of the world had very long livers: Adam, the first man, lived well towards a thousand years, complete nine hundred and thirty years, after he was created ( Gen. 5.5.) which being in a perfect man's estate, we may well reckon him as a man of near a thousand years old, and nearer to a thousand than Methusalah, when he died. That whole Chaprer is a clear proof, that all before the Flood lived to a great age.
Four reasons may be assigned, why the thread of man's life was drawn out to so great a length, in those early ages of the world.
First, That they might learn the works of Creation, and be skilled in the course of nature, which, having no books nor antecedent studies of men, they must collect by observation.
Secondly, They lived long, that they might instruct others in what themselves had observed.
Thirdly, They lived long, that mankind might be multiplied; for of those long livers ( Gen. 5.) when the first-born is mentioned, it is still added, they lived so many hundred years after, and begat sons and daughters.
Fourthly, They lived very long, that they might both invent and perfect those Arts and Sciences with which the world afterward abounded, when drawn into writing, and set forth by rule. And though after the Flood, the years of the longest livers were much short of theirs, yet the holy Patriarchs received a great share of his blessing. Abraham lived an hundred seventy and five years ( Gen. 25.7.) Isaac lived something longer, an hundred and fourscore years ( Gen. 35.20.) Jacob lived an hundred forty and seven ( Gen. 47.28.) Joseph lived an hundred and ten years ( Gen 50. ult) Job, if we take in that common account of the antecedent part of his life, lived longer than any of these, even two hundred and ten years. The fifth Commandment hath this promise ( Exod. 20.12.) Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long in the Land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. And the Apostle calls that the first Commandment with promise ( Eph. 6.2.) that is, the first Commandment with an explicit promise (all the Commandments have promises implied to those that obey them) Eliphaz assured Job of this blessing, in case of his repentance (Chap. 5.26.) Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of Corn cometh in his season: And in this he was a true Prophet.
Now, that long life is a blessing, I would show briefly, under these six considerations.
First, It is a blessing to have a long opportunity of doing good, of being useful and serviceable to our generation; long life gives an advantage for that.
Secondly, It is a blessing to have opportunity to gain experiences; First, of the various providences of God towards men, whether in ways of judgment or of mercy. Secondly, to get experiences of the manners of men, of the vanity, unfaithfulness and inconstancy of some men, and of the goodness, faithfulness and constancy of others. Though we sometimes smart in getting our experiences, yet it may be a great blessing to have them.
Thirdly, It is a blessing to have an opportunity to hold forth the grace of God to us, and the graces of God in us, by a holy example. The longer we live a natural life, the more we may manifest the power of a spiritual life, to those among whom we live.
Fourthly, It is a blessing to have opportunity for improvement and growth in grace, to attain the highest stature in, and pitch of holiness. This benefit we may make of long life, even increase in grace, as our years increase, and grow better as we grow older.
Fifthly, It is a blessing to have opportunity to bring up our children in the nurture and fear of God; long life gives liberty for this.
Lastly, it is a blessing to behold the blessing of God upon our posterity; long life gives us opportunity for this blessing, and this was Jobs blessing eminently. In all these respects, and many more might be added, long life is a blessing.
Yet, let me give this corrective, Long life is but a common blessing; it is no distinguishing blessing, it is not a certain love-token from God to man. Bad men have lived long, as appears both in sacred and common Histories. Old age is then a blessing, and good indeed, when we are old in goodness, or grow old doing good. Solomon's conclusion reacheth this fully ( Prov. 16.31.) The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness: And Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes, Better is a child that will be ruled, than an old and foolish King that will receive no counsel. When we may say of any, as the Lord said of some ( Ezek. 23.43.) O ye that are old in adulteries; when any are old in sin, woe to such an old age. Better to die young, than live to old age, and then die in sin. To live to be old men, the old man not dying in us, O how sad! To see sin young, when the man is old, how odious a sight is that! Then only old age is good, when we are good in old age. They only die in a good old age (as it is said of Abraham, Gen. 25.8.) who are good dying old. The sinner of a hundred years old shall die accursed. (Isa. 65.20.) So then, it is knowing, not ignorant old age; it is prudent, not foolish old age; it is gracious, not vicious old age, which is indeed the blessing; and therefore, though it be a blessing, look upon it as a common blessing. As riches are good to us, ourselves being good; so is old age, such is a life of many years in this world, good only to those who are good, and do good.
Secondly, When it is said, Job lived an hundred and forty years, we are not to take his living for a bare continuance or indurance in life, for so many years; but we are to understand his life or living so long, with the clothing of it, with the good of it: he lived, that is, he lived comfortably, honourably, peaceably, this hundred and forty years. We commonly say, To live is to be well; to live, is to flourish. Some live, whose life is a kind of death. As they who live in (sinful) pleasure, are dead while they live, so also are they who live in great worldly sorrow. Job lived comfortably and contentedly all that long time of his latter life, even an hundred and forty years.
Hence note, Secondly;
To live long in the enjoyment of good, is very good. What man is he (saith David, Psal. 34.12.) that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, &c. To live long and see good, that is, enjoy good, is the utmost that can be desired in this life. That's the blessing, or the good promised in the renewed state of Jerusalem (Isa. 65.) where, after the Lord had spoken of new heavens and new earth, he adds, at the 22d verse, They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree, are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. He doth not say, they shall live long, but they shall enjoy long; that which they have built and planted, none shall invade nor take away from them. Some conceive, this hath reference to the thousand years, prophesied of ( Rev. 20.) wherein the Church shall enjoy perfect felicity in this world. To live long in the sweet enjoyments of health, honor, peace and plenty, for soul and body, is a full blessing. I grant, some good men live long, who yet do not always enjoy good; their old age especially is accompanied and encumbered with many bodily distempers and grievous pains. Though grace sets us above the decays of nature, and the troubles of this life, yet grace doth not exempt nor give us privilege from either; so that greediness after many years, is commonly a greediness only after many infirmities. Isaac was a good old man, yet 'tis said of him, that when he was old, his eyes waxed dim, so that he could not see (Gen. 27.1.) Old age, and dim eyes, and deaf ears, shaking hands, and palsied trembling joints, with manifold diseases, are seldom found asunder: Therefore, Job had an extraordinary blessing, to live long and free from all these evils, and so have any who do so. Barzillay was a good old man, yet (2 Sam. 19.25.) he was so benumbed, and his natural senses so enfeebled, that he did not enjoy his life; Can I (said he to David, who invited him to a Court-life, Can I) anymore taste what I eat or drink? &c. That's a blessed old age, when we live long, and enjoy comfort with our lives, chiefly when we enjoy the comforts, and act the duties of a spiritual life.
Thirdly, Consider, Job was afflicted but a few months we are sure, not many years, but God gave him an hundred and forty years of prosperity in this world, after his affliction.
Hence note;
Joseph, for his thirteen or fourteen years slavery and imprisonment in Egypt, had fourscore years liberty and high advancement there. And though the Lord doth nor always, nor often make such compensations in this world; yet he will compensate all the sufferings of his faithful servants, with longer, not only comfortable, but glorious enjoyments, yea, with an eternal enjoyment of glory in the world to come (2 Cor. 4.17.)
Fourthly, Note;
He can give health and strength to the very last, he can give a spring in the winter of our age. Thus it was with Job; he did not only live long, but flourished in the health of his body, as much as in the plenty of his estate. The Lord can forbid diseases, he can forbid the Gout, the Stone, or any other pain, to touch the person of an old man, if he pleaseth. Some are even afraid to be old, because of the infirmities of old age; but God, who continues life, can prevent or preserve us from the natural, as well as the providencial evils of it. Solomon (Eccl. 12.1.) calleth old age, the evil day, and the years wherein there is no pleasure; and he useth it as an argument to move those who are young, to remember their Creator: yet God is able to make old age a good day to us, and to lengthen out our pleasures (those pleasures that are suitable to old age) as long as he is pleased to lengthen out our lives; so that, the comforts and contentments of our lives, shall run parallel with the length of our lives, to the end of our lives. Thus Job lived, he lived comfortably, he lived healthfully, the Lord preventing the decays or usual dilapidations of his house of clay, as will appear further in the next words. After this Job lived an hundred and forty years,
That is, Job lived to be a great great Grandfather; he saw his sons, and his Grand-children, and his great Grand-children, and his great great Grand-children, four generations. Joseph (Gen. 50.23.) lived to see but the third generation, he was only a great Grand-father. Many among us live to be great Grand-fathers, and great Grand-mothers; but to be a great great Grand-father, that is, to see the fourth generation, is very rare. This is recorded of Job, not only to set forth the greatness of his age, but also to show the greatness of his blessing, and the exceeding greatness of the mercy and goodness of God to him, in multiplying his Family; he saw a numerous issue, to take comfort in all that latter part of his life. He saw (saith the Text) his sons, and his sons sons, even four generations. The learned in that Language, take notice, that the Hebrew word rendered, saw, implieth delight; and doubtless, Job had a most delightful sight of his sons, and his sons sons. It is nowhere said, that Job saw his sheep, or his oxen, or any of his riches, to take delight in them; but Job saw his sons, and his sons sons; this sight was thousand times more pleasing to him, than the sight of his fourteen thousand sheep, or of his thousand yoke of oxen.
Hence note;
Job received a great blessing, when he had sons and daughters of his own, as many as before; but when he saw his sons, and his sons sons, even to the fourth generation, that was the crown of all his outward blessings. Eliphaz fore-spake this of him, upon supposition of his repentance, and profiting under the correcting hand of God (Chap. 5.25.) Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thy offspring as the grass of the earth. The children of all men, or all the children of men, are as grass for fadingness ( Isa. 40.6.) But when Eliphaz said, Thy offspring shall be as the grass of the earth, his meaning was, they shall flourish as the grass, and they shall be many, very many, as the grass of the earth. David (Psal. 127.3, 4, 5:) speaks of this great blessing, the multiplying of the seed of the righteous, as their great contentment; Lo, children are the heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth: happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; that is, he hath a great outward happiness. Many children may contribute to our happiness many ways, though some have had many unhappinesses in one. The next Psalm insists upon the same mercy, under other metaphors; Thy Wife shall be as the fruitful Vine by the sides of thy house, thy children like Olive-plants round about thy Table; Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. And ( verse. 6.) Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel. It is a great affliction, a grief of eyes, yea, a breaking of the heart, to behold bad children; but how sweet a sight is it, to behold good and obedient children, and them many! There are two conditions very grievous to see our children in. First, to see them in misery. Rachel (Jer. 31.15. Mat. 2.) mourned for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not; she saw them murdered before her eyes. Such a sight had Zedekiah (Jer. 50.10.) the King of Babylon brought his children, and slew them before his eyes; he made him see that horrid spectacle, and then put out his eyes ( verse. 11.) Secondly, to see children sin, and going on in a course of sin; that is a greater, a far greater affliction than the former. It is said ( Gen. 26.34.) When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judeth, the daughter of Berith the Hittite, which was a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebecca. To see their son match among the profane and uncircumcised, both in heart and flesh, was a cut, a wound, a deep wound in their spirits. Again (Chap. 27. ult.) Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my life, because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the Land, what good shall my life do me? Better be out of the world, than see my sons miscarry. These two sights, to see children suffering, or to see them sinning, are a pain, not only to the eyes, but to the hearts of parents. But to see them, First, Prosperous in their way; Secondly, Pious, keeping the way of the Lord; to have and see such children, and children's Children, to the third and fourth generation, how delightful is this! The Apostle John professed (3 Epist. ver. 4.) I have no greater joy, than to hear that my children walk in the truth. He means his spiritual children, those whom he had converted to the faith, and begotten to Christ in the ministry of the Word. O what a joy was it to that holy Apostles heart, to see them walk answerably to the profession of the Gospel, and his expectation! Now as that was so great a joy to him, that he had no greater; so 'tis an unspeakable joy when godly parents see their natural children spiritual, and walking in the truth. To see children new born, to see them gracious, and to see them prosperous also, what a blessed sight is this! And this was the sight doubtless which Job had, he saw his children, His sons, and his sons sons, to the fourth generation. His blessedness, as to all without him in this life, was at the highest, when he saw the prosperity of his children, both in soul and body. Thus Job was blessed every way, he was blessed with riches, blessed with long life, blessed in the multiplication of his family; he was blessed also in his death, as appeareth in the next and last words of this Chapter and Book.
Vers. 17. So Job died being old and full of days.
As Solomon said ( Eccles. 12.13.) Hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments. So I may say now, Hear the conclusion of all men. To fear God and keep his commandments, is the consumating end of our lives; but to die is the consuming end of all our lives, and to a good man 'tis an entrance into eternal life; Such, and so Job died. The Lord having spoken of his life, is not silent about his death; The story, the holy story brings Job to his grave: and that could not but be a blessed death, which was the close of a gracious life. So Job died. Death is the separation of the soul from the body; 'tis the sleep of the body in the grave, and th • rest of their souls in heaven who die in the Lord. There is no difficulty in these words; take a note or two from them.
First, Death takes all sooner or latter.
Job lived a long time, but he did not out-live death; he enjoyed an hundred and forty years prosperity in this world, yet he left the world; He lived long, yet a day came when he could not live a day longer. 'It is said of all the long livers ( Gen. 5.) They died. Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. Seth lived nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. Methuselah (the longest liver in this world) lived nine hundred sixty and nine years, and he died. Here Job lived an hundred and forty, and so he died. David put the question of all men ( Psal. 89.48.) What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? How great or how good, how rich or how wise, how strong or how valiant soever any man living is, he must die. How long soever any man hath lived in this world, he must die, for the world must die; there must be a dissolution of all things, and therefore a dissolution of all men (Psal. 82.6, 7.) I said, ye are gods, but ye shall die like men. Kings and Princes, who have the privilege to be called gods, have not the privilege of God, not to die like men. This is a common theam, I intend not to stay upon it; only, let me tell you, death will overtake us all sooner or later, upon a double account.
First, Because it is appointed.
Secondly, Because it is deserved. It is appointed unto men once to die (Heb. 9.27.) and all men have deserved to die, to die eternally, and therefore much more to die naturally ( Rom. 5.12.) As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death past upon all men for that all have sinned. Now seeing the condition of all men is a dying condition, receive these four cautions.
First, Prepare for death. There is no avoiding it at the long run, therefore be ready to entertain it at last; and, because we may die at any time, be preparing for death at all times. How miserable are they who are so old that they cannot live, and yet so unprepared that they are afraid to die? Job died, and we must: If so, Is it not our wisdom to prepare for death?
Secondly, Submit quietly to the arrest of death. There is no striving with the decrees of God. Our death is under a divine appointment ( Eccles. 8.8.) There is no discharge in that war, no privilege to be pleaded, no exemption, no prescription. Your strength cannot stand against the assaults of death, your prudence and policy cannot find any way of escape from it, nor can your piety or godliness deliver you out of the hands of natural death. As there is no work, nor devise, nor knowledge in the grave whither we are going (Eccles. 9.10.) so there is no knowledge, no device, no wisdom, can keep us from going into the grave, no, not our graces. Grace is as salt to the soul, preserving it from moral corruption forever: But it cannot keep the body from natural corruption in this world, because our graces in this world are mingled with corruption. Death is domestical to us, that is, we have the seed of it within ourselves, we carry it daily in our bowels and in our bosoms; therefore submit quietly to it, for there is no avoiding it.
Thirdly, Seeing all must die, get that removed which is the troubler of a death-bed, and the sting of death; get that removed which makes death bitter, get that removed which makes death, the King of terrors, so terrible, that is, sin. This should be our study all the days of our life, to get rid of sin, to be dying to sin daily; because we must die at last, and may die, for all that we know, or can assure ourselves, any day we live (1 Cor. 13.56.) The sting of death is sin. Whensoever, or in what way soever we die, it will be well with us, if the sting of death be first pulled out; and whensoever we die, after never so long a life, it will be miserable, if we die in our sins; as Christ told the Jews in the highest threat, I go away, and ye shall die in your sins (John 8.21.) They that die in their sins, die a double death at once, a temporal and an eternal death together. And to those who have got the sting of death pulled out, that is, the guilt of sin removed and washed off by the blood of Christ, I would,
Fourthly, Take this caution. If you would have death easy to you, die more and more to sin daily. Some, who are dead to sin, may find much life of sin remaining in them; and they who have much of the life of sin in them will never die easily, they will find strong bands in their death, which, in another sense, some wicked men find not ( Psal. 73.4.) While either sin, or self, or the world are lively in us, death will be grievous to us: Therefore let them who are dead to sin, never think themselves dead enough to it while they live; they who are most dead to sin and the world, have the sweetest and most comfortable passage out of the world. So Job died,
It must needs be that Job was an old man, when he had lived an hundred and forty years after all his changes before this change came: Why then is it added, he died being old, or being an old man? Surely, to teach us this lesson.
'It is a truth, young men and death are not very far asunder, youth and death are at no great distance; but when we see an old man, we may conclude, that death and he are very near neighbors. While we see an old man with his staff in his hand, we may say, he carrieth a rapper in his hand, by which at every step he knocks at the door of the grave. There is no man, not the youngest man, that can reckon certainly upon one day beyond what he hath, and therefore Solomon admonisheth us ( Prov. 27.1.) Beast not of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. And the Apostle James checks those, who would reckon upon a day, he tells them upon the matter, That they reckon without their host (James 4.13.) Go to now, ye that say today, or to-morrow we will go into such a City, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain: And then at the 14th verse, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow; for (saith he) What is your life? it is even a vapor that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away. They that are youngest have not a day, nor an hour in their power to reckon upon; what then have they that are old? We may say of them, They are even past their reckoning. A woman near her time will sometimes say, she hath but a day to reckon; and some will say, they have never a day to reckon: old men may say so, they have not a day to reckon. Young men may die; old men must die: Then let old men be much in the meditation of death, let them be often looking into their graves; their gray hairs that do so, are found in the way of wisdom. Job died, being old: There was no longer staying for him in this world. Once more,
Job died being old,
There is a twofold fullness.
First, A fullness of satiety.
Secondly, A fullness of satisfaction.
They are full in a way of satiety, who loath that which they are filled with, 'tis burthensome to th • m. They are full in a way of satisfaction, who having enough, are pleased, and desire no more. Some expound this Text of Job, in the former sense, he was full of days, that is, he had a fullness of satiety upon him, he had lived so long, that his life was a burden to him, he had lived till he was weary of living, his life was tedious and grievous to him. It is said ( Revel. 9.6.) In those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. That which most flee from, some pursue, and it fleeth from them. None are so unfit to die, as they who upon the account spoken of in that Text, seek death and desire to die. I do not conceive, that Job was full of days in the former notion, as the stomach may be full of meat and loath it, or be burdened with it, but as having had enough of it, though well liked to the last morsel. And I am sure he was not full of days, when he died in the latter notion, as one wearied with the troubles of his life; for all his latter days were a blessing to him, and he blessed in them all: His last days in this world being his best days of worldly enjoyment, he could have no reason upon any worldly account to desire a departure out of the world.
I grant, a good man though he hath not lived many days may be full of days, even to weariness, by reason of his temptations, corruptions, and sins; of which kind of weariness the Apostle speaks (2 Cor. 5.2.) In this (earthly house of the body) we grown earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. And upon this account possibly, Job himself might be weary of his life, and desire the death of his body, that he might be delivered from the body of that death. But Jobs worldly life was as sweet as it was long, he was as full of blessings as he was of days; and therefore, doubtless, he was only satisfied with living, not tired with it: He did not loath his natural life, nor did he hunger after a longer life in this world; he hungered after eternity, not time: He did not hunger after a longer life, as they do who have their portion in this life, how long soever they have lived. A worldly man is never satisfied with living in the world; he never hath his belly full of living here, while he sees he may (as Job might) fill his belly with the good things of this life. But as Job had lived very long, and very well on earth, so he knew there was a better life to be had in heaven; and therefore was full of days, both as having had many, and as having no desire after more on earth. As he was not (which David deprecated, Psal. 102.24.) taken away in the midst of his days; so he was willing to come to the end of his days; and for that reason, might well be said to die, being old and full of days.
Secondly, These words, so Job died, being old and full of days, may note as his willingness to die, so the easiness of his death; he was come to a full ripeness for death. Fruit that is fully ripe is soon gathered, and sometimes drops off alone from the tree. Job was every way ripe for death; his body was ripe, he was full of days; his soul was ripe, he was full of grace: surely then his was a spontaneous death, a very sweet way of dying. His natural strength was not much (being old) to make resistance against death; and his spiritual strength was so much, that it caused him to make no resistance against it, or rather at once joyfully to embrace and overcome it.
Thirdly, These words, so Job died being full of days, may have this spiritual meaning; His days were full. He did not live empty days, or void, blank days; but as he was full of days, so his days were full, full of good works and holy duties. That man's days are empty, though he be full of days, or how many days soever he hath lived, who hath lived in vanity, and done little good with his life. But we have reason to say, Job died full of days, because his days were full of good done, as well as of good received; he had not a long being only, but a long life in the world, living to good, yea, his best in duty both to God and man. Thus Job died being old, and full of days. From this latter part of the verse,
Observe;
Though no length of this life can satisfy him, yet he is satisfied with the length of his life. A godly man in some cases may crave a little more time; He may say, as ( Psal. 102.24.) O take me not away in the midst of my days, and (as elsewhere) O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength, before I go hence, and be no more (Psal. 39.13.) Yet this is a truth specially as to good old men (living as Job had done) when they die, they have had their fill of living. A Heathen said, and he spake it after a heathenish manner; If any God would give me the privilege to be young again, and to cry in a Craile, I would not thank him for it, I have had living enough. If a virtuous Heathen hath said so by the light of reason and morality; then, doubtless, a godly Christian may much more say so through the power of faith and grace. It cannot be said of all men who die (as Job did) being old, that they in this notion died (as Job did) full of days: For as some godly young men have been fully satisfied with a few days, and have said they have lived as long as they desired, and could say with Paul, We desire to be desolved, and to be with Christ, which is far better ( Phil. 1.23.) Yet some old men are very much unsatisfied with their many days; some old men would be young again: This argues they have made but little improvement of their days, or that they have got little, if anything, of that all their days, which should be the study of every day, an interest in the death of Christ, and so a readiness for a better life. For an old man to wish himself young again, is like one who with great labor hath clamber'd up a steep hill, and wisheth he were at the foot or bottom of it again; 'tis as if a man, who (having been long tost in a storm, between rocks and sands) is got near a safe harbor, should wish himself out at sea again. They have not a true taste, much less, a lively hope of that life which is to come, who would return to this upon such hazardous and uneasy terms?
Secondly, As these words note a readiness or a willingness to die,
Observe;
He is not thrust nor forced out of it, but departs; he is not plucked off, but falls off like ripe fruit from the tree; His soul is not required of him (as 'tis said of the rich man, Luke 12.20. ) but given up, and resigned by him; he is not taken, but goes out of the world. It is said indeed ( Psal. 57.1.) Merciful men are taken away (by God's commission given to death) from the evil to come; but they are not taken away from (as being unwilling to part with, and leave) any present good. A gracious man hath usually a readiness to die, in a twofold notion. First, As readiness signifies preparedness; Secondly, As readiness signifies a willingness to die: And always the first readiness promotes the second. The more prepared any one is to die, the more willing he is to die. That man can say, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, whose eye of faith hath seen his salvation. We (saith the Apostle, speaking of believers, 2 Cor. 5.8.) are willing to be absent from the body, that is, to die. And the word there used signifies not only the freest choice, but (if I may so speak) the good will or good pleasure of man's will, as it often signifies God's. As a godly man hath a peculiar way of living, so of dying; and the reason of both, is, because he sees blessed eternity beyond time, and himself, by a well-grounded (that is, a Scriptural) hope, a partaker of the blessedness of it.
Thirdly, Note;
That is, who fill their days with or whose days are full of the fruits of righteousness, of faith and repentance, of love and charitableness. Stephen (Acts 6.8.) was full of faith and power. They die full of days in old age, who, as it is said ( Psal. 92.14.) bring forth (such) fruit in their old age; who die as Dorcas (Acts 9.36.) full of good works, and alms-deeds which they have done. It was said of a famous Painter, No day past him without drawing a line. A Roman Emperor said, I have lost a day, when he did no good that day. We may well reckon those days lost in which we do no good, in which we draw not some white line, some golden line of grace and holiness. Then what account will their days come to, who pass not a day, but they draw black lines, filthy lines of sin and wickedness, or whose days are all blotted with the worst abominations of the day they live in? If those days are empty and lost, wherein we do no good, and are not made better; what then becomes of their days, and where will they be found, but in the Devils Almanac, who do nothing but evil, and daily become worse and worse? So then, they only die full of days, who live doing the will of God, and denying their own; who live mortifying corruptions, and resisting temptations; who live exercising their graces, and answering their duties to God and man: This, this is to live our days, and to die full of days.
Again, as their days are full, who are full of grace in themselves, and of good works towards men; so are theirs who are full of the mercies and blessings of God, especially, theirs, whose days are full of soul mercies and blessings, whose hearts are full of peace with God, full of joy in God, full of assurance of the glory of God. They whose days are filled with these divine enjoyments, die full of days, how few days soever they have lived in this world: They who live thus, live many days in one day; they who live thus, have the taste and first fruits of eternity every day; and therefore cannot but be satisfied with their days, be they many or be they few.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high (Psal. 91.1.) that is, who trusteth fully in God for safety by Christ in this world, and for salvation in the next, stands under the shadow and sweet influences of many promises, mentioned in that Psalm for the preservation and prolongation of his life, in the midst of a thousand deaths and dangers; all which are summed up in that promise given at the 16 th or last verse of the Psalm, With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. The Hebrew is, with length of days will I satisfy him: Which as it is true, and firstly intended in that Psalm, of a long life here, and hath in that sense been often fulfilled • o those who trust in God fully: God gives to such not only a present escape from death in a time of Pestilence, but gives them long life, or their fill of living afterwards even in this world; yet that which doth chiefly satisfy them, is, that long life, of which the longest life in this world is but a shadow, and to which it is a very nothing. What is this long life? Surely, not a life of an hundred and forty years long, as Job's was. Job was so satisfied with the length of his life, that he was willing to the (as hath been shown) but Job was not so satisfied with it, as to take that for his long life. Every man would be satisfied; but what doth satisfy a godly man? what doth he hunger after for satisfaction? Is it after honors? No; Is it after riches? No; Is it after pleasures? No; Is it after many days here? No; What is it then? Nothing can satisfy the hunger of a gracious soul, but life after this life, the long and blesed life of eternity; and that is chiefly intended him in that promise, With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. No length of life can satisfy us, but as in it we have the fore-sights and fore-tastes of everlasting life, or of that long life, which is eternal salvation: With this Job was satisfied, with this the old Patriarchs were satisfied. It is said of Abraham (Gen. 25.8.) He died in a good old age, an old man and full (of years). O • Isaac also it is said ( Gen. 35.28, 29.) He died, being old and full of days: both had their fill of time; but that which filled them both, and that which only can fill any, whose lives are yet measured by time, is the hope of a blessed eternity.
I shall close the Point with an answer to this question; why no more is said of Job, but, That he died being old and full of days, whereas in both those places last named, concerning Abraham and Isaac, it is not only said, that they died being old and full of days, but this is added, And were gathered to their people. Abraham died, and was gathered to his people: Isaac died, and was gathered to his people: Why is it not also said of Job, so good a man, dying full of days, and fuller of graces, that he was gathered to his people?
I answer, Abraham and Isaac lived and died among a people, who were (as themselves were) in Covenant with God; whereas Job lived among the Idumeans, some affirming him to be of the posterity of Esau, others, of Abraham, by his second wife Keturah: Now all the sons which Abraham had by her, he sent away from Isaac his son (while he yet lived) Eastward into the East Country (Gen. 25.6.) So that it being doubtful (at least) whether the people, among whom Job lived, were a godly people or no, and that they were not, being more probable (as was shown, if not concluded, in opening the first verse of the first Chapter; for this reason I say) we may suppose (for the Scripture determines nothing in this matter) that when the death of Job was spoken of, nothing was spoken of his being gathered to his people. So Job died being old and full of days.
First, A sorrowful man, yea, even a man of sorrows (for a time among men) as some expound his name.
Secondly, A man hated (by Satan at all times) as others expound his name.
Thirdly, A man highly approved and loved of God, as appears by the testimony which he gave of him, both first and last.
First, Famous for the afflictions with which God exercised and tried him to the utmost.
Secondly, More famous for his patience and constancy under those afflictions and trials.
Thirdly, Most famous for his wonderful deliverance out of those afflictions and trials.
First, Famous for his riches and prosperity.
Secondly, More famous for his virtues and integrity.
Thirdly, Most famous for his victory over Satan in his deepest adversity.
First, Reviled by his Wife.
Secondly, Reproached by his Friends.
Thirdly, Deserted by his nearest Relations, in the day of his greatest need.
First, Unjustly accused of, charged with, censured for, the worst of iniquities.
Secondly, Who stoutly maintained his own innocence against all those censures and charges.
Thirdly, Who was clearly acquitted from them all, by the testimony of his own conscience always, and by the testimony of God himself in the end.
First, Greatly distressed by the malice of the devil, through the permission of God.
Secondly, Mightily supported against the malice of the devil, by the power of God, in all his distresses.
Thirdly, Fully resolved to trust in God with all his heart, though he died under his hand, in never so great distress.
First, In the greatness of his pain, expostulated sometimes with God over-boldly; yet,
Secondly, At the last submitted and humbled himself at the foot of God meekly.
Thirdly, Was honored as a Mediator for his mistaken friends, and accepted in it by God graciously.
First, After his restoring, was filled with the blessings of this life.
Secondly, Lived long, even to fullness of days, in the full enjoyment of those blessings.
Thirdly, Died peaceably, and passed sweetly into the enjoyment of a better, of a longer, even an eternal life.
Thus I am come to the end of Job, and to the end of the Book of Job; yet before I end let me leave these five words, as so many Uses of the whole Book of Job.
First, While you live in this world, live in the expectation of, and preparation for changes: Job met with them, and who may not?
Secondly, Be patient under all the troublesome changes which you meet with in this world: Job is your pattern.
Thirdly, Never measure the heart of God towards you, by his hand upon you; judge not of your spiritual estate, by what appears in your temporal. That was the grand mistake of Jobs friends, and it was his honor to withstand them in it, and to stand fast to his integrity, in the lowest fall of his estate in this world.
Fourthly, Whatever God doth to you, or with you, submit freely to him: So did Job at first.
Fifthly, and lastly, How low soever you are brought, yet hope for a good issue, possibly, in this life, assuredly in that life which is to come. Job found both at last.
To close all, There are examples of two sorts recorded in the holy Scriptures. First, for caution, To the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Secondly, for imitation, To the intent we should do good things, which they all • o did; and suffer evil things, with the same mind, and in the same manner, as they likewise suffered. Holy Job may be to us an example of caution in some things, for even he had (and who hath not) his failings: He all • o may be an example in many things, how both to do good, and suffer evil. And among all imitable examples (except that of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom in some respects, Job may be called a type, and the things which hap'ned to him in his sufferings, may be called (as the Apostle useth the word in another case, 1 Cor. 10.11.) types of what hap'ned to Christ in his; I say, among all imitable examples, except his) this of Job is one of the most emi •• nt in doing, & the most eminent of all in suffering. Let him therefore be our pattern to do and suffer by, our copy in both to write by, our mirror or looking-glass to observe the discomposures, and compose the features and motions, both of our outward and inward man by; let us admire and follow his unspotted integrity in morals, his servant zeal about spirituals, his unshaken faith, and hope for eternals; let us admire and follow his moderation in a high estate, his contentation in a low estate, his stedfastness with, and for God, in every estate.
He that stayeth in the bare speculation of what is written by inspiration from God in the Text, or of what is written through the help of God, by the study of man in the Exposition of this Book, is like unto a man, beholding his natural face in a glass ('tis the Apostle James his comparison, in the first Chapter of his Epistle to the scattered Tribes) for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was, that is, he forgets his own spots & defects, and suffers them to increase to more ungodliness: But he that reduceth or brings down his speculation to action at all times, and to a preparation for suffering, and free s • bmission to the will of God, without any hard thoughts of God, in hard times, and so conforming himself to what he seeth in this glass, continueth in it; this man shall be blessed (as Job was, though not in the same manner as Job was) both in doing and suffering; and after he hath suffered a while, shall be perfected and lifted up far above the reach of suffering, and (which is far better) above the fear of sinning anymore forever.
A TABLE Directing to some special Points noted in the precedent EXPOSITIONS.
A
- ABhorring, what it imports, 829. Five effects of abhorring sinful self. 837. four things cause an abhorrence of sinful self. 837. Two motives to self-abhorrence. 840.
- Abortive, what. 248. In what sense the Apostle Paul calls himself an Abortive, or one born out of due time. 248
- Acceptation with God in any service; two things required to it. 886. God accepts the persons of some, yet is no accepter of persons. 895. It is a high privilege to be accepted with God. 896. A twofold acceptation with God. 897. Three things show why it is a great mercy to be accepted with God, and we should be so fearful of losing acceptance with him. 898. Some godly men are more accepted, than others that are godly. 899. Among godly men, four sorts are most accepted. 900. Seven acts of a godly man, or ways of acting, very acceptable to God. 901. God accepts some godly men for others. 902. To be accepted with God, is a full reward for all our services, and an answer to all our prayers. 925. All our acceptation is by Christ. 926
- Account, vid. Judgment.
- Actions, good or bad, like seed sown. 379
- Adonai, one of God's Titles, the d • rivation of it, and how often given to God in Scripture. 69
- Aineas, why called Matutinus, or a morning man. 77
- Affliction, like cold and frost, in four respects. 232 No unloosing ourselves from affliction, till God doth it. 244, 245. Affliction increaseth knowledge. 794. God usually reveals himself much to us after great afflictions or sufferi • gs. 827. In affliction friends are apt to forsake us. 959. Three thing • may comfort us in affliction. 986. In affl • ction, grace is not only tried, but increased. 995
- Ah, ha, or Ha, ha, what it imports in the speaker. 459, 460
- Alms, like seed sown. 379
- Anchorers, see Hermits.
- Angels, how called Stars. 81. and morning stars, 82. Angels, how and why called sons of God. 83, 84. Three things considerable in the Angels. 84. Angels are of one mind. 86
- Answering, how taken in Scripture. 8. Two kinds of answering. 507. Answering in Logic three ways. 508. Answering in Law, how. 508. Where God is opponent, no man can answer. 520
- Antelunares, why so called. 44
- Apostasy of Angels. 88
- Appetite, strong in young ones. 285
- Arabia, why so called. 333
- Archimedes, his boast. 51
- Arcturus, what. 249
- Aristotle, why he cast himself into the Sea. 151
- Arm notes strength. 140, 547. Arm of God, what. 547. Arm of God, spoken of in Scripture for a fourfold use. 548
- Arms or weapons, of two sorts. 761
- Arnoldus Bootius, his opinion about the beast commonly called the Unicorn. 348, 349
- Arrows, why called children of the bow. 763
- Ass, wild Ass, how said to be set free, and loosed from bands. 326, 327
- Assurance of what we would have, breeds great joy. 459
- Athanasius his Prophetical answer to those who jeered him with the croaking of a Raven over his head. 296
B
- Barrenness of any Land, whence. 335 Barren places have their use. 335
- Beasts, some beasts have a kind of willingness to serve man. 359. That any of the beasts will not serve man, is to be ascribed to the sin of man, as the procuring cause. 360, 361. Those beasts which will not serve man, have yet their use, shown in three things. 362. Labor of beasts very profitable to man. 377. Among beasts, some wiser than others; what their wisdom is. 414, 415. A shame for man to be excelled in any good, by beasts. 631
- Beauty, what. 570. Two sorts of beauty. 1008. Beauty a gift of God. 1009. Three considerations should keep them humble, who are most beautiful. 1009. Inward beauty most desirable. 1010
- Beginning, taken two ways. 623
- Behemoth, described six ways, 606, 607. Behemoth may signify all the beasts of the field. 609. Why, though a word of the plural number, applicable to one. 609. Behemoth, how the chief of the ways of God. 624
- Beholding of things or persons, twofold. 577
- Believers, why called the first fruits of God's creatures. 221. A believer mounts high like the Eagle, especially in two things. 478. Believers do not only mount high, but abide on high. 480
- Belief, that which is much desired, in some cases is hardly believed. 454. Why the same word signifieth to stand fast or steady, and to believe. 456.
- Birth, new birth, three things in it. 322
- Blessing, two ways of blessing one. 977. The blessing of God effectual for the good of man. 978. Seven characters of those whom the Lord will bless. 979, 980. They who are blessed, are also loved of God. 981. Three things whence it is that many mind not a blessing from God. 982. All successes are not from the blessing of God. 984. Temporal things are blessings, but spiritual things are the best blessings. 989. How we may know when temporal things are a blessing, and come to us in love. 990
- Bochartus, his opinion, that Behemoth is not the Elephant, but Hippopotame. 611, 612.
- Borrowing, fear not to lose what God borrows of us. 951
- Brethren and sisters, two ways taken Scripture. 956
- Building, two things most considerable in it, both eminent in God's building, the World. 59
C
- Canutus his answer to his flattering Courtiers. 110
- Captivity, how taken in Scripture. 931 Any affliction is a kind of captivity. 932
- Care to be cast upon God. 177. Care of God over the beasts of the earth, and fowls of the air, should convince man that God will take care of him. 279, 288. Care of God to provide for the vilest creatures. 296. Care of God for his p ople seen in two things. 643
- Carefulness what to be avoided. 746
- Carnal men judge of God by themselves. 834
- Causes, natural causes produce natural effects, and so do spiritual causes spiritual effects. 214
- Charity, a great trial of it. 880
- Children, not to charge their parents, when able to help themselves. 324. They who excel in anything are elegantly called the children of it. 781
- Children a great blessing. 993. Parents duty in naming them. See names, how it is a blessing to have many children. 1023. Good children a great joy. 1024
- Christ his eternity. 45. He is the corner-stone. 69, 70. Christ a light for two great ends. 122. Christ compared to a Lion in four respects. 283.
- Christ resembled by the Hind in three things. 312. Why Christ is called a horn of salvation. 381. Christ like the Eagle shown in seven things. 489, 490. Christ a relief against all evil. 648. Christ the best friend. 958
- Church, a vain thing to oppose it. 685 Church set out by Christ in her spiritual excellencies. 721. God terrible in the Church. 729
- Cloathed, to be clothed with anything what it imports. 428, 429
- Cloud, how a garment to the sea. 101. Clouds called the Arcenal of heaven, why. 192. The wisest men can neither tell how many the clouds are, nor fully what they are. 272
- Cock, why crows at Midnight. 254. He is a natural clock. 270
- Cold, whether natural or spiritual, is a great binder. 243
- Comforting the sorrowful a great duty. 967 Six cases which call us to comfort others, together with so many ways of ministering comfort to them. 968. Four considerations moving to this duty. 969
- Command of God creating. 114, 115
- Comeliness, it consisteth in three things. 717
- Company, no company pleaseth, but such as is suitable. 340
- Compulsion grievous to beasts, much more to men. 341
- Condemnation of self, what good. 545
- Confession of sin, when right. 525
- Contending, of two sorts. 497. How man contendeth with the word, how with the works of God. 497, 498. There is a spirit in weak man, ready to contend with the strong God. 499. In two cases we are apt to contend with God about his works. 501. Four considerations moving us to beware of all contendings with God. 502, 503. In what way we may contend with God. 503, 504. They who contend with God would seem wiser than he. 505
- Conversion, why so difficult a work. 360
- Covenant, Hebrew word notes two things, and why. 670
- Counsel, what it is. 25. The word counsel, put absolutely or alone, notes God's counsel. 25
- Counsel of God may soon be darkened by us. 30. Some do it intentionally, the greatness of their sin. 30, 31
- Courage, where God gives courage man cannot make afraid. 438. True courage fears not present danger. 449
- Craft, Some creatures full of it. 292. What some cannot do by strength they do by craft. 292, 293
- Creation, that work calls us to praise God. 89. Four things in creation move us to praise God. 90
- Creatures, God can make any of them hurtful to us. 188. Two things show the power of God in the creature. 189. Several degrees of excellency in the creatures. 625. An inference from it. 626. God can easily subdue the strongest creatures. 638. Two inferences from it. 638, 639. God to be magnified in the qualities, and quantity, or bigness of his creatures. 663. All creatures made serviceable to man. 672. Some creatures terrible to man. 690. An inference from it. 690. God pleased in setting forth the natural excellencies of his creatures. 718. The excellencies of the creature show the excellency of God. 722. God would have man know the excellencies of the creature. 723
- Crocodile, not tongueless. 662
D
- Danger, to leave anything in danger, and not provide against it, is great folly. 402. Dangers put all creatures to their utmost shifts. 419. They who think themselves out of danger despise danger. 420. Danger is the Element of courage. 446. It is best not to do or quickly give over doing that which is dangerous. 680. They are cruel to themselves, who run upon danger unadvisedly. 692. Great dangers may make the stoutest afraid. 753. Great dangers put bad men upon repentance. 758
- Darkness, what. 166
-
Day
of Judgment like to be a terrible
day. 18.
It will be a discovering
day. 125.
- Days, when and whose days may be said to be full. 1029, 1031.
- Day-light never riseth two days together exactly in the same place. 126
- Death, the Gates of it, what. 151, 152, 154. No man knoweth how or in what manner he shall die. 155. Death takes all, and that upon a twofold ground. 1025. Four cautions from it. 1025. A good man willing to die. 1031
- Deering, his discourse upon his deathbed. 168
- Deliverance, out of trouble is God's work. 933. He can soon work it. 934
- Demanding, of two sorts. 818
- Desire, what we most desire, we would fain be at. 441, 444, 457
- Devil in bonds always. 111. Devil like the Hawk. 473. With what weapons we may prevail against him. 766
- Dew how caused. 222. Two things considerable in the falling of the dew. 222. God the Father of it. 223. The great benefit of dew. 223, 224. A three-fold allusion of the dew. 226
- Disdain or despising, who most apt to do it. 780