Exposition of Job 38-42

IN the former verse Job gave out in the plain field, confessing himself overcome, not by rigor and force of arms, but by reason and strength of argument, or rather by that which is above all reasons and arguments, the sovereign power and authority of God; and thereupon he resolved to meddle no more, to answer no further; and that, though he had spoken once, yea twice, yet he would not proceed, he would add no more, he had enough of it, he had already spoken too much, much more (with respect to God) than came to his share. Hereupon the Lord, at this 6th verse, begins again to speak and answer him; and his answer is contained and continued quite through this fortieth Chapter, together with the whole one and fortieth, and in it we may consider these four things distinctly.

First, A p • eface, at the 6th verse; Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said.

Secondly, We have here a challenge, at the 7th verse; Gird up thy loins now like a man; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Thirdly, We have in this answer of God, a reproof of Job, or a vehement expostulation with Job, in the 8th and 9th verses; Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayst be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Thus he expostulates, thus he reproves.

Fourthly, We have here a large proof or demonstration of the greatness, power, wisdom, and sovereignty of God, for the further conviction and humiliation of Job. And this proof or demonstration of the power of God is laid down two ways.

First, By his providencial actings, in destroying proud and wicked men. This we have in the 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 verses; Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency, and array thyself with glory and beauty; cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, and behold everyone that is proud, and abase him. As if the Lord had said, these things I do; I look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low, I tread down the wicked in their place, &c. All this I can do, and do in my providences daily; Job, canst thou do so too? Thus we have a proof of the great power and sovereignty of God taken from his judiciary proceedings with proud men.

Secondly, He gives of a proof his great power by a double instance, from the work of creation; as in the former Chapter by the works of providence alone, so here by the works of creation and providence too. And this double instance is given in two great vast living creatures; one of them the greatest upon the earth, the other the greatest in the waters.

The first is Behemoth, the vastest creature that breaths upon the earth, who is described from the 15th verse. of this Chapter, to the end.

The second is Leviathan, the vastest creature in the water, who is described quite through the one and fortieth Chapter. The Lord having spoken of many other creatures formerly, in the forming and ordering of which, his power and wisdom shine forth; he reserved these two to close with, that Job by the consideration of them, might see what a poor thing himself was, and how unable to grapple with the great God, who made those great creatures; for that is the general issue. If God hath made such huge creatures as these, then what a one is God! how mighty and powerful is God! what is the cause, if the effects are such? what is the fountain, if we see such streams? Such is the drift of God in this his last answer to Job, and these are the parts of it. We may sum up all in this brief; here human weakness and divine Power are compared together; man's nothingness, with God's Allness or Alsufficiency, that so man ( Job in special) might be convinced, and conclude that he could no more charge God with any fault, than he was able to resist his power.

So then, this whole oration or discourse tends to the confirmation of Job, yet more, in believing the irresistible providence of God; which, when he should well understand, he would no more doubt of his justice, nor accuse his judgments of severity, nor would he anymore desire to debate with God as he had done.

Nor can these things be pressed too often upon the holiest among men, man being not only by nature altogether unbelieving, but having so much unbelief mingled with his graces, as sad experience teacheth him at all times, especially in times of great affliction and temptation. So much of the whole answer, and the state of it; now for the particulars.

Then. That is, when Job said he could not, or he would not answer, or had no more to answer, Then, the Lord answered; or, to go a little further.

Then. When Job had humbled himself, and said he was vile, even then the Lord answered him, and he answered him out of the whirlwind.

Not so much to his speech as to his silence; for Job resolved to say no more, yet the Lord answered; and the Lord answered him

At the first verse of the 38th Chapter, we read of this whirlwind, and of the Lord answering out of it.

What a whirlwind is, was there opened, and several points of observation given from it, which I shall not now at all touch upon, nor meddle with; and yet, though the words in this 6th verse of the 40. Chapter, are the very same with those in the first verse of the 38th Chapter, yet from their placing and their repeating here, we may profitably take notice of some things for our instruction.

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said. The whirlwind being here spoken of a second time, 'tis questioned by some, whether this were a whirlwind of greater force, or of less than the former, or the same. The ground of the query is from a little variation which is in the Hebrew Text. In the 38th Chapter an Article is prefixed to the word whirlwind, which (say some) intends the sense, noting it to be a very vehement whirlwind: But in the 40 Chapter, that article is left out; upon which they collect, That this latter whirlwind was not so fierce, nor so vehement as the former. But this is only a conjecture; nor can anything be solidly grounded upon such Grammatical differences; yea, some, notwithstanding that defect of the Article, conceive the whirlwind here in this Chapter, was more vehement than that in the former Chapter. But I shall not stay about that Query, nor discourse anything concerning the nature of the whirlwind, which was touched before at the 38. Chapter, but shall

Observe, First;

To speak out of a whirlwind, is a dreadful manifestation. The whirlwind, and speaking out of it, notes a legal dispensation, or a ministration of terror, such as the Law was published in, of which we read in the 19th of Exodus, which was so terrible (saith the Apostle, Heb. 12.) that Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake. The Lord hath his Mount Sinai dispensations, in thunder and lightning, and with a terrible voice; and he hath also his Mount Zion dispensations in sweet and precious promises, and Gospel-Ordinances; he hath his beseechings, his intreatings, his wooings, his invitings. Divine dispensations vary. 'It is said (1 King. 1.6.) in the History of Elijah, that when the Lord appeared, there was an Earth-quake, and the Lord was not in the Earth-quake; there was a mighty wind, and the Lord was not in the wind; there was fire, and the Lord was not in the fire: At last, there came a still small voice, and there the Lord was. The Lord waved the dreadful manifestation of himself, by winds, tempest, thunder, fire, Earth-quake, and came only in a still voice. The reason why the Lord doth thus variously dispense himself, sometimes in a whirlwind, sometimes in a gentle gale, is to answer the several tempers and spirits of men; where the spirits of men will not bow, the Lord knows how to break and bring them down; and where the spirits of men are already bowed and broken, humbled and melted, the Lord knows how to comfort and confirm them: He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. And when it is said, He will not break, the meaning is, he will bind up and strengthen the bruised reed; And when it is said, he will not quench, the meaning is, he will blow up and kindle the smoking flax, that is, weak believers, or souls afflicted under the sense of their own weakness and sinfulness, or sinful weaknesses.

'As tis a great part of the wisdom of the Ministers of the word, to divide the word aright, that is, to give everyone a portion suitable to his condition (they must speak to some, as it were, in a whirlwind, in the whirlwind of the Law; they must speak to others in a still voice, that of the Gospel; they must threaten and terrify some, comfort and refresh others) So the Lord himself deals; he hath many ways of humbling the creature, and as many ways of comforting the creature; he speaks in a whirlwind (as I may say) when he threatens in the Law, he speaks dreadfully, sometimes by his providences and judgments (there's a voice in them) he speaks terribly to us in our own personal afflictions, and when under sad dispensations: All this is, as it were, a speaking in the whirlwind. And he speaks graciously, winningly and comfortably, or to the hearts of his people, even when he leads them into the wilderness ( Hos. 2.14.) The Apostle saith, Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men; that is, we persuade men by the terror of the Lord: and so, knowing the goodness and the mercy of the Lord, we persuade men; that is, we persuade them by the goodness & the mercy of the Lord. I (saith the Apostle, Rom, 12.1.) beseech you by the mercies of God, present your bodies, &c. Of some we must have compassion, making a difference; & others save with fear (Jude verse. 22.23.) that is, we must put them in fear, that they may be saved, or (as I may say) scare and fright them to heaven.

Secondly, Consider, who it is that the Lord spake to in a whirlwind; he spake to Job: and who was Job? surely a very godly man, a man that feared God, a man that had a very noble testimony from God himself, and yet here God spake to Job himself in a whirlwind.

Hence, Note;

Certainly God would not have spoken to Job in a whirlwind, if there had not been cause for it; he would not have spoken twice in a whirlwind, if there had not been double cause for it. The Apostle Peter saith (1 Eph. 1.6.) Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (that is, afflictions and trials) if need be. We should never feel any affliction from the hand of God, never be in heaviness, if there were not need. There is need that the holiest in this world should sometimes be made heavy, or that heaviness should be upon them for a time. We should always have calms and fair weather, never any storms, nor tempests, nor whirlwinds from God, did not our needs call for it. As we every day need bread, which is therefore called by Christ our daily bread; so most days we need a rod, either the rod of his mouth to reprove us, or the rod of his hand to chasten us: And we do so, especially, for these reasons.

First, To bring us into a deep sense of our own vileness, to humble us, to lay us low.

Secondly, To make greater impressions upon our hearts, of the power and sovereignty of God, of the holiness and righteousness of God. It is, that we might know ourselves more, and that we might know God more, that God speaks to us in whirlwinds, in terrible dispensations.

Further, As this is a second whirlwind, as it is a second speaking to Job, a good man, in a whirlwind,

Observe;

God hath an end, a purpose in every work, and every work of his goeth on, till he hath attained his purpose. As the word which goeth out of the Lord's mouth shall not return unto him void, but shall accomplish that which he pleaseth, and prosper in the thing whereto he sends it ( Isa. 55.11.) So the work which God takes in hand, shall not be in vain, but shall prosper to the purpose for which he undertakes it. Now if any ask what is the purpose of God in whirlwind dispensations? that was shown before, even to make us more humble, and to have higher thoughts of God in every respect.

But some may say, Job had very low thoughts of himself before, he had said, I am vile; doubtless Job spake this in great humility: why then doth the Lord speak to Job in a whirlwind again, seeing he was truly humbled at his first speaking?

I answer, Though Job was humbled, yet he was not humbled enough, he was not yet laid low enough, nor melted down enough, and therefore God spake to him in a whirlwind again. It would not serve his turn, barely to say I am vile, God must have more of him than that, he must make a fuller confession of his fault than that; God brought him at last to say, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes, which is a description of deepest humiliation. Now because Job was not come to that, but had only said, I am vile (though there was matter of great humiliation in that) the Lord questions with him again in a whirlwind. This should be of great consideration to us in any day of affliction.

For if God hath not his purpose in bringing the first affliction, we shall be spoken to in a whirlwind a second time. We are apt to wonder and think it strange, that God should speak terribly to us so often, that he should renew our afflictions, and make us new crosses. We think, if we do but make a light confession of our sins, and say, we are vile, presently the storm should cease, and the affliction be removed. Let us not deceive ourselves, Job had said he was vile; yet God continued the storm, because he was not yet low enough. 'It is not enough for us that we are truly humbled. As there must be truth in our humiliation, so there must be depth in it; for questionless, when Job said before, I am vile, he did not dissemble with God, he was hearty in it, and spake his heart; what he spake was from his very soul, and in sincerity, he did not complement with God, he did not flatter God with his mouth, nor lie unto him with his tongue, as the Israelites did ( Psal. 78.36.) his heart was right with God, as theirs was not ( ver. 37.) yet, because his spirit was not come down as it should, therefore he must be awakened and humbled more with another whirlwind, he must be further school'd, that he might give further glory to God in his own abasement.

And hence we may infer;

If he spake out of a whirlwind to a Job a gracious godly man, what will that whirlwind be, out of which he will speak to a Pharaoh, to profane and hard-hearted sinners! As our Lord Jesus Christ said of himself in the Gospel, If it be thus done to a green tree, what shall be done to the dry? If God hath whirlwinds for his Jobs, for his own people, who are as green flourishing trees in grace and holiness; what will he do with the dry sticks of the world? And I may argue it as the Apostle doth (1 Pet. 4.13.) If judgment begin at the house of God, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel? what shall their end be? no man is able to say, no nor to conceive how sad it will be. Judgment begins at the house of God; God will not spare his own house, not his own household, he will not spare his Servants and Children when they sin; he is no cockering Father, he will correct his own Children; he will not only sweep his house, but he will shake his house; and he shakes it, because it is no better swept, nor kept more cleanly. And if for these, and such like reasons we at any time see judgment beginning at the house of God, we may say with astonishment, What will the end of those be who obey not the Gospel! What will become of the wicked and ungodly, of those who openly profane and blaspheme his Holy Name! O what appearances shall they have of God, and how shall they appear before God! We read, in the 25th of Jeremy; of a Bowl of blood given him to carry about to the Nations: A terrible message he is sent about; he carries a Cup of blood about, and bids the Nations drink, they must drink it; and saith the Lord, If they shall refuse to take the Cup at thy hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, thus saith the Lord of hosts, ye shall certainly drink: Why? For lo, I begin to bring evil upon the City which is called by My Name; and shall ye be utterly unpunished? As if the Lord had said, I have brought evil upon Jerusalem, upon my own people, and they have drunk very deep of that bitter Cup; and do you, O ye uncircumcised nations, think that you shall escape? We may conclude, the Lord hath a terrible storm to bring upon the wicked and ungodly of the world, when we hear him speaking to his own people in whirlwinds. Consider this ye that forget God (as such are admonished Psal. 50.22.) lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. For our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him, as 'tis said at the 3d verse of that Psalm. And Then, as 'tis threatened ( Psal. 2 5.) shall he speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. That speaking will indeed be speaking out of a whirlwind, which shall hurry them away into everlasting darkness.

Thus far of the manner of God's speaking to Job the second time; It was still out of the whirlwind. Now followeth the matter spoken, or what he spake to him.

I shall add but little about this verse, because we have had it almost word for word ( Chap. 38.3.) where the Lord thus bespake Job, Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

These words this second time spoken or repeated by God to Job, fall under various apprehensions, these four especially.

First, Some look upon them merely as a challenge sent of God; Gird up now thyself like a man, come stand to thy work, or rather stand to thy word, do thy best.

Secondly, Others expound them as an irony or divine scorn, put upon Job to humble him. Come, Gird up thy loin • like a man; Donit flinch for it, stand to it, thou wilt surely make good the day with me.

Thirdly, Many (in a milder sense) look upon these words, merely as Counsel given to Job; as if the Lord had said, I mean to deal further with thee, Therefore come now, prepare and address thyself to the business; I give thee leave to make the best thou canst of thy cause.

Fourthly, We may take these words, as spoken to Job for his Comfort and encouragement. The Lord seeing him as it were sinking, and refusing to speak, saith to him, be not troubled, be of good cheer man, Gird up thy loins like a man. As the words are taken for a challenge, and under the notion of a scorn put upon Job, I shall not stay upon them.

This phrase (Gird up thy loins) was opened at the 38th Chap. 'tis a metaphor taken from Travelers, or those that go about any business; who wearing long garments, used to gird them up, that they might be more expeditious, whether for labor or for travel.

Thus the words are matter of Counsel and encouragement given to Job, and under that notion I shall Note two things from them.

First, As they are words of counsel, the Lord having further business with Job or more to do with him, adviseth him to gird up his loins like a man.

Hence, Observe;

To Gird up our loins like a man imports our best preparation; and such preparation we need for every holy duty. When we are to pray, we had need gird up our loins like men, for then we are to wrestle or strive with God, we must work it out with God in the duty of prayer; and if our garments hang loose, that is, our affections be upon the earth, and our hearts in the corners of the world, how can we prevail with God in prayer? we must gird up our loins like men, when we declare our desires and requests to God in prayer, and expect that God should answer us. The holy Prophet complained of the Jews failing in this ( Isa. 64.7.) There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee. Doubtless many called upon God in those days, but they did not stir up themselves to take hold of God by faith, and so their prayers went for no prayers. And when we go to hear the word (wherein God deals with us) we had need gird up the loins of our minds, else we cannot mind the word while we hear it, nor remember, much less practice the word which we have heard. The Scripture often calls us to preparation for every duty: What can discomposed persons, loose-spirited persons, loose-loin'd persons do with God or for God? When we have anything to do with God, anything to do for God, we should do our best, and be at our best, we should play the men. Master Broughton expresseth it well, though not clear to the words in the Original, Let me see thy skill or how skillfully thou canst handle the matter with me. The Lord would have us show our skill when we have anything to do with him, or to do for him; we should then play the men and not the children, much less should we play the fools, be slothful, sluggish, and careless.

Especially we should do this with respect to the appearing of Jesus Christ in the great day of our account: Christ himself gives the rule, Stand with your loins girt, and your lamps burning, as those servants that wait for their Lord's coming. When Christ our Lord comes, all must come before him, but none shall be able to stand before him, but they who stand with loins girt; that is, who are ready, and in that readiness wait for his coming.

Secondly, Taking these words as words of encouragement: Gird up thy loins like a man; Poor heart, do not faint.

Note;

When God lays them in the dust, he would not have them sink in despair, but be of good cheer. God loves to see his people humbled, but he doth not love to see them dejected. As God would have us sensible, so comfortable. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, said the Lord ( Isa. 40.1.) when he saw they were ready to sink, he commanded comfort to be spoken to them. He gives Cordials and Restoratives, when he is speaking out of a whirlwind; and therefore he said to Job, Gird up thy loins like a man.

But however the Lord is either counseling or comforting Job in these words, he checks and reproves him in the next.

These are words of reproof, and a very great reproof they are. Here the Lord begins to chide and expostulate with Job.

'It is a quick kind of speech; such Questions have much spirit and life in them. How now Job, Wilt thou disannul my Judgment?

But what is meant by disannulling, what by the Judgment, that God saith Job was about to disannul?

To disannul, is to make void, to frustrate, to break a thing, so as it shall not stand in any stead, or be of any force; it is applied to the breaking of an Oath, to the breaking of a Covenant, and to the disappointment of counsels and purposes. Read Num. 30.14, 15. 1 Kings 15.19. Jer. 35.20. Psal. 33.10, 11. Isa. 8.10. Thus saith the Lord, Wilt thou disannul, or make void my Judgment?

The Septuagint render it as a Negative Command, Do not thou repel or resist my Judgment. An ancient Greek Translator renders it, as we, by way of Question, What, wilt thou repel or oppose my Judgment? The word is applied to great sinnings (Ezra 9.13.) And after all this that is come upon us, &c. seeing our God hath given us such deliverance as this, should we again break thy Commandments? &c. But did Ezra think, that after that they should no more break the Commandments? Taking a breach of the Commandments barely for sinning, he could not express it so; therefore by breaking the Commandments, he means disannulling the Commandments: What is that? 'It is so to break the Commandments, as if we would rescind and repeal them. There is such a kind of sinning, as if men would not only sin against the Law, but sin the Law away, or out of doors, as if men would sin the Bible out of the world: that's the meaning of the word there, If we shall again break thy Commandments; for it followeth, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations. 'It is not breaking the Commandments by any sin, but to sin so as if we would make them all void, and reverse the statutes of heaven. Thus the word is used by David (Psal, 119.126. ) which doth much clear the sense of this Text, Lord, it is time for thee to work; Why? for they have made void thy law. 'It is the same word here in Job, They have disanulled thy law. 'It is high time for God to awake, to bestir himself, and look to men, when they come to this height of sinning, to make void and disannul his Law, by setting up their own lusts. Some would even enact their own lusts, and throw down the Law of God. That's the significancy of the word here used; saith God to Job, Wilt thou disannul my Judgment? Wilt thou make it void, or break the course of it? Wilt thou change it, and put or introduce somewhat of thine own in the room and place of it, as some gloss the words? Wilt thou disannul

Judgment, I conceive, in this place is taken for that course of administration which God uses in the World, whether with particular persons, or with Nations. As if the Lord had said, Thinkest thou thyself not only able to comprehend the reason of all my administrations towards thyself or others, but wilt thou also presume to subject them to thy will and wisdom; as if thou couldst administer them with more equality and righteousness, or to better purpose than I have done? The course or way of God's dispensation, is God's Judgment; and 'tis called his Judgment,

First, Because it proceeds upon the highest reason, upon the clearest acting of Judgment and understanding; and in that sense 'tis always Judgment. For God is a God of Judgment (Isa. 30.18.) That is, of the highest reason and understanding in all matters that he doth.

Secondly, 'It is called Judgment, because oftentimes these administrations are as a sentence pronounced and given out by God, whether against particular persons or Kingdoms, and so have Judgment in them, that is, wrath and punishment. Judgment is often put for punishment. In this sense we are to understand it here. Wilt thou disannul my Judgment, particularly with thyself. I have taken this course with thee, I have brought all these afflictions upon thee, I have broken thy estate, I have broken thy body, I have broken thy spirit; this is the course I have taken with thee: wilt thou disannul this course that I have taken with thee? surely thou shouldest not, I know thou canst not. So then, the Lord expostulates thus with Job, as if he would have crossed all his proceedings and dealings with him, or would have rescinded as it were the sentence and decree of God concerning him. Wouldest thou have me to change either the matter, manner, or measure of thy chastenings? No, my will, not thine, shall be the rule of them. Wilt thou disannul my Judgment? Now from this sense of the words,

Note, First;

The Lord speaks to Job as attempting a thing beyond himself, or beyond his power. What, saith the Lord, wilt thou disannul my judgment? surely thou wilt not venture at that, thou wilt not offer that; 'tis more than thou or any man can do. The Lord's judgment, or the way which he will take with any man, no man can supersede or stop; no man can hinder him in it. What the Lord determines, what he gives forth, it shall stand. Balaam could say ( Numb. 23.20.) The Lord hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. The judgment of the Lord at that time towards Israel, was a Judgment or Sentence of favor and mercy; therefore saith Balaam, The Lord hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. And if the Lord gives out a Sentence of affliction, or commands a cross upon any man, who shall reverse it ( Psal. 33.10.) The Counsel of the Lord shall stand, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. They shall stand; who then shall make them fall? The Sentences or Judgments of men are often disanulled by men, and they may always be disanulled by God ( Lam. 3.38.) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not commanded. The Lord can disannul all the Judgments of men, of the wisest men in the world; but none can disannul the Lord's Judgments, and make them void. There are but two ways by which the Judgment, that is, the Sentence, or the resolution and purpose of a man is disanulled.

First, By the power of the party against whom the Judgment is given. Sometimes there is a Sentence given against a man, which comes to naught, 'tis made void; why? there's no power can execute it upon him: David spake much in that language, Ye sons of Serviah are too hard for me.

Secondly, Sometimes the Judgments of men are disanulled by a superior Authority; one Court recalls or takes off the Judgment of another. But neither of these ways can the Judgment of God be disanulled. If God give out a Sentence against a person, his power, how powerful soever he is, shall never hinder the execution of it; though he be (as it's spoken in Amos ) as high as the Cedar, and as strong as the Oak, yet he shall not hinder the Judgment of God. And as there is no man hath power of arm; or of arms, to hinder the Judgment of God; so there is no Authority superior to, or above God's. There's no Court above the Court of Heaven, to which appeal may be made, to get God's Sentence disanulled, or his Judgment reversed; therefore the Judgment of God cannot be disanulled.

And seeing the Judgments of God, as taken for the Sentence which he hath declared against sinners, such as that ( Rom. 2.9.) Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil, &c. cannot be disanulled; what cause have we to bless God for Christ, who hath endured that Judgment in his own person, which could not be disanulled nor made void; and hath also (as the Apostle speaks, Col. 2.14.) blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his Cross. Yet

Observe, Secondly;

This was Jobs Case. Why doth God ask him whether he would disannul his Judgment? surely, because he had made many complaints (as hath been shown in this Book) about the dealings of God with him: The Lord interpreted this as a disannulling of his Judgment. If we are not satisfied with the Judgment of God, though it be a Judgment of anger and displeasure towards us, we, as much as in us lies, disannul the Judgment of God. Let us often remember this, The way of God's proceeding with us, his way of administration towards us, is his Judgment; now if it be a way of affliction, if he speak terribly to us, let us take heed of complaining, lest we be found disannulling his Judgment. We may come under the compass of this Charge before we are aware. As for instance;

If we shall say, we could bear any Judgment but this, any affliction but this; this is to disannul the Judgment of God. Let us say, whatever the affliction is, it is best for us, and God hath most righteously brought it upon us.

Again, If we shall say, we could be patient even under this Judgment of God for the matter of it; but when we consider the degree of it, that it goes so far, and wounds so deep, who can bear it? Thus Job complained ( Chap. 6.2.) Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together; for now it would be heavier than the sand of the Sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. It was not so much the matter of his affliction, as the degree, or weight, or extremity of it, which put him to those grievous complaints. Now if we are not patient and quiet under that very degree of the Judgment which God is pleased to heighten it unto, this is a disannulling of his Judgment; therefore let us take heed of complainings upon that account.

Yet further, Others will say, If this Cross had been for a short time, we could have born it; but it hath been long upon us already, and we know not how long it may continue, we can see no end of it. Take heed of these complainings; for this also is to disannul the Judgment of God, if we find fault with the length of the Cross. Though we may cry with the souls under the Altar, How long Lord, how long, yet we must not say it is too long.

Lastly, There is this also at which many are much troubled, and so even disannul the Judgment of God; for say they, if it were but in someone thing that we were afflicted, we could bear it; but we are afflicted in body, and afflicted in mind, and afflicted in our children, and afflicted in our estate, we are afflicted in our credit, and in all our comforts; if it had been in someone thing, we could have sat down quietly under it; but now it's affliction all over. Take heed, for this also is to disannul the Judgment of God. And if any of these be to disannul the Judgment of God, how soon may we do it? And if they are not, as to either, free from this charge, who show some impatience and trouble of spirit under the severer dealings of God, what shall we say of those who openly murmur, and even rage against them?

Thirdly, Wilt thou disannul my Judgment?

Note;

Wilt thou, saith he, What! disannul my Judgment! The Apostle saith, Let God be true, and every man a liar. Let the Judgment of God stand, though we fall.

Fourthly, Consider what a huge boldness it is in a creature, to do or say anything which may be interpreted a disannulling of the Judgment of God.

Fifthly, Consider how sinful a thing it is for any to go about to cross the administration of God. Somewhat we may do, in all the judgments or sad dispensations of God; we may pray about them, and we may in an humble submission expostulate with God about them; but we must take heed of an unquiet spirit under them, or of any risings of heart against them: Pray we may about them, earnestly, instantly, and importunately, and the more the better, yet still quietly submit; and the more quietly we submit to them, the more fit we are to pray to, and wrestle with him about them; that he in his own good time, and in his own way, would remove them from us. Wilt thou disannul my Judgment?

These words may be taken as an Exposition of the former. As if the Lord had said, Either I must be condemned, that thou mayest be righteous, or thou must be condemned, that I may be righteous; now whether it be meet that I or thou must be condemned, do thou judge. While thou insistest so much upon thine own innocence, thou seemest to cast blame upon my Justice. Either I have wronged thee by afflicting thee without just cause, or thou hast wronged me by intimations that I have done so: One of these must needs be true, seeing there is no middle between them. Consider then which is most probable, that I have wronged thee, or thou me. These are immediate contraries; so that the one being granted, the other must be denied. Now wilt thou accuse me of injustice in afflicting thee, that thy cause may be esteemed just?

But did Job ever accuse or condemn the Lord?

I answer, Not directly (as hath been shown heretofore) It never came into Jobs heart to accuse God of unrighteousness: but because by some misunderstood speeches of his, they about him judged he had; therefore the Lord put this question home to him, that he might exonerate and clear himself. The only matters in which he might seem to condemn God as unrighteous, was his speaking so much of his afflicting the righteous, and prospering the unrighteous; or his insisting so much upon the defense of his own righteousness before men, seemed to derogate from, or intrench upon the righteousness of God. So then Job did not intentionally cast any aspersion or blot upon the Justice of God; he only intended, in what he said, to show that the affliction that was upon him, was not for his sin, but for his trial, when he spake so much of his own righteousness; and yet because he was a little too lavish in speech, and too passionate, the Lord here puts this question to him, Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? 'It is I that justify thee, and wilt thou condemn me? The Lord is righteous, and all men are unrighteous; and shall any man do that which casts a note of unrighteousness upon God. Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Hence Note, First;

Job was much in justifying himself, though not with an intention to condemn God, yet the very action spake this in the opinion of others, that he thought himself not righteously dealt with, or at least rigorously dealt with. He that maintains his own right too much in affliction, chargeth God with wrong, though he never meant it: And therefore the Apostle saith, Let God be true, and every man a liar. A godly man in a good frame, though he cannot charge himself with any crime, nor is conscious of any way of wickedness, that he hath lived in, yet approves and justifies the Lord in all his dealings with him; and therefore we must take heed (it is a tender point) how we justify ourselves, especially under the afflicting hand of God. If we justify ourselves, there is somewhat of condemnation cast upon God; therefore still you shall find that the holiest servants of God in their Confessions charge all upon themselves. Righteousness belongs to God, but to us shame and confusion of face. So spake Ezra, and so spake Daniel. It is very dangerous to, and we quickly may, reflect upon the justice of God, and derogate somewhat from him, by our justifying of ourselves.

Observe, Secondly;

As it is the highest grace which God manifests to the creature, to justify man. It's God that justifies; who shall condemn. So it is one of the most excellent duties of man, to justify God. It is a high grace of God to man, to justify man; but it is only the duty of man to justify God in all things. Let him do what he will with persons or Nations, let him break them all to pieces, let him lay all waste and desolate; in all this we are to justify God. We should rather be willing to appear sinful, and that we are punished for our sins and evil deeds, than so much as in appearance to question or make the least doubt of the justice of God, or give others the least shadow of an occasion to question or doubt it.

That of the Schoolman bears much weight in this case. If (saith he) two are equal, and a fault is to be laid upon one of them; it is not reprovable, if one of them purge himself of the fault charged, although he be blameable in the opinion of others; because man naturally loveth himself more than another. But where there is so great a distance, as between God and man, man should rather take the blame to himself, though unjustly laid on him, than cast it upon God; which he cannot do but unjustly. And therefore God in arguing with Job, proposeth the superlative excellency of himself above man.

Observe, Thirdly;

Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Thou shouldest condemn thyself, and judge thyself; thy judgment is upon a wrong object. Self judgment is good, but judging of God, oh how sinful is that (1 Cor. 11.31.) If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged of the Lord. Our business is to judge ourselves, and for not judging of ourselves, it is, that we meet with so many judgments from the hand of God. Therefore God judgeth us, because we do not judge ourselves. And therefore let every mouth be stopped; it shall be so at last as the Apostle concludes ( Rom. 3.18.) Every mouth shall be stopped, and all the world shall become guilty before God. We are self-guilty, and therefore should be self-condemned. 'It is a dreadful thing in one sense to be self-condemned, as it is spoken of the Heretic ( Tit. 3.11.) He is condemned of himself: He is condemned of himself, while he doth justify himself. 'It is the worst of condemnations, to be condemned of ourselves, by justifying of ourselves; but it is good to condemn ourselves, in judging or in humbling ourselves. David was much in self-censuring and self-judging: when he found himself envying the prosperity of the wicked, and said, he had cleansed his heart in vain, he soon after censures himself for both ( Psal. 77.22.) So foolish was I and ignorant, even as a beast before thee. As if God had said, what a foolish creature am I, thus to condemn God in his proceedings, & to talk of my own innocence. Let us not boast of, but (as Master Calvin expresseth it upon the Text) let us win our spurs by condemning ourselves: For that is the only way to honor and exalt God. If we would get honor to ourselves, it must not be by contesting with God, but by humbling ourselves before him; there's no obtaining with God, by contending with him, much less by condemning him.

THe Lord at the 6th verse of this Chapter, entered upon a vehement expostulation with Job, to humble him and bring down his spirit; and that Job might be thoroughly humbled, here the Lord in this 9th verse showeth what a disparity there was between himself and Job, as before in his righteousness, Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous? art thou more righteous than I? So here in his power.

As if the Lord had said, Let me see what thou canst do, or whether thou canst do like God, seeing thou carriest thyself so unlike a man? That's the scope and tendency of this 9th verse, as of those that went immediately before.

The whole verse consists of two convincing questions. The first, in those words, Hast thou an arm like God? The second, in these, Canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

The arm, properly taken, is a noble and an eminent limb or member of man's body. Nor hath any creature, nor is any creature so much as said to have an arm but man. And some may say, seeing the arm is a bodily member, how can God, who hath nobody, be said to have an arm? I answer; 'tis true, God is a spirit, without distinction of parts; yet frequently in Scripture, as human passions, so bodily parts are ascribed to God improperly or by a figure. And because the arm is a strong and noble member of man's body, that member by which man puts forth the greatness of his strength, that member by which he doth and atchieves great things; therefore the arm in Scripture signifies power, and is the emblem of might and strength. In this language the Lord threatened old Eli the High Priest (1 Sam. 2.31.) Behold the days come that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy fathers house, &c. that is, I will take away thy power, and the power of thy family. Thus ( Zech. 11.17.) Woe to the idol shepherd, that leaveth the flock, the sword shall be upon his arm; that is, his power shall be broken, and he made useless, as that man is whose arm is wounded. And as the arm notes ministerial power, so magistratical power, whether abused or rightly used ( Job 35.9.) They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty; and ( Chap. 38.15.) The high arm shall be broken.

Now as the arm is put for the power of man, so for the power of God ( Psal. 98.1.) O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. Read also ( Isa. 59.16. and Isa. 63.12.) and here in the Text, Hast thou an arm like God? Is thy arm like God's arm? that is, is thy power like God's power?

Hence, Note;

There are three Scripture expressions, which in a gradation hold forth the power of God.

First, The finger of God ( Exod. 18.9.) When the Magicians could not imitate Moses in the Plague of Lice, then they said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God; that is, the power of God is eminent in this miracle, it exceeds our power, we not only cannot do the like, but nothing like it, as we did before in semblance of those former miracles. Thus Christ himself being blasphemed by some of the Jews, who said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of devils, answered ( Lu. 11.20.) If I by the finger of God cast out devils, &c. that is, If I by the power of God, or by the holy Spirit (so another Gospel hath it ( Mat. 12.28.) If I by the Spirit of God) cast out devils, &c.

Secondly, The power of God is expressed by the hand, which containeth all the fingers ( Isa. 59.1.) Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, that is, his power is not abated; he hath a long hand still, his power to save is as great as ever it was. The same Prophet saith ( Chap. 9.17.) The hand of the Lord is stretched out still, that is, his power is still at work to punish impenitent sinners. How much and how long soever God hath punished sinners, he can punish them longer and more; if they continue longer in sin, or sin more and more.

Thirdly, We have here in this Text, and in many others, the arm of God (that's more than his hand) signifying the fullness of his power. Not that there are any real gradations in the power of God; but there are gradations in the exerting and putting forth of his power. Sometimes God putteth forth his power (as it were) by a finger only, as Rehoboam said (1 Kings 12.10.) My little finger shall be thicker than my Fathers loins; that is, the least that I will do in my government shall be more afflictive and burdensome to you (if you call it a burden) than the most that my Father Solomon did in his. At another time God putteth forth his power by his hand, you may see his whole hand, that is, fuller and clearer evidences of his power, in what he doth or hath done, that is, in his works of providence, whether in breaking down or building up. And lastly, he showeth his arm, his stretched-out arm, that is, the fullness of his power. God hath power, great power, mighty power, he hath an arm, an out-stretched arm; and this arm of God is spoken of in Scripture for a four-fold use.

First, For the safe guarding of his people; 'tis a protecting arm. The arm of God with us signifieth our safety. The Prophet, speaking of the dealings of God with his ancient people, saith ( Isa. 63.12.) He led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm; that is, his protecting arm, by which he saved that people from the wrath of Pharaoh in their first advance out of Egypt, and from the wrath of all their enemies, in all their encampings and marches to Canaan, was very glorious. This glorious arm of his, is a defense upon all his glory ( Isa. 4.5.) that is, upon his whole Church, for there his truth, holiness, and holy worship, which are his glory, are held up, and held out. The Church of God, is so much for the glory of God, that 'tis called his glory.

Secondly, As the Lord hath a protecting arm from evil, so an arm delivering and pulling out of evil. The deliverance which God wrought for the Israelites in bringing them out of Egypt (Exod. 6.16. Deut. 5.15. and Deut. 7.19.) is said to be done by an out-stretched arm, that is, by his power visibly put forth, and even to the utmost, in the wonderful effects of it. All the while God did not deliver Israel out of their bondage, he might be said to draw in or hide his arm; but when he delivered them, then he was said to stretch it out.

Thirdly, As the arm of God is for the protection and delivering of his people, so for the destroying of his and their enemies. God hath a destroying arm, and of that Moses spake ( Deut. 33.27.) The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee (that's sometimes the work of the everlasting arms of God) and shall say, destroy them.

Fourthly, The Lord hath an assisting, helping, strengthening arm to carry us thorough any good work or duty, which he calleth us unto ( Isa. 53.1.) Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? that is, who hath received power to believe, and do according to what the Lord hath revealed? The arm of God works powerfully, not only upon the outward man, but upon the heart of man, for the converting and saving of souls ( Psal. 110.3.) In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing. The power of God put forth upon the inner man, for full conviction and sound conversion is greater than any power, that worketh upon, for, or against the body of man. God hath a mighty arm for all these purposes, and for many more, even for as many as he is pleased to make use of it, or employ it in.

And if any ask, How mighty is his arm?

I answer, No man knoweth how mighty it is; only this we know, It is Almighty. What the might of Almightiness is, who can understand! Moses spake admiringly more than knowingly to this point ( Psal. 90.11.) Who knoweth the power of thine anger? The anger of God is beyond comprehension, and so is his love; Who knoweth the power of his love? We are exhorted ( Eph. 3.19.) To know the love of God, which passeth knowledge. What the heighth, depth, length and breadth of divine love are & anger, no man knoweth; nor doth any man know the dimensions of divine power. The Apostle speaking of God as a Spirit, saith (1 Tim. 6.16.) Whom no man hath seen, nor can see. So we may say of God as powerful; no man knoweth, nor can know how powerful he is. He must be as powerful as God, who knoweth how powerful God is.

Only this we may say, First, his power is so great, that he can do all things, and he can do all things with ease, There is nothing hard to God. Hard things are easy to God. Some things are hard, and others easy to men; but to God all things are alike. Not only is nothing too hard for the Lord, as he said to Abraham (Gen. 18.14.) but the truth is, nothing is hard to him.

Secondly, His power is so great, that he can do whatsoever he willeth or hath a mind to do ( Job 23.13.) He is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doth. And as the Lord can and will do whatever he hath a will to do, so to clear the point a little further, we may boldly say, he hath a will to do all things of these three sorts:

First, He hath a will to do whatsoever he hath promised, purposed, or determined to do. Now, if we duly weigh what great things there are in the promises and purposes, in the counsels and decrees of God to do in the world, we may soon conclude with truth and sobriety, that great things will be done in their proper times and seasons.

Secondly, The Lord doth assure us, he hath a will to do whatsoever we ask of him in faith, and according to his will. If we have a rule for our asking, or if we ask by rule, we have a God's word for it, that it shall be done and given to us according to our askings (1 John 5.14.) And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. What is that? is it only that he perceives or knows what we ask? no, his hearing is the granting and giving what we ask. God is engaged by his gracious promise, that his arm shall do all that we pray for right for the matter, and aright for the manner, in faith and in sincerity.

Thirdly, It is the will of God to do whatsoever is for the real good of his people, though (possibly) they ask it not. It is the will of God, not only to do what we ask, but many times, more than we ask. As God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3.20.) so he actually doth for us much more than we ask or think. The Lord expects we should pray for every good thing which he hath promised; and therefore he had no sooner made many large and most gracious promises of doing great things for the Church, with this assurance ( Ezek. 36.36.) I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. But presently he adds ( verse. 37.) Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them. We should extend our prayers and our seekings to the utmost line of the word, or our prayers should be commensurate both to prophesies and promises: Prayer helps them all to the birth, and they seldom bring forth alone. And indeed prayer is nothing else, in the matter of it, but a turning or putting the promises into petitions, tis a suing out the good of the promise: Yet there are some good things in the promises which we cannot reach, or at least are not mindful of. There is a great latitude in the promises, The Commandments of God are exceeding broad (Psal. 119.96.) Who can find out all the duty of them! And doubtless the promises are exceeding broad; who can find out all the mercy in them! The Apostle Peter (2 Epist. 1.4.) calls them exceeding great and precious promises; they are exceeding good, and they are exceeding great, they are as great as they are good; and who hath a heart great and good enough to see and sue out all the good and great things in them? Now I say, though (possibly) we ask not for all the good of the promise (at least not expressly) yet it is the will of God to do all that for us, and to bestow all that good upon us which he hath promised. He hath preventing grace; his first grace he always giveth unasked. When he begins to manifest himself to a poor soul to bring him out of a state of darkness, is such a soul begging this of God? no; he is running from, and rebelling against God. I am found of them that sought me not, saith the Lord ( Isa. 65.1.) Now, as they who are not the Lord's, receive grace to become his, unasked; so they that are the Lord's, through grace, receive many mercies unasked. God will not fall in giving all that he hath promised, though we fail in asking some things promised: His arm is powerful enough to do what he willeth; and this is the will of God, to fulfil or make good all his promises. Men often out-promise themselves, but God doth not. Hast thou an arm like God?

Hence take these inferences;

That's the use which the Apostle makes of this point, and which naturally floweth from it (1 Cor. 10.22.) Do ye provoke the Lord to anger? are ye stronger than he? The Apostles sense hits the language of the Text fully; as if he had said, Have you an arm like God? There's no comparison between yours and his; He can crush you before the moth (Job 4.19.) that is, as soon as, or before a moth is crushed, which crumbleth to dust with the least or lightest touch of the hand, or little finger.

Men love to be on the stronger side; and some resolve to be on the stronger side, though it should be, or not regarding whether or no it be the worser side. Now seeing all have a natural desire to interest themselves where the greatest strength is, because there probably and rationally the greatest safety and best shelter is; then, how should we labor to get and assure an interest in God, which cannot be done, but by being on God's side (that is, by keeping close to him in all the duties of holiness and righteousness) for doubtless he is strongest; his side is not only a good, but the best, not only a strong, but the strongest side. Hath any man an arm like God? can all men, should they join all their arms in one, make an arm like God's? They cannot. Nor is there any arm strong, but in or by the strength of God's arm. As old dying Jacob spake while he was blessing his son Joseph (Gen. 49.24.) The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. How were his arms made strong! How did his bow abide in strength! It was by the hands (that is, by the power) of the mighty God of Jacob. Nothing made him strong, nor to abide in strength, but the arm of the mighty God. In this arm of God, the Church triumphed of old ( Psal. 124.1, 2, 3.) If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, now may Israel say, If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Their wrath was kindled into a burning flame, yet we were not burnt, much less utterly consumed, because the strong God was with us, or because, as the Psalm concludeth, Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. What help can we need at any time, which he cannot give us, who made heaven and earth without any help or helper? It is an impregnable Tower of comfort, that at what loss soever we are, we may find help, or help is to be had in God.

We may trust to his strength; and when his strength is indeed trusted to, our trust is withdrawn from all other strengths. We may use the arm or strength of creatures, while we trust in the arm or strength of God; but while we trust in the strength of God, we must trust in no strength but his, nor, if we really trust him, can we. When Sennacherib King of Assyriah invaded Judah with a mighty Host, Hezekiah thus encouraged his people (2 Chron. 32.7, 8.) Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him, for there be moe with us than with him; with him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles; and the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah King of Judah. They had an arm; what arm? not an arm of flesh (like Sennacherib's ) but the arm of the Lord for their help, and that carried the day. Created power is too slight to be trusted; but the power of the Creator calls all for our trust. We cannot trust creatures too little (as to success) nor can we trust God too much. Hath any man an arm like God?

A fourth Inference may be this;

We are easily persuaded to seek to him for help, who hath strength to help, especially when we know that he hath an inclinableness of will to help us. Hath not the Lord a strong arm? hath he not an inclinable will? Let us then in all our needs pray as the Church did ( Isa. 51.9.) Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord (the Lord and his arm are the same) awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old; art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? The Lord hath a mighty arm, yet his arm or power seemeth to be sometimes (as it were) asleep; that is, not to act, or not to take notice how it is, or how matters go with the Church. Now, when at any time it is thus, our duty is to awaken the Lord by earnest prayer; Awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord. It is a mercy when we have an heart to pray, and a God to pray unto, who can quickly put on strength; that is, give undeniable evidences that he hath a strong arm, yea, infinitely the strongest arm; which may be

A second observation, taken or arising from these words, as spoken comparatively, Hast thou an arm like God?

There is nothing in the world considered in a gradual difference, so unlike another, as the arm of God, and the arm of man are. Mans arm is so small a thing compared with God's, that it is a very nothing, not so much as a candle to the Sun, nor as a drop to the Ocean, nor as one single dust to the globe or body of the whole earth. No Rhetoric can speak diminutively enough of man's arm, compared with God's, nor can any divinity uttered by men or Angels: yet how apt is man to have too high thoughts of man's arm, and too low of God's. Were it not that men are apt to have too high thoughts of man's arm, and too low of God's, this question had never been put to Job, Hast thou an arm like God? Job had been a man of as big an arm, as most in his days. 'It is said of him, that he was the greatest of all the men of the East (Chap. 1.3.) And he said of himself (Chap. 29 25.) That he sat chief, and dwelt as King in the Army. Now should we look upon Jobs arm, not as (when God spake this to him) lean and thin, and extremely fallen away, if not quite withered, but as I was at best, fullest, thickest, strongest, before he fell into that affliction, or after his restauration out of it; yet what was Jobs arm or power, in his highest advancement, to the arm and power of God! might not God then have said to him, as well as when he said it, Hast thou an arm like God? or hath any man at this day? Surely (saith David, Psal. 62.10.) men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie, to be laid in the balance (that is, if they are truly weighed, especially if they are weighed with God) they are altogether lighter than vanity. For, First, the power of man to help, is weak and vain ( Psal. 33.16.) There is no King saved by the multitude of an H • st; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. And that's an unquestionable truth, whether we understand it of his own strength, or of the strength of any others, who come in and contribute their utmost to his aid and assistance. And this is one reason, why the Lord calls us off from trusting to the arm of man ( Psal. 146.3.) Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. True, may some say, it were a a folly to trust in weak Princes, to trust in them for help, who have no power to help; but we will apply to mighty Princes, we hope there is help in them; No: those words, In whom there is no help, are not a distinction of weak Princes from strong, but a conclusion, that there is no help in the strongest. That's strange; what? no help in strong Princes! If he had said, no help in mean men, carnal reason would have consented; but when he saith, Trust not in Princes, nor in any son of man, one or other, who can believe this? yet, this is a divine truth, we may write insufficiency, insufficiency, and a third time insufficiency, upon them all; the close of that verse in the Psalm, may be their Motto, There is no help in them. And if any shall trust in man for help, someone of, if not all, these evils or sad issues will follow.

First, He will be deceived and disappointed; what he looked upon as a rock, will prove but a sand; what he took for a Cedar, will prove but a reed, and the more he leans upon it, the more it fails him, as the Scripture speaks.

Secondly, He will be ashamed and vexed ( Isa. 20.5.) They shall be afraid & ashamed of Ethiopia, their expectation, & of Egypt, their glory; that is, which they gloried in, and believed would b ing them in much glory, or into a very glorious condition. They probably expected help from Ethiopia, but they gloried in the fore-thoughts of that help which they presumed Egypt would give them, but they gloried in that which soon proved their shame.

Thirdly, If any trust in any arm of flesh, it will bring a curse upon him ( Jer. 17.5.) Cursed be the man that maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Nor doth the Prophet only pronounce a curse upon that man, but explains the curse, or tells him plainly what it shall be, both in the negative, and in the affirmative; He shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places of the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited. Then, cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of? Whatsoever account is to be made of man, this is not, that he should be trusted in. We may apply to men for help, but we must not trust in them, as if they could carry the matter for us; Have men an arm like God? Mans is but a weak and withered arm; and as the arm of man is not to be trusted in for any help he can give us, so

Secondly, The arm of man is not to be feared for any hurt he can do us. These two have a near relation to, and dependence upon each other; for they who are so strong, that we are ready to trust them, if we can make them our friends, those we are as ready to fear, if they turn our enemies; and they who never trust in man unduly, will not fear man but according to duty. And we have no reason, if we consider that, and what, the arm of man is in the hand of God, to fear the arm of man. The Scripture speaks often of the Lord's dealing with the strongest arm of man ( Ezek. 30.21.) Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and loe, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword. Pharaoh had an hurting arm, an arm stretched out against the Israel of God; but God did more than hurt, he broke that arm. And consider how the Spirit of God followeth the metaphor, It shall not be bound up. Pharaoh would fain have got his broken arm set, hoping it might be stronger than ever: No, saith God, It shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong. As if the Lord had said, Pharaoh may call for his Surgeons to bind up his broken arm, yet it shall be without effect; all their skill and Chyrurgery shall be in vain, his arm shall not be healed nor made strong. Again ( Jer. 48.25.) The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken. A savage beast cannot hurt us when his horn is cut off, nor can a cruel-hearted man, with a broken arm. In these and many other Scriptures we see, both that man's arm is in the hand of God, and what God doth often to man's arm; upon which considerations he infers ( Isa. 51.12.) I am he that comforteth thee; Who art thou that art afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as the grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker? As if the Lord had said, dost thou hear and believe that I have a stronger arm than man? and art thou, who hast an interest in me, afraid of a man? We have cause to fear man, when we do that which is evil; the magistrates arm beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the Minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil (Rom. 13.4.) But to all them who remain peaceably in their duty to God and man, Jesus Christ hath said, ( Luke 12.4, 5.) Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do: But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear; fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him. Christ, who gave but a single prohibition of our fear of man, gave a double charge to fear God, knowing that to be the best cure of, and remedy against any undue or sinful fear of man.

Further, seeing God hath such an arm, let us be much in the consideration of it, let us often meditate upon the strength of his arm, his almighty power. The mighty God is as a weak one to us, both for the doing us good, and the keeping us from evil, till we sit down, and believingly meditate upon his almighty power and greatness. As David called the faithful of old to view the strength of Zion (Psal. 48.12.) Walk about Zion, and go round her; mark well her Bullwarks, tell her Towers. So I may call upon all to view the strength of the God of Zion, and to remember his arm, which is the only strength, the Bullwark, the Tower of Zion. Be still (saith the Lord, Psal. 46.10.) and know that I am God. We never truly know either that God is, or what God is, we know him not to be God, but carry it as if he were but a man, till we are still, that is, composed into a deep silent consideration of his eternal power and Godhead, or that he is God. And the godly have done so, especially in two cases.

First, When they saw little human strength, little of man's arm for them.

Secondly, When at any time they saw the arm of man great and strong against them. In both which cases we find David often in the Psalms, and other good Kings wholly taken up in the thought of, and in acting their faith upon the arm or power of God. Thus did King Asa (2 Chron. 14.11.) and thus did King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20.6, 12.) O Lord God of our Fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and in thy hand is there not power and might? so that none is able to withstand thee? O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company, that cometh against us; neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.

So much of the first humbling question in this verse, Hast thou an arm like God?

A second followeth, or

To thunder may taken either properly, for the sending out of that loud and terrible sound or crack, which we sometimes hear from the clouds, and so we may understand it here, Who can make a thunder-clap like God? Natural thunder is a token of God's power, and 'tis a dreadful token. Should I expound and prosecute the Text in the letter, 'tis a great truth and of useful consideration. The voice of God in thunder exceeds the voices of all men.

But in Scripture to thunder is often taken improperly, and so it signifieth any mighty speaking or speaking with mighty effect. Hence those two eminent Apostles ( James and John ) were called Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder, because they preached so powerfully for the conversion and salvation of sinners. And in the Chapter before the Text ( Job 39.25.) we read of the thunder of the Captains, that is, of the Captains loud voice, giving exhortations, orders, and commands, to their Army ready for battle. The power that goeth forth with the Word of God, is the thunder of his voice. It was said of Pericles, a great Orator among the Grecians, that he did thunder and lighten upon his Auditors; such was the power of his Rhetoric, that he did shake, as it were, that whole country with his voice.

Now, as in the former question, the Lord set forth his mighty strength, in acting, by his arm, Hast thou an arm like God? So here he seeteth forth his mighty power, in speaking, by thunder, Canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Hence, Note;

To thunder is to speak, but it is no ordinary speaking, that is intended by it. To thunder is to speak, not only weightily, but powerfully, somewhat passionately, if not displeasedly, and with a mighty impressing force, as also with an extension and intention of the voice. To lift up the voice like a trumpet (as the Prophet was commanded, Isa. 58.1.) hath all this in it, much more to lift up the voice like thunder; and such is the voice of God. The strongest and most stentorean voice of man is but a whisper, and cannot startle a Mouse, or give me leave to say (as we proverbially say) the strongest and most musical-mouthed man, speaks but like a Mouse in a Cheese, his voice is indeed a mere silence in comparison of the thunder of God's voice. The whole 29th Psalm is a proof of it; which though it be true of the natural thunder, yet 'tis chiefly to understood (as hath been shown) of the metaphorical or spiritual thunder, the power that goeth forth with the speakings of God. And that there is a thunder, a mighty power, accompanying the Word of God, may appear in these particulars.

First, The bare saying voice of God is exceeding powerful. To say a thing, is as little as may be towards the effecting of it. But if God do but say, let such a thing be, it is so; yea, his saying (no more is expressed) gave all things a Being: He only said, Let there be light, and there was light, &c. ( Gen. 3.3.) That saying was a commanding, as the Apostle expounds it (2 Cor 4.6.) God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, &c. The saying voice of God hath a commanding power in it, that is, everything is done and cometh to pass as he saith ( Psal. 33.6.) By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them, by the breath of his mouth. And if the whole world was the product of a word from God, what cannot God produce in the world, by speaking the word?

Secondly, How powerful is the expressly or directly commanding voice of God, if his saying voice be so powerful! When the Lord gave the Law ( Exod. 19.16.) what voices? what thunderings were then heard! The saying of God is a virtual command, but he gives formal commands also. And when he gave the Law or Ten Commandments, the thunder of his voice made all the people tremble, and stand afar off: And if (as that notion hath often been well enforced) God thundered with such a voice at the giving of the law, with what a dreadful voice will he thunder when he comes to Judge those who have broken, and impenitently continued in the breach of the law.

Thirdly, There is a mighty power, as in the bidding, so in the forbidding or restraining voice of God. He by the voice of his word can put a stop to creatures, when they are in their strongest career and swiftest motion. What is swifter in motion than the Sun? All creatures on earth or in the air, are but sluggs to the Sun; the Eagle upon her wing is but a Snail to the Sun: yet God can forbid the Suns motion ( Job 9.7.) He commandeth the Sun, and it riseth not; That is, if he send forth a prohibition to the Sun, it will not stir forwards one foot, till he takes off his prohibition, and bids it fulfill its wonted course; as in Joshua 's days ( Chap. 10.12.) and at his command it will go backward, as in the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20.11.) Further, The Lord's voice disanuls and makes void the commands of any creature ( Lam. 3.32.) Who is he that saith it, and it cometh to pass, if the Lord have not commanded it? They reckon (as we say) without their host, who hope to carry on any work without God's concurrence; for he can g • ve a negative to all our affirmatives, and make all our wheels, either stand still or go backward.

Fourthly, There is a thunder in the teaching voice of God. His teaching voice is a very still voice, yet 'tis a very strong voice; the soul falls down at the sound of it. 'It is promised ( Isa. 54.13.) that we shall be all taught of God, that is, effectually taught; so taught, as to • eceive instruction. The teaching voice of God, makes the ignorant knowing, and the foolish wise. The Lord (said the Prophet, Isa. 8.11.) spake unto me with a strong hand, and instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people. There had need be a strong hand in the voice of that instruction, which keeps us out of the common walks of the world. Yet, there is such a power in the teaching voice of God, that like a thunder-bolt, it over-throweth and so pulls down all the strong-holds of sin, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10.4, 5.) Thus God thunders against sin, and batters sinners; which is infinitely harder to do, than to battle and level the walls of a City to the ground with thundering Cannon. The weapons of our warfare, for the conquest of souls to Christ, are all laid up in, and fetched out of the Arcenal of the holy Scriptures or Word of God; and, O what work have they made in the world! How many have fallen, by submitting to them, to their own salvation! and how many more have fallen, by resisting them, to their own everlasting desruction!

Fifthly, There is a mighty power in the reproving voice of God. When God deals verbal rebukes to sinners, as well as verberal, he often makes their beauty to consume away like a moth (Psal. 39.11.) The Lord professeth to all hardened sinners, whose consciences now give them no reproofs, and who presume God will give them none neither, that he hath thundering reproofs ready for them ( Psal. 50.21.) I will reprove thee, and set them (that is, thy sins) in order before thine eyes. O consider this (as 'tis advised in the next verse of the same Psalm) ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, with the thunder of his reproof.

Sixthly, There is also a mighty power in the comforting voice of God. O what a virtue is there in those secret whispers, wherein God speaketh peace to his people ( Hosea 2.14.) I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her, or to her heart. A thunder (as to power) goeth with this voice of God: This hath a power to settle a shaking or disconsolate soul, and nothing but the power of God's voice can do that. When none can comfort, the Lord can. To comfort the conscience is (said Luther) as great a work as to make a world.

Seventhly, There is a mighty power, as in the promising or comforting voice of God, so also in his threatening voice. The Lord thunders reproofs against those that have sinned, and he thunders threatenings to keep all from sinning; and how terrible that voice i • the Apostle knew, who said, Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men (2 Cor. 5.11.) And as the Apostle knew it by believing it, so all final unbelievers shall know it by their sense and feeling of it.

Eighthly, There is a thunder of power in the prophesying voice of God. When the Lord fore-tells what shall come to pass, who can withstand it? We find those prophesies, which hold forth the ruin of Christ's enemies and of his Church, shewred in with thunder ( Rev. 8.15. and Rev. 11.19.) which did not only show that those prophesies should be certainly and solemnly fulfilled in their season, but that they should be terribly fulfilled, or fulfilled with a terror, like that of thunder. All prophesies shall effectually come to pass and be fulfilled; therefore power is in them.

Ninthly, What a power is there in the swearing voice of God. First, God swears sometimes in his wrath (he did so against that people of old) I sware to them in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest: And so powerful was that oath, that not a man of them could come into Canaan, their Carcasses fell in the wilderness. And as when rhe Lord swears in wrath; so, Secondly, When he swears in love and mercy, there's irresistible power in that also. Thus God sware and made oath to Abraham (Heb. 6.17.) Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, &c. To David also God sware in love ( Psal. 89.35, 36.) Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the Sun before me, &c. The oath or swearing voice of God is so strong, that we have reason enough both of strong fears, when he sweareth in wrath, as he did against the children of Israel; and of strong consolation, when he sweareth in love, as he did to Abraham and to David. And woe to those who believe not when God swears either in wrath or in love.

Tenthly, There is a mighty power in the Judging voice of God. When he shall speak from his throne in that great day, what a thunder will there be in his voice? When in that Judgment-day he shall acquit his elect, that voice will have a ravishing power in it: And when his condemning sentence shall be pronounced against the wicked, that voice will have an astonishing power in it, beyond that of thunder. And it is to be considered, that in many places of Scripture, where the eminent judgments of God are mentioned, his voice or thunder is mentioned, as going before or accompanying, those solemn and tremendous dispensations ( Psal. 18.13. Psal. 68.33, 34, 35. Isa. 30.30. Jer. 25.30. Joel 4.16.)

To conclude this point, seeing there is a power, like that of thunder, going forth with the voice of God, in the effectual ministrations of his Word; let us well consider, whether God hath spoken to us effectually, yea or no; have we known the thunder of his Spirit? hath there come a mighty power upon us, with the voice of his Word? if the voice hath not reachit our hearts, and reformed our lives, we have not heard the thunder of God's voice, but only the voice of man, or a sound in the air beating the outward ear. Naturalists say from experience, that by the power of thunder and lightning, the sword is sometimes melted, while the scabbard is unhurt. And from experience, they that are spiritual can also say, that the thunder of God's voice melteth the soul, while it only toucheth the ear. Therefore we have reason diligently to inquire, what power hath come with the word spoken; have we found the commanding, the promising, the threatening, the instructing, the comforting voices of God effectual upon our hearts? Blessed are they who have been thus thunder-struck. And all they who have been thus stricken out of themselves and into Christ, may truly say, what that people said flattering and blasphemously, at the Oration of Herod (Acts 12.22.) It is the voice of God, and not of man. Though the sound of the words came in man's voice, yet the power of them came in God's voice; for who can thunder with a voice like him? or who indeed hath anything like such thunder in his voice but he?

Further, the Lord's design being to humble Job, in putting these questions, Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Note;

Till God is great and high in our thoughts, we are great and high in our own: And when God is great in our eyes, we are little in our own, and so are all things else; then our power is nothing to the power of God, our holiness nothing to the holiness of God, our wisdom nothing to the wisdom of God. 'Ti • good thus to compare ourselves with God, that we may see and be convinced, how infinitely below God we are in all that we have and are. David said ( Psal. 39.5.) Mine age is as nothing before thee. It is so in all other things; our wisdom is nothing before God, our holiness is nothing before God, our strength is nothing before God. As those searchers of Canaan said ( Numb. 13.33.) We saw the Giants there, and we were as Grashoppers in their sight. We thought ourselves tall men, before we saw those high-statur'd Giants; but having seen them, we were but Pigmies, yet, but as Grashoppers. So we think we have a great deal of power, and wisdom, and holiness, till we look upon God, and then we are convinced of our own meanness and poverty. The Apostle saith in highest truth and honesty, as well as modesty (2 Cor. 10.12.) We dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves are not wise. And why not wise? because they seem to be too wise, or think themselves very wise. We get some opinion of our own wisdom, and holiness, and goodness, and righteousness, comparing ourselves with men like ourselves; but if we would compare ourselves with God, we should soon see what poor things we are. What pitiful creatures do we appear when compared with our Creator! and we shall have profited well by this Scripture, if we make this use of it; and leave priding ourselves as men, by comparing ourselves with men. One man saith, I am as good as that man; and another saith, I am as wise as that man; and a third saith, I am as holy as such a man. O that we would but think what the goodness, wisdom, and holiness of God are: such holy thoughts wrought upon the heart, will free us from all high thoughts of ourselves, and then we shall look for our all in Jesus Christ; then, as the Prophet gives us the true form of Gospel-speaking ( Isa. 45.24.) Surely shall one say, in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. And so will everyone say who seeth (which is true of all men) that his own strength is weakness, and his righteousness a filthy rag, compared with the strength and righteousness of God: Our arm, our voice, our self-all, or our all of self, will vanish and disappear, if once God appear to us in the glory of his arm and voice. Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

IN the former verse the Lord having questioned Job concerning his power (hast thou an arm like God? canst thou thunder with a voice like him?) seems now to put him to the use of his power. If thou hast such an arm as I, and canst thunder with such a voice as I? then come on, Deck thyself with majesty and excellency, &c. As if he had thus spoken to Job, I who have such an arm, I who thunder with such a voice, can quickly de • k myself with such majesty and excellency, I can quickly cast abroad such rage and wrath, as will abase and utterly break all the proud ones of the earth, and destroy the wicked: Job, canst thou do this? canst thou deck thyself with such majesty? canst thou cast abroad such a rage of thy wrath, as will abase and bring down the proud, and destroy the wicked? if thou canst do it, let me see thee do it.

So then, as in the former verse, we had a comparison between Jobs power and the power of God, by way of interrogation, Hast thou an arm like God? so here God doth the same thing with Job, by an ironical injunction, jussion or command; Deck thyself with majesty; let us see what a man thou art, put thyself into thy fairest dress, and most tremendous appearance.

There are two things in this context, in which Job is called to show himself like God, if he could.

First, In the majesty and excellency, in the glory and beauty of his person ( ver. 10.) Deck thyself with majesty, &c.

Secondly, In the mighty effects of his anger and displeasure, ( ver. 11.) Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, &c. And this the Lord bids him do; First, More particularly, In abasing the proud. Secondly, More generally, In destroying all the wicked of the earth. (ver. 12, 13.) Now in case Job could approve himself thus powerful, and appear like God, either in the majesty of his person, or in the mightiness of his displeasure against proud and wicked men, then saith the Lord ( ver. 14.) I will confess unto thee, that thine own right hand can save thee, that is, I will yield thee the cause, I will acknowledge that thou, who canst thus bring down the pride of men in the height of their iniquity, art also able to help thyself out of all thy misery; yea, that thou art able to contend with me, who often have done, and still can do these great things with ease, with the turning of my hand, with a word of my mouth; yea, then I will confess that thou art as I am, that thou art God as I am: But alas poor worm, thou canst do none of these things, therefore humble thyself and be quiet under mine afflicting hand. This seems to be the general scope of the holy Ghost in these five verses, even yet further to convince Job, that he had not an arm like God, nor could thunder with a voice like him, forasmuch as he could not put forth such acts, nor show such effects of power as God both had and could put forth and show in the face of all the world.

Deck, or adorn thyself (the word signifieth to adorn, to put on ornaments) make as fair a show of thyself as thou canst. The Apostle ( Gal. 6.12.) speaks of some, who desired to make a fair show in the flesh. The Lord bids Job make as fair a show of himself as he could in flesh; Deck

Let thy majesty proceed from thyself. Thus it is with God; he needs no hand to adorn and deck him, to apparel him, or put on his robes, as the Kings and Princes of the earth need; others deck them, others adorn them and put on their robes; but the Lord decks himself. Now saith the Lord to Job, Deck thyself as I do,

Kings and Princes are decked with majesty and excellency at all times, a majestic excellency is inherent in their estate; and when they show themselves in state, or show their state, they put on their Crowns and Robes. Thus saith the Lord to Job, Put on majesty and excellency. Both words signify highness, exaltation; and are often used to signify pride, because they that are high and exalted, are usually proud, and are always under a temptation to be proud of their highness and greatness. And these words which here in the abstract we translate majesty and excellency, are rendered in the concrete, proud (verse. 11, 12.) Behold everyone that is proud (verse. 11.) Look upon everyone that is proud (verse. 12.)

Majesty is proper to Kings, and therefore we speak to them in that language, Your Majesty.

Excellency belongs to persons of great dignity; we say to Princes and great Commanders, Your Excellency, because they excel and exceed others in honor and power. Moses spake so of God ( Exod. 15.7.) In the greatness of thy Excellency, thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee. In the greatness of thy Excellency, or in the greatness of thy lifting up and exaltation; the word notes both God's high magnificence ( Psal. 68.35.) and man's pride or haughtiness ( Psal. 10.2.) The wicked in his pride (or haughtiness of spirit) persecutes the poor. Deck thyself with Majesty as a King, and with Excellency as a Prince; put on thy Emperial robes, and thy Princely garments. Yea, further,

Here are two other ornamental expressions, Glory and Beauty. Glory is man in his best array, or man's best array; yea, Glory is God in his best array, or God's best array. The perfect happiness of man in heaven is called glory; man's best suit, is his suit of glory. Grace, which is our best suit on earth, is sometimes called glory (2 Cor. 3.18.) We are changed from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord; that is, f • om grace to grace. Mans first change is from sin to grace, his second is from grace to grace, or from one degree of grace to another. Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace perfected. Now, as glory is man's best suit, so glory is, as I may say, God's best suit. He is, as the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5.10.) so the God of all glory; for all glory is to be given unto him, and his glory will he not give to any other. The glory of God is twofold. First, Essential and internal, forever unchangeably abiding in himself; indeed the very Essence of God is glory. Of this we read ( Exod. 33.18.) I will make all my goodness pass before thee, I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy; this kind of glory I will show thee, but thou canst not see my face and live, that is, my essential glory.

Secondly, There is a providential or external glory of God; the manifestations of God in his greatness, goodness and power, are his glory. Thus 'tis said at the dedication of Solomon's Temple (1 King. 8.11.) The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; that is, there was a glorious and wonderful manifestation of the presence of the Lord in his house. Whatever God manifests of himself, whether his power, or his goodness, or his mercy, or his grace, or his patience, or his justice, is his glory. The Lord often arrayeth himself with these glories; that is, he declares both by his word and by his works, that he is powerful, good, merciful, gracious, patient and just towards the children of men. The Scripture calleth God the glory of his people (Psal. 106.20.) that is, it is the glory of any people, or that which they should glory in, that God is known to them, or that they are owned by God. But the idolatrizing Jews changed their glory into the similitude of an Ox that eateth grass; that is, they changed God, who was their glory, and in whom they should have gloried, into the form of an in-glorious beast, while they either worshipped the image of a beast, or their God in that image.

And it is considerable, that the Apostle ( Rom. 1.23.) at least alluding to (as the reference in our Bible intimates) if not quoting that place last mentioned in the Psalm, whilst he speaks of the idolatrous Gentiles, doth not say (as there) They changed their glory, &c. for the true God was not the glory of the Gentiles in those days, they owned him not as their only God (having many Idol gods) nor did he own them as his people; and therefore the Apostle did not, nor could he in truth say of the Gentiles, They changed their glory, &c. But thus he saith, They changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. The Gentiles did not change the incorruptible God, their glory into an image, but they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image, &c. And in that respect the idolatry of the Jews (a people knowing the true God, yea, and glorying in him) was worse than the idolatry of the Gentiles, who knew him not, nor ever gloried in him, nor accounted him their glory. But to the point in hand. As that is God's glory which manifests his glory,

So in general, anything which maketh man shine forth commendably or honourably to others, or gives him a preeminence above many others (as near relation to God specially doth) may be called his glory. Whatsoever is best in us, or to us, is our glory. The soul of man is his glory, because it is his best part. The body is a poor thing to the soul; the body is but a shell, the soul is the kernel; the body is but the sheath (as the Chaldee calls it, Deut. 7.15.) the soul is the sword, though usually we take more pains for the body than for the soul, as if we prized it more. When Jacob said ( Gen. 49.6.) O my soul, come thou not into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united; he meant (some say) the same thing by his soul, and by his honor or glory, because the soul is the most glorious and honorable part in man, and that which men should be most careful of. Thus likewise the tongue of man is called his glory ( Psal. 57.8.) Awake my glory, that is, my tongue. The tongue being that organ or instrument whereby the wisdom and prudence of man is held forth, and he made glorious in the world, 'tis therefore called his glory. The tongue of man is also called his glory, because with that he giveth glory to God by praising him, and confessing his name, together with his truth, unto salvation. And as glory is the best of man, so of any other creature (1 Cor. 15.61.) There is one glory of the Sun, and another of the Moon, and another glory of the Stars; for one Star differs from another Star in glory; that is, there is one excellency, u • e, or operation in this Star, and another in that: Or, One Star differs from another Star in glory; that is, their light, influences & effects differ, some being more, others less operative upon sublunary bodies. When the Lord said to Job, Array thyself with glory, his meaning is, show thy best; and he means the same, when he adds, Array thyself (with beauty.)

Beauty is the natural ornament of the body, of the face or countenance especially. These two words, glory and beauty, are often joined together in Scripture ( Psal. 21.5. Psal. 45.3.) where we render them honor and majesty. We may thus distinguish between them, taking the one for that which appears outwardly, in vestures and gestures, in actions and works; and the other as importing that rev •• ence & veneration which is given to such, as appear in that splendor and dignity, or which their splendor and dignity stirs up in others: But we need not stand to distinguish them, the words being often used promiscuously. And here the Lord is pleased to employ many words to the same purpose, to show what great state he had need be in that contends with him: As if he had said, O Job, although thou didst not sit upon a dunghill, or wert not bound to thy bed by the cords of thy affliction, but didst sit upon a Kingly throne, shining in robes of royalty, couldst thou in all those ornaments equal thyself to me, in majesty and excellency, in glory and beauty? Deck thyself with majesty and excellency, &c.

Hence note, First;

I put them all together in one Observation, because the tendency of them all is one. The Scripture often sets forth the Lord thus adorned, thus decked ( Psal. 93.1.) The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty, he is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself. Again ( Psal. 69.6.) Honor and majesty are before him, strength & beauty are in his sanctuary (Psal. 104.1.) Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord, my God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with honor and majesty. This clothing, this array, which the Lord called Job to put on, is properly his own; and though God will not give his glory to another, yet here he bids Job take his glory, and show himself in it to the utmost if he could. Many have affected or invaded God's glory, but none could ever attain or reach it. God calls man really to partake of glory with him, but man cannot take his glory upon him and be man. The human nature of Christ could never have received nor born that glory, but as united to, and subsisting in the person of the Son of God, according to that prayer of his ( John 17.5.)

More distinctly; If God be thus clothed, Then

First, We should tremble before him. Majesty is dreadful. The majesty of Kings, who in nature are but men, is very dreadful; how much more the majesty of God, who is King of Kings, the King immortal, and reigns forever. We have this trembling three times repeated, with respect to the majesty of God ( Isa. 2.10, 19, 21.) where the mightiest and greatest of the world, called there high Mountains and strong Towers, Oaks and Cedars, are said to go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. And though the people of God have great cause to rejoice at his majesty, as 'tis prophesied they shall ( Isa. 24.14.) They shall lift up their voices, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord (nothing causeth the hearts of the righteous to rejoice, more than the majesty of God) yet they ought to rejoice, and so they do, with trembling ( Psal. 2.11.) or with a holy awe of God impressed upon their hearts; for the majesty of God is a very dreadful, tremendous, awful majesty. And the more we have truly tasted the goodness and mercy of God, the more shall we tremble at his majesty; yea, the Lord will have his majesty not only taken notice of, but trembled at; and therefore he reproves those ( Isa. 26.10.) who would not behold his majesty. The majesty of the Lord, like himself, cannot be seen or beheld in itself, yet it showeth itself many ways, though few behold it, or tremble at it; and the reason why they tremble not at it, is, because they do not, or rather (as the Prophet there speaks) will not behold it, no, not when it shines in the plainest demonstrations, whether of wrath against wicked men, or of love and mercy to the godly, as clearly as the Sun at noon day.

Secondly, As we should tremble at the majesty of the Lord, so admire his excellency; they that excel others, especially they who excel all others in any kind, are much admired. The Lord is clothed with excellency, how then should we admire him! and say, Who is a God like unto thee? This God is our God.

Thirdly, Seeing the Lord is clothed with glory, we should glorify him; and that, First, in his essential glory, Secondly, in the glory of his acts and operations. We should glorify him for the greatness of his power, especially for the greatness of his grace, because the grace and mercy of God are his glory; as the Apostle spake in that prayer ( Eph. 3.16.) That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory (that is, of his grace and favor towards you) to be strengthened with might by his Spirit, in the inner man. And as the grace and goodness of God is his glory, so also is his holiness ( Exod. 15.11.) Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness? Let us glorify God, in and for all his glories, in and for the glory of his power, mercy, grace and holiness.

Fourthly, God is arrayed with beauty. Beauty is a taking thing; then how should our souls delight in the Lord! We delight in things that are beautiful, we love beauty; how should this draw forth our love, our affections to God! All the beauty of the world is but a blot, 'tis darkness, and a stained thing, in comparison of the Lord's beauty, the beauty of his holiness; and therefore if we have a love to beauty, let us love the Lord, who is arrayed with beauty, even with the perfection of beauty.

Lastly, In general; Seeing the Lord is decked with majesty and excellency, arrayed with glory and beauty, let us continually ascribe all these to God. What God is, and hath shown himself to be, we should show forth (1 Chron. 29.11.) Thine, O Lord (saith David) is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is thine. David ascribed all to God there, as also ( Psal. 145.10.) All thy works praise thee, O Lord, and thy Saints shall bless thee; they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom, and talk of thy power, to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his Kingdom: thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. Thus Saints are to blazon the name of God, and to make his praise glorious. The Apostle Jude concludes his Epistle with this Doxology; To the only wise God our Savior (that is, Jesus Christ) be glory, and majesty, and dominion, and power, now and ever, Amen.

Further, to remember the majesty and excellency of God, may and should be,

First, an encouragement to serve him. Who would not serve a Prince, who is decked with majesty and excellency, who is arrayed with glory and beauty? who would not serve such a King as this? How ambitious are men to serve those who are decked with worldly majesty and excellency? shall not we have a holy ambition to serve the Lord, who is thus decked and arrayed!

Secondly, This may exceedingly hearten and embolden us against all the danger we may meet with in the Lord's service. If we encounter with hardships and hazards in God's work, let us remember, he that is clothed with majesty and excellency, &c. can protect us in his service, and reward us for it; we can lose nothing by him, though we should lose all for him, life and all.

Thirdly, This should fill our souls with reverential thoughts of God continually. Did we know the Lord in these divine discoveries of himself, in his majesty and excellency, in his glory and beauty, how would our hearts be filled with high thoughts of him! we would neither speak nor think of God, but with a gracious awe upon our spirits.

Fourthly, This should provoke us in all holy duties to do our best. The Lord reproved the Jews (Mal. 1.8.) when they brought him a poor lean sacrifice; Offer it now unto thy Governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? Shall we put off God, who is full of majesty and excellency, of glory and beauty, with poor, weak and sickly services, such as our Governors, men in high place & power will not accept from our hands, but turn back with disdain upon our hands. The worship and service of God consists not in a bodily exercise, nor in any outward beauty; he is a spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth; that is, in truth of heart, and according to the truth of his word, which the Apostle calls the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Cor. 11.3.) The glory and beauty of God is spiritual, and the beauty that he must be served with, is, above all, the inward beauty of faith and love, and holy fear in our hearts.

Fifthly, If God be thus decked with majesty, &c. This may assure us in praying to him and calling upon him, that we shall not seek him in vain: It is worth the while to attend such a God, and pour out our hearts before him. We may safely depend upon God for all, seeing majesty and excellency are his. The Lord's prayer by which we are to form, or unto which we should conform all our prayers concludes with this, thine is the kingdom, power and glory; all is thine, and therefore we have great encouragement to ask all of thee. Men can give to those that ask them, according to the extent of their power. There is a confluence or comprehension of all power in the majesty, excellency, and glory of God, and therefore he can give whatsoever we ask.

Now, as, that God is thus decked and arrayed with majesty and excellency, is implied in this Text; so 'tis also implied, that he hath thus decked himself, while he saith to Job,

Hence observe, Secondly;

He is the fountain as of his own being, so of the majesty and excellency, of the glory and beauty of his being; he decks and arrays himself, he is not decked by others. Moralists say, honor is not or resides not in him that is honored, but in him that honoreth; yet here honor is seated in him that is honored. We honor God, and give glory to him, but we cannot add any honor to him, all is originally in himself; he is the beginning without beginning of his own majesty. And as God's majesty is his own, so of his own putting on; he borroweth nothing from the creature, nor needs he any creature to deck him. He is not what others will make him or have him to be, but what he is, he is of and from himself.

Thirdly, Observe;

Deck thyself with majesty, saith God to Job; but Job could not deck himself; he could not p • t a clothing of majesty, and excellency, of glory and beauty upon himself. All that man hath is received from God, and is but a ray from his inconceivable light. As all our spiritual a • ray, deckings and ornaments, are put on us by God ( Ezek. 16.10, 11.) I clothed thee with broidered work, I covered thee with silk, I decked thee also with ornaments, I put a jewel on thy forehead, &c. So all civil ornaments are put on man by God. I girded thee (said God of Cyrus, Isa. 45.5.) though thou hast not known me; that is, I gave thee all thy power and greatness, thy honor and dignity, though thou tookest no notice of me in doing it, nor that I did it. Thus it is said of Solomon (1 Chron. 29.25.) The Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty, as had not been on any king before him in Israel. And thus spake Daniel to Belshazzar, concerning his father Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 5.19.) And for the majesty that he (that is, God) gave him, all Nations, People and Languages, trembled and feared before him. All the majesty and excellency, all the glory and beauty of the greatest Monarchs, is derived from God.

Fourthly, Observe;

Christ saith ( Mat. 6.29.) Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Solomon was a King in the greatest majesty and excellency, glory and beauty of any that ever was in the world; yet saith Christ, he was not decked like one of these Lilies: then how far short did his glory fall of the glory of God! how doth all the glory of the world vanish and disappear at the appearance of the glory of God, even as the luster of the moon & stars doth at the rising of the thrice illustrious Sun! And as man's glory is nothing to God's, while it lasts or endures, so it is nothing to his in the lastingness and duration of it. Dominion and majesty are God's, and shall be ascribed to God everlastingly. It is said of Ahasuerus (Esther 1.4.) that he shown the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honor of his excellent Majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days; but the Lord showeth his excellent Majesty forever and ever, for it abides forever: and if so, what is the majesty of man compared with the Lord's ( Isa. 40.6.) All flesh is grass, and the goodliness of it, as the flower of the field. The majesty and excellency, the glory and beauty of man, is but the goodliness of flesh, or the best of a fleshly, earthly state; and what is that, but the goodliness of a fading flower, or of the grass that is cut down and withers, yea, which sometimes withers before it is cut down, as David saith ( Psal. 129.6, 7.) the grass doth upon the house tops, which withereth afore it groweth up; wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

Fourthly, note;

Why doth the Lord call Job to deck himself with human majesty and excellency? was it not to bring him to a due consideration of his own divine majesty and excellency? Job must compare himself with God in his glory, that he might fall down convinced, that himself had no glory.

Thus the Lord shown Job his own meanness and exility, by bidding him imitate the divine Majesty and excellency.

Secondly, The Lord calls him further, to imitate him, if he could, in the mighty effects of his power or in his powerful works, against proud and wicked men.

As if he had said, let me see now what a man thou art, or rather, what a God thou art, when thou art enflamed with anger.

That is, furiously disperse and scatter thy rage or rages. The word signifies a scattering after breaking to pieces ( Psal. 2.9.) As a Potters vessel, when it is broken, is scattered abroad, so saith the Lord, scatter abroad the (rage) of thy wrath; the Hebrew word is, The passing of thy wrath. Rage makes a speedy passage, it hath a swift motion, and do thou cast it abroad while 'tis stirring and in motion, let it not cool, cast it abroad hot. The word notes a violent hurrying along, Scatter abroad the rage

Or as the Hebrew hath it, of thy nostrils. Raging appears by breathing, or in the quick stirring of the nostrils when we breath; but why would the Lord have Job show his rage? The answers is, do it to the destruction of the proud.

Go, look upon proud ones in thine anger, deal with them as they deserve. The word implies more than bare beholding.

There is a twofold beholding of things or persons.

First, With favor, delight and pleasure ( Psal. 33.18. and 34.15.) In both places the Lord is represented, beholding or casting an eye upon his people, with grace and favor, for their good and comfort.

Secondly, There is a beholding with anger and displeasure; that is the meaning here: behold everyone that is proud, behold them all, not only to take notice of them who they are, but behold them as I do, in wrath and anger, Behold

Be they few or many, great or small, show thyself against everyone that is proud, and

Every proud man is as a mountain. Go, show thyself like me, behold those that are as mountains among men, and make them valleys, abase them; that's the Lord's work, and the meaning of his word here; as if he had said, I have a power, that though proud ones are as great mountains, yet I can make them as valleys. The Lord speaks this again at the beginning of the

Here is an elegant repetition of the same thing, almost in the same words, merely to enforce the matter look on everyone that is proud, bend thy brows, look frowningly upon him, as if thou wouldst look him thorough.

The Septuagint say, quench him. The proud man is all in a flame; now saith God, behold this proud man and quench him, extinguish him, put him out. Thus the Lord calls Job to express his displeasure in these effects against proud men, that he might appear in wrath like him: As if the Lord had said, I behold the proud man, and I abase him; I look upon the proud man, and bring him low, now let me see you do so too. Canst thou with a look only abate their pride, and bring down the pomp of man?

Hence note, First;

God knoweth how to cast forth his wrath as well as to send forth his love, or shed it abroad (as the Apostles word is, Rom. 5.5.) in the hearts of his justified ones, by the holy Ghost, which is given unto them. The wrath of God (saith the same Apostle, Rom. 1.18.) is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. The wrath of God is such as we can neither, First, withstand, nor, Secondly, avoid; there's, no out-running, no making an escape from it, but only by Jesus Christ, and therefore the Apostle gives that glory to him alone (1 Thess. 1.10.) Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. There is a wrath to come, which God will scatter over all this sinful wicked world; blessed are they that are delivered from it. Yea, not only is there wrath in God, but a fierceness of wrath, terrible wrath, such as will cause the wicked (as was said before) to run into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth (Isa. 2.19.) Let us mind this wrath and the fierceness of it; and let us bless the Lord, who hath sent Jesus Christ • o deliver us from this wrath, and from the fierceness of it. When wrath shall be cast abroad upon the wicked world, that it falls not upon the godly, is the fruit of highest and freest love. And though they sip of the cup, yet that they drink not the dregs of it is rich mercy ( Psal. 75.98.) In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red, it is full of mixture, and he poureth out the same (in this pouring out (possibly) a godly man may drink somewhat of it, especially in a time of common calamity) but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them. It is of the Lord's mercy, and because his compassions fail not, that we are delivered from the fierceness of his wrath, and from drinking the very dregs of the cup of his displeasure.

Consider further, upon whom this wrath will be exercised, Cast forth the rage of thy wrath, behold everyone that is proud, and abase him: This the Lord bids Job do, to show what himself usually doth.

Hence note, First;

He beholds them, he locks upon them. As it is said Saul (1 Sam. 18.9.) He eyed David from that day forward, that is (which was his great sin) he cast a revengeful envious eye upon him: Thus when the holy God seeth wicked men g • ow lofty and proud, he eyeth and beholdeth them from that very day, with an eye of just revenge, or with a purpose to break them and be revenged on them. God beholds them, as I may say, with an evil eye, that is, with an intent to bring evil upon them. He (saith David, Psal. 138.6.) knoweth the proud afar off. As it is said of the Father of the humbled Prodigal in the Parable, ( Luke 15.) When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion. So God quickly spies out a proud man, even a great way off, and hath indignation against him; or, as we may rather expound the Psalm, He knoweth the proud afar off; that is, a proud man shall never come near him, he will not admit him into his presence, much less into his embraces. To be known afar off, is to be far from the favorable or respectful knowledge of God; yea, to those whom the Lord knows afar off in this world, he will say in the next, I never knew you, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity (Mat. 7.23.)

Secondly, Note;

That which he would have Job do, he himself (as was said) usually doth; He beholdeth the proud, and abaseth them, he layeth them low. Nebuchadnezzar, that proud Monarch, was brought to that confession ( Dan. 4.37.) Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, and honor, and extol the King of Heaven, all whose works are true, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. If men will be proud and lofty, the Lord both knoweth very well how, and is able very easily to bring them down. And as he knows how, and is able to deal with proud men, so he desires and delights to deal with them, above all sorts of sinners; his greatest contests are with the proud ( Isa. 2.12, 13, 14.) The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up (in his own conceit especially) and he shall be brought low, and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the Oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, &c. What meaneth the Prophet by these? is the Lord angry with trees and mountains? These are but the shadows of great and proud men; the day of the Lord shall be upon everyone of them, and his hand will be heavy upon them in that day. Proud men look upon themselves much above others; but as God is above them, so he loves to show himself ahove them, especially when they show out their pride. As Jethroe said to Moses (Exod. 18.9, 11.) Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. God showeth himself above all, when he acts above proud men, and acts them down in their proudest actings.

And as the Lord delights to bring proud men down; so he will certainly do it, he is resolved upon it, He looketh upon everyone that is proud to abase him. The Angels that fell were proud, they kept not their first estate, but left their habitation, they did not like the state wherein God had placed them; and therefo e God cast them down, and he hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6.) When man in Paradise began to be proud and would be more than God made him (God made him above all earthly creatures, but he would be as God, as his Creator; he would be, as it were, the founder of his own happiness; pride and unbelief at once took hold of him and led him to his sin-fall, and) then followed his fall, his judgment-fall; God cast him down, God abased him, and not only that proud man, but man-kind for his pride; they being in him, his pride was theirs. And to this day God hath all along set his face against all proud men, and the pride of all men, ( James 4.6.) God resisteth the proud. The proud contend with God, they, as it were, wage war with God, and therefore God will wage war and contend with them, he resisteth the proud ( Prov. 3.34.) Surely he scorneth the scorner, but he giveth grace to the lowly. The Lord hath two great works to do in the world. The first is, to lift up and exalt the humble. The second is, to humble and pull down the proud. These two are the daily products of divine providence. And the Lord is so much an enemy to pride, that if he see it in any of his own servants, he will abase them and lay them low for it; as we see in the case of that good King Hezekiah, His heart being lifted up (not in thankfulness, nor in zeal for the ways and things of God, as once it was, but in pride) there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chron. 32.35.) The Lord will not bear it, when his own bear or behave themselves proudly ( Prov. 29.23.) A man's pride (any man's pride) shall bring him low; that is, he shall be brought low for his pride, or his pride will bring him into such extravagant ways as will be a means to bring him low.

Thirdly, Note;

If any ask, how easily can he do it? I answer, He can do it with a look; Look upon everyone that is proud, and bring him low, saith God to Job, show thyself like me in this, I can do it as easily as look upon him. God by a cast of his eye can cast down all proud men; as the Lord can help his people with a look. David desired no more for his portion, but that God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him ( Psal. 4.6.) that is, that God would look upon him favourably: And that prayer is made three times ( Psal. 80 4, 7, 19.) Cause thy face to shine upon us, and (we have enough) we shall be saved, we shall be delivered, we shall be protected. A good look from God is all good to man. God with a good look can save us; and if God withdraw his eye from any, and will not look upon them, if he turn his back upon them, or hide his face from them, his favor is withdrawn, and they are helpless. Now as God can save his people with a smiling look, so he can destroy his enemies with a frowning one. His look is as powerful and effectual to destroy, as it is to save; though to look savingly be much more the delight of God (if I may so speak) than to look destroyingly. It is said, God looked through the pillar of fire and the cloud, upon the Hosts of Pharaoh, and troubled them, and took off the chariot wheels ( Exod. 14.24.) Surely God abaseth the proud men of the world easily, when he doth it with a look. He indeed (as the holy Virgin spake in her song, Luke 1.51, 52.) Showeth strength with his arm (or the strength of his arm) when he scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts, and puts down the mighty from their seats, and exalteth them of low degree; yet all this the Lord can do with a look from heaven, The habitation of his Holiness, and of his Glory. Now,

If the Lord deal thus with proud men, take these inferences from it.

First, Hath God such an evil eye upon proud men, will he cast them down? will he certainly do it? and can he easily do it? Then woe to proud men; 'tis the word of the Prophet ( Isa. 28.1.) Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim; that is, to those who crown themselves with pride, and make that their glory and their honor which will p • ove their shame and downfall: and these the Prophet calls the drunkards of Ephraim (I conceive) he means not those that drink themselves drunk with wine, but those that are drunk with their own presumptions, with the pride of their spirits, or, as many also are, with vain hopes and expectations. We have vain confidents and expectants so expressed ( Nahum. 1.10.) While they are folded together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry; that is, while they are drunken with pride and self-confidence to carry all before them, while they are thus folded together like thorns, in their plots and contrivements, while they are drunken with false hopes, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry; that is, they shall be utterly consumed and devoured.

Secondly, If there be such a woe to proud ones, if the Lord hath such a bad eye upon them, and is able to lay them low, and will certainly do it, and can easily do it, we had need consider who are the proud ones. Pride is an evil weed, yet it groweth many times in the best soil, even in a good heart; and it is no easy matter to find out who are the proud men intended in this Text and Point; yet I answer,

In general, First, All they are proud who value themselves very highly, yea, they are proud who put any undue value upon themselves; we can scarcely value ourselves anything at all, but we shall over-value • ur selves, for we are worms and no men, saith David: He said also, What is man, O Lord, that thou art mindful of him? Man is so small a thing, that the Psalmist could hardly tell what he is, or what to make of him; sure enough man is no such thing as most men make of themselves. Doubtless, if we have any high thoughts of ourselves; we over-think ourselves; and usually they that have least true worth, have greatest thoughts of their own worthiness. Man hath lost all, is stripped of all, as he cometh into the world, yet he is proud as if he had all. As they that have much are proud, or in great danger of pride, so it is a truth, that they who have nothing are often proud too. The Apostle bids Timothy (1 Tim. 6.17.) Charge them that be rich in this world, that they be not high-minded. And among rich men, they who (as I may say, according to the phrase of the world) have raised their own fortunes, are most apt to be proud; and there are two reasons of it, First, Because of the change of their state; they were low and empty, but now they are high and full. This change of their condition, changeth their disposition; and (as we say) Their blood riseth with their good. Secondly, That which they have is (say they) of their own getting; they think their skill and their diligence hath got it. Hence Job protested, If I rejoiced because my hand hath gotten much. Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his great Palace, because he had built it; Is not this great Babel that I have built? Now, as they are apt to be proud who have much, especially when it is of their own acquisition (though indeed we have nothing merely of our own acquisition) so they who have little or nothing, are not out of the danger of pride; poor & proud is so common, that it is grown into a proverb. And they especially, who are poor in spirituals, grow proud in spirit, as it was with the Laodicean Angel ( Rev. 3.17.)

But further, they are proud who lift up themselves in anything of self; As, First, in their natural parts, wit, understanding, memory, elocution; Secondly, in their acquired parts, learning, knowledge, skill; Thirdly, in their moral virtues, sobriety, temperance, justice; Fourthly, in their spiritual graces, faith, love, self-denial ('tis possible to be proud for a fit of these, or to have a fit of pride come upon us upon the exercise of these) Fifthly, in their holy duties and performances, prayers, fastings, &c. Sixthly, in their legal righteousness and good deeds, alms, charities. We seldom do well, or any good, especially (as we ought, and duty binds us) much good, but we think too well of ourselves (that we are better than we are) or too much both of the good we have done, and of our own goodness. As the great goodness of God, or the greatness of his goodness appears chiefly in this, that he can make all things, even evil things, and those not only the evils of trouble, but the evil of sin, work together for our good ( Rom. 8.28.) so the great evil of man's heart, or the greatness of that evil, appears chiefly in this, that it causeth all things, even good things, and those not only the good things of this natural life, but the good belonging to, and done in the power of a spiritual life, to work to our hurt, sometimes for a time, and would to our ruin forever, did not the Lord over-rule it. Seventhly, the favor which they have with men, whether they be the mighty, the Princes and powers of the world, or the many, the common people of the world. How are some lifted up, because they are the darlings of the people, because the multitude eyes them, points at them, and applauds them! To be lifted up in any of these things, or in anything else (and what is there, not only of an earthly, but of an heavenly pedigree and extraction, in which the vain heart of man is not ready to be lifted up unduly, forgetting God from whom all good comes; to be lifted up, I say, in any of these things) lays man open to the wrathful resistance of God, and all such God will bring down and abase; therefore let us be empty of ourselves, and beware of being found among the proud, yea, of being in any kind or degree proud. It is dangerous to have any pride found in us, but woe to those who are found proud.

Thirdly, If the Lord hath such an eye to, and upon proud men, and will thus bring them low, Then let us not be afraid of proud men; why should we be afraid of them who are falling ( Prov. 15.33.) The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility. But what saith the same Solomon (Prov. 18.32.) Before destruction the heart of man is haughty. As soon as ever we see any man showing a proud heart by pride of life, we may quickly conclude the Lord is about to pluck him down. One very great reason why the Lord hath laid many, who were once as mountains, low as valleys, was the pride of their hearts. When pride buds, the rod blossometh; that is, God is preparing for the correction, if not for the destruction of proud ones. And as it is sad to see pride bud at any time, so then especially, when the rod blossometh, that is, when God is correcting us with his rods.

Fourthly, Then do not envy proud ones. We are apt to envy those that are high in place, though they are proud in spirit; but, do not envy proud ones, how high, how great soever you see them, for they are in danger of falling, according to the truth of this Scripture, and many others. When proud men are in their fullest ruff, and highest ascent, then they are nearest a dreadful downfall; Before destruction the heart of man is haughty (saith Solomon, Prov. 18.12.) and before honor is humility. And the Apostle Peter having given this counsel to those who are humbled by affliction (1 Epist. 5.6.) humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, subjoins this comfortable promise in the close of the verse, That he may exalt you in due time.

Fifthly, Then pride is a very provoking sin. The Lord who declares himself against all sorts of sinners, declares himself most against proud sinners ( Prov. 16.5.) Everyone that is proud in heart, is an abomination to the Lord; & mark what followeth in the same verse, though hand join in hand, he (that is, the proud man) shall not be unpunished. Pride is the Devils sin, the Devil is that Mystical Leviathan spoken of in the 41th Chapter of this Book, who is a King over all the children of pride. They who are not subject to God (proud men above all men are not) are the Devils subjects; He is a King over all the children of pride. There are four things in which the provocation of the sin of pride consists, any one of which may provoke God to pull down proud ones.

First, Proud men set themselves in the place of God, Lucifer (by whom the proud Babylonian is meant) said ( Isa. 14.14.) I will be like the Most High. Thus the Lord said of the Prince of Tyrus. (Ezek. 28.2.) Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man and not God, though thou set thy heart as the heart of God. See how that proud Prince thought to carry it as God, as if he had been the founder of his own strength. How can the Lord but be provoked with such an affront as this? Proud Babylon spake this language, and at as high a rate ( Isa. 47.8.) I am, and none else besides me (is not this to speak just like God) I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.

Secondly, As pride is an usurpation of the place and power of God, so of the providences of God. A proud man knoweth not how to acknowledge God in any mercy, nor how to be humbled under the hand of God in any affliction. He minds not God either in what he enjoyeth, or in what he suffereth; is not this a provocation?

Thirdly, Pride must needs provoke God, as a proud man sets himself against all the Commands & Laws of God. God cannot but be provoked, to see all his Laws and Commands slighted by man. A proud man will keep no bounds, nor would he be kept in any.

Fourthly, Pride is a Mother sin, it brings forth many other sins. As Unbelief is a Mother sin, so is Pride ( Hab. 2.5.) He is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all Nations, and heapeth unto him all people. The pride of the Assyrian put him upon other sins, upon oppression especially; he could not keep at home, nor be contented with his own Dominion, th • ugh a very large and vast one; he must go abroad, and invade other men's Territories; his pride sent him to do mischief, and he enlarged his desire as hell. Proud men must oppress and wrong others, to bring in fuel for their own lusts. Pride calls in aid from many sins to serve its turn.

Lastly, If Pride provokes God, if he looketh upon everyone that is proud, to abase him and bring him low; then how should we labor to be humble ones, that the Lord may look upon us with a favorable eye, and so he doth upon all them that walk humbly with him. As God resisteth the proud, so he giveth grace to the humble, that is, favor. The humble shall have his favor, and the proud his frowns. As to do justly, and to love mercy, is the sum of all duty to man; so to walk humbly, is the sum of all duty to God ( Mic. 6.8.) They who walk humbly, walk not only holily, but safely. They who are low in their own eyes, are under the special protection of the high God.

The Lord having called upon Job to show the effect of his wrath against one sort of bad men, the proud, calleth upon him in the next words, to show the effects of his wrath upon all sorts of bad men, comprehended under this general word, The wicked.

The Lord bids Job do this if he could (indeed he could not) that he might show himself a competent match for God. As if the Lord had said, I tread down the wicked in their places, do thou so too, if thou canst. God had said before, Abase everyone that is proud, and bring him low; now he saith, Tread down the wicked.

Tread them down, As mire in the street: We tread upon vile and contemptible things. To tread upon any t • ing, a person especially, notes utter contempt of him, and ab • olute conquest over him; and therefore ( Josh. 10.24.) to show the complete victory which the Lord's people had go • over the Kings of Canaan, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the Captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these Kings; and they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And that's it which the Apostle gives (in way of promise) as an assurance of our conquest over the evil spirit, the devil ( Rom. 16.20.) God shall bruise (we put in the Margin, tread; the Greek word signi • ies, to bruise by treading; God shall tread) Satan under your feet shortly, that is, God will give you a full and a final victory over the devil. We have a like expression or promise ( Psal. 91.13.) Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion, and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. God will give his people power, not only over hurtful beasts, but over men, which are hurtful as those beasts, and over Satan, who is eminently shadowed by the Lion, the Adder, the young Lion, and the Dragon; in that evil spirit all these evil beasts are trodden under feet, that is, subdued and conquered. When David would show how he (in case he were faulty) was willing to be made a very slave to his enemies, he phrases it thus ( Psal. 7.5.) Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it, yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust; that is, let him have full power over me, let me be at his mercy, though he be merciless. Once more (saith the Church, Psal. 44.5.) Through thee will we push down our enemies, through thy name will we tread them down that rise up against us. Thus the Lord bespake Job, Come, saith he, Let me see you tread down the wicked, get an absolute conquest over them, that they may rise up no more in this world to do wickedly. Tread down

The word wicked is often taken largely, so every man in a sinful state, may be called a wicked man; every person unconverted or unregenerate, every person that hath not true grace, is wicked. There is no middle estate among men, between good and bad, converted and unconverted; yet here the wicked are not to be taken only in a large sense, for sinners in common, but strictly,

First, For the proud before spoken of, There the Lord said, abase the proud, here he saith, Tread down the wicked; that is, the wicked who are proud. To be wicked and to be proud are the same: For as most wicked men are proud, so all proud men are wicked; for pride itself is a great wickedness: and it is pride that causeth most men to do wickedly, even to rebel against God and his righteous laws, to rise up against his ways and truths. When we have said of a man he is proud, if we have not said all evil, we have said one of the worst evils of him; and that which lays him open, as to suffer the worst penal evils, so to do the worst sinful evils.

Secondly, If we take the words distinctly (as we may) then by the wicked are meant gross and flagitious sinners, notorious sinners; for though, as I said before, any one that hath not grace, may be called wicked, yet properly, and in Scripture sense, wicked ones are notorious, presumptuous, and flagitious sinners, such as sin with a high hand, and with a stiff neck.

Thirdly, By the wicked we may especially understand oppressors, who are troublesome and vexatious to others. As some are wicked in taking their own pleasure, and in satisfying their vain desires; so many are wicked in vexing, afflicting, and oppressing others. The Hebrew word for a wicked man, signifies such a one as is both unquiet himself, and will not suffer others to be quiet. In any of, or in all these three notions, we may expound the word wicked here; the wicked are proud ones, or notorious evil ones, or oppressors of others. Tread down the wicked

The Hebrew is, Under them. The word also signifieth (as we render) a proper place; and that's considerable. Tread them down in their place. The Lord doth not say in thy place, but in their place; which may note these two things.

First, Wheresoever thou findest them, tread them down.

Secondly, In their place, that is, where they flourish most, where they are best rooted, or most strongly secured; where they have the greatest advantages and strengths to save them harmless. That is specially a man's place, where he seateth and hopes to settle himself. Now saith God, Tread them down in their place. I do so, I destroy the wicked, when and where they think themselves safest, where they think no hand can touch them, nor arm reach them, there my foot shall tread them down. O Job, canst thou do thus? or do thou thus, Tread down the wicked in their place. And as it followeth in the next verse to the same effect.

That is, Bring them to utter destruction, to condign punishment, even to death. Some expound hiding in the dust, by laying in dungeons and filthy prisons. Secondly, Others say to hide in the dust, notes death, or to lay them in their graves. Dust thou art (said God to Adam, Gen. 3.19.) and to dust thou shalt return. That is, thou shalt die, and be put in thy grave; which possibly, is called, the dust of death ( Psal. 22.15.) Hide them in the dust of the earth, let them appear no more above ground to trouble thee or others. Hide them in the dust

That is either,

First, All at a time. Thus the Lord can do, he can destroy all the wicked at once, at one time, in one hour. Or,

Secondly, Together; that is, in one place. God can gather the wicked all together, and so make an end of them together, both as to time and place.

Yet I conceive neither of these are here intended; for God doth not usually destroy the wicked all at one time, nor all in one place; he hath several times and stages to act his providences in and upon, so that, to hide them in the dust together, is but this, to hide them alike, to put them all into the same condition, at one time or other, in one place or other, that they may be able to do no more mischief.

That's the last expression, showing what God doth, and what he bid Job do, Bind their faces in secret. There may be a twofold interpretation of these words; either,

First, In allusion to men condemned, whose faces use to be covered; a Sentence of death being pronounced and passed upon them, they were as it were hid from the light of the living. Thus as soon as Ahasuerus the King had passed sentence against Haman, they covered his face (Esth. 7.8.) or

Secondly, This covering their faces, may be an allusion to actually dead men, whose faces if they die among men, especially among friends, are always bound up and decently covered. When Christ called Lazarus out of the grave, the Text saith ( John 11.44.) He came forth, his face being bound about with a napkin. So then, to bind their faces in secret, is as if it had been said, bring them to death, or put them to death. Thus the Lord calls Job to that in three particulars, which himself will certainly do.

First, To Tread down the wicked.

Secondly, To Hide them in the dust together.

Thirdly, To Bind their faces in secret.

The Notes which I shall give from these words, will be grounded upon that three-fold interpretation of the word wicked. And

First, As the wicked are taken for the same with the proud in the former verse.

Observe;

Behold (saith the Prophet, Mal. 4.1.) The day of the Lord shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble. The proud, •• d they that do wickedly go together. The proud do wickedly, and are therefore deservedly numbered among the wicked. Pride is the first of those seven things which are an abomination to the Lord ( Prov. 6.16, 17.) There are six things that the Lord hates, yea, seven are abomination to him. A proud look, that's first; and if a proud look, then certainly a proud heart, and a proud spirit. Proud persons have not only a chief, but the first place by name among those whom the Lord abominates. And in that black Catalogue of eighteen sorts of wicked ones, that shall trouble the world in the latter days, the proud are not the last nor the least; (2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4, 5.) In the last days perilous times shall come, why? what shall make them so? The reason follows, For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud. Now though the proud man comes in the fourth place, by name, yet he is in the first place as to influence; for what is the reason why men over-love themselves? is it not because they are proud, and have too high thoughts of themselves? David (Psal. 119.21.) showeth the wickedness of proud men, or that proud men are extremely wicked, while he saith to and of God, Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy Commandments. The proud are such as continually wander out of the ways of truth and holiness. Pride will not let us keep Commandments ('tis the humble soul which keeps them) and therefore pride may be called the breach of all the Commandments; and if so, proud men must needs be the very first-born of the wicked; and therefore David saith of them, that they are not only under the rebuke of God, but under his curse, which is the peculiar portion and punishment of the wicked. And what the way of proud men is, both in doing and speaking, the same David tells us ( Psal. 75.45.) I said unto the fools, deal not foolishly; and to the wicked, lift not up the horn, lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck, that is, be not proud. Wicked men lift up their horn and tongue, they cannot but show their pride in word and deed. The Devil is the wicked one (Matth. 13.19.) The high-way ground having received the seed, 'tis said, the wicked one (that is, the Devil) cometh and catcheth it away. And when the world is said to lie in wickedness, or in the wicked one (1 John 5.19.) The meaning is, the Devil over-rules the carnal world. Now, as the Devil is the wicked one, so he is the proud one also. Pride was that wickededness for which God trod him down, and his wickedness still continueth in tempting men to, or in puffing them up with pride. It is the business of the wicked one, the Devil, to make men proud, because he knows pride will make them wicked, and do wickedly. Pride hardeneth the mind (as Daniel saith it did Nebuchadnezzar, Chap. 5.20.) Now what wickedness is there, which a hardened mind will not attempt to do! Pride put Herod upon seeking the blood of Christ, who came to save and wash sinners with his blood.

Proud men are very wicked as they despise other men (a proud man thinks no man so good as himself, or himself too good for all other men) Some proud men are so wicked, that they despise even God himself. The proud man lifts up himself against the Word of God, slights the promises, regards not the threatenings of God; his heart is lifted up against the Commandments of God, nor doth he value the comforts of God; he neglects the Ordinances of God, nor doth he reverence the Providences of God. He that doth, or is ready to do all this, is surely a despiser of God himself. How wicked a man is he, whose heart is lifted up both against God and man!

Secondly, Consider the wicked proud man, as one whom God treadeth down.

Then, Observe;

What more cross to a high-spirited man, than to be brought low; and who can be brought lower than he that is trodden down. As God sometimes punisheth Drunkards with thirst, and Gluttons with hunger, and covetous persons with poverty. There is one (saith Solomon, Prov. 11.29.) that with-holdeth more than is meet (he doubtless is a covetous man that doth so) & it tendeth to poverty. So God punisheth proud ones, by that which is most contrary to their nature, he abaseth and layeth them low. The Prophet tells us ( Isa. 3.16, 17.) how the Lord would punish wanton women, who were proud either of their natural beauty, or artificial dresses and ornaments. The daughters of Zion (saith he) are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet; there's their pride: but what was their punishment? the next words resolve us. Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts; they were proud of that which covered their skin, and therefore the Lord punished them with scabs, or covered their skin with scurfe and scabs; and as there the Lord shows what he would bring upon, so what he would take from them. (Vers. 18.) In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their Caules, and their round tyres like the Moon. And (Vers. 24.) it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink, and instead of a girdle a rent, and instead of well set hair baldness, and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth, and burning instead of beauty. What could be more contrary to the pride of these women, than that which the Lord brought upon them, or punished them with. What do proud women more desire than beauty and bravery? And what do proud men look after, but to be respected, honored, and to have everyone point the finger at them, or bow the knee to them? Now when the Lord blasts proud women in their beauty and bravery, when he blasts proud men in their honor and estimation, when he thus abaseth and treads them down, he toucheth them in that which the spirit of pride prizeth most, and with greatest regret parteth from. Pride is a base height of spirit, therefore the Lord abaseth the proud. There are five words in the Text, all tending directly to cross the spirit of a proud man.

First, He shall be abased.

Secondly, He shall be brought low. A proud man would fain be high, he would sit at the upper end of the Table, yea, he would sit at the upper end of the World too; but, saith the Lord, he shall be brought low.

Thirdly, What would a proud man do? He would tread upon the necks of all others, but he shall be trodden underfoot.

Fourthly, Where would the proud man be? He would be conspicuous in high places, but he shall be hid in the dust.

Fifthly, He would be looked at by all men with admiration, but, saith God, his face shall be bound in secret; he loves to appear and make a fair show in the flesh, but he shall not appear at all.. Proud ones cannot get so high, but God in his Justice will get above them, and strip them of that wherein they have chiefly prided themselves. Read ( Isa. 14.11, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25. and Isa. 23.9.) Those Scriptures tell us how the Lord deals with proud men, according to their pride, or rather contrary to their pride; he gives them that which they most disgust, and takes that from them which they most passionately desire.

Secondly, Take wicked men in the common notion, for those that do evil at the highest rate, that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with cart-ropes. Then,

Observe, First;

The Lord will tread them down ( Psal. 9.16, 17.) The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands, yea, the wicked shall be turned into hell. That is, the utmost of sorrow and suffering shall be their portion ( Isa. 3.11.) Woe to the wicked, for the reward of their doings shall be given them. (Isa. 57.21.) There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. As the tumultuousness of their own spirits will not let them be at peace, so neither will the righteousness of God.

Secondly, From those expressions, Tread down the wicked in their place, hide them in the dust together, bind their faces in secret.

Observe;

As wicked men would fain purge and rid the world of godly men, they would destroy all the seed of the righteous; so certainly God will destroy the wicked of the world, and rid the world of them, though not at once of every wicked man, yet in their times and seasons, that they shall not do the mischief which their hearts are full of. The last of the Prophets speaks as much of the Lord's vengeance upon all the wicked ( Mal. 4.1.) The day of the Lord. (speaking of some great day of the Lord's appearance) shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 'It is utter ruin to be destroyed root and branch; such shall the ruin of the wicked be. Thus also the Prophet Isaiah comforts the Church ( Chap. 52.1.) Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy City; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee, the uncircumcised and the unclean. The wicked of the world are the uncircumcised, they have not the spiritual circumcision, the circumcision of the heart; these shall no more trouble Jerusalem, nor tread in Zion's Courts. ( Nahum. 1.15.) Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; O Judah keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy Vows, for the wicked shall no more pass through thee, he is utterly cut off. The Hebrew is, Belial shall no more pass through thee: That is, such as cast off the yoke of Jesus Christ, shall no more bring Judah under their yoke. This is also witnessed by another holy Prophet ( Zech. 14.21.) In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts, they shall no more mingle themselves with the faithful servants of God, much less rule over them. Canaanites have often been in the house of the Lord, but the Canaanite shall not always be there; God will sweep them out of his house. Answerable to these prophesies speaks the last prophesy ( Rev. 21.27. Chap. 22.15.) which some interpret of a glorious state of the Church here, and 'tis undoubtedly true (as all agree) of the Church in glory: No unclean thing shall enter; without shall be dogs. Then indeed, God will abase the proud, and tread down the wicked,

Hence note, Thirdly;

God will tread them down in their place; when they are where they would be, upon their own ground, they shall be worsted. The Scripture speaks often of treading down the wicked, notwithstanding their greatest advantages. Union is a great advantage for preservation, yet ( Isa. 8.9.) Associate yourselves, O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear all ye far Countries, gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces; take counsel together, and it shall come to naught, speak the word, and it shall not stand. As if the Lord had sad, I will not take you at an advantage, before you are gathered together, before you are girded; I will not surprise you unarmed and unprovided; do your best to save and secure yourselves from my vengeance, associate yourselves, gird yourselves, take counsel together, and then I will tread you down. Neither strongest associations, nor wisest consultations, nor highest resolutions, nor completest preparations for action (though ye have spoken the word and are girt ) shall avail you in the day of my wrath. Thus the Lord bespake Jehoiakim by his Prophet ( Jerem. 22.15.) Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in Cedar? As if he had said, because thou dost make such provision for thy own safety, dost thou think to be be safe? or canst thou shelter thyself against me? Again (verse. 23.) O Inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the Cedars (Cedars are high trees and strong) how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain of a woman in travel. The Lord puts a scorn upon them, such a kind of scorn (but not as hers, without cause) as Michal put upon David (2 Sam. 6.20.) how glorious was the King of Israel today. Were not you very glorious when you danced uncovered before the ark? Thus, I say, the Lord puts a holy scorn upon the wicked, when they are in their Cedar-nests; How gracious wilt thou be, when pangs of sorrow come upon thee. Take one Scripture more ( Jerem. 49.16.) Thy terribleness ('tis spoken of Edom) hath deceived thee, (thou thoughtest thyself so terrible that none durst touch thee, yet, thy terribleness hath deceived thee) and the pride of thy heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, and holdest the height of the hill; though thou shouldst make thy nest as high as the Eagles, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Thou hast all the advantages, thou hast a rock for strength, and thou art upon a hill for height, yea, upon the height of the hill, thou art above all; but though thy nest were as the Eagles, I will pluck thee thence. Thus the Lord treads down the wicked in their place, in there fortifications, in their mounts and towers; when they have secured themselves most by counsels, and friends, and strong-holds, then and there he treads them down, even in their place.

Fourthly, Note;

I ground it thus. The Lord would have Job show himself like God, or act as God doth, by treading down the wicked. God made himself known to be God, by the Plagues which he brought upon Pharaoh, as well as by the deliverance and salvation which he wrought for Israel (Exod. 8.22. Exod. 9.14.) I will send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayst know that there is none like me in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throghout all the earth. Thus also said David (Psal. 9.16.) The Lord is known by the judgment that he executeth, that is, by punishing the wicked he is known to be the Lord. God is known by his works, as well as in his word: power and greatness, and wisdom and justice are visible in his judgments.

There was a third sort of wicked men named in opening the Text, which I shall but touch in this observation. Such they were described to be as are unquiet themselves, nor will they suffer others to be quiet by their good wills; they are troubled that any live peaceably by them: The Lord will tread down these unquiet wicked ones also. The Scripture is full of this truth ( Isa. 33.1.) Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee: when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

Now the Lord having put Job to all these trials of his strength (thereby to show himself able to contend with him) tells him plainly, if thou canst do these things, if thou canst abase the proud, if thou canst tread them down, hide them in the dust, and bind their faces in secret, Then

That is, when thou hast done all these things, I will give an honorable testimony of thee, I will not hide thy power; and then I will acknowledge, thou hast some color to contest with me, and art able to uphold thyself. These mighty acts are proper and peculiar to me; yet thou seemest to say, thou canst do all these, else, surely thou hadst never offered to contend with me. That's the scope of these words, Then will I confess

Or that thou canst be a self-savior, or that thou art self-sufficient, as I am, and hast no dependence upon any; and then thou needest not complain that I do not help thee, for thou canst help thyself.

Thine own right hand can save thee. The hand is an instrument of help, especially the right hand; and then the right hand saves, when it either keeps us from danger, or delivers us out of it.

Quest. But did Job ever say his own right hand could save him.

Answ. Job never said it, nor thought it, his mind was pure from such blasphemy; yet he sometimes spake as if he had been somewhat more than a man, especially, when he spake of debating his matters and arguing with God.

First, In that the Lord saith, in case Job could do all those things, he would confess that his own right hand could save him,

Note;

There goes no more to save ourselves out of any trouble, than to destroy all others. The Apostle James saith ( Chap. 4.12.) There is one law-giver, who is able to save and destroy. God is this law-giver, he is able to do both; and because he can destroy all, he can save all, and will save all that trust in him. The devil is called a destroyer, he is called Abaddon in Hebrew, and Apollyon in Greek, that is, a destroyer (Rev. 9.11.) but he cannot destroy all; if he could, he would soon make sad work, none should be saved. There is but one law-giver, who can save and destroy, take away life and give life; he can do the one as well as the other, and both as often as he will. The Lord hath an absolutely supreme power over men, and may dispose of them for life or death as he pleaseth; even, eternal life and death, salvation and damnation are in his hand; 'tis therefore a fearful thing to fall into the hand (the revenging hand) of the living God (Heb. 10.31.) upon the neglect, much more upon the despising and contempt of the covenant of life and peace by Jesus Christ, as 'tis said at the 29th verse of that Chapter. Christ is the best friend and the worst enemy; To him belong the issues from death (Psal. 68.20.) and he hath the keys af death and hell (Rev. 1.18.) Let us rejoice with trembling before him, who is able to save and destroy.

Secondly, Note;

No, not by his own right hand. Man cannot save himself, First, from temporal evils; he cannot save himself from sickness nor from poverty, he cannot save himself from any danger that is ready to fall upon him; nor can the strongest creatures save him ( Psal. 33.17.) A horse is a vain thing to save a man, and man is as vain a thing to save himself; a horse cannot deliver us by his great strength, or by the greatness of his skill and wisdom. Secondly, much less can man save himself from spiritual and eternal evils. While we consider, First, out of what misery we are saved. Secondly, from what mighty enemies we are saved. Thirdly, from whose wrath we are saved. Fourthly, what price was required, that we might be saved. Fifthly, what mercy and grace were needful to save us: we must needs confess, that our right hand cannot save us, spiritually and eternally. Who can save himself out of the hand of that great enemy the devil, and his legions of darkness? who can save himself from that gulf of misery, into which sin hath plunged us? who can deliver himself from the curse of the Law, or from sin, the sting of death? who can deliver himself from the power of his lusts, from the pride, unbelief, covetousness and hardness of his own heart? Our own right hand cannot save us from any of these evils. The devil and the world are too strong for us, and so is every lust and corruption of our own evil hearts. Can we by any power of our own convert ourselves, or preserve ourselves after conversion? Can we get out of the Kingdom of darkness by our own power? or put ourselves into the Kingdom of light by our own po • er? That we are either temporally, or spiritually, or eternally saved, is all from the power, from the right hand of God, not at all from our own. Unless we give all to God, we take all from him. He that is our God, is the God of salvation, and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death (Psal. 68.20.) Salvation of every kind, and the issues from every kind of death, are of the Lord.

Thirdly, Note;

That the Lord would have Job understand; and this we understand from other Scriptures ( Psal. 17.7.) Shew thy marvelous loving kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee. This is one of God's royal Titles, Thou that savest by thy right hand (Psal. 98.1.) O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvelous things, his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory (Psal. 44.4.) Thou art my King of old, commanding deliverances for Jacob. How easily can the Lord save with his hand, who can save with his tongue, and deliver by commanding deliverances? Nor is it one deliverance only which the Lord commands, but many, yea, any: That Psalm gives it plurally, commanding deliverances. The Prophet speaks of this sole and solitary saving power of God ( Isa. 59.16.) He saw that there was no man (that is, no man that offered any help) and wondered that there was no intercessor (that is, no man to speak a good word for them) therefore his arm brought salvation to him, and his righteousness it sustained him. And again ( Isa. 63.5.) I looked, and there was none to help, and I wondered that there was none to uphold; therefore mine own arm brought salvation to me. This is it which was said before ( verse. 3.) I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with me.

Hence we may infer;

There may be sometimes too many for God to save us by, but never too few. Why? because he can save by his own right hand. The Lord said to Gideon (Judge. 7.2.) The people that are with thee, are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands (they were so many, that the sole salvation of God would not appear) lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, mine own hand hath saved me. Though we have but little strength, yet it may be too much for God's purpose, we being apt to boast ourselves, when we have any hands to save us, as if our own right hand had saved us.

If God be with us, we have strength enough, and hands enough with us. It is all one with the Lord, to save by few or by many, yea, by few or by none at all, for his own right hand can do it.

This is our sin, that when we have many hands to save us, we trust in them, rather than in the right hand of God. The Lord often and usually makes use of man's hand to save us by (Obad. ver. ult.) And Savior's shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau, and the Kingdom shall be the Lord's. Now, though the Lord useth other right hands to save us by, and to judge the wicked by, besides his own, yet we must trust in his alone; for 'tis he alone that saveth us, by what hand soever our salvation is wrought or brought to us.

Fourthly, Observe;

Only he who stands upon his own bottom, or subsists in and of himself alone, can save or do anything of himself alone. And as none can do anything alone, or by a self-power, but God; so none should presume that they can do, or undertake to do the least thing alone. We may, yea, we must use our hands; that is, do our endeavor for the accomplishment of every work (for God doth not work so as to let man stand still and be idle) but we must not so much as have a thought, that we can effect anything by our hands. That wise woman Abigail intimated to David (1 Sam. 25.31.) that, if he had gone on to avenge himself upon Nabal with his own hand, it might have proved grief to him, and offense of heart, that is, trouble of conscience. Now, as we must not at all use our own hand in avenging ourselves, nor think of avenging ourselves by our own right hand (for saith God, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it ) so it is exceeding sinful to imagine that we can save ourselves, or do anything, effectually, towards it by our own hand. I may say these four things, to show the sinfulness of such an imagination.

First, It is high presumption to think so. It was the presumption of the great Assyrian (Isa. 10.13.) to say, By the strength of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; and I have removed the bounds of the people (he had no mind to remove their bonds) and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. So we render the similitude, Like a valiant man, and so do most interpreters; both ancient and modern; yet a late learned critic dissenting from them all, renders, I have knocked them down, or slain them, like a beast or bullock for slaughter or sacrifice. Which exposition he confirms, as by the sense of the word there used, so by the custom of speaking in all languages, it being usual to compare great slaughters of men to the slaughtering of beasts; but of this by the way. Now, whether we take our reading or this, either of them sets out the presumptuous boasting of the Assyrian King, that the strength of his own right hand had done all those great things.

Secondly, 'It is fleshly confidence, such a confidence as God will reject ( Jer. 2.37.) to think we can do anything by our own hand.

Thirdly, It is a slighting of, and departing from God to think so ( Jer. 17.5.) Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm (whether his own flesh or other men's flesh, what flesh soever it is that he maketh his arm, cursed be he, and what follows) and whose heart departeth from the Lord. As if he had said, every time we think to save ourselves by our own right hand, we do cursedly depart from the Lord. The truth is, we can no more save ourselves, than we can make ourselves; we can no more preserve our being, than we can give ourselves a being; it is from the Lord that we have a being, or are preserved from a miserable being.

Fourthly, They who think they can save themselves by their own hand, put themselves into the place of God, and take upon themselves to be God. The King of Israel said well (2 King. 5.7.) when the King of Syria sent Naaman his servant to heal him of his Leprosy, Am I God; to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send to me to recover a man of his Leprosy? Whosoever thinks he can heal, or save by his own power, takes upon himself, as if he were God. Many make their force their God. That Heathen King ( Hab. 1.11.) ascribed his power to his god. So we render the words; yet some expound them, as if Nebuchadnezzar, in the pride of his heart, refusing at that time to acknowledge any God but himself, ascribed his power to himself. But supposing according to the supplement of our translation, and the exposition of many more, that he ascribed his power not to himself, but to his Idol-god; how great a rebuke will that acknowledgement of his be to any, who worshipping the true God, shall yet ascribe their power to themselves, and so take upon themselves to be God? Jacob said to Rachel, when she was so impatient for children, Am I in the place of God? To give effect, is the work of God; and therefore, for us to think we can give effect to what we do, is to take upon us to be God. The King of Tyrus is therefore said, To set his heart as the heart of God (Ezek. 28.6.) because he thought he could defend and secure himself by a self-power and strength, or by a self-wisdom and policy. Let us renounce our own arm, and power, and strength, and right hand, in all things; let us look upon our own right hand as weak and withered, unable to bring anything to pass, but as the Lord shall be pleased to put forth his right hand to strengthen ours. And when we are thus sensible of our own weakness, as also humbled under a sense of it, then the Lord gives out most strength to us; yea, makes us able to do all things (which are our duty, and we have a call to do) through Christ strengthening us (Phil. 4.13.) And as we shall find Christ strengthening us to do, so to suffer all things when we are weak in ourselves. The Apostles experience taught him to say so (2 Cor. 12.10.) I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for where I am weak (that is, in myself) there I am strong; that is, in the Lord.

Thus the Lord hath been dealing with Job to humble him, by putting him upon those things which he himself alone can do; by which he taught Job, and teacheth us and all men, that no man can save himself by his own right hand. There is no salvation in any name, in any hand, but in Jesus Christ's; much less spiritual or eternal salvation.

THe Lord having spoken (in the former context) concerning proud men, whom he alone is able to abase, to lay low, to tread down, as 'tis there expressed; he presently subjoins, not only the mention, but a very large and accurate description of two huge vast and (as to bigness) monstrous creatures; the one belonging to the Land, the other to the water. In the making and governing of both which, his mighty power and wonderful providence are clearly seen, and ought to be religiously, both acknowledged and adored, these being such as man could not subdue, nor make any use of, unless God had ordered and over-ruled them for the service and benefit of man; one of them he hath subdued to the service of man, Behemoth, and the other to the benefit of man, even the great Leviathan.

Many of the Ancients draw this whole discourse about Behemoth & Leviathan, into an Allegory, understanding by them, First, The devil; Secondly, Antichrist, together with all the oppressive and afflictive powers of this world. But though we may make some use and improvement of the Allegory, yet doubtless these two creatures are here intended primarily in a proper and literal sense; even as the Lord before in a proper and literal sense discoursed with Job concerning the Lion, the wild Goat, the wild Ass, the Unicorn, the Horse, and several other creatures, mentioned in the 39th Chapter of this Book. And therefore it was well said by an ancient Writer upon this place, We are not ignorant that many have expounded this Scripture in an allegorical way of the devil; but we must first attend the History, and then make some use, for the profit of the hearer, out of the Allegory.

The Lord in presenting this and that other vast creature to Job, seems thus to bespeak him, That thou, (O Job) mayst know the better how to take measure of thyself, and how to keep thy due distance in speaking to me (of which Job had not been so observant as he should) I set before thee two stupendous creatures, both the work of my hands, both at my disp • se and command; and by thy inability to deal with them, thou mayst learn how unable thou art to strive or contend with me. Or thus, If thou (O Job) dost not yet understand what a poor creature thou art, and how uncomely a thing it is for thee to murmur at, and find fault about my proceedings with, and providences towards thee, in laying those sore afflictions upon thee; or if th • u dost not yet understand how uncomely thou hast carried it towards me, in calling me to account for my actions with thee, yet learn it, at least, at the sight; or upon consideration of these beasts. Canst thou match either the Elepha • t or the Leviathan? Canst thou find any error in their frame or constitution, when thou hast viewed all their parts which I will particularly set out before thee? Art thou strong as Behemoth, and mighty as Leviathan? Canst thou withstand their strength or might? darest thou contend with them, or stand before them? If not, how darest thou contend with me? how darest thou speak words which may bear so much as the shadow of any contention with me, or dissatisfaction with what I have done?

Thus the Lord who had exemplified his power and wisdom to Job in divers creatures of a lesser size and port, now gives instance in two of the greatest, the Elephant and Leviathan, which may well be called The chief patterns or pieces of divine power and skill, that so, Job might be further convinced, and more deeply humbled by these visible things, of the invisible power of God, or might learn how mighty that God is that made them, how mighty that God is who rules and over-rules them. The one would trouble all at Land, and the other all at Sea, if God did not bind and bridle them. This doubtless, or somewhat like this, is the general scope of the Lord's long discourse about these two famous creatures, even to show how much man is below God, seeing he is so much (in many things) below these beasts; or, that man who in many things is no match for these creatures, cannot possibly be a match for God, who made them. Thus much in general.

We have a description of Behemoth six ways in this context.

First, He is described by his procreating or efficient cause, God himself; Behold now Behemoth which I made: He is my work, my workmanship.

Secondly, He is described by his conserving cause, or that which is the matter of his nourishment and preservation, in the close of the 15th verse, He eateth grass like an Ox. And ( ver. 20.) Surely the mountains bring him forth food.

Thirdly, He is described by his mighty strength; by the strength of his loins and belly ( ver. 16.) by the strength of his tail and genitals ( ver. 17.) and by the strength of his bones ( ver. 18.) from all which, the Lord concludes in the 19th verse (which are the words I shall chiefly insist upon) his excellency above all other beasts, He is the chief of the ways of God; and yet, how great and vast soever he is, his strength is weakness in comparison of God; for as 'tis said, God is able to tame him, and subdue him; in the latter end of the 19th verse, He that made him, can make his sword to approach unto him. The former part of this 19th verse heightens all that hath been spoken before concerning the power of Behemoth, which is the third thing whereby he is described.

Fourthly, He is described by his harmlessness towards other beasts ( ver. 20.) Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. As if God had said, this is no ravenous beast, though a great beast, for all the beasts of the field, little or great, one and the other, play about him, they do not run away, they are not frighted at the sight of him, as if they saw a Lion or a Tiger.

Fifthly, He is described by the place of his repose and shelter, where he delights to rest himself, and take his ease ( ver. 21, 22.) He lieth under the shady trees, under the covert of the reeds and fens; the shady trees cover him with their shadow, the willows of the brook compass him about.

Sixthly, He is described by his deep and • readless drinking, in the two last verses of the Chapter; Behold he drinketh up a River, and hasteth not (for fear) he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth (not an ordinary River, but Jordan ) a high expression, to show the extreme thirst of this creature (according to our reading) and how large a cask he hath to hold his liquor; He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan with his mouth) he taketh it with his eyes (he thrusts his head into the water up to the eyes) and his nose pierceth through snares. By these six particulars this creature is described; upon all which, I shall add somewhat distinctly and briefly.

God calls Job to a very attentive consideration, being to enter upon a discourse about the creature. Behold, is a usual word of attention, it also is a word which carries admiration in it; it gives us warning, that the matter following is of no ordinary importance; and surely, that which followeth here is not. Behold now Behemoth.

Hence note;

Let's not think it a matter of indifferency, whether we consider these works of God, yea, or no. Here is a Behold prefixed, lest we should say, what should we stay our minds upon beasts, upon Behemoth or Leviathan, we have other more spiritual objects to think upon? 'It is true, we have; but we must take heed of slighting these objects, especially when God doth, as it were, travel by his Spirit, to set them forth before the eye of our mind, in their utmost grandeur and excellency. We should not pass the least work of God lightly by, much less should we so pass by the great works of God. We should not lightly pass by the least mercy of God, but think much of little mercies; little mercies are great mercies to us, seeing we are less than the least of them (as Jacob spake, Gen. 32.10.) but we must especially consider great mercies, great deliverances, great salvations; upon them our minds must stay or make a stand, and our meditations dwell. We are also to consider, and well to view all our sins, our little sins, our least failings, seeing they have a greatness in them, as being committed against the great God, and as being able to do us great hurt, and to draw down great wrath upon us, if not repented of, and turned from; but our great sins must much more be viewed and considered: And every godly man doth so, he holds the eye of his soul upon the ugly face of great sins, especially, to discover the deformity and iniquity of them to the utmost, that he may be greatly humbled for them. Now, as we should not lightly pass by our least mercies and sins, but very deeply consider our great mercies and sins, so we should not neglect the least creature, the least work of God (the great wisdom and power of God are visible in the least) but we should seriously consider the more noble creatures, and the greater works of God, whether they be works of creation, or woe • ks of providence. I may say as Christ ( Mat. 23.23.) about tything, mint, annise and cummin; these things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Christ used a piece of rheto • ick; when he said, You should not leave them undone, his meaning was, you should do those greater things of the Law, judgment, righteousness and faith, with greatest exactness. So I say in this case, you are not to leave the least pieces of God's work in creation or providence, unviewed, unconsidered, unmeditated; but his great works, his Behemoths, you should behold, study and admire, or behold and study with admiration. When I consider (saith David, Psal. 8.3.) the Heavens, the work of thy hands, the Sun and the Moon, &c. This implieth, that David did often consider the Heavens, those great pieces of God's work, as also the great Luminaries there placed and moving with admired swiftness and evenness continually. Though we are chiefly to behold spiritual things, yet we must not think our time lost in beholding natural things; though we should specially behold God's gracious woe • ks, the works of grace, the workmanship of God in framing the new creature, yet we must also behold the old creation, and view every piece of it, especially the great pieces of it. Again, though we should behold and be looking to the Author and fi • isher of our faith; though we should, as the Baptist called some to do in his time, and all to do in all times ( John 1.29.) Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world (our eyes and our hearts, the eye of our faith should be upon Christ the Lamb of God, more, ten thousand times more, than upon Leviathan or Behemoth ) yet 'tis our duty to behold Behemoth and Leviathan. Jesus Christ saith ( Isa. 65.1.) Behold me, behold me; 'It is the word here in Job. Jesus Christ speaks there as if he would call off our eyes and hearts from all things in the world, to behold himself; and in comparison, so we should. He is the most amiable sight or spectacle in the world, and therefore ought to be the desire of our eyes: yet in their places, there are other worthy spectacles for us to behold, especially as they hold forth, and as in them we may behold, the power, wisdom and goodness of God. Let no man say we lose our time in a due meditation upon any of the creatures which God hath made; for he hath made them, that we should behold and meditate upon them.

The word Behemoth is applicable to, or may signify any greater or great beast of the field ( Gen. 3.14.) The Lord said unto the serpent; because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. And again, Every beast of the forest is mine (saith the Lord, Psal. 50.10.) and the cattle upon a thousand hills. Hence some conceive that we are here to understand beasts in general, the word Behemoth being in the plural number. Behold now the beasts; as if the Lord pointed at all the beasts of the field in this Behold. And ' • is a truth, we are to consider them all; but it is very improbable that in this place God calls Job to behold the beasts of the field in general, and not rather someone in special: And I may give four reasons for it.

First, Because in the former Chapter God had spoken of divers particular beasts of the earth; and therefore doubtless here also he speaks of some particular beast.

Secondly, That creature which is joined with Behemoth in this discourse, is by most taken for a particular kind of fish in the Sea; and therefore 'tis most congruous, that Behemoth should denote some particular kind of beast at land.

Thirdly and chiefly, The description given here of Behemoth will not fit all sorts of beasts in the field, it will not fit a sheep, nor a bullock. What is said of Behemoth exceeds the proportion and constitution of all such and many other beasts.

Fourthly, Behemoth is said to feed, where all the beasts of the field do play (ver. 20.) and therefore we cannot understand all the beasts of the field by him; no, nor (which some of the Jewish writers insist much upon) all the greater beasts of the field. And therefore we may conclude, that this word Behemoth (though in itself a plural word) is here intended of a singular beast; and, because there is no greater beast upon the earth than the Elephant, therefore most interpreters (both ancient and modern) determine it upon the Elephant, to whom (among all the beasts of the earth) those six particulars (mentioned in the following description of Behemoth ) are supposed most fitly to agree.

And whereas 'tis objected, the word Behemoth is of the plural number, that is easily answered, and wiped off; for nothing is more usual in the Hebrew language, than to express great things by a plural word; and so the Elephant may be called the beasts, Either, First, with respect to the vastness of his body, as if he did comprize, or were a comprehension of all other beasts. Or, Secondly, with respect to some extraordinary qualification or eminency found in him, in which respect, it is said at the 19th verse, He is the chief of the ways of God. As the Hebrew sets out excellent things by words of the superlative degree, so likewise by words of the plural number, or it useth the plural number to signify the superlative degree. The Elephant is the Beast, the Beast of Beasts, a beast above all beasts. Thus ( Prov. 1.20.) Christ is called in the plural number wisdoms, because of the excellency of his wisdom. Again ( Prov. 9.1.) Wisdom (so we translate, but the word is wisdoms) hath built her house, that is, Jesus Christ hath. And he is expressed by a plural word, to note that all sorts and degrees of wisdom meet in him; according to that of the Apostle ( Col. 2.3.) In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. As David when he would show how very foolish and beastly he had been, in mis-judging the dispensations of God; First, in afflicting the godly; Secondly, in prospering evil men: When (I say) he considered, how foolishly he had done in envying at, or in being troubled about their prosperity; he concludes ( ver. 22.) So foolish was I and ignorant, even as a beast before thee. The Hebrew useth the word in the Text, Behemoth, even as beasts before thee. As if he had said, the beastliness of all beasts centred in me, and all their ignorance, while my spirit was so troubled in this matter concerning the providences of God, towards myself who serve him, and those who serve him not. Thus David, that he might fully acknowledge, how very a beast he was, in so speaking and so thinking, calls himself Behemoth, Beasts. This may suffice to satisfy the Reader why we expound the Text of a particular beast, and why most pitch it upon the Elephant among all beasts in special, though the word be of the plural number. There being no proper or peculiar name in Scripture for the Elephant, it is most probable that he is here named by this Appellative word plural.

Yet (before I step further into that large description which the Lord gives of Behemoth ) I cannot forbear to take notice, that the same industrious and learned Author, who varyeth in opinion (as was there shown) about the Reem, by us rendered the Unicorn, varyeth here as much in his Opinion about Behemoth, intimated by our translators in the Margin, and affirmed (as himself confesseth) by the most general voice of modern interpreters, to be the Elephant.

I suppose it will not be unacceptable to the Reader, if I here offer a brief account of those reasons which prevailed with him to turn off from the common opinion concerning this Animal, which he gives as followeth.