Exposition of Job 35-37

THis verse contains a further confirmation of God's righteous and gracious dealing with the righteous and gracious poor, yea, with all that are righteous and gracious. The words may be taken, either in a stricter or in a larger sense.

First, Strictly, as an Exposition of the latter part of the former verse, He giveth right to the poor, that is, He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: We may put both together, He is so set to give right to the righteous poor, he takes such care of them, that he cannot take his eye off from them.

Secondly, In a larger and more general sense, as a Conclusion upon the whole matter, that, God will not desert any righteous person, whether poor or rich, high or low, God will take notice of piety and godliness, wheresoever he finds it,

The word which we translate withdraweth, and is here used negatively, He withdraweth not, signifies, strictly in the Noun, any kind of abatement or diminution, and in the Verb, to diminish, or abate, or take short in any kind that which was before. When Pharaoh (Exod. 5.8.) gave out a fresh Charge for burdening, or indeed oppressing the Children of Israel in their bondage, the Order ran in this style; The tale of bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them, you shall not diminish or withdraw any, you shall not abate them a brick. And Moses showing how sacred a thing the Word of God is, ( Deut. 9.2.) gives a double check or prohibition to all medlers with it: First, to medlers by way of addition, Ye shall not add unto the Word: Secondly, by way of abate • ent, or abstraction, Ye shall not diminish, or withdraw from it: it is this word; As if the Lord had said, Every tittle of my word shall stand by itself, and every Iota be established; be sure that ye put nothing to it, that you withdraw nothing from it. Further, this word which we translate withdraw, is rendered also to clip, as the hair of the head or beard is clipt, (Jer. 48.37.) It is indeed high treason against the King of Heaven, to clip his coin, his word, which bears the royal stamp and superscription of his truth and holiness. Thus here, he withdraweth not, that is, the Lord doth not abate, lessen, diminish, or take off his eyes from the righteous, his eyes are fixed on them for good always, and they are always fixed in the same strength and virtue; He withdraweth not

God is a Spirit without parts and passions, yet often in Scripture parts and passions are ascribed to him in allusion to man, here eyes, He withdraweth not his eyes, that is, his sight, or his providence. And we may take notice, that in Scripture, where this expression is used without any further addition, it is always taken in a good sense. When we read either of God's keeping his eyes upon his people, or of his not withdrawing his eyes from his people, it always respects their privilege, benefit and comfort; He withdraweth not his eyes

He doth not say, from this or that righteous man, but from the righteous, implying the whole kind or generation of the righteous. The indefinite is universal; we may render it thus; he withdraweth not his eyes from any that are righteous. The righteous here may be taken in a twofold notion, First, for the righteous, as to their state, or who are in a state of righteousness. Man wanting a righteousness of his own, hath the righteousness of another assigned and imputed to him. Justified persons through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, are righteous persons, as hath been shown heretofore. Secondly, We may take righteous here, with respect to the righteousness of their ways and actions: They who do righteousness are righteous, saith the Apostle John. To a righteous state, there belongs a righteous way, a righteous walk, righteous acting; not that the righteous do not sin, but they would not, nor do they sin at all as the unrighteous. It is a high blemish or stain to the Gospel, when any that pretend to a righteous state, or to righteousness by Jesus Christ, are not righteous as to their ways and course, as to their walkings and workings, whether towards God or man. 'It is true, in a strict legal sense, none are righteous, no not one; but in a Gospel sense all justified and fanctified persons are righteous; and they are called so, not only positively as to what themselves are, but comparatively, as to what the men of the world are, who live in a state or walk in a course of sin and unrighteousness. The Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous.

But some may here object or question, Is this true only of the righteous? Doth the Lord at any time withdraw his eyes from the unrighteous? truly that would be very good news to many unrighteous persons, they would be glad that they and their way might be hid from God, or that God would not look upon them.

I answer, This Scripture is not to be so understood, as if God did behold the righteous and not the wicked, for ( Prov. 15.3.) The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, beholding the evil and the good, whether things done or persons doing them. The Lord doth not withdraw his eyes from the most unrighteous persons, nor from any of their acts or ways of unrighteousness. And when it is said here, The Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, it is meant of a peculiar eye, which the Lord hath upon the righteous; he beholds both the righteous and the unrighteous, yet he doth not behold the unrighteous, as he beholds the righteous; which I shall clear further by giving in a five-fold discovery, what that eye of the Lord is which is upon the righteous, four of which are distinct and totally differing from that eye with which he beholdeth unrighteous men, and from everyone of them I shall give you an observation for our further profiting by this general assertion, that the Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. There is a five-fold eye of God spoken of in Scripture.

First, There is a discerning eye, that eye by which be unerringly knoweth what every man is, and what every man doth.

Hence note;

This is true also of the unrighteous; therefore David puts it universally, ( Psal. 11.4.) His eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men, that is, his sight discovers and discerns what they are, of what sort soever they are. We may see many men, yet not discover what they are, they may have a fair outside to our view, whilst within they are foul and full of rottenness; they may appear in Sheeps clothing, yet inwardly be ravening Wolves. But the Lord's eye is a trying eye, he doth not only know who men are, but he knows what they are. Such is the importance of that Scripture, ( Heb. 4.13.) All things are naked and manifest to his eyes, with whom we have to do; that is, the Lord doth so behold things and persons, that he hath a clear understanding of them. And though the Lord's eye be thus upon all men, yet this is specially affirmed of righteous men, ( Psal. 33.18.) Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, and hope in his mercy. Again, ( Psal. 34.15.) His eye is over the righteous. Both texts teach us, that God considers not only what they do, but as I may say, how they do, whether it be peace with them, or whether it be trouble with them, whether it be joy with them, or whether it be sorrow with them, the Lord's eye is over them, to discern, not only whether, and how they go, but how things go with them.

Secondly, The Lord hath a directing or a counseling eye.

Hence Note;

This eye of the Lord, as it denotes favor, is peculiar to the righteous. We have that expressly, ( Psal. 32.8.) I will instruct thee, and teach thee, (how?) I will guide thee with mine eye. We put in the Margen, I will counsel thee, that is, thee a Godly man, a David, spoken of ( v. 6, 7.) mine eye shall give thee counsel. Men can give direction by the eye, and they that are acquainted with them, understand what they mean when they look this way or that way, thus or so. Solomon saith, A naughty person winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers, (Pro. 6.12, 13.) that is, all the postures and gestures of his body, show what he is, stark naught, and silently teach others to be naught. The holy God also teacheth by his feet and fingers, his goings and doings, his works and ways teach us the work which we should do, and the way wherein we should go; he hath a providential eye; the looks of providence give counsel to those who know how to look upon them, and interpret them. The Lord hath a providential eye upon the righteous, not only to foresee their dangers, but to direct their course; he showeth them their way, and their work by this eye; he tells them what pleaseth him, and what displeaseth him, by this eye; this eye the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous; He will guide the feet of his Saints, (1 Sam. 2.9.) 'It is possible for a righteous man sometime to be without counsel, he may neither know what counsel to give himself, nor what to take from others; as Jehoshaphat said in his straight (2 Chron. 20.12.) He knoweth not what to do; yet (as Jehoshaphat said then) his eyes are towards the Lord, and the Lord's eyes are towards him. When he is thus counselless, there is a counseling, a directing eye of God upon him; though he at that present know not his way, yea, be out of his way, yet he is not out of God's eye, and that will in due time show him his way, or bring him into his way again: though God suffer him to go out of the way, yet the eye of God is upon him, even when he is out of his way, and that eye will reduce and bring him back to his right way. There is a directing, a counseling eye of God.

Thirdly, The Scripture speaks of a pitying and a compassionating eye of God. It is ordinary with us to hear those that are in distress cry out to those who pass by, cast an eye upon us, look upon us, and that is as much as to say, pity us, have compassion upon us; this eye of pity the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous.

Hence note;

When the people of Israel were in Egypt, the Lord said to Moses, (Exod. 3.7.) I have surely seen the affliction of my people; and what kind of sight was that? what eye of God was it which was upon them? the words following, and the whole series of God's dealings also clear it, that it was an eye of compassion; I have surely seen, or seeing I have seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, &c. and I am come down to deliver them. We read in that notable place, ( Gen. 16.14.) when Hagar was in a very sad and distressed condition, being cast out of Abraham's family, God had compassion on her, and shown her a Well, where she might have water for herself and child, and the text saith, She called the name of the Well Beer-la-hai-roi, that is, the Well of him that liveth and seeth me: As if she had said, God hath seen me in my afflicted condition, and he hath also had compassion on me. That's another great privilege, the righteous are under this pitying and compassionating eye of God; and from thence follows,

The fourth eye of God, his providing eye, his caring eye.

Hence note;

There is a providing eye of God continually beholding his people; Of this providing eye Abraham spake, ( Gen. 22.14.) when he was put upon that hard task, the sacrificing of his own son, his Isaac, the Lord had compassion on him, and provided another sacrifice, and therefore he called the name of that place, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will see or provide; that is, as the Lord hath seen and provided for me, so he will see and provide for all his in their greatest exigence and extremities. What Abraham said, all the seed of Abraham may say in the day of their distress, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will see and provide. And as the Lord hath a seeing and a providing eye for his in times of distress, so at all times. Moses said of the Land of Israel, (Deut. 11.12.) It is a Land of hills and of valleys, a Land which the Lord thy God careth for: The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year, even unto the end of the year. The eyes of the Lord are upon the land, that is, upon the people of the land, or upon the land for the people's sake who dwell in it: What to do? the text answers, to care for it, that is, to provide all things for their good, to give rain in season, and the fruits of the earth, not only for the support, but comfort of his people. We read of the same eye promised to the people of Israel in the Land of their captivity, ( Jer. 29.6.) I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again into this Land; I will not only give them a look, or a glance, but fix or set mine eyes upon them for good, that is, to do them good. It is a proverbial saying amongst us, The Masters eye fattens the Horse: The Masters eye is a caring, a providing eye, he will take care that the Horse shall be well fed. Certainly, God's eye is a sattening eye; they shall be fat and flourish, from whom God will not withdraw his providing eye, at least they shall have necessaries, or food convenient, both for soul and body.

Fifthly, The Scripture speaks of a delighting eye, or of an eye of complacency; and thus also the Lord's eye is upon the righteous, he beholdeth them with high content, he is, as I may say, taken with them, ( Isa. 66.1.) To him will I look that is poor. Among all objects, none so pleasant or pleasing to God as the poor. What poor doth he mean? surely the righteous poor, or the poor in spirit, (as was shown upon the former verse) let such a one be whom he will, to him will I look, mine eye is greatly pleased to behold such a one. The word used by Elihu in this Text, doth further clear it, while he saith, He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. How pleasant is any object to our eyes from which we cannot withdraw or take them off, but must be continually feeding them upon it! Some cannot take off their eyes from unlawful wanton objects, because they are so delighted in them, they have as the Apostle Peter speaks, eyes full of adultery, and such can never glut their eyes with adulterous objects. Now certainly the Lord is exceedingly taken with the beauty, the spiritual beauty of a righteous person, with the comeliness, the spiritu • ll comeliness of those that are godly, when the Text saith, He withdraweth not his eyes from them, but carries them (as it were) always in his eye. Among the Latins, to carry one in our eye is an expression of singular high content, delight and pleasure taken in such a person. We may say of all the righteous, the Lord carrieth them in his eye, and therefore he is highly pleased and delighted with them.

Thus you have this five-fold eye, which the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous; and, in that the text saith, he doth not withdraw or abate or diminish his eye from them, but looks fully upon them, it gives us this fixth note;

Though God doth afflict, yet he never ceaseth to love or care for his people. Elihu was much upon that, industriously to remove the scandal of the cross, which 'tis like then did and still doth offend many, and causeth them to stumble, when they see the righteous afflicted; therefore he would assure us, that God never withdraweth his eye from them: but his care of, and pity to, yea pleasure in them is everlasting. That eye of his which carries all this in it, is never shut towards them. The Lord saith of the Church, ( Isa. 49.16.) Thy walls are continually before me. As the walls of Zion, so the walls of every righteous person in Zion, or of every true Sionist, are continually before the Lord, he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous; He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep, (Psal. 121.4.) he that neither slumbers nor sleeps, needs not withdraw his eyes from us, and he that hath a tender regard to us, will not. The Prophet ( Isa. 27.3.) speaking of the Church under the Allegory of a Vineyard, brings in the Lord giving this assurance, I will water it every moment, I will keep it night and day. He that waters a Vineyard every moment, never withdraws his eyes from it; now by watering is meant the supply of whatsoever good the Vineyard or Church of God stood in need of; to be so supplied is to be well watered. The providence of God, as to our spiritual and temporal estate, watcheth over us continually to water us.

But some may question here, Doth not the Lord withdraw his eyes from the righteous? are his eyes continually upon them? what then is •• meaning of that Scripture, ( Psal. 44.23.) and of several others of like importance; Awake Lord, why sleepest thou? That was at once the voice of the Church, and her complaint; surely the Lord's eyes were withdrawn from the Church when he was asleep. I answer, The Lord sleeps, with respect to his Church, as the Church sleeps with respect to the Lord, ( Cant. 5.2.) I sleep (saith the Spouse) but my heart waketh. Indeed the Lord doth act sometimes so towards the righteous, or lets things go so with the righteous, as if he were asleep, as if he took no notice of them, yet still his heart waketh towards them: So that his sleeping doth not imply an intermission of his care, but only a suspension of the effects of his care. For while the Lord lets things go so as if he were asleep, he then wakes and watches as much over the righteous, over his Church and people, as at any other time, when they have the highest actings of his providence for their outward peace and preservation.

And if that other sort of Scriptures should be objected against his perpetual watching over the righteous, or that he never withdraws his eyes, which say, he hideth his face, and turns himself away from them. I answer, Those Scriptures are all of them to be understood according to the former interpretation, the Lord hideth himself, as to sense and present appearance, but he never hideth himself, as to the real continuance of his love and care towards his Church or People. This Objection some made to one of the Ancients; the Lord (said they) may seem to withdraw his eyes from the righteous, because he suffers them to fall under the oppression of the unrighteous. No, saith he, The Lord beholds the righteous, though they perish by the hand of the unrighteous; yea, when it is worst with them, the Lord's Eye is upon them for good, both to see how they carry it, or behave themselves in their Sufferings, and likewise to provide a full reward and recompense for them after all their sufferings.

Before I pass from this part of the verse, let me make these two Inferences.

First, If the Lord never withdraweth his Eyes from the righteous, then let the righteous know their own Privilege and Mercy. How happy are they upon whom the Eyes of the Lord abide always for good! The Lord cannot endure to have good men out of his Eye, as Parents say of their darlings, and Princes of their Favorites. If we were assured, that the Eye of a great 〈◊〉 , who loveth us, were always upon us, if he should promise to have an eye to us, (That's an ordinary Promise among men, I will have an Eye to you, that is, I will take care of you; if we have (I say) but such a word from a man in Power) we think we have got a great revenue; such a great Lord will have an eye to us, we have his word, he will not take off his care from us. How much then should we boast and rejoice in spiri • , that the Lord hath said, I will always have a care of you, I will never withdraw mine eyes from you, I will never leave you, nor forsake you (Heb. 13.5.) As it will be the eternal happiness of Believers in Glory, always to behold, or see God, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; they have some sight of him here in a Glass, but they shall see him face to face; that is, they shall see him clearly, as clearly as the creature is capable of seeing or enjoying him; now (I say) as it is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven always to behold God, so it is the happiness of Saints here on earth, that the Lord doth always behold them, that his eye is never withdrawn from them.

Consider therefore, you that are in a righteous state, whose acts and words, and walkings, are also righteous, consider your Privilege, consider what it is to have the Lord Jesus always setting his eye upon you, to have the Lord's directing and counseling eye always upon you, to have the Lord's pitying and compassionating eye always upon you, to have the Lord's providing and caring eye always upon you, to have the Lord's delighting and well-pleased eye always upon you; to have the eyes of the Lord thus upon you, and to have them always upon you, what can ye desire more! Thus 'tis promised, (2 Chron. 16.9.) The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them, whose heart is perfect with him. And whose hearts are perfect with him, but the hearts of the righteous? this is their privilege. Jesus Christ ( Zech. 3.9.) is called, The stone, and saith the Text, upon one stone shall be seven eyes. There are two interpretations given of that Prophesy, First, thus, upon one stone shall be seven eyes, that is, the eyes of all men shall be upon that stone, upon Christ. Seven is a perfect definite Number, put for all numbers; the eyes of all shall be upon the stone, upon Christ; although he be to the wicked, or to them that believe not, a stumbling stone, and a rock of offense, (1 Pet. 2.8.) yet to them that believe he is a most precious stone; and as they are always beholding the beauty of that precious stone, so Jesus Christ doth indeed invite all eyes to behold him ( Isa. 65.1.) Behold me, behold me; he would have us take off our eyes from all others, and look steadily on him. Let all eyes be upon the stone; that's a good interpretation. There is a second, which suits the present point I am upon fully; Seven eyes shall be upon one stone; that is, the eyes of God shall be upon Jesus Christ. This is a promise made unto him as Mediator, when he came in the flesh, or in our nature, to do that great work for us; Then, saith the Prophet, upon one stone shall be seven eyes; which seven eyes note the perfect knowledge of God, and so the perfect care that God would have of Chri •• , to bear him up through that woe • k of our Redemp • ion: Upon one stone shall be seven eyes; I will take ca • e of him, I will p ovide for him, and I will delight in him. As Jesus Christ is all eye, and Jesus Christ doth enlighten all eyes, that is, all that see, are enlightened by Jesus Christ; so the eyes of God, the eyes of the Father were always upon him, in favor, in love, in care, when he was here in this world about that great work of our salvation, and he had abundunt experience of the eyes of his Father upon him. Now, mark it, this was the great promise made to Christ, the Stone, that upon him should be seven eyes, the eyes of the Lord should be always and fully upon him. And this is the privilege of everyone that hath part and interest in this stone Jesus Christ, every righteous person hath seven eyes upon him, the Lord God beholds him exactly, perfectly, and always; He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous.

A second inference is this; If the Lord never withdraweth his eyes from the righteous, Then let the righteous know their duty: What's that? Never to withdraw their eyes from the Lord. There is a threefold eye which a righteous man should never withdraw from God. First, An eye of faith: Secondly, An eye of hope: Thirdly, An eye of dependence: and that, First, for direction in all his ways; Secondly, for protection in all his dangers. I will lift up mine eyes (saith David, Psal. 121.1.) unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. And again, ( Psal. 123.1, 2.) Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her Mistress, so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us; that is, we never withdraw our eyes from him, while we have need of his mercy, and that is always. Walk before me, that is, with an eye of faith, hope, and dependence, was the Lord's charge to the father of the faithful, ( Gen. 17.1.) I have set the Lord always before me, that is, I keep a constant eye upon the Lord, was the profession of David, as the type of Christ, ( Psal. 16.8.) And as to keep an eye on God is best and safest for us, so 'tis extremely pleasing and contentful to Christ, as he tells the Church, ( Cant. 9.9.) Thou hast ravished my heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hash ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, that is, with a believing, a hoping, a depending look on me for all that good which thou wantest and wouldst have, or with a delighting look on me as thy chiefest good. Let not the righteous withdraw their eyes from God, for he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous.

But (which is yet more) with Kings are they on the Throne.

These words fully clear up the sense, which I have given of that negative promise, he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, namely, that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous for good. His is not a bare beholding of them, favors flow from his eyes. When the eyes of God are upon the righteous, they find the sweet and benefit of it. In the former verse Elihu said, God will give the poor right, here he saith more, he will give the poor, the righteous poor, a reward, and that no small one, With Kings are they on the Throne.

The Latin translation reads this part of the verse, not of the righteous poor, but of righteous Kings; He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, and he placeth Kings upon the Throne forever. That's a truth, the Lord placeth Kings upon their Thrones, and establisheth them there; but that is not the meaning or truth of this place; nor will the Hebrew (with any tolerable convenience) bear such a translation.

Secondly, There are others, who, a little mistaking the word which we translate Kings, render it Angels; They are with Angels on the Throne. There is but very little difference in the Hebrew between those two words that signify Kings and Angels, (the former is Melachim, the latter Maleachim ) which hath given occasion for this reading, He placeth them with Angels on the Throne; and so the words are interpreted of the glorious exaltation of the righteous in Heaven, (when indeed they shall be like Angels, Angels Fellows, ( Mat. 22.30.) and walk hand in hand with Angels.) Mr Broughton though he translate (with Kings) yet seems to carry it in that sense, giving his gloss in the Margen, thus; They shall be made fit for light with the living, with the Angels of God, his servants, in their degree, and be placed forever in honor, and be high in honor and dignity; so ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Israel. But this Text will not serve that purpose neither; and therefore I shall take it plainly as we render it, They shall be with Kings upon the Throne. There is a twofold interpretation of the words according to this translation.

First, The Lord will exalt the righteous to great dignity, they shall be like Kings and Princes in this world, or they shall be in great favor with Kings, even Kings Favorites.

S • condly, They shall be with Kings upon the Throne, that is, they themselves shall be Kings. The Hebrew strictly read, is, and Kings on the Throne; they shall not only be like Kings, but they themselves shall be Kings, and sit upon Throne • : either of these interpretations reach the scope of Elihu fully. As if he had said, The righteous shall be greatly advanced or exalted by Kings, whose privilege it is to sit on Thrones, or they shall be Kings upon the Throne. Some experiences and examples have confirmed this. The Lord hath not only given righteous pe • sons great advancement, and great favor with Kings, who sit on Thrones, but hath even advanced them to Kingly dignity, and given them Thrones to sit upon.

A Throne is a Seat Royal, the Seat of Majesty; A Throne is a seat exalted above other seats, as the person sitting upon it is exalted above other persons. Solomon made him a great Throne of Ivory, and the Throne had six steps, (1 Kings 10 18.) God is represented sitting upon a Throne, and there receiving honor from all that were before him, ( Rev. 4.2, 9.) The whole Heaven is called the Throne of God, and the earth his footstool, (Isa. 66.1.) because as Heaven is high above all, so there are the fullest manifestations of the greatness and glory of God. And because Thrones note power and dignity, therefore the Angels (who among all mere creatures excel in power and dignity,) a • e called Thrones, (Col. 1.16.) So then, to be with Kings on the Throne, that is, to be near them, and much accepted by them, is a very great honor; and that is the least here intended. But to be Kings on the Throne, is the greatest worldly honor; and possibly so much is here intended the righteous, while Elihu saith, But with Kings are they upon the Throne.

In that the righteous are said here to be with Kings upon the Throne, we learn,

He would not thus, in love, set them high, if he did not highly esteem them; he would not thus prefer them, if he did not know their worth. The world usually judges righteous persons, as if they were fit only for the dunghill, as if they were the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things, (1 Cor. 4.13.) but God hath another opinion of them, he thinks them fit to serve Princes, and to be near the Throne. Take heed of judging them unworthy to be at the foo • stool, whom God thinks worthy to be with Kings on the Throne.

Secondly, Note;

Whom he highly esteems, he sometimes advanceth highly in this world, they shall be with Kings on the Throne, ( Psal. 107.40, 41.) He poureth contempt upon Printes, that is, upon unrighteous Princes; yet (as it followeth) He setteth the poor on high from affliction, so we translate and put in the Margen, He setteth the poor on high after affliction. He afflicts the righteous to purge them, and so to prepare and fit them for greatest enjoyments. We have a like affi • mation, ( Psal. 113.7, 8.) He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill, that he may set them with Princes, even the Princes of his people. Thus spake Hannah in her Song, (1 Sam. 2.8.) and thus, in effect, spake the blessed Virgin in hers, ( Luke 1.52.) He hath brought down the mighty from their seats, and hath exalted the lowly and meek. We have some Scripture-instances of such exaltations. Joseph, a righteous person, was cast into bonds, yet God sets him, not only at liberty, but on high, he was with the King on the Throne, Only in the Throne, (said Pharaoh, Gen. 42.40.) will I be greater than thou; and all were commanded to bow the knee to him. David, a righteous person, followed the Ewes great with young, and the Lord set him upon the Throne, upon the Throne of Israel. Valentinian was committed to prison by the command of Julian the Apostate, because he struck an Idolatrous Priest, that would have sprinkled him (aqua lustrali) with their unholy holy water, as he stood in the gate of the Temple, where Julian was sacrificing to his Idol-gods; yet he escaped that danger, and afterwards ascended the Throne of that Great Empire. The Lord knows both how to deliver the righteous out of trouble, and to bring them to honor.

Lastly, We may hence infer, If the righteous are with Kings on the Throne, then righteousness hath a reward. Them that honor me (saith the Lord, 1 Sam. 2.30.) I will honor. It is no vain thing to serve the Lord; to be righteous, and to do righteously, cannot but issue well. The Lord hath all promotions at his dispose, ( Psal. 75.6, 7.) And therefore he saith, Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings, (Isa. 3.10.) With Kings are they on the Throne.

Yet, let me add, by way of Caution, that neither this Text, nor the notes given from it, are so to be understood, as if all righteous persons might hence expect great advancements in this world, or to be the special Favorites of Kings and Princes: The word of God doth not feed such humors, but mortifies them; nor doth it cherish any such aspiring expectations in righteous men, but teaches them quiet submission in their own private stations and callings, to those who are upon the Throne. So that while Elihu saith of the righteous, With Kings are they on the Throne, his meaning must be taken soberly, and may be taken distinctly, thus;

First, That God hath great respect to, and high favors for righteous men.

Secondly, That he brings some of them (as it is said of Daniel with the Prince of the Eunuchs, Chap. 1.9.) into favor and tender love with Kings and Princes.

Thirdly, That the Lord hath often advanced righteous persons to Thrones and Kingly Dignities. And whenever the Lord advanceth any of the righteous, he makes good this promise, because in the exaltation of one, the faith and piety of all righteous persons, or the whole kind of them, is honored and exalted.

Fourthly, To be sure, all the righteous shall be with Kings on the Throne hereafter. Christ hath purchased, and is gone to prepare a Kingdom for the righteous, and will give them a better Crown, than any this world affords, an incorruptible one. As now the righteous are spiritual Kings, or Kings in a spiritual sense, ( Rev. 1.6.) that is, they rule over and keep in subjection, their own lusts and corruptions, pride, ambition, love of the world, wrath, envy, and whatever else in them doth rebel and exalt itself against the knowledge of God; yea, they as Kings (in this world) conquer the world by faith, (1 Joh. 5.4.) and the Prince of this world, the devil, through the power of Jesus Christ (as I say all the righteous are now spiritual Kings (in the sense given) through grace here on earth, so they shall be glorious Kings and reign with Christ forever in Heaven; and then shall this word of God by Elihu, be fulfilled to the utmost, With Kings are they upon the Throne,

Elihu proceeds to show the happiness of the righteous yet further; The Lord doth not only advance them, but establish them; nor doth he only establish them for a while, but even perpetuateth their establishment, He establisheth them forever. The word is, He makes them sit. We render fully to the sense, He establisheth them. The Lord sets them up on high, and then settles them on high. Some get on high, but they cannot keep on high, they find no establishment there; but God can establish

The forever of this world is a long time. The Lord saith of Zion, (Psal. 132.14.) Here will I dwell forever, that is, long. Thus in the text, He will establish them forever, that is, they shall have long establishment. And if we take it as to their exaltation in the other world, there God will establish them to the utmost latitude of forever, that is, to eternity. The Septuagint translate, He will establish them to victory. The same word in the Hebrew, signifies eternity, and also victory, because eternity overcomes and triumphs over all: The Lord shall settle them to victory; and that may have a good interpretation, with respect to the power of God in settling them; He shall settle them to victory, that is, they shall (in his power) overcome all difficulties that stand in the way of their establishment.

Hence Note;

First, He establisheth all things, whether they be, First, natural things, the heavens and the earth, times and seasons, ( Gen. 8.22.) or Secondly, Civil things, States and Nations; or Thirdly, Spiritual things; First, the Gospel, and the Church of the Gospel, that he establisheth as a Rock, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, ( Mat. 16.18. so Isa. 44.28. Psal. 87.5.) Secondly, Grace in the hearts of his people, (1 Pet. 5.10.) and them in the ways of grace, (2 Thes. 2.17. Chap. 3.3.) Thus God establisheth all things.

Secondly, He establisheth, counsels and actions, ( Isa. 44.26.) He confirmeth the word of his servants, and performeth the counsel of his Messengers; that is, he makes good, and brings to effect that word which they have given in counsel. And as for actions, Moses prayeth ( Psal. 90.17.) Establish thou the work of our hands upon us, yea the work of our hands establish thou it. Whatever is in our hands quickly molders away, and (as the enemies said when the Jews built the walls of Jerusalem, Neh. 4.3.) If a Fox go up upon it, it will fall, unless the Lord establish it; but neither the Foxes with their subtlety, nor the Lions with their power and cruelty, shall be able to overthrow that wall, or those actions, which the Lord is pleased to establish; for he doth establish them

Hence Note;

Here is complete happiness. What can we desire more, than First, to be in a great and good estate; Secondly, to be established there; Thirdly, to be established forever? They that are set high are set in slippery places, unless the Lord be with them; how much more if the Lord be against them? ( Psal. 73.18.) But the Lord can set us as high as the highest Rock, and yet make us as firm as the firmest Rock. He doth establish them forever,

Some read thus, He establisheth them forever, when they are exalted, which makes a very clear sense; when they are got high, the Lord doth establish them fully and finally. We render it as a distinct act of God, They are established forever, and they are exalted; probably intending thus much; that the Lord when he will do a thing, can do it, notwithstanding all opposition, that either is or can be made against it; he sets them with Kings on the Throne, and doth establish them forever, yea, they rise in power and dignity more and more, They are exalted.

Hence Note;

If he saith to a person, be exalted, he shall be exalted; if he saith to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, thy foundation shall be laid, (Isa. 44.28.) it is done; if he saith, pull down Babylon, down it must come, even to the very foundation. Ephraim said, ( Jer. 30.18.) Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; I found the effects of thy chastisement, it came home to me. What Go • • ill work, no man can lett or put a stop to.

Further, From the other reading, Note;

He doth establish them forever, when they are exalted. God is able to maintain his own acts, whether in casting any down, or exalting them. When God laid the mountains and heritage of Esau wast for the Dragons of the Wilderness, (Mal. 1.3.) Edom said at the next verse, (well, I see) we are impoverished, but we will return, and build the desolate places. As if Edom had said, Though the Lord hath brought us thus low, yet we doubt not to recover our former glory. But what saith the Lord? hear what in the next line; Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, They shall build, (or let them build) but I will throw down. Now (I say) as when the Lord pulls down, none can build without his leave, so whom the Lord exalteth, none can pull down; He establisheth them forever, when they are exalted. Thus Elihu sets forth the exceeding kindness of God to, and his care over the righteous, not only his provident care as to their present condition, but as to the abiding of their exaltation and the establishment of it forever.

THese three verses hold forth three things in particular, all which concern the righteous, of whom Elihu said in the former verse, not only, that God doth not withdraw his eyes from them, but establisheth them on high, or advanceth them highly in this world.

First, That possibly they may be cast into sore affl • ctions, even after their exaltation, & the newly promised lastingnes of it, ( v. 8.)

Secondly, That the procuring cause of these afflictions, is their own sin; for we find mention of their transgression in the 9th verse, and of their iniquity in the tenth.

Thirdly, That the purpose and design of God towards them, when they have brought themselves into straits, & are cast into an afflicted condition, is very gracious, and tends to their everlasting good. And this design is three-fold.

First, To discover their sin to them; that's laid down at the 9 ^t h verse, Then he showeth them their work, and their transgressions.

Secondly, To prepare them for a better receiving of faithful counsel and instruction, at the 10 ^th verse, He openeth also their ear to discipline.

Thirdly, To bring them quite off from their sin; that's expressed in the close of the 10th verse, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. These are the parts, this the purpose of the Context under hand;

There is some question who are to be understood as the Antecedent to this, they, if they, who are they? Some, because the words following speak of transgression and iniquity, conceive, that surely it must be meant of wicked men, or of the ungodly; but El hu comes not upon that subject til the 13 ^th verse; there he turns his speech to such, but the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath, &c. Therefore here he doth not speak of, or to, wicked, but righteous men, falling into trouble and affliction; they, that is, the righteous, &c.

Again, Taking righteous men to be the Antecedent (as the text plainly carries it) yet there is a difference in opinion, whether we are to understand Elihu speaking of righteous men in that special dignity described at the 7 ^th verse, such as are with Kings on the Throne, or of righteous men in general: I conceive we may understand the text of either. And therefore,

First, When Elihu saith, If they be bound in fetters, he may intend those righteous men who were so highly exalted in the former verse, such a change may come upon them; even they who were with Kings on the Throne, may come to be bound in fetters, and holden in the cords of affliction.

Secondly, He may intend it of righteous men in any other condition; for Elihu having shown how graciously God dealeth in exalting some righteous men, showeth that God is gracious also unto those that are not exalted, even unto those that are greatly afflicted, and brought very low. Briefly, as in the former verse he spake of righteous men lifted up, so here of righteous men cast down: As if he had said, If any of the righteous are at any time so far from being exalted with Kings on the Throne, that they are cast upon the dunghill, and are brought into great straits, yet it is not because God takes no care of them, or because he hath cast them out of his favor; but it is thus with righteous men for many blessed ends and purposes, which God hath upon them, or towards them, to show them their sin, to fit them for instruction, and to bring them off from their iniquity. Thus the words prevent an objection; for Elihu having said, he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous, but with Kings are they on the Throne, some might say, You can show us very few such sights, you can show us few righteous men with Kings on the Throne, or exalted highly in this world; and we can show you many righteous men in great trouble, in fetters and cords of affliction. Well, saith Elihu, suppose it be so, suppose you find many righteous men in such a low condition, yet God withdraweth not his eyes from them, no not then; yea, he is doing them good by all the evils that they suffer. So then, if this relative they refer to righteous men in either capacity, either to such as were before exalted, and are now affl cted, or to such righteous men as were never so exalted, yea as are depressed and cast into an afflicted condition, yet God withd • awe h not his eyes from them, but still continues his care of them, and tenderness towards them.

Here are two hard words, bound and holden, bound as captives, bound as prisoners, bound in fetters, yea, and holden in cords, holden or caught as a poor bird in a net or snare, or as a wild beast in a toil. Bound in fetters, and holden in cords. These fetters and cords may be understood two ways.

First, Literally and properly, it is possible for a righteous man to be bound in fetters, and holden in cords, plainly so called. Joseph was cast into prison, and the Iron entered into his soul, and his feet were hurt in the Stocks, in material Stocks.

Secondly, We may expound these fetters and cords figuratively, or metaphorically, and so any trouble or straight is as a fetter, and as a cord: Thus to be bound in fetters, and holden in cords, is but an expression signifying any afflicted condition. Fetters and cords are Emblems of slavery & captivity. The P ophet foreshowing the willing contribution of divers strange Nations towards the help of the Jews in their return from the Babylonish captivity, as also, beyond that, their subjection to Christ and the power of the Gospel, gives it under this shadow, ( Isa. 45.14.) Thus saith the Lord, the labor of Egypt, and merchand se of Ethiopia, and of the Sabaeans, men of stature shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine, (that is, they shall yield themselves to thee as thy subjects, and more) they shall come after thee in chains, they shall come over; that is, they shall follow thee as captives do a conquering enemy, in chains. In what chains? the meaning is not, that they fhall come with chain •• of Iron upon their bodies; but even the stoutest, greatest, & richest of them shall humbly submit, they shall come even as prisoners, with their chains about them, supplicating and entreating thy favor. We read in the holy History of the Kings, that the servants of Benhadad came with ropes about their necks to Ahab, they came with material ropes about their necks in t • ken of their abasement and readiness to submit unto what sentence soever the King of Israel should lay upon them. To come with • opes and chains, is, in Scripture Language, to come in deepest humiliation; and to be bound in chains and fetters, is to be in greatest affliction. That's the sense of the Prophet ( Isa. 28.22.) Now therefore be ye not mockers (there were some that derided him, threatening judgment in the name of the Lord, take heed of that) lest your bands be made strong; that is, lest God bring you into such great afflictions, that you shall find and feel yourselves (as it were) in bands, or (as Elihu expresseth it in the Text) bound in fetters, and holden in the cords of affliction. So then, this notes in general any state of trouble or sorrow, of misery or calamity that befalls us here below, ( Psal. 107.10.) They that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; that is, as fast bound in affliction, as if they were bound in iron. Thus here

Some translate, cords of poverty; the same word signifying both affliction & poverty, because poverty is so great an affliction. Here's the case, this is the condition into which Elihu supposeth righteous men may fall; They may be bound in fetters, and holden in cords of affliction. Taking the words as they refer to righteous men in general, observe,

They may be in a condition of captivity, they may be in real fetters and cords, or they may be in a state of affliction, as bad to them as fetters and cords. I have heretofore, more than once, spoken of the afflictions of the righteous in the opening of this Book, therefo • e I shall not stay upon it here. Only take notice that the righteous may come into fetters, &c. not only for trial of their graces, but for the punishment of their iniquities; they possibly have not kept close to the bands of duty, and therefore God brings them into the bands of calamity. As wicked men say in the pride and stoutness of their hearts, ( Psal. 2.3.) Come, let us break their bands, and cast their cords from us; that is, those bands of duty and cords of obedience which the Gospel layeth upon them; So, in a degree, good men, righteous men, may throw off the cords of obedience, and the bands of duty, through the violence of corruption and temptation, walking loosely & vainly for a season, they may break the bands of the Gospel Covenant, and the cords of the Commandment, and when they do so, God will not spare them, but will throw them even into the bands of trouble and into the cords of affliction; they shall know the fetters and bands of affliction, threatened in the Law, when they have not carefully kept to the rule of the Law.

Secondly, Taking the righteous in that special capacity, for such as were once exalted, and in high place, or as 'tis said in the former verse, With Kings on the Throne, and finding them here in fetters and bands, Note,

For though that text saith, He establisheth them, yet it is not to be understood that God doth so establish righteous men in their places, that they can never be put out of them, or so exalt them, that they shall never be pulled down; that text showeth what God can do, he can exalt them so, that they shall not be removed forever, and he often exalts them so, but he doth not so always; for the outward estates of good men may have as great changes, as the outward estate of wicked men have: they may come from thrones to prisons, and from chains of gold to fetters of Iron. There have been many such changes as to the things of the world, even to those that are not of the world; And as Heathen Princes and Kings have often found such changes, so also did several of the Kings of Judah, they were brought from the throne to the prison. Zedekiah and Jeckoniah and Manasseh, had such sad changes; when they highly provoked God, they came from their Thrones to the prison, from a Crown to the cords of affliction; yea this hath been the lot of many other righteous men exalted, they have been brought to the prison, and laid very low in this world. Solomon saith of one, ( Eccles. 4.14.) Out of prison he cometh to reign, and of another he saith in the same verse, He also that is borne in his Kingdom becometh poor; such vicissitudes and revolutions come over the heads of the children of men, yea good men are not exempted from such changes and revolutions. Therefore be not offended if at any time you see good men in chains and fetters, in a condition of great affliction.

Thirdly, From the manner of expression, When they are bound in fetters, and holden in cords. Affliction is set forth and described by cords and fetters.

Hence note;

Are not fetters so? are not cords so? The word here translated cords, is several times in Scripture applied to signify the pains of a woman in travel; those are most dolorous pains; such are some afflictions. The Apostle speaking of affliction in general, ( Heb. 12.11.) saith, No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. 'It is no easy thing to be in fetters and cords, to be bound in chains. Afflictions straighten, and press, pinch & gall like fetters, they burden the flesh, they are no light matters. Though the Apostle, comparatively to the weight of glory, calleth the heaviest outward afflictions light, (2 Cor. 4.17.) yet first, in themselves; and secondly, to our flesh, they are very heavy. Therefore we should pity those that are in affliction, as those that are in fetters and cords, and we should pray for those that are in affliction, as for those that are bound. Every affliction is a kind of captivity: If they be bound in fetters, and holden in cords of affliction; thus it may be with the righteous. But is not this an argument that God hates them? surely no; we read the mind of God towards them notwithstanding this in the next verse.

That is, when they are in cords and fetters. But did he never show them their work before? yes, doubtless he did; but then especially and effectually, then he showeth, he declareth, he makes manifest to them, or he causeth them to see and know their work. The word in that conjugation signifieth, not barely to show, but to make them see, understand and consider their work; he brings them to a review of what they have done, and to see that they have done amiss. Then he showeth; it is a showing with power, an efficacious showing, he showeth them their work. What work? this their work may be considered two ways.

First, As to the matter of it, what they had done. Till we see what we have done, we repent not of what we have done, how much soever it ought to be repented of; as the Lord complained of Israel by the Prophet ( Jer. 8.6.) No man repented of his wicked • esse, saying, What have I done?

Secondly, As to the viciousness or falseness of it, He showeth them their work, that is, either what they had done which was evil in the matter of it, or what they had done in an evil manner, though in itself good; • he showeth them the evil of their work, the irregularity, the crookedness, and sinfulness of their work. That this is the meaning, appeareth plainly in the words that follow, Then he showeth them their work, and their transgression; that is, that there is some transg • ession or fault, possibly many faults and transgressions, in their work. Then he showeth them their work.

Hence Note,

That is, of the flesh in man ( Gal. 5.19.) The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, &c. Good is God's work in us, evil is our work against the mind of God. Sin is often called the work of our hands, ( Psal. 28.4.) Give them after the work of their hands, render to them their desert; that is, what they have deserved by their sins. Moses declared his fear and holy jealousy concerning the children of Israel in this Language, ( Deut. 31.29.) I know that after my departure, ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger by the work of your hands. Idolatry is specially called the work of man's hands, because Idolaters either worship that as a god, or God by that, which their hands have wrought ( Rev. 9.20.) They repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship Devils, and Idols of Gold, and Silver, and Brasse, &c. Yet Idolatry is much more the work of the heart, than of the hand. And as Idolatry, so any other sin, whether of heart or tongue, may be called the work of our hand, it being that which is most properly our work, though originally the Devils work. As to pardon sin, is properly the work of God, so to commit sin, is properly the work of man. There is no work so much ours, as that; no work properly ours, but bad work; all the good we do, is the work of God in us, or by us.

Secondly, Note;

There may be many cracks and flaws in our good works, which we perceive not, we are ready to think and say, All's well, we have done very well, until God lets us see our work in his light, in the light of his Word and Spirit; and then we shall see cause to be humbled for those works which we were proud of, and sometimes boasted in. The Prophet ( Haggai 1.5.) called the Jews to consider their ways; they saw their ways, but they considered not their ways, and therefore they saw not the evil and error of their ways. As we see many of the works of God, yet see not the excellency or admirable contrivance of them, till himself showeth it; so we see many of our own works, yet we see not the sinfulness, vanity, and folly that is in them, till God show it unto us; he maketh us see our work as it is.

Thirdly, From the circumstance of time, when it is that the Lord showeth unto man his woe • k, the falseness of his woe • k; the Text saith, Then he showeth them their work, that is, when they are bound in fetters, and holden in cords of affliction.

Hence Note;

Josephs Brethren did a very ill work in selling him into Egypt, and in putting off their Father with a lie; yet they took little notice of this work for many years; but when they were bound in fetters, and holden in the cords of affliction, when they came down into Egypt for Corn, and were in great straits, through the policy of their Brother to discover them, not out of any design to hurt them, Then they said one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our Brother (Gen. 42.21.) And ( verse. 22.) Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear? therefore behold also his blood is required: Then their sin appeared to them in bloody colors, then that sinfulness of their work appeared to them, which they saw not before. Affliction is a dark condition, yet it brings much light into the soul: Affliction brings light to discover our works of da knesse, that is, the sinfulness of our works; troubles make Comments upon our works, • fflictions expound our actions, and show wh • re the error of them is. We are usually very blind to see or discern a fault in ourselves, or in what we have done, until God openeth our eyes, by laying a cross upon our backs; Then he showeth them their work,

Here we see (as was touched before) what kind of works they are which God showeth them in affliction; works of transgression, or the transg • ession of their works. The Vulgar La • ine renders the Text by a harder word, Their wickednesses, or villainies. Others by a word of no less, if not of a more hard and harsh signification, He showeth them their prevaricati • n; as if they had dealt cunningly and treacherously wi • h God, not plainly, clearly, and above board, as if they had used tricks and policies very much unbecoming righteous persons. Most give it a more easy title (as we) translating by a word that will comply with any sin, transgr • ssion; every sin, the least sin is a transgression, Sin is a transgression of the Law in the very nature of it; and taking the word in this lowest, and most favorable notion,

Observe;

If their sins be but slips, the Lord will make them know what they have done.

But there seemeth to be a great aggravation in the Text, upon these transgressions, which more than intimates that they are no small ones; for 'tis added, And their transgressions,

Some read the words in the Present Tense, or time, He showeth them their transgressions, when they exceed or prevail: As if the meaning were, God doth not suffer the sins of righteous perfons to grow too potent and prevalent upon them, but takes them in time, and • ips their sins in the bud, when he sees they begin to grow strong upon them, least if let alone, they might be foiled by them, and so fall into open scandal, or be hardly with-drawn from them. It is no easy thing to master and mortify a lust, when once it hath got head, and therefore it is a very gracious work of God, to show a man his sin convincingly, and humble him for it, when he perceives it rising in strength. This is a pious sense and profitable. We read it in the past time,

That is, when these righteous persons have exceeded much in their transgressions. As much as to say, when they have sinned exceedingly, or when their sins are many and great, when (according to the Hebrew) they are waxen mighty, then the Lord sees it high time to deal with them.

The word which we render exceeded, comes from a root that signifieth a strong, or mighty man, and in the Verb, to act strongly and mightily; as if Elihu had said, He showeth them that they have sinned like Giants and mighty men, they have sinned greatly, grievously. And 'tis possible for those that are righteous in their state to sin greatly; not only to transgress, but to exceed in their transgressions, that they have exceeded.

Hence Note,

All men sin, but the sins of all men, at least all the sins of all good men, do not exceed; they are not all of a high stature, they are not all strong and mighty sins, as the Lord by his Prophet called those of Israel (Amos 5.12.) We usually distinguish of sins; some are sins in the excess, and some in the defect; Prodigality is a sin in the excess, and Parcimony is a sin in the defect; Superstition is a s • n in the excess, when men will worship God more than he requires, or in what he requires not; Profaneness, or ne • lect of Worship, as also negligence in Worship, are sins in defect. Thus some sins are in the excess, others in the defect, yet every transgression hath a kind of excess in it, and some a • e exceedingly excessive. And because when any exceedingly exceed in sinning their sins may be said to reign; therefore (I suppose) M • . Braughton translates this Text so, And that their trespasses reigned. For, though as to a course of sin, it is inconsistent with the state of a righteous man, that sin should reign in him, yet as to this or that act it may reign; sin may reign over, and bring under a godly man by the violence of a present temptation, though it cannot reign over him (as it doth over the wicked) by a willing submission. As the best sin always, so sometimes they have sinned greatly, they have exceeded. David's sin exceeded, his sin, as to that act, master'd and reigned over him. Solomon's sin exceeded, when in his old age his wives turned away his heart to other gods, (1 Kings 11.4.) And Peters sin exceeded, when he denied his Master. The righteous are not exempt from a particular reign of sin, though through grace, they are delivered from the reign of any the least particular sin. As there is no kind, so no degree of sin, but a godly man may fall into it, except that against the holy Ghost, and total Apostasy from his profession.

Secondly, God showeth them that they have exceeded, that's it which God showeth them in their affliction.

Hence observe;

Not only natural and carnal men, who see that they have sinned, do not at all see the exceedingness of their sin, but some good men see that they have sinned, but see not presently the exceeding, no nor half, the evil of their sin; therefore, saith Elihu, He showeth them their transgression, that they have exceeded. Paul before his conversion, knew that he had sinned, but he knew not the sinfulness of his sin, which yet afterwards was to him exceeding sinful, ( Rom. 7.13.) As it is the height of our corruption to commit sins exceeding sinful, so it is a very high point of grace, to see the exceeding sinfulness of our sin.

You will say, how is it that sin doth exceed, or wherein consists the exceedingness of it? I answer,

First, There is an exceedingness of sin, in the streng • h that it hath over us, when it doth easily command and prevail, then we sin exceedingly, o • then sin is exceeding sinful, it hath got a mighty hand over us. O how sadly do the sins of many exceed thus! they are held down by their corruptions as slaves and captives, they cannot get themselves out from under the power of a base lust. As the devil leads some, so lusts and corruptions lead others captive at their will, they are at the beck and command of sin. Thus sin exceeds in the wicked, who either know not God, or who walk daily contrary to their knowledge.

Secondly, That man doth exceed in his transgression, or his transgression doth exceed, who sins with, or hath a very ill frame of heart in sinning. Many a good man falls into sin, and yet he hath not, as I may say, a base or wicked frame of heart in sinning, but his very sinning is, upon the matter, against his own heart, and the bent of his spirit, his heart goeth not with it. The more of the heart or will is mingled with any sin, the more exceeding sinful it is. I may say of some men (I would not be mistaken) That they do evil with a better frame of heart, than others do good; there are some that do good with very bad, yea with base hearts; The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with a wicked mind, or (as we put in the Margin) with wickedness, (Pro. 21.27.) that is, either for applause, to be seen of men, or for profit, to gain by men, or in malice, the better to compass revenge upon any man, or sort of men; under all which covers, wicked men have brought their sacrifices, that is, have appeared in the outward worship of God, or have taken up the form of godliness. And whosoever doth thus, hath a far worse frame of heart in doing good, than a good man hath in doing evil: who though he doth evil, yet he delights not in it, and closes not with it. By how much any man's heart is more taken with sin, by so much the more sinful it is.

Thirdly, The exceedingness of a sin may be measured by the circumstances of sinning; then a man may be said to transgress, and exceed in transgression, when he sinneth, First, against light, against the checks of his own conscience within; as also, Secondly, when he sins against reproofs, warnings, and admonitions from without; that man exceeds in sin, who hath been told of it, and yet goeth on. Thirdly, that man exceeds in sin, who sins in the midst of much mercy, and daily received or renewed favors; as also he, Fourthly, who sins in the midst of many afflictions and judgments, whether upon his person and family, or upon the Nation where he liveth: such as these not only sin or transgress, but exceed in transgression. Now the Lord in times of affliction showeth men these and the like exceedings of their transgression, and causeth them to confess, not only that they are sinners, and have transgressed, but they are brought upon their knees to confess, that they have exceeded in transgression. And when this is done, the Lord goeth on yet further to perfect the work of humiliation and repentance, while they are bound in fetters, and holden in the cords of affliction; for then, as it followeth,

Still 'tis God's work, he showeth before, and here, he openeth: as in the former verse he openeth their eyes to see, so in this he openeth their ear to hear.

This latter is more than the former, this opening the ear to discipline, is more than a showing of sin, and the exceeding sinfulness of it: Opening the ear, imports a close and home-discovery of a man's condition to him, ( Psal. 51.6.) David, after his great sin, perceived the Lord showing him, or making him to understand wisdom secretly.

The word which we translate, to open, properly signifieth to reveal; and, in Scripture phrase, the ear is said to be revealed, or uncovered, when a secret is brought to us, (1 Sam. 20.2.) Jonathan said to David, God forbid, thou shalt not die; behold my father will do nothing, either great or small, but that he will show it me, (or uncover my ear) and why should my father hide this thing from me? Saul also used the same Hebraism, or form of speech, when he upbrayded his servants with their unfaithfulness to him; What, saith he, hath the son of Jesse such preferments for you? and are you all so corrupted in your loyalty to me, that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me, (or uncovereth my ear) that my son hath made a League with the son of Jesse, ( Sam. 22.8.) Will none of you uncover my ear? that is, discover the plot that is contrived for my ruin? Then the ear is said to be opened or uncovered, when any secret is made known to the mind; as was further shown at the 16 ^th verse of the 33d Chapter, where Elihu used this expression; and therefore I shall not return to that matter, but refer the Reader thither. Only consider to what, or for what, the Lord is said to open the ear. In the 33 ^d Chapter Elihu told us, that when the eyes of men are shut (deep sleep being fallen upon them) he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction. Here Elihu saith, God having men und • r the rod, he openeth also their ear

The Hebrew word is of the same extraction in both places; Instruction is for discipline, and discipline tends unto instruction. It is often rendered, chastisement, and generally signifies any severer course of instruction or education, whereby we are drawn off from evil and unto good. When Elihu saith, He openeth their ear to discipline, we may understand it two ways.

First, To fit them for instruction, and counsel; they heard (possibly) before, but not with an open, that is, a ready and obedient ear. The ear is shut, though we hear much, unless we submit and conform to what we hear. The ear seldom opens fully till the Lord smites, as well as speaks, and gives us both a word and a blow.

Secondly, He openeth their ear to discipline, that is, to hearken what God's chastening or correction speaks, or what he speaks by his chastening. The Lord would not have his chastenings unprofitable, nor his rods without fruit to us, and therefore he openeth the ear to discipline, and showeth us the meaning of such a cross or sickness, of such a loss or affliction; He openeth their ear to d • scipline.

Hence note;

We neither understand the dealings nor sayings of God, if left to ourselves: the heart of man is shut, his ear is deaf, the ear of his heart (that's the ear here intended) till God say (as in the Gospel to the bodily ear) Ephatha, Be thou opened, (Pro. 20.12.) The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord is the maker of them both: That's a great truth; First, of the sensitive ear and eye; 'tis the Lord who hath made the one to hear, and the other to see, as he told Moses (Exod. 4.11.) and as 'tis said, ( Psal. 94.19.) Secondly, 'tis as true if understood of the intellectual eye and ear; the hearing ear and seeing eye, that is, the ear that heareth obediently and practically, that ear is of God's forming and making; such an ear did God create ( Acts 16.14.) where it is said, A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the City of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul.

Further, what was the season of opening the ear? It was a day of affliction, when they were bound in fetters, and holden in cords of affliction.

Hence learn;

Man is often cured of his spiritual deafness, both as to the voice of the word and works of God, by sickness. A good man in health, peace, & prosperity, may have his ears so stopped that the Lord sees it needful to send some sharp correction to get out the ear-wax and unlock them. Prosperity (saith one of the Ancients) is the gift of God comforting us; adversity is the gift of God admonishing us; why then dost thou complain that thou sufferest, thy suffering is a medicament, not a punishment; 'tis for thy bettering, not for thy undoing. 'It is a favor to feel God striking, when we have not heard him speaking, and he therefore strikes that we may attend what he speaks; When words do not prevail to open the ear, fetters and cords shall. That's the second design of God when he brings the righteous into straits, Then he openeth their ear to discipline: The third is given in the close of this verse;

Here's the issue of the former two: The showing them their transgressions, the opening their ear, are that they may return from iniquity; and here is a command that they must; And commandeth that they return, &c. The Hebrew text may be rendered, He speaketh, or saith, that they return from iniquity; and this speaking may be expounded two ways, First, by persuading; He speaks perswadingly. The Lord's afflictions are persuasions, his strokes are entreaties; he beseecheth us by ou • sorrows, and sicknesses, and weaknesses, and pains, that we would return from our iniquity. Secondly, we take speaking or saying in the highest strain, He speaks by commanding, he speaks autho • itatively; Thus we render, He commandeth. The command of God is twofold; First, formal or express, when God gives the rule in so many words. Secondly, virtual. The command of God (I conceive) is here to be understood in this latter sense. When the Lord afflicteth the righteous, he virtually commands, or sends out his Edict, that they return from their iniquity. The word return, implies them formerly following some iniquity, & gone far from the Lord: This returning is repenting all the Scripture over. I need say no more of that. As by sin we turn from God, so by repentance, we return from iniquity; and as the Lord at all times commands the righteous by his word, so they even force him sometimes to command them by his rod, which is called discipline in the former part of the verse, because sinners feel pain, and find matter to learn, all at once. He commandeth that they return

The word rendered iniquity, signifies a vain, empty thing, a thing of naught: so the Chaldee paraphraseth it here, He commands that they return from their evil works, which are like to vanity, and a thing of naught. What is sin, but a kind of nothing? we look for great matters from sin, but it is a vanity, it is (like an Idol) nothing in the world, that is, it is not such a thing as it doth import, or as it promiseth, or as the opinion of men make it to be; Iniquity is no such thing as it pretendeth, or as is pretended. The Lord commandeth that they return from iniquity; that is, from doing that which will profit them nothing at all, or no more than a vain thing, a thing of nothing can. And yet though iniquity be nothing good or profitable, yet 'tis all things evil and hurtful, nor had anything ever hurt us or been evil to us, had it not been for iniquity. He commandeth that they return from iniquity.

Hence Note;

He speaks to us as loud in his works, as he doth in his word; he trumpets to us, he thunders to us in his works: God speaks aloud, but sweetly, to us in his works of mercy, he speaks aloud, but terribly, to us in his works of judgment.

Secondly, Seeing, as was touched in opening the words, this command is not to be taken for a standing Law, for so God always commands men to return from iniquity, but the command here is a renewed act or a special dispensation, there is, as it were, a fresh command issued, when a man is under the afflicting hand of God.

Hence Note;

That we return from iniquity, is a standing, an everlasting Law, but when we are in affliction, then there is, as it were, a fresh Edition of the command, 'tis, as I may say, new printed and proclaimed, the fetters print this command upon our heels, and the cords upon our hands, that we return from iniquity.

Thirdly, Note;

Shall we not then return from it? one would think a little persuasion might serve the turn to hasten our return from a nothing, and shall not a command do it? when I say a nothing, remember, (as was shown) sin is no such thing as you look upon it to be: where are the profits that you have reaped by sin? where are the contents and pleasures that you have taken by sin? the profit, the pleasure, and content of sin are nothing, there is no advantage to be had by sin. Sin is something in the ill effects of it; if you would have pain, and dishonor, and reproach, you may have enough of it in sin, and you will find sin a something in that sense; but sin is a nothing, that is, no such thing as you expect and look for, and therefore be persuaded to return from it.

Lastly, From the whole text take notice of the purpose of God, what he hath in his heart, when he afflicteth his people, the righteous, for their iniquities and failings, for their faults and uneven walkings. The scope of God in all this, is not their hurt, but good; it is not to destroy them for their sin, but to destroy their sin; it is not to withdraw himself from them, but to draw them nearer to himself; all the hurt that the Lord intends us by any affliction, is but to get out our dross, and to fetch out our filth, to bring us off from those things that will undo and ruin us for ever. And how great an argument of the goodness of God is it, that he designeth the evils which we suffer in these dying bodies, to heal the evils, and help on the good of our immortal souls! that's all the hurt that the Lord means us. And the Lord's heart is so much in this design (the return of those he afflicts from their iniquity) that he seems confident of it, that when any are in affliction, surely they will return, ( Hosea 5.15.) In their affliction they will seek me early, surely they will. And therefore the Prophet speaks of the Lord as defeated and disappointed of his purpose, when he seeth such as he hath afflicted continuing in their sin, ( Isa. 9.13.) The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts: As if he had said, 'It is a wonder, that being smitten they have not returned; what a strange, what a cross-grain'd people are these! What? doth the Lord smite you that you should run farther from him, and follow your iniquity closer, or hold it faster? you may be ashamed that you turn not unto him that speaks to you; but when you are smitten will you not return from iniquity? remember, the Lord therefore suffers you to be bound in fetters, that you may be loosed from your sins; he therefore suffers you to be holden in the cords of affliction, that you might let go your transgressions. Take heed you be not found disappointing him of his purpose. How well it will be with those who do not disappoint him, and how ill 'tis like to be with such as do, will appear further and fully in the two next verses.

IN the former Context we heard, what the blessed designs of God are upon the righteous, when they are bound in fetters, and holden in the cords of affliction, namely, to convince them of their sin, to fit them for the receiving of Instruction, and to bring them clear off from iniquity.

In these two verses Elihu proceedeth to show what the issue of those afflictions will be, in a double respect or case.

First, In case the afflicted come up to and answer the forementioned designs of God; that is, if they take knowledge of their sin, if their ears be opened to Instruction, if they return from iniquity; what then? he tells us ( v. 11.) If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures; that shall be the issue, the blessed issue of all the afflictions with which they were exercised.

Secondly, He shows us how those afflictions will issue in case the afflicted come not up to those designs of God, in case they are not brought to a knowledge of sin, nor receive instruction, nor return from iniquity; what then? he tells us that ( v. 12.) if they obey not (this will be the consequent of their obstinacy) they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. We have a parallel Scripture to this almost in terms, ( Isa. 19.20.) If ye hear and obey, ye shall eat the good of the Land, but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword. This text not only carries the sense, but almost the words, by which Elihu expresseth both the Lord's pleasure and displeasure in this place to Job.

That is, take out the lesson taught them; if they do that which the affliction teacheth them, or which God teacheth by their affliction, by their cords and fetters, then, &c. The same word is frequently in Scripture used for obeying and hearing, (Psal. 81.8, 11, 13. Psal. 95.7.) To what purpose is our hearing the will of God without obedience to it? When young Samuel said at the Lord's call, Speak, for thy servant heareth, (1 Sam. 3.10.) his meaning was, Lord, I am ready to do what thou speakest. We hear no more than we obey, and therefore obeying and hearing may well be expressed by the same word. The text is plain, I shall only give this Note, and pass on;

That which this text holds out specially is the voice of God in his works, what God speaks by Fetters, what he speaks by Cords. If ever we hear and obey the voice of the Lord, it should be when he teacheth us (as Gideon taught the men of Succoth, Judge. 8.16.) with thorns and briars of the wilderness. O let us take care of hearing and obeying this voice. For First, God is the Lord, and therefore to be obeyed. Secondly, God is a Sovereign Lord, and therefore much more to be obeyed. Thirdly, As all the Commands, so all the Chastisements of God are just and righteous, therefore they are most of all to be obeyed. Fourthly, To obey the Commands of God, whether taught us in his Word or by his Rod, is good, yea best for us, therefore we should obey for our own good. If they obey

The word which here we render to serve, is very often in Scripture rendered to worship, and sometimes worshipping is expounded by serving, ( Mat. 4.10.) Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; that also is the mind of the Text, If they obey and serve him.

Hence note;

Religion and the Worship of God, in the whole compass of it, is nothing else but service, a blessed service, a free service, a service infinitely more free than anything the world calls freedom. ( Exod. 4.23.) Let my Son go that he may serve me, that is, worship me. All the Sons of God are his Servants, and they have most of the Son in them who have most of the Servant in them. If any deny him service they deny their sonship, or rather (as the Apostle speaks of Non-sufferers in one kind or other, Heb. 12.8.) They are bastards, not sons; yea, God expects whole and all service from us, or that we should serve him with our all, ( Deut. 10.12.) Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart. We must serve the Lord, not only with the best we have, but with all the best, with the heart, and all the heart. We serve God no further than we obey him, and we worship him no further than we serve him, and that heartily.

To serve God, (as to love God) is a very comprehensive word, 'tis the sum of all the duty of Man. To serve God is to submit both to what he commands us, and to what he layeth upon us. To serve God is to submit to what he would have us do, and to whatsoever he is pleased to do with us; and so we serve him particularly under sufferings: We should always serve him actively, and we are called sometimes to serve him passively. All Believers are free, and yet they must serve; and they are made free on purpose to serve: We are purchased by the blood of Christ, that we might serve him. Because we are bought with a price, we must not be the servants of men, saith the Apostle, (1 Cor. 7.23.) Whose servants then? Surely the servants of God. We are conquered that we might serve. The Latins say, that a Servant is one that is saved in War, taken and saved. So it is with all the people of God, they are taken in the holy war, they are taken prisoners, and so made servants to Jesus Christ. Yet Believers are servants, not only by conquest, but compact and covenant; every godly man hath, as it were, sealed Indentures with God, he hath (upon the matter) put his ear to the Lord's post to be bored thorough, (as you read, Exod. 21.6.) that he may be his servant forever. The Lord expects service.

But what is it to serve him?

First, To serve him is to do his Will.

Secondly, To serve him is to do his whole Will. It is not the doing of this or that piece of the Will of God, or this or that patch of the Will of God, which renders us his servants; but the doing his whole Will.

Thirdly, To serve him is to do his Will only; so saith the Scripture, Him only shalt thou serve. If it may be supposed, that we could do the whole Will of God, and yet do the will of any other, or do our own will too, in anything contrary to his, we were not his servants; if we serve him not alone, or if we serve him not only, that is, if in serving man we aim not chiefly at the serving of him, or if all our services to men are not subservient, or not in subordination to the service of God, we serve him not at all.

Fourthly, I may add this also, To serve God is to do everything under this contemplation, that, what we do is the Will of God. 'It is very possible for a man to do that which is the Will of God, and yet not to serve him in doing it; which we never do till we do it because it is the Will of God. His Will must be not only the Rule of what we do, but the very Reason why we do it, else our doings are not his servings. They that do not attend this, serve God but as a beast may serve him, a beast may do that which is the Will of God; the inanimate creatures serve him so; We hear of stormy winds and tempests fulfilling his Will, (Psal. 148.) All living, yea, lifeless creatures do that which is his Will, but they do not attend this, that it is his Will which they do. So that, I say, to do his Will, not considering that it is his Will, is to serve him no otherwise than beasts, or than the winds or storms serve him: And to do his Will, aiming at our own wills or ends, is to serve him but as a hypocrite serves him. A hypocrite doth not serve God in what he doth, though he doth many things which are materially the Will of God, because in all he minds his own will more than the Will of God.

Lastly, We must serve God as Sons, ( Mal. 3.17.) A Son serveth no less than a Servant, yea much more, though not as a servant; for he knoweth more of his Fathers mind than a mere servant doth ( Joh. 15.15.) and he knoweth, that he shall have also, though not Wages at the end of every day, yet the inheritance in the end. Obadiah was the proper name of one good man, and it is a name common to all good men; they are (as that word imports) Servants of the Lord. It is a common Theam to urge men to serve God, but it is a rare thing to be indeed a servant of God. To serve God is the Sum and Marrow of all knowledge in divinity, and the great end why we came into this World and for which we are here detained. Nor is it an easy matter to come up to, or attain the holy skill of serving such a Lord and Master as he: There must be a doing of his Will, and of his whole Will, and of his Will only, and that under this precise contemplation, that it is his Will, to denominate us his servants, or to make a proof that we serve him.

Now whether God teacheth us by his Word, or by his Rod (which is the teaching of this context) O how readily should we obey and serve him! To serve him is not only the design of our being made free, that is, we were not only made free to serve him, but to serve him is our freedom (as was touched before) yea, to serve him is not only to be free, but to serve him is to reign and rule. They that serve God to purpose reign over the lusts of the evil World without, and over their own lusts within; nor can any reign over the lusts of the world without, or their own within, but only they who serve him, and only so far as they serve him. Every gracious act of service to God is the subjugation or bringing under of some lust or other in man.

Now if any should say, surely this is a very sad Life, to be always serving, or to lead only the life of a servant.

I answer, To serve God, or the service of God is sweet, pleasant and easy in a twofold respect. Fi • st, comparatively, to the service of sin and the world, of lust and the devil; that's a weariness indeed as well as a baseness. Secondly, It is easy also if we consider the help we have in it. The people of God serve him in a Covenant of Grace, which, as it calls them to work, so it gives them help to work. The New Covenant doth not call us (as Pharaoh did the children of Israel ) to make brick and deny us straw; yea, under that Covenant, we have not only straw afforded us to make our brick, but we have strength afforded us to make our brick; thar is, the very power by which we serve our Master is given in by our Master. The Masters of this world set us a work, but they give us no strength, but what work soever God sets his Covenant-servants about, he gives them strength to do it. Then, O how sweet is it to serve him, and how readily should our hearts come off in his service! Let me add one thing more (which brings us to the next words) serve him, for his is not a lean service, not an unprofitable service, there is a reward promised to those who serve him; yea, his very service is a reward, his work is wages. Therefore what calls soever we have from him let us answer and serve him. There are two things which should be the daily meditation of Saints, or they should be continually acquainting themselves with them. First, The Cross of Christ, that they may know how, and be willing to suffer for him. Secondly, The Yoak of Christ, that they may know how, and be willing to serve him. If they obey and serve him, What then? even that which was the last consideration prove king us to his service, there is a reward in i • , If they obey and serve him,

Here's good wages; who would not serve that Master who will pay him for his work in that desirable coin, Pleasure and Prosperity! They shall spend their days in prosperity, that is, they shall run out their days in prosperity, their days and their prosperity shall be like two parallel lines, one as long as the other. The word which we translate to spend, signifies to finish, and that in a double respect; First, in a way of Consumption; Secondly, in a way of Perfection or Consummation. That which is consumed is finished, or ended. So the word is used ( Psal. 90.7.) ( Numb. 16.45.) The Lord saith to Moses, Go you up from this Congregation, that I may consume them in a moment; I will dispatch them and make an end of them presently. The Lord can soon rid his hand of sinners. And as it notes a consuming by sudden judgments, by diseases or age, so by longing or desire, (2 Sam. 23.15.) And David longed ('tis this word, he was even spent and consumed with a longing desire) and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. Now as that which is consumed or spent, so that which is perfected is finished. Thus, Moses having set down the particulars of the whole work of Creation sums all up in this word, ( Gen. 2.1, 2.) Thus the heavens and the Earth were finished, and all the host of them; that is, God completed or brought that great work of Creation to its utmost perfection, he put (as we may speak) his last hand to it, there was nothing more to be added. Here in the text we a • e to take this word spend, not only as it often signifies, to spend in a way of Consumption, but also to spend in a way of Perfection, they shall perfect, not barely wear out their days. A godly man hath not so much consumed as perfected the days of his life, when he is come to and hath ended the last day of his life. They shall spend their days

Prosperity is a good thing, a good blessing of God. They shall spend their days in good, we translate it in the 21 Chapter v. 15. in wealth. Wealth also is a good blessing of God to those that are good, and prosperity takes that in; prosperity is a large word comprehending all good, health and wealth, honor and peace: whatever we can imagine to render our lives comfortable comes under the name of Prosperity, They shall spend their days in prosperity, or in good; this reward they shall have from the Lord who serve him. Is not this good wages? The carnal rich man pleased himself and said, ( Luke 12.19.) Soul, take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years. The godly do not please themselves, that they have goods laid up for many years in their own Stock, in their Lands, in their Houses, in their Purses, in their Shops, but they please themselves that they have good laid up for many years, yea, for eternity, in the Promises of God. They who serve him, they shall spend their days in good, they shall have good for every day, and so finish their days with good; yet this is not all, They shall spend their days in prosperity,

In the former words he promised days of Good, here years of Pleasure; as if he had said, they shall enjoy their prosperity long, they shall not only have Days but Years filled up with it. One year contains many days, how many days of pleasure are there in years of pleasure! Our life is measured by days to show the shortness of it; the longest measure of it is by years; They shall spend their years

The word is used (2 Sam. 1.23.) to show the loveliness of Jonathan and Saul, they were a pleasant pair, a couple of goodly persons. They shall spend their days in pleasantness, or in pleasures.

Further, Take notice, the word is plural; he doth not say, they shall spend their days in pleasure, but in pleasures, implying all sorts and varieties of pleasure; in Songs, saith one; in Marriage Songs, saith a second; in graceful Beauties, saith a third; and, which may be all or any of these, in delights, saith a fourth.

But here are two Questions that I must give answer to, for the clearing of this Scripture.

First, The Question may be, Is this a mercy much to be reckoned upon, to spend our years in pleasure? saith not the Apostle (1 Tim. 5.6.) The widow that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives? If it be a dead life to live in pleasure, how then is it here promised as a favor, as a mercy, to them that obey and serve God, that they shall spend their years in pleasures?

I answer by distinguishing of pleasure; pleasures are of two sorts. First, lawful and honest delights; of such we read ( Gen. 49.20.) where dying Jacob blessing of Asher saith, He shall yield royal dainties, or pleasures for a King; meaning, he shall give, not only honest, but honorable pleasures and contentments, such as befit Kings. Secondly, There are unlawful and dishonest pleasures, which the Apostle calleth ( Heb. 11.25.) the pleasures of sin for a season. A woe will be their portion who live in such pleasures. Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl (saith the Apostle James, Chap. 5.1.) why so? among other Reasons this is given for one ( verse. 5.) Ye have lived in pleasure, wantonizing, and gluttonizing, and Epicurizing: in such base pleasures you have lived, therefore woe to you. To live in sinful or unlawful pleasures is death and misery, or a life worse than death; but to live a life of lawful and honest pleasure is a mercy, the mercy here promised, and the very life of our lives.

Secondly, We may distinguish of pleasures thus; they are either, first, Corporal pleasures, pleasures of the body, of which we read ( Job 21.25.) One dieth in his full strength, and another dieth in the bitterness of his Soul, and never eateth in pleasure; that is, he hath had no contentment in the body, or no bodily contentment, but was always sickly, crazy, pining, languishing, and ill at ease, his life was tedious, even a burden to him, for he could never eat in pleasure, scarce last what he did eat. Secondly, There are Spiritual pleasures ( Psal. 36.8.) They shall drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures. David speaks there of Saints, what enjoyments and Joyes they have in the Church or House of God, attending upon him in holy Ordinances. Thirdly, There are eternal pleasures ( Psal. 16.11.) In thy presence is fullness of j • y, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Such are all the joys of Heaven, or of a glorified state. Now when Elihu saith, they shall spend their years in pleasures, we are not to take it merely for honest corporal pleasures, for such a life, at best, is but the life of a Beast; but we are to take these corporal pleasures, either as heightened by better, that is, as spiritualized by the sense of the love of God, and mixed with spiritual pleasures; or, for those purely spiritual plea • ures which the soul finds in communion with God alone (having nothing to do, or no intercourse with creatures) drinking at the River of his pleasures in Prayer, in Hearing, in Meditation, in breaking Bread, in Singing. Now to spend our days, either in these purely spiritual pleasures, taking in also those corporal pleasures so qualified as before, and duly circumstantiated, is a high, a very high blessing and mercy indeed. So then, here is nothing to feed the fancy of Epicures, here is no promise of sensual, though of sensitive pleasures, these only are pleasures sit for the Servants of God, these pleasures only become Saints; as for those other pleasures, Christ saith of them in the Parable of the Sower ( Luke 8.14.) They choke the Word of God; and God will not feed his people with such pleasures, as a reward of serving him, as shall choke the Word, and unfit them for his service. No, we are to watch against, and deny ourselves such pleasures, as our Lord Jesus cautioned his Disciples ( Luke 21.34.) Take heed, least at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeiting, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. As if he had said, Take heed of carnal pleasures, as much as of worldly cares, for as they are alike destructive to the present purity of the Soul, so they alike endanger our future peace, and lay us open to the surprise of Judgment. And as such pleasures ruin the state of the soul, so of the body too, with which they have nearest cogna • ion. Hence that of Solomon (Prov. 21.17) He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man. There, pleasure is opposed to work or labor: He that is all for taking his pleasure, and will not follow his Calling, this man comes quickly to poverty, and will die a Beggar. Suppose the pleasure be lawful, yet if he loves pleasure, and is at his pleasure when he should be at his labor, he will soon be reduced to a morsel of bread, and become a poor man: But he that loveth unlawful pleasures, shall not only be a poor man, but will prove a wicked man. Thou that art given to pleasures (Isa. 47.8.) is the Character of Babylon. God gives good men pleasure, but 'tis the mark of an evil man to be given to pleasure. They that love pleasure, are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God (2 Tim. 3.4.) and such must needs be the worst of men.

And therefore we are not to understand this Text of any sinful pleasure, nor of a life merely lead in lawful pleasure, that a man should be all upon his pleasure, and lay aside his Calling; Elihu doth not oppose pleasure to work, labor or business, but to trouble, sorrow, and affliction. They that obey and serve the Lord shall spend their years in pleasures, in honest pleasures, that is, they shall live, not only contentedly, but joyfully. The Lord alloweth us to take any honest pleasure while we live, but not to live in pleasure; he alloweth us to take our delights, but our delights must not take us.

There is yet another Query, for it may be said, Is this a truth, that they who obey and serve the Lord shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures? I answer to that,

First, If we take it absolutely and universally, we cannot affirm that everyone who serveth and obeyeth God, shall always have pleasure, that is, outward comforts and contentments in this world; many of the Lord's faithful servants have lived in pain and sorrow; so that if (as David spake in this case, Psal. 73.5.) we should speak thus, we should offend against the generation of his servants. Some flourish in grace, who wither in worldly comforts. There is no certain connection between these two, Grace and outward peace or pleasure; the providences of God vary in this point as himself pleaseth. Neither is it true, that the true servants of God do uninterruptedly or always enjoy inward pleasures, comforts and contentments; for he that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his servants, may walk in darkness, and trouble of spirit, and see no light, (Isa. 50.10.) We are therefore to understand this Scripture as others of like nature, of that which is commonly done, or of that which we may upon good ground expect from God, and in faith wait for, that if we serve and obey him, he will make our lives comfortable to us. I answer,

Secondly, This promise, or promises of a like nature were fitted to the time wherein Elihu spake; he spake of the times long before Christ's appearing in the flesh, when the Lord did, as it were, lead on his people very much by promises, of temporal and outward prosperity, of which the Scripture is more sparing in the New Testament, where we are come to the fullness of Christ, and the riches of the grace of God to us in him; of which there is but li • tle (comparatively) spoken in the Old Testament: And therefore under that darker dispensation of spirituals, the Lord saw it good to encourage that people to obedience by a multitude of very particular outward promises, as we may read ( Deut. 28.) He would bless their basket and their store, the fruit of the field, &c. These promises were suited to the state of that under-age people, who were led on and enticed by visible and sensible blessings, as we do children with toys and Gaudees; and indeed all visible enjoyments are but such in comparison of spirituals. Believers under the Gospel being come to a higher state, to fuller attainments, the promises made to them run not much in that channel; yet it cannot be denied, that the Gospel also holds out promises for temporals, as well as the Law; and this latter dispensation of the Covenant as well as the former, hath provided sufficiently for our outward comforts.

Thirdly, For answer, let us consider the drift of the Spirit of God in this promise of pleasure. Job had often complained of his own sorrowful condition, and concluded himself a man of sorrow for all the remainder of his days: though his faith was strong for the resurrection of his body after death, yet he had little, if any faith at all, that he should be raised out of that miserable estate wherein he was in this life. He also had spoken somewhat rashly and amiss concerning the dealings of God with his servants in general, as if nothing but trouble and sorrow, did attend them, and that the wicked went away with all the sweet and good of this world. Now Elihu to take him off from these sad, and almost despairing thought • , as to the return of his own comforts, and to rectify his judgment in the general point, as to the dealings of God with others; he assureth Job, that if righteous men being bound in fetters, &c. hear and obey, God will break those bonds, and cut the cords of their affliction, and they shall spend (the remainder of) their days in prosperity, and (the rest of) their years in pleasures. So that Elihu in holding out this promise to Job, would rather clear his judgment from an error concerning the lastingness or continuance of his pains and sorrows, than heat his affections in the expectation of joys and pleasures in this world.

Fourthly, I answer, Though the people of God have nor always days of such outward prosperity, nor years of such sensitive pleasures, yet they have that which is better, and if they have no pleasures, they do not want them. The Apostle could say ( Phil. 4.11.) I have learned in what state scever I am, therewith to be content. What is pleasure if content be not? We may have outward pleasures, yet no content, but he that hath content within, cannot miss of pleasure. A man may have riches, but no contentment, but he that hath contentment is very rich, (1 Tim. 6.6.) Godliness with contentment is great gain, and great gain is prosperity: this great gain, this heart-pleasure, or soul-rest, contentment, is the assured portion of those who obey and serve the Lord whatever their outward portion be in this world. And he may be said to spend his days in good, and his years in pleasure, who hath these pure gains of gracious contentment, resting the soul in God in all conditions. The life of man (that is, the comfort of his life) doth not consist in the abundance of that which he possesseth, ( Luke 12.15.) or in sense-pleasures; but in that sweet composure and sedateness of his soul, resting by faith in the promises of God, or rather in the God of the promises, and so sucking sweetness from them.

Lastly, As though a servant of God should be exercised with sorrows all the days of his life, yet he cannot be said to spend his days in sorrow, because he meets with many refreshing intervalls and shines of favor from the face of God in the midst of those clouds; so he may be said to spend his days in pleasure, because at least, when his days here are spent, he consummates his days (which is one signification of the word) by an entrance into everlasting pleasures.

So much for the answer of these questions, concerning this promise, They shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasure. From the promise itself, Note;

God hath no profit by our Obedience, but we have. God doth not call us to serve him in his work, as we call servants to do our work, to get his living by us, or better himself; no, the Lord calls us to serve him and obey him, for our own good. They consult their own good best, who do most good. I may say these three things of those who do good (and what is serving God, but doing of good? or what is doing good but serving God?) First, they shall receive true good; Secondly, they shall forever hold the best good, the chief good, they shall not only spend their days and years in good, but when their days and years are spent, they shall have good, and a greater good than any they had, in spending the days and years of this life; they shall have good in death, they shall come to a fuller enjoyment of God, the chief Good, when they have left and let fall the possession of all earthly goods. Thirdly, they that do good shall find all things working together for their good; if they have a loss, they shall receive good by it; if they bear a Cross, that shall bear good. Outward troubles cannot disturb, much less pollute our spiritual good; for, All things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose (Rom. 8.28.) Surely then the service of God is a gainful service, a profitable service; though the work may be hard, and the way painful, yet the wages will be sweet, and the end pleasant. The contemplation of this put David upon putting that question ( Psal. 34.12, 13.) What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good (that is, that he may enjoy good) keep thy tongue from evil, and thy mouth, that it speak no guile; depart from evil, and do good. The Psalmist makes Proclamation, What man is he that would have good? let him do good, let him obey and serve God, and he shall have good.

Again, Consider the Promise in relation to the Persons described, verse. 8, 9, 10. They were bound in Fetters, and holden in Cords of affliction: Now saith Elihu here, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

Hence Note;

He can change our Iron Fetters, and Cords, into Rings of Gold, and Bracelets; he can translate our days of trouble, and our years of pain, into days of prospe • ity, and years of pleasure; it was so with Job in the issue, and he was the man that Elihu here intended. Job was long bound in fetters, and holden in the cords of affliction, yet as Elihu told him he should, so he did afterwa ds, spend his days in prosperity, and his years in pleasure; the Lord doubled his Cattle to him, his friends filed his Coffers, and his Cabinets, Every man gave him a peace of money, and everyone an Ear-ring of Gold; his children also were the same fo • number, his daughters the fairest in the Land; himself also lived in the fullness of this outward Prosperity, till he was full of days, and he fed upon the delicious fruits of this Promise all his after-days. Manasseh having run a course of unparalleled wickedness, was at last taken by the Captains of the host of the King of Assyria, among the Thorns, and they bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon (2 Chron. 33.11.) yet when in his affliction he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers, he was entreated of him, and brought again to Jerusalem, where he spent his days in prosperity, and his years in pleasure. If we turn to the Lord in affliction, the Lord is ready to turn away our affliction, or (as the Church prayed in the half turn of her affliction, Psal. 126.4.) to turn our captivity, as the streams in the South; that is, to make both a most admirable and a most comfortable turn of our condition. Streams in the hot Southern Countries are rare; the Rain of those Lands usually is dust. Streams in the South are also very welcome: How glad are they of a cooling Showre from a Cloud, who daily feel, and are fainted with the scorching Beams of the Sun! Such a turn shall they have (saith Elihu ) who being holden in the cords of affliction, turn from iniquity, obey and serve the Lord.

Thirdly, From the matter of the Promise,

Note;

'It is prosperity and pleasure in this world, though nor mere worldly prosperity and pleasure, which is here p • o • ised; and we are not to slight anything that comes by promise, yea, we should highly esteem those things, which, considered in themselves, are little worth, as they come to us through the Promise. We may quickly over-rate and over-reckon outward things in themselves, and we ever do so, if we rate or reckon them any better than vanity; but as they are promised and bestowed in a way of savor from God, and as they are a part of the purchase of Christ, and handed to us by him (so are even outward things to believers) thus they are very valuable. Upon these terms to live and spend our days in good, and our years in honest lawful pleasures, is a great mercy.

From the whole take two Corolaries.

First, How blasphemous then is their Opinion, who say it is a vain thing to serve the Lord, or that there is no profit in calling upon him! which blasphemy was resuted Chap. 21.14.

Secondly, Would we have a good end of, or out-gate from our afflictions, then let us hear and obey. Thus much of the first case, what the issue of their afflictions shall be, who obey: The Second issue upon the contrary case, followeth in the 12 ^th verse.

Here contraries are set one over against another, for their fuller illustration. If they obey not; that is, if those righteous men spoken of before ( verse. 7.) obey not. What it is not to obey, is clear by what I said was to obey, in opening the former verse. I shall only take notice, that in this latter part it is not said, If they obey not, and serve him not, but only, if they obey not; and I conceive, Elihu saith no more, or proceeds no further, because they who deny obedience, will certainly deny service; therefore he stops at that.

They who are good in their state, may often fail in doing that which is good; for of those this Text yet speaks, and is generally interpreted. The Hypocrite in heart is spoken of in the next verse, but here Elihu is speaking of the righteous, and because he is so, therefore by this disobedience cannot be meant an obstinate rebellion, but a sloth or carelessness in attending to the Call of God, for the amendment of some evil in their lives. If they obey not:

Hence Note;

The call and command of God is not at all obeyed by the wicked, and it is not always obeyed by the righteous. The righteous sometimes hear the word, but do not answer it, and sometimes they feel the rod, and do not attend it; they cry out of the smart of the rod, and of the sores which the lashes of the rod have made upon them, they weep over, or because of their sores, yet they do not presently give glory to God by obeying him, and leaving their sins, I mean as to that special point of duty in which God would have them obey him, and as to those special sins which God by that affliction calls upon them to leave. Many good men do not presently understand the purpose of God in this or that affliction; and while it is so with them, they must needs fail in answerableness to it. I know every godly man hath a general bent to obey God and serve him. It is not with the godly in their afflictions as with the wicked under theirs, of whom the Prophet speaks, ( Isa. 9.13.) They did not turn to him that smote them; yet even such Scriptures are in a degree applicable to many of the people of God, they do not always turn to him that smiteth them; when they are exercised with variety of calamities, they mind not the Lord as they ought. And hence it is (I say) that though the righteous have a general bent to obedience, yet they sometimes come short of that obedience which a special affliction or correction calleth them to; yea, they may be so short in answering it, that the Lord may proceed to lay heavier and greater afflictions upon them, even to the taking of them out of the world, as it followeth in this verse, If they obey not

Before they were bound in fetters and held in cords, but now the sword sh • ll overtake them, and they shall perish or be taken away by the sword: The Hebrew is, they shall pass away by the sword, that is, they shall die. Man is said to pass away by the swo • d, when the sword doth not pass by him, but smites and kills him, which is a temporal perishing. It is said ( Isa. 57.1.) The righteous perish, &c. As the righteous perish by a natural death, so they may perish by a violent death, and possibly that may fall upon them when they attend not the providential dispensations of God.

They shall perish by the sword, or by the drawn weapon. The word notes any weapon that is drawn or cast forth, hence some translate it a Dart or Javeling, which is shot out of the hand; but it may also be applied to the Sword, which being drawn forth out of the sheath is often sent upon deadly messages, and may be numbered among missive weapons: Now when Elihu saith, they shall perish by the sword, we may take the word sword properly or tropically. Properly two ways; First, for the sword of the Warrior; Secondly, for the sword of the Magistrate, either justly punishing or grievously afflicting. Some good men have acknowledged in great trials and sufferings, under the hand of man, that God hath met with them for their neglect or non-attendance to more immediate afflictions under his own hand. Again, take the sword tropically or improperly, and so any sore affliction that greatly annoyeth, especially if to death, is called a sword in Scripture; They shall perish by the sword (under one notion or other) if they do not obey.

Hence learn;

God is full of sparing-mercy, but the righteous may provoke him so, that he will not spare, no not them. Judgment begins often at the house of God (1 Pet. 4.17.) And if Judgment begin at the house of God, what shall the end be of those that obey not the Gospel? This is a terrible word. The righteous may perish by the sword; how dreadfully then shall the unrighteous, the wicked, the scorners of godliness, perish! If God will make his own people smart in his anger, when they provoke him, how will he speak to his enemies in his wrath, and vex them in his fore displeasure (Psal. 2.5.)

Secondly, From the gradation of their troubles; First, they were bound in fetters and holden in cords, but now here's a sword, a devouring sword, a killing deadly weapon.

Hence learn;

They may come from a cord to a sword, from being bound to be slain. God hath several sorts of Instruments to chasten his people with, and as the best of outward good things may be the portion of evil wicked men, so the worst of outward evils may be the portion of good men; they may at any time, and sometimes shall perish by the sword, and as it follows,

The sword is death, a deadly sword; they shall die

But is any righteous man without knowledge? That the soul be without knowledge is not good, (saith Solomon, Prov. 19.2.) How then can he be good whose soul is without knowledge? And seeing we interpret this text of the righteous, how can it be said, they die without knowledge?

I answer, Knowledge may be taken in a more general sense, and so no righteous man either lives or dies without knowledge? he neither lives nor dies without the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ, whom to know is eternal life, (John 17.3.) and without the knowledge of whom, all (who are actually capable of such knowledge) must die eternally; he neither lives nor dies without the knowledge of himself as a sinner, and of Christ who saveth him from his sins. Such ignorances are inconsistent with the state of a godly man; he may do foolishly, but he is not a fool; he may be wanting in some kind of knowledge, but he doth not want knowledge; he cannot be without saving knowledge, though he may perish (temporally) without knowledge. The first thing that God makes in the new creation is light, the light of knowledge, there he begins his work; therefore we cannot take knowledge generally, simply and absolutely, in this text; but as knowledge may be taken restrictively, for knowledge in or about this or that particular, so a good man may want knowledge, there may be somewhat which the Lord would acquaint the righteous with, and teach them by their fetters and afflictions, which they do not learn; and therefore they die without k • owledge, or, because they are without knowledge; yet that want of knowledge, together with all their other wants and ignorances, are pardoned to them.

Further we may expound the words thus; They shall die without knowledge, that is, without the knowledge or consideration of of that special affliction or judgment which is coming upon them, they shall die unawares, not thinking, nor so much as dreaming of such a judgment, or that such a hand of God was so near them. According to this interpretation, Elihu intends either their inadvertency of that approaching scourge or calamity with which they are overtaken, or their not understanding the reason of it. Christ saith in the Gospel ( Luke 12.46.) The master of that servant (the evil servant) shall come in a day which he knows not of, and in a time when he looked not for him. Now, as the last Judgment, the great Judgment shall come upon the wicked in a time when they look not for it, so the Lord may bring a special particular judgment upon someone or more of his own people, when they do not think of it, or never suspected that they should fall under it. Good men are sometimes surprised; and so, they shall die without knowledge, is no more than this, they shall be taken unawares by a sudden unexpected judgment. Though every godly man hath a preparation for the general judgment, yet as to a particular one, he may be much unprepared.

Lastly, Some expound the words of more than inadvertency, or bare nescience, even of folly, and some degree of affected ignorance, which possibly may prevail upon a righteous man in some cases and for a time; but I rather adhere to the former interpretation, because (as was shown before) the whole context seems to intend a more ordinary case of a righteous man. So then, this Scripture holds out the sad issues which the neglect of giving God the glory of his corrections and chastenings may bring upon the righteous.

Hence note;

The Church of Corinth felt this; many of them died (in the sense given) without knowledge, or not having a due spiritual knowledge of Christ in the holy supper, which the Apostle calls, their not discerning the Lord's body, (1 Cor. 11.29.) and presently tells them ( ver. 30.) for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep; that is, are taken away by death. Any kind or degree of sin is dangerous; not to obey a hint of providence, not to obey an intimation of the mind of God in an affliction, may be very dangerous; afflictions may end in destructions, and fetters in death, if the purpose of God in them be not attended and answered by us.

Secondly note;

Such do as if they had no knowledge at all what or how to do.

Lastly in that he saith, they shall die without knowledge, we may learn this from it;

Many die because they have no knowledge, others not heeding or minding what they know. Holy David confessed that in on • point he was ignorant and foolish, even as a beast, (Psal. 73.22.) and when good men act like beasts, without a due improvement of reason and understanding, they may perish (as to this temporal life) like beasts, ( Isa. 5.13.) Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge. The Prophet (I conceive) is to be understood (as this text) not that they had no knowledge at all, or were utterly ignorant, but they had no knowledge as to that special dispensation of God, how to make use of it or improve it, at least they took no heed, no care to use or improve it; and (saith he) they therefore are gone into captivity, they are brought under bondage to their enemies, they are scattered, ruined, and (as to this world) quite lost and undone. Wicked men are undone by acting against their knowledge; good men may be undone by acting below their knowledge, or by not acting according to what they know or should have known; and so (through their ignorance or heedlessness) they die without knowledge.

ELihu having put the case of the righteous in these two conditional propositions last opened, as somewhat doubtful, what at least some of them may do, as to a right-improvement of outward afflictions; he proceeds in these two verses to show the case of the wicked wholly desperate, in their affliction. There is an if put upon the righteous, but he is conclusive upon the hypocrite; to be sure he will neither hear nor obey, neither submit nor conform to the voice of the rod.

So that in these words he sets forth the common yea constant issue of the hand of God upon hypocrites in heart. Possibly good men, righteous men may not always answer the expectation of God, when affliction is upon them; but as for hypocrites, they (always) heap up wrath. And in this we may conceive Elihu hath a respect to Job; For though he did not conclude him to be an hypocrite in heart, yet he put it home upon him to consider the matter, whether he himself had not, at least, acted and carried it like an hypocrite in heart, under the afflicting hand of God, forasmuch as he was no more humbled and subdued under it. And indeed Elihu turns every stone, and trieth every way, to bring down the spirit of Job. And therefore as he had shown, what the usual effects of the hand of God upon the righteous are, so he tells him how it is with the wicked in that case, thereby to put him upon the trial, whether he had not reason to suspect himself to be an hypocrite, because his carriage, was so like theirs.

That adversative particle shows that he is dealing upon another subject: hypocrites in heart are far from righteousness. I have discoursed somewhat largely concerning the hypocrite in chap. 34 v. 30. upon these words, That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people 〈…〉 snared; Therefore I intend not here to revive that subject, but shall only a little open the additional term or amplification which is here put upon the hypocrite. Elihu doth not say barely, hypocrites heap up wrath, but, The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath; as implying some special character and brand of hypocrisy upon the persons here aimed at. An hypocrite in heart is no more but this, nor is it anything less than an hearty hypocrite; he is one that is not to the halves, but wholly hypocritical; he that is but half with God (such is the hypocrite) is wholly profane, wholly wicked. The same word which signifieth an hypocrite signifieth a profane person, and so we put it in the margin of this text, The hypocrite, or the profane in heart. This expression is very parallel with that of the Apostle Paul (Col. 1.21.) Ye that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. He doth not only call natural men enemies to God, as indeed they all are, (the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God) But he calls them enemies in their minds, that is, such as have a mind to be enemies, or such as have a good will to do evil. So here, an hypocrite in heart is a man heartily hypocritical; whosoever is an hypocrite is an hypocrite in heart; Hypocrisy is that which lieth at the bottom, it is an heart-sin: though hypocirsie act and vent itself at the tongue, and by the hand, yet all hypocrisy lieth at the heart; nevertheless, every hypocrite is not (strictly taken) an hypocrite in heart. The hypocrite in heart is opposed to the upright in heart, ( Psal. 92.11.) The hypocrite in heart hath a heart as full of hypocrisy, as the upright in heart would have hearts full of uprightness. Yet further to characterize the hypocrite in heart,

Take these three considerations to clear it;

First, an hypocrite in heart is one who doth evil, not out of mistake, but our of design; not because he cannot do otherwise, but because he will not, and is resolved on it; such a sinful piece or such a piece of sinfulness is the hypocrite in heart; he sins as he should love and serve and obey God, with all his heart.

Secondly, as this hypocrite doth evil upon design, so also he doth good with a wicked mind. It is possible for a man to do good unsincerely, or not to be sincere in the doing of it, and yet not to do it with a wicked mind and purpose, or with a base design. There are many who do good, who come to duty, whether in family or congregation, who mind not what they do, nor have any love to it, or zeal for it; here is hypocritical attendance, in that they set not themselves to meet with God or find God in the duty; yet possibly such come not with a wicked purpose, nor with a plot in their heads in doing these duties, that's proper to the hypocrite in heart. Thus we may understand that of Solomon, lately opened upon another occasion, ( Prov. 21.27.) The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind! A man may be wicked as to his state, yet not do a thing with a wicked mind, not bring a sacrifice (which includeth all holy services) with an unholy purpose: but the hypocrite in heart whenever he doth any good, hath a plot in it; as he always serves God with a reserve, he hath somewhat that he doth with-hold, he cometh by halves, so he always serves God with a design. He may make a fair show, and a great noise in profession, but ever he hath some end of his own in it. Jehu said, Come see my zeal for God. He was about a good work, the destroying of Ahab's House, and Baals Priests, this he called zeal for the Lord; but he did all this with a wicked mind; for the great thing upon his heart was to get into the Throne, • o be a King, he made use of all those specious acts of zeal only as a stirrup to raise himself into the saddle, the matter he aimed at was to establish the kingdom of Israel to himself and his posterity. That's a second thing; as the hypocrite doth evil purposely, so when he doth good he hath a purpose, a plot in it, more than is good; he doth it not, either for the honor of God, or for the enjoyment of God, which are the best ends of every good action, and without a pure eye, without which no action, how good soever in itself, is good to, or turns to the good of the actor.

Thirdly, The hypocrite in heart, I conceive, is such a one as knows himself to be an hypocrite. There are many hypocrites, who little think that they are hypocrites, yea, they may think themselves very upright and honest in what they do; ignorant deluded souls, understand not their own case. Laodicea was wretched and miserable, these are false and hypocritical, but know it not. As some judge, or rather mis-judge themselves hypocrites, who are upright in the main with God, and honest at heart, (How frequent are such complaints, and self-wronging accusations?) So many are hypocrites, or rotten at heart, who know it not. The heart is deceitful above all things, (saith the Prophet Jer. 17.9.) and desperately wicked, who can know it? And among all men, common hypocrites know least o • their own hearts. But the hypocrites in heart know their hearts are rotten and fall • e, to what they profess. The politick hypocrite knoweth that all he doth is but in show, and that he doth but act a pa •• in Religion, as a Player upon the Stage, when he is most religious; he doth but take a color, or die, or paint himself with Religion, (which is the signification of the word here used in the Hebrew) but i • not religious, he doth but put a fair gloss, or disguise upon himsel • , that he may appear what he is not, or what he knows himself not to be; He knoweth in himself that he is naught, while he would be known by and to others as good. The Apostle speaking of the grievous sufferings of some primitive Christians, saith ( Heb. 10.34.) They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they have a better and a more enduring substance; that is, they knew they were in a present gracious state, and that there remained for them an eternal happy state. Thus also an hypocrite in heart, is one that knoweth in himself, or in his heart, that he doth but pretend to be good, and that whatsoever good he doth, it is only in pretence, and is therefore (as the Apostle speaks of the Heretic, Tit. 3.11.) condemned of himself, while he acquits or commends himself never so well to others. Thus it appears how bad, how base the hypocrite in heart is in his best appearances, and how much he excels and bears away the Bel fobaseness and badness, I may say, for madness too, from all common hypocrites. Now as they exceed in sin, so they shall in misery, the next words assure us of that; But the hypocrites in heart

Elihu having described the persons that he dealeth with, or about, he also sets forth both their woeful and sin • ull condition: And he doth it three ways:

First, By what they do; They heap up wrath. For a man to be laboring continually only to make heaps of wrath for himself, in what a woeful condition is that man!

Secondly, He shows their bad, both sinful and woeful condition, by what they will not do; that we have at the latter end of the 13 ^th verse, They cry not when he bindeth them. They heap up wrath, that they do: They cry not when he bi • death them; That they do not.

Thirdly, He sets forth their woeful condition by that which is an inevitable consequent and fruit of such doing, and not doing, the evil which they suffer; that we have ( v. 14) They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean. These are the parts of the woeful condition of hypocrites in heart. I shall give a touch upon each of them.

Fi • st, Consider what they are doing: If you would know their trade, 'tis this; They are heaping up wrath; they add wrath to wrath, till they make a mighty mass or heap of it. There is a difference among some interpreters what wrath is here intended. They heap up wrath.

First, Some conceive that Elihu meaneth their own wrath. Hypocrites in heart heap up wrath, that is, when God doth at any time bind them in fetters, and holdeth them in the cords of affliction, as he spake in the former context, these hypocrites in heart, what do they? Do they obey? Do they turn from iniquity? Do they amend their hearts or lives? No; They heap up wrath, they grow angry, they vex and rage instead of repenting; that's all these hypocrites do; when the Lord hath bound them in fetters, and holds them in the cords of affliction, they are all in a flame, they are mad with rage and fury. Some both of the Ancients and Moderns, insist upon this opinion, and it is a very great truth, that when the hypocrite ih heart is under the hand of God, when God hath him fast in his fetters, his wrath doth boil, his fury comes up in his face, as it is said ( Ezek. 38.18.) concerning the wrath of God towards his enemies: this fully answers that assertion of Eliphaz, (Job 5.2.) Wrath killeth the foolish man. What wrath? his own wrath; he kills himself with vexing and fretting. The hypocrite in heart is a wrathful man, when things go not right with him. Some have so expounded that ( Eph. 2.3.) Ye were by nature children of wrath, even at others. Children of wrath, that is, wrathful children; we are full of wrath, full of anger by nature. Though I do not take that to be the sense of the Apostle; but that by children of wrath, he means all men as borne under the wrath of God, nor do I conceive this the proper meaning here, though not unuseful. They heap up wrath, that is, they grow angry, vexed, and troubled; But

Secondly, Rather the wrath heaped up, is the wrath of God, which is the most dreadful thing in the world; and so these words may be expounded by those of the Apostle to an impenitent sinner ( Rom. 2.4, 5.) Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance: But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. To heap up wrath, and, to treasure up wrath, are the same. The abusers of the patience and longsuffering of God, are treasuring up wrath against themselves from day today; and so do the hypocrites in heart, They heap up wrath.

Hence Note, First,

The more they are under the rod, the more they rebel. I ground it upon this; If they did not heap up sin, they should not heap up wrath; were they not more vile & wicked under their affliction, there would not be more anger against them. It was said of those that would have brought in the captives (which was a very oppressing purpose, (2 Chro. 28.13.) ye shall not; for Whereas we have effended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins & to our trespass. Then presently followeth, For our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. As if it had been said, If ye do this thing ye will increase the wrath of God (which is very fierce already) and blow it up into a consuming flame. While men grow more and more wicked and vile, God groweth (as to the manifestations of wrath) more wrathful. When we hear of the increase of wrath, we may be sure there hath been a proportionable increase of sin. It is said of Ahaz, who was a hypocrite in heart, a very profane person, (2 Chron. 28.22.) that in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against the Lord, and trespassing more against the Lord, he heaped up more of the Lord's wrath against himself: For 'tis added, ( v. 23.) He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which smote him; he got nothing but blows, for his pains, or impious piety in serving them: And he said, because the gods of the Kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But what got he by this increase of his sin? Surely nothing, but an increase of wrath; for, it followeth in the same verse,