Exposition of Job 35-37

THese two verses contain the third advice, counsel or exhortation given by Elihu to Job, stirring him up to give glory to God in his providential proceedings with him.

There are three things considerable in these two verses.

First, The general duty commanded, which is, to magnify the work of God.

Secondly, We have here a special reason or ground of that duty; the visibility and plainness, yea, more than so, the illustriousness of his work. The work of God is not only such as some men may see, but such as every 〈◊〉 • ay see, yea, behold afar off.

Thirdly, We have here an incentive to provoke to this duty, in the first words of the Text, Remember.

To Remember, imports chiefly these two things.

First, to call to mind what is past ( Mat. 26.75.) Then Peter remembered the words of Christ.

Secondly, To remember, is to keep somewhat in mind against the time to come; in which sense the Law runs ( Exod. 20.8.) Remember the rest-day; that is, keep it in mind, that whenever it cometh, or upon every return of that day, 〈◊〉 may be in a fit posture and preparation for it; Remember the rest, or Sabbath day to keep it holy.

To remember in this place, is set (I conceive) in a double opposition: First, To forgetfulness of the duty here called for; remember and do not forget it. Secondly, To the slight performance of the duty here called for; the magnifying of the work of God.

As if he had said, Be thou daily and duly affected with it, do not put it off with a little, or a bare remembrance; the matter is weighty, consider it fully. As if Elihu had said to Job, Thou hast much forgotten thyself, and gone off from that which is thy proper work. I have heard thee much complaining of the works of God, but thy work should have been to magnify the work of God. Though God hath cast thee down and laid thee low, yet thy business should have been to exalt the work of God; Remember, it would much better become thee to act another part than this; thou shouldest have acted the part of a magnifier of the work of God, not the part of a complainer gainst it. Remember that thou

The root signifieth, to increase and extol. We may consider a twofold magnifying of the work of God. There is an inward magnifying of the work of God; and there is an outward magnifying of the work of Go • .

First, There is 〈◊〉 •• d magnifying of the work of God, when we think highly 〈◊〉 it; thus did the Virgin in her song ( Luke 1.46.) My soul doth magnify the Lord. Her heart was raised up, and stretched out in high thoughts of God.

Secondly, There is an outward magnifying of the work of God. To speak highly of his work is to magnify his work; to live holily and fruitfully is to magnify his work. We cannot make any addition to the work of God, there is no such magnifying of it; but we must strive to give the works of God their full dimension, and not lessen them at all. As we must not diminish the number of his works, so we must not diminish the just weight and worth of them. There is such a charge of God to the Prophet about his word ( Jer. 26.2.) Go tell the people all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word. Deliver thy message in words at length, or in the full length of those words in which it was delivered unto thee. We then magnify the woe • k of God, when we diminish not a tittle. As we cannot add anything to it, so we must neither abate nor conceal anything of it. To magnify, is not to make the works of God great, but to declare and set forth the greatness of them; that's the magnifying here especially intended. Remember that thou magnify his works.

I shall not stay upon that other reading, Remember that thou art ignorant of his work. The same word which we translate, to magnify, with the variation of a point, signifieth to err; hence that translation. There is a profitable sense in it; for indeed the best knowledge which we have of the work of God may be called ignorance, and we said to be ignorant of that work which we are most knowing in. Yet because this is straining of the Text, I pass it by, and keep to our own rendering, Remember that thou magnify

What work? Here is no work specified, therefore I answer;

First, All the works of God are here included; Magnify his work. Whatever is a work of God, whatever hath the stamp and inscription of God upon it, see that thou magnify it.

Secondly, and more specially, We may unde • stand this work of God to be the work of Creation, the goodly structure and fabric of this visible world; and indeed that's a work so great and magnificent, that it ought to be continually remembered and magnified.

Thirdly, Others restrain it more narrowly, to that part of the work of God which is eminent in the heavenly meteors, and wonderful changes in the air, together with the motions and influences of the stars, of which we shall find Elihu discoursing at large, like a divine Philosopher, in the next Chapter. There are strange works of God in these lower heavens, where those meteors are born and brought forth; Remember to magnify those works.

Fourthly, I rather conceive (though such works of God are afterward spoken of) that Elihu intends the work of Providence in both the appearances of it, as it is a white or black work, as it is for good or for evil, as it is in judgment or in mercy. A modern Interpreter pitcheth upon the former, and upon one particular of the former; as if Elihu had directly led Jobs thoughts back to the Deluge, that work of God in bringing the Flood upon the old woe • ld; and if we can but go back and honor God for his past works of Providence, we shall magnify him for his present. As if Elihu had said; Thou complainest that thou art overflowed with a deluge of afflictions; but doest thou remember how God destroyed the whole world at once in the universal flood? But though I think, that may be taken in among other works, yet to restrain it to that is a great deal too narrow for this Text. Therefore under this work of God, we may comprehend any great work of God, which is upon record, or which we have heard of, wherein he hath shown his power, wisdom, and justice.

The work of providence. Those works of providence which are afflictive, have a great place in this Text, because the person spoken to was one in an afflicted condition. And I conceive Elihu directs Job not so much to magnify God for the day of prosperity and Sun-shine which he once had, as for the day of adversity and darkness, which then covered him. Remember that thou magnify his work,

Which the sons of Enoch behold, saith Mr Broughton. But the word Sons is not in the Text, there 'tis only men, or weak men. The word which we translate to behold, hath a double signification, and that hath caused a double translation: It signifieth, first, to sing; secondly, to see or behold. It is translated by several in the former sense, Remember that thou magnify his work, whereof men have sang; The Chaldee Paraphrase saith, For which just men have given praise in Psalms and songs. Beholding fully a good thing, and praising it, or praising God for it, go together, as M ^r Broughtons gloss expresseth it out of Ramban. Gracious and holy men do not only speak, but sing the wonderful works of God; And, that praises were in song or verse, both the Scriptures and many ancient Authors testify. God works, and men sing the praises of God for his works, as Moses, David, and Deborah did. And we find all the Saints ( Rev. 15.3.) singing praises to the Lord for the great work which he will do in bringing forth Judgment to perfection upon Babylon. Thus it is a truth, the work of God is to be sung and set forth in meeter, or in verse.

We take the other translation, Which men behold; which, with respect to that which followeth ( v: 25.) where both expressions refer to the eye, is, I conceive, most proper. Magnifie the work of God, which men behold; As if Elihu had said, O Job, I advise thee to leave off searching into the secrets of God, and set thyself to consider and magnify those works of God which are plain and lie open to every man's eye.

The word rendered Behold, may note, both a transient, and an intense or fixed beholding, to look wishly as we say, to look fastening the eye solicitously, yea, it imports, not only to behold with the eye of the body, but with the eye of the mind.

Some Interpreters put an Emphasis upon the word men, as noting excellent men, virtuous men, men of virtue in their qualities, and of excellency in thei • abilities; such are men indeed, worthy men, worthy the name of man; as it hath been said of old, Where there are no men, do thou play the man, act and speak like a man. Some men have nothing but the outside of a man. This is a good notion. For good men, holy men, men of divine excellency, are most quick-sighted, and quick-scented; First, espying the appearances of God in any of his providences, and then making a due improvement of them. Therefo • e (saith Elihu) magnify his work, which men, that is, holy and good men, behold and take notice of. David speaking of the woe • ks of God in that notable place, ( Psal 92.6.) saith, A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this; that is, such a one as he, cannot behold the work of God. And therefore it is more than a cri icisme to restrain the word men, to men of this sort; yet it must be granted that the word signifies not only excellent men, but any sort of men, whether wise or foolish, rich or poor, and the weak sort of men more specially than the stronger and more noble in any kind.

And to take the word in that universality, as compassing and comprehending all sorts of men, even those who ar • dim sighted, blear-eyed, that is, of weakest understanding, may be a good improvement of the Text, implying, that as some of the woe • ks of God are o mysterious, that the wisest cannot see the meaning of them, so many, very m • ny, of his woe • ks are so manifest, that common men may compass them. Magnifie his works, which men behold.

The works of God are of two sorts, visible and invisible.

First, Such as we see or know by s ght: Thus the woe • ks of Creation, and the works of Providence, his present providences, are such as we behold, they are visible works.

Secondly, There are invisible works of God, which we cannot behold, but must believe, and can know only by faith; such are his spiritual works, or what he works upon or in the spirits of the children of men: These are written in too small a letter for the eye of Nature to behold; none can see them or behold them but by an eye of faith, or spiritual understanding. The works of regeneration and sanctification (for which God is wonderfully to be magnified) may be seen or beheld in the fruits and effects of them, in those they are very visible, but they cannot be seen in themselves. The past and future providences of God cannot now be seen by the eye, but by faith they may, and we ought to believe that such things were wrought, and shall be wrought; we are to receive the testimony given by faithful History, that such things were done, though we never saw the doing of them, and we are to receive the sure word of Prophecy that such things shall be done, though we live not to see the doing of them. The work of God intended here by Elihu is a visible work, therefore it must fall among his providences.

That is, say some, every wise and understanding man; but rather, any man, (as was touched at the former verse) if he be but a man of common understanding, if he have • ny spark of Reason left in him unquencht, if he have his eyes in his head, he may see it; the eye of everyone who will not shut his eyes against the light, must needs see it. We say, Who so blind as they that will not see.

The word here rendered Behold, is not the same which we translate Behold in the former verse, nor is it the same word which signifieth to see in the former part of this verse. Some make a difference between seeing in the former part of the verse, and Beholding in the latter. Holy and good men see the woe • ks of God clearly and distinctly, they look on them with d • light and contentment; the common sort of men only b • hold • hem, first, darkly, as at a distance; secondly, confusedly and in gross. Man may behold it

There is a four-fold conception about that afar off.

First, Some expound it for afar off in time. The work of God doth not wear out; that first and great visible work of Creation which was from the b • ginning, yet remaineth. Ages pass away, but the work of God doth not pass away, though done some hundreds, yea thousands o • years ago.

Secondly, Afar off, that is, imperfectly, not fully; he may have some discoveries of it, every man the weakest man may discern somewhat of it. Things that are high and afar off, are confusedly seen, not clearly or fully discerned. A man that is afar off cannot be distinguishingly known. When a man is afar off, we may see him to be a man, but what manner of man he is, or who he is, we cannot discern; though possibly it may be our own father, yet being afar off we cannot know him distinctly. Thus to see afar off notes only a confused knowledge. That's a good sense; things afar off are not distinctly seen.

Thirdly, Afar off, may be expounded of all the sight we have on this side Heaven. In this world we see all that we see afar off, we have not a near intimate knowledge of things, especially not of the best things, spiritual things, of all them we must say, We know but in part, and see thorough a glass darkly, as the Apostle speaks, (1 Cor. 13.12.) Such things as are not immediate to us, we are said to see thorough a glass, or as represented in their effects, and issues, or in their back parts, as God himself is seen. ( Exod. 33.18, 23.) Thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen, said God to Moses when he moved to see his glory.

Fourthly, This beholding afar off, may note the greatness of the work of God, the exceeding lightsomness and glo iousness of it. Those things that are great, may be seen a great way off. A high Tower is seen afar off. We ha • dly believe the doctrine and reports of Astronomers, how far off the Sun is, which every eye beholds. Though the Sun be so many thousand miles distant, yet any man may see it, 'tis so great, so beau iful, so bright a body. Many of the works of God have such a beauty, radiancy and luster in them, that any that are not stark blind may see them afar off. Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold. Every man may see it, man may behold it afar off. From the centext of these two verses, note,

The memento or remember at the beginning of the verse is no more than needs. We have bad memories for anything that's good, especially for the good word and the good works of God. We are so far from magnifying his work, that we often forget his work. 'It is said of Israel (Psal. 106.13.) They soon forgot his works. If we soon forget the woe • ks of God, we shall sooner forget to magnify God for his work. Many remember the work of God, who do not magnify it, nor him for it; but none can magnify the work of God, nor God for his work, who do not remember it.

Secondly, In that the Text saith, Remember that thou magnify, not only that thou speak of, or declare his work., but magnify it,

Note;

While we remember it, we do not magnify it; while we speak of his work, we seldom praise his work. It is said of the virtuous Woman, ( Prov. 31.31.) Her own works praise her in the Gates; that is, they like so many Elegant Orators tell all that pass by, how praise-worthy she is. The woe • ks of God will praise him, whether men do or no. All thy works shall praise thee, (saith David, Psal. 145.10.) What then should they do for whom they are wrought? The latter part of the verse show, what they will do who know what God hath wrought for them; Thy Saints (saith he) shall bless thee. They who have (as most have) low though • s, can never give high p • aises of the works of God.

Thirdly, In that this counsel and exhortion is given to Job, in that this spur is, as it were, put to his sides, Remember that thou magnify,

Note;

The Lord, though he needeth not, yet will have us to be his remembrancers, to do our works for us, if we would have our works done; the Lord would have us by prayer to mind him of our own, and of all his people's condition ( Isa. 62.6.) Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers (so we put in the Margine, and in the Text) ye that make mention of the Lord, &c. The Lord will have us to be his remembrancers. And though he is ever mindful of his Covenant, yet he liketh it well to be put in mind of it. But O what need have we of a remembrancer, to put us in mind of the work of God, and to magnify his work! We need a daily remembrancer to put us in mind of what we should do, how much more of what God hath done! We need to be minded of that which 'tis a wonder how we can forget, our latter end, or how frail we are; how much more do we need to be minded of those duties which fit us for our latter end, and lead us to those enjoyments which never end!

F • urthly, Observe;

Elihu urgeth Job, and with him all men, to remember that they magnify even that work of his which men behold, and which every man may see. How slack are they in or to that great duty of magnifying God, who when they see, or may see, if they will, his mighty works, yet mind not the magnifying of him!

Fifthly, Observe;

He is altogether stupid and blockish, that seeth not what all may see. Hence the Psalmist, having said, O Lord, how great are thy works, concludeth such among brutes and fools, ( Psal. 92.6.) The brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this. It was the saying of Plato an Heathen; That man is worthy his eyes should be pulled out of his head, who doth not lift them up on high, that he may admire the wisdom of the Creator in the wonderful • abrick of the world; I may add, and in the works of providence: Are they not such, that as the Prophet speaks, He that runs may read them?

Sixthly, Consider why doth Elihu thus charge it upon Job? surely to humble him for his sin, in that he did not magnify God for his works.

Hence Note;

If the very blind may see them, how sinfully blind are they, who see them not! The works of God should be sought out, ( Psal. 111.2, 4.) If they lie in corners, yet they are to be sought out, and they are sought out of them that have pleasure therein. If God should hide his work under ground, if God should put his Candle under a bushel (as Christ saith men do not, Mat. 5.) yet 'tis our duty to seek it out, and set it upon a Candlestick, that all may behold it, and praise him for it. Now if the most hidden works of God must be sought out, that they may be magnified, surely then, when the works of God stand forth and offer themselves to our view and we cannot tell which way to draw our eyes from them, how great a sin is it, not to behold them, not to give him the glory of them.

Seventhly, Observe;

This is the point chiefly intended by Elihu in his present discourse with Job; This containeth the sum and substance of the whole Text. To magnify the work of God is so necessary, so indispensible a duty, that A remember is put upon it, lest at any time it should slip from us. The Lord knowing how great, how weighty, how comfortable, how profitable a duty it is to keep the Rest day, prefixeth this word, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, (Exod. 20.8.) I might give instance from several other Scriptures, importing those duties which have a memento put upon them to be of great necessity, and that the Lord will not bear with us if we lay them by, or neglect the constant performance of them. To forget any duty is very sinful, how much more those which we are specially warned to remember that we do them! David was not satisfied in doing the duty of the text alone, but must associate others with him in it. ( Ps. 34.3.) O let us magnify the Lord together; that's a blessed consort, the consort of the blessed forever. The whole work and reward too, of Saints in heaven is, and eternally will be, to magnify God; and they have the beginnings of that work and reward, who are sincerely magnifying his work here on earth. God hath magnified his word (in all things) above his name (Psal. 138.2.) and the reason is, because his works answer or are the fulfilling of his word to the praise of his glorious name. Now if God hath magnified his word by his works then we must magnify his works, or him in his works, For wherein doth God magnify his word but in his works? He hath magnified his work by bringing his word forth in his works: Surely then if God hath magnified his word by bringing it forth in his works, then 'tis our duty to magnify the works of God, which are the product, effect and answer of his word.

But some may say, how is that done? I would give answer to this question in five things.

First, Then we magnify the work of God, when we magnify God for his work: we cannot magnify the mercy of God, but by magnifying the God of our mercies; We cannot magnify his work while we neglect himself. we magnify God in his work, first, when we ascribe the whole efficiency of what we see done in the world, to him, and say, This is the singer of God, Or when we say, according to this or that time, What hath God wrought? (Numb. 23.23.) To magnify the work of God is to give the whole of it to God. 'It is the hand of God upon a work that sets the price upon any woe • k, and makes it worthy to be magnified. As in some Pictures, this • ets a price upon them, to say they are such a man's work, the work of such a famous Artist, the work of Apelles, or of Michael Angelo. So if we would magnify any p • ovidential work, we must say, it is the woe • k of the great God, it is he that ha • h done it; the eye of our mind must look directly at God in ruling and governing of the woe • ld. While we pore much upon, or stay our thoughts about second causes, we cannot exalt the work of God; though we call it God's w • rk, yet if our hearts hang about second causes, the work cannot be exalted as his. 'It is a depression of the work of God to put anything of man upon it. To honor the work of God is to give him the whole effect of the work. As we then magnify God when we look to him alone, with a single eye, as the end of all our works (There is nothing doth magnify God in what we do, but our looking to God as the end of all we do; Let our work be what it will, never so glittering, never so gay and glorious in the eye of the world, yet if it be not consigned over to God, it is a base and pitiful work; if any man dedicates his work to himself he dishonors his work: Now (I say) as it magnifieth our work when we make God the end of our work) so that which magnifieth God's work, is, when we look upon him, not only as having an hand in it, but as being both the beginner and ender of it. If we take or give this to the creature, that is, sit down in this or that Instrument, as the means by which we have attained our end, or as the end of what we have attained, we spoil the work as to God, or despoil God of his work. Remember, this, and this only, magnifieth our work, when we with a single eye look to God as the author and as the end of it. Every work we see done is magnified, and God in it, when we look to God as the Alpha and Omega, as the Author and Ender of it. Nor is this true only in those works of God which he doth more immediately, but where men act most, and are very instrumental. Let us therefore ascribe every work to God, and that first, in afflicting us; such an eye Joseph had ( Gen. 45.8.) It was not you that sent me hither, but God; that is, not so much you, as God (saith Joseph to his brethren) I do not say it was you (though you were unkind brethren) it was not you that sent me hither, but God: I look at him more than at you in that great affliction, which was brought upon me by your envy and unbrotherly unkindness towards me. Such an eye David had when he was under a very grievous, black, dark providence, when his son rose up against him, and when his subject Shimei cursed him, even then he magnified that work of God, by ascribing it wholly unto him (2 Sam. 16.10.) The Lord hath said unto him, curse David. He magnified God in that great affliction by looking at the hand of God alone in it, and passing by Shimei 's, both undutifulness and extreme malignity. He said as much, while he tells us he said nothing, in a like or as bad a case ( Psal. 39.9.) I opened not my mouth, because thou di • st it. Hence that reproof in the Prophet ( Isa. 5.12.) They regard not the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of his hand. Secondly, Let us ascribe every woe • k to God in exalting us; such an eye had the Church to God ( Psal. 44.1, 2, 3.) Our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days; Thou didst drive out the heathen by thy hand, and plantedst them, they got not the land in possession by their own sword, &c. but by thy right hand, and thine arm, &c. Here is no mention at all of Joshua 's achievements and famous victories in subduing the Canaanites, &c. All is given to God, and he alone exalted for that exalting work. That's the first answer: Then we magnify the work of God, when we acknowledge him alone both in afflicting and exalting us.

Secondly, Then we magnify the work of God, when we beat out, as it were, and sift all the circumstances of his work (as we say) to the bran, that so we may find out every perfection, every glory of it: when we do not only behold and see the woe • k, but when (as direction is given, Ps. 48.) We walk about Zion, tell her towers, and consider her palaces, that is, when we do not look upon things only in the bulk, but make an exact scrutiny, or take a full view of every part. We cannot magnify the work of God by a bare beholding of it, but by prying into every circumstance of it, or by considering what excellencies and rarities are in it. As we magnify our sinful works (in one sense we should magnify our sins, that is, aggravate them, not magnify them to applaud them, or glory in them, but to make ourselves ashamed of them, as (I say) we magnify our sinful works, or what we have done sinfully, when we consider all the circumstances of our sins, as committed against light and love, against mercy and goodness, against the patience and forbearance of God, against our own professions and promises, against our experiences and privileges, all which should oblige us to holiness, and engage us to a gracious circumspection in all our ways, and walkings, lest at any time we should sin against God and grieve his Spirit: So we magnify the works of God when we eye all the circumstances of them, and consider them as done for us when we could do nothing for ourselves, as done for us when we must have perished and been undone, unless God had appeared for us; as done for us when we deserved not the least good to be done for us; as done for us when none would do anything for us, none caring for our souls; as done for us when none could do anything for us. These and such like circumstantial considerations, exceedingly magnify the work of God. A bare behold, a transient look may discover no great matter, but if we seriously weigh every particular, we shall then see cause enough to magnify the: work of God. Elijah (1 Kings 18.43.) commanded his servant to go look towards the sea, and when he went first, he saw nothing, but being commanded to go seven times, he at the seventh saw a little cloud rising out of the sea, as big as a man's hand; but at the last, heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. If we would look again and again, if we would look seven times upon the work of God, that which at first seemed nothing, or afterwards no bigger than a man's hand, or no bigger than a man's hand could effect and bring about, will at last be magnified to such a vastness, that all must confess, the hand of God hath done it.

Thirdly, We then magnify the works of God, when we freely submit to God in them, as just and righteous, when we accept and take them kindly at his hand, not only when they are outward kindnesses, but crosses. All the great words and rhetoric we can bestow upon the works of God will not magnify them, unless we freely submit to them as just and righteous. They that would magnify the works of God, must say, Judgment and righteousness are the habitation of his throne, while they can see nothing but Clouds and darkness round about him (Psal. 97.2.) I (saith the Psalmist) am in the dark about all that God is doing at this day, yet of this I am as confident as confidence itself, Judgment and Righteousness are the habitation of his throne; I know God doth nothing amiss, no not in the least. Thus John in the Revelation (Chap. 15.3.) saw them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over, his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, and they (saith he) sing the Song of Moses. &c. saying, great and marvelous are thy works, just and true are thy ways. The works of God in Judgment upon Babylon, are full of justice, and we magnify them by proclai • ing and crying them up as just; yea, the work of God in judgment upon Zion, is exceedingly magnified, when Zion submits to it, and embraceth it as just and righteous. It was the great sin of the house of Israel, when they said ( Ezek. 18 25.) The ways of God are not equal. As if they had said, are these the Lord's equal dealings, that we his People should be given up to the hand of the enemy, and suffer such things as these? yea, the house of Israel must say, all the works of God, not only his exalting works, but his humbling works, are equal, just and righteous, for we have sinned. This is to magnify the work of God.

Fourthly, To magnify the work of God, is to look upon his work whatever it is, not only as having justice in it towards all men, but as good and being full of goodness to his People. Possibly it may be very hard work, yet we must bring our hearts to say it is good work, good to and for the Israel of God. Thus the holy man of old magnified the work of God ( Psal. 73.1.) Truly God is good to Israel. This he spake while he was bemoaning himself under very afflicting providences. We magnify the afflicting works of God, when we submit to them as just, much more when we embrace them as good. And it was very much the design of Elihu to bring Job off from disputing about the evils with which God had so long exercised him, to a ready yeeldance that they were good for him, and that in all the Lord intended nothing but his good.

Fifthly, To magnify the work of God, is to answer the end of it. Every work is magnified when it receiveth its end; if a work be done; yet if it have not its effect, if it bring not that about to which it was designed, the worker receives no honor from it, nor is the work honored. To work in vain, is a debasing, a lessening of any work, not a magnifying of it. The Apostle was afraid to bestow his labor in preaching the Gospel in vain. When people still continue in their blindness and unbelief, &c. this layeth the preaChing of the Gospel low; but when souls are convinced and converted, and come flocking in, then the Gospel is magnified, and the word of the Lord glorified, as the Apostle prayed it might (2 Thes. 3.1.) Now as the word of God is magnified when it attains its end, so the work of God is magnified when we give him, or come up to those ends for which he wrought it: But if we let God lose the end of his work, we do what we can to debase his work, as if he had done it in vain. We say, he works like a fool that hath not proposed an end to every woe • k he dot • ; and he appears not very wise, at least not very powerful, who a • taineth not the end or ends for which he began his work. The most wise God hath his end and aim in all his works in this world; and this is the honor we do his work, when we labor, first, to know, and secondly, to give him his end in every work.

But if any ask, What are the ends of God in his work?

I answer, They are very various.

First, The chief end of all that God doth, is the advancement of his own Name and Glory. As he made all things for himself in Creation, so he doth all things for himself in Providence. That which is the sin of man is the holiness of God, to seek himself. It is most proper for God, who is the chief good, and whose glory is the ultimate end of all things, to set up himself in all things ( Prov. 16.4.) The Lord hath made all things for himself, saith Solomon. And the Apostle faith as much ( Rom. 11.36.) Of him and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever, Amen. All things are of him, therefore all things should return unto him. If we would magnify any work of God, we must be sure to give him this end, the glory of it. Let it not satisfy us, that we are advanced, or get up by the works of God, unless we ourselves advance his glory by them. Many advance themselves, and are lifted up with pride, when God works for them or by them, not at all minding that which they should chiefly mind, the glorifying of God in & by what he hath w ought, either for themselves or others.

Secondly, God hath this in design, by all his works, to make us better. If it be a work of Judgment, it is to make us better, and then we exalt his works of Judgment, when we are bettered by them, when we are more humbled and weaned from the world by them. And as 'tis the design of God to make us better by his works of Judgment, so by all his works of mercy. The Apostle beseecheth us by the mercies of God, to present our bodies (that is, our whole selves) a living sacrifice, in all holy service to himself ( Rom. 12.1.) What will it advantage us to be bettered in our outward enjoyments, by what God works or doth for us, unless we learn to be better, and do his work better? that is, unless our hearts be more holy, and we more fruitful in every good word and work. Some will magnify the work of God by keeping a day of thanksgiving, because they are richer or greater by what God hath wrought for them, who yet are not a whit more holy or spiritual by it. Woe to those who magnify the work of God because they think it shall go better with them, when themselves are not better. Enquire therefore what lust hath the work of God moved you to mortify, wha • grace hath the work of God put you upon the exercise of: They only indeed magnify the work of God who have such workings towards God. It were better not receive a mercy, than not to be bettered by a mercy. It is not our crying up the works of God in our words, but in our works, which is the magnifying of them. It is more safe for us to say nothing of what God hath wrought for us, than to publish it, or make our boast of it, when we ourselves do ••• hing worthy of it, in a way of condecency and proportion to it. 'It is the design of God in giving promises to make us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7.1.) Much more having given us any great performances of his promises, doth he expect that we should be clean and holy. O then what a pitiful course do they take, who pretending to magnify the works of God, do such things as are a defilement both to flesh and spirit!

A third design of God in working for us, is to make us trust him more, or, to be more in believing. 'It is shown ( Psal. 78.4.) what great things God did for the Jewish nation, and for their fathers; But what did God aim at in all? we have the answer ( v. 8.) That they might set their hope in him, and not forget his works. The aim which God had in those great works, was that their hope might be set upon him; that they might trust in him more then ever they had done. The Lord, by the great works he doth, would gain upon our faith, or cause us to trust him for the future. How dishonorably do they carry it towards God, who believe not his word, much more they who believe not his works, that is, who believe him not, notwithstanding his works, as 'tis said of Israel (Ps. 78.32.) For all this they sinned still; and believed not his wondrous works. The Psalmist doth not mean, that they did not believe such works had been done; but the meaning is, they did not trust God who had done those woe • ks. These and many more duties the Lord teacheth us by his word, and he teacheth them also by his works, as it is said (v. 22.) who teacheth like him? The Lord teacheth us many excellent lessons by his works, if we had hearts to learn them. Lay these things together in practice, and they will be the best, yea, they are the only way of magnifying the works of God done for us. And, if the works of God are to be magnified all these ways, then they fall short of this duty,

First, Who only make a report of the works of God, who tell the story of what he hath done, and so have done. As we ought to adorn the doctrine of God ( Tit. 2.) so likewise the doings of God, or what God hath done, by our doings, Meer narratives about the work of God, is far below magnifying his work.

Secondly, They fail much more who extenuate and diminish the works of God, wh • • bscure or eclipse his works. As in our confessions of repentance, it is a sign of a bad heart barely to report our sins before God, without aggravating them in their sinfulness; but in confession to extenuate our sin showeth a very rotten and naughty heart; so in our confessions of praise, merely • o report what God hath done for us, without putting an accent or a due emphasis upon his mercies, shows much • oldness of spirit in the duty; but to clip and lessen the works of God, to hide and darken them, to abate and detract from them, shows a base and a wicked spirit.

Thirdly, How do they fail in magnifying the works of God, who do not only conceal how good they are, but bring up an ill report upon them, as those searchers did upon the land of Canaan. Those works and dispensations of God, which (like that land) slow with milk and honey, may be looked upon and censured by some, as good for nothing but to eat up and consume those that are under them.

Fourthly, They who ate impatient under any work of God, who murmur and repine at it, are far from magnifying the work of God.

Fifthly, They are far from magnifying the work of God, who think themselves so wise that they could mend the work of God; had they the pensel in their hand they would make fairer work of it: what hudling is here? think some; what confusion is here? say others; what sad work is here? saith a third. If we had the ordering of things what an orderly woe • ld would we make, if we had the ordering of things (as God hath) we would quickly cure and remedy all these disorders. Though such formal speeches be not uttered, yet such things are spoken in parables, the actions of some tell us such are their thoughts, as if they could mend the work of God, and govern the world with greater moderation than tis; though indeed we need not scruple to call the wisest man in the world a very dotard, if he thinks so, or that anything can be done more equally than God hath done it. Let all flesh adore, let none presume to question the work of God; let God alone with his work; as he will have no controler, so he needs no counselor. Remember, tis man's duty to magnify his work, not to mend it, to show how good it is, not to attempt the making of it better. And indeed as it is the highest point of presumption, so of ignorance, to meddle with the mending of it. The Lord is a Rock (saith Moses, Deut. 32.4.) and his work is perfect. Who but a fool, or who but by the over-working of his own folly would venture to mend that which is already, not only perfected, but perfect, were it only the work of a man, much more when it is the work of God, the only wise God?

And that we may be provoked humbly to magnify, and forever deterred from that proud attempt of finding fault with, or mending the work of God, consider these three things;

First, Take the argument in the text, the plainness of the work of God, it is such as may be seen afar off, none can pretend ignorance of it, or if they do, that's a vain covert, or excuse; every man may see it, man may behold it afar off, as most worthy to be magnified.

Secondly, If we do not magnify the work of God, God will lessen his own works of mercy and favor toward us.

Thirdly, He will do no more for us if we magnify not what he hath done. It is said ( Math. 13.58.) Christ did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. God will do no more mighty works for them, who refuse or neglect to pay him a tribute of praise and glory for what he hath done.

ELihu having called upon Job to magnify the work of God in general, proceeds to draw him to the magnifying of the special works of God in naturals: Yet before he leads him to the consideration of the greatness of those works, he invites him to consider God himself who is the Author and Disposer of them, and he invites him to consider God is three things, all which we find laid down in this 26th verse.

First, In his Greatness; Behold God is great.

Secondly, In his Incomprehensibleness; He is great, and we know him not.

Thirdly, In his Eternity; Neither can the number of his years be searched out.

Surely he is most worthy our consideration who is great, and so great that he cannot be comprehended, and who is eternally great, whose years are numberless.

The word Behold, is here a note both of Attention and admiration; O mind, O admire the greatness of God. God is great. The word rendered great, properly signifies an increasing growing greatness; God is without all increase or growth, being forever the same, yet he may be said to increase, to be magnified and multiplied (as I may say) according to the apprehensions which we have of him. This word bears the signification both of much and many. God is but one and the one-most one, yet (in this sense) many. So the Septuagint renders it here, he hath, or is many, that is, he hath all perfections in him; the lines of all excellency and virtue, of all glory and perfection, center in God alone. Thus God is much, and God is many; the one God is many, he hath many, he hath all eminencies and excellencies bound up, boundlesly in him.

Again, God is great, in himself or in his being. Whatsoever is in God is God, and therefore whatsoever is in God is great. The power of God is the powerful God, and therefore his power must needs be great: the wisdom o • God is the wi e God, and therefore his wisdom most needs be very great; the mercy of God is the merciful God, and therefore his mercy must needs be very great: And thus we may p • oceed in our meditations quite through all the divine Attributes.

And as God is great in his being, so he is great in his working, he doth great things. The Psalmist • aith, he is good, and doth good; he is also great, and doth great things; he is the t •• st, the chief, and the best being, and his doings are such as he is, he doth like himself. God is great, and he hath an excellent, an excelling greatness. Praise him (saith David, Psal. 150.2.) according to his excellent greatness, or as the words may well bear, according to his muchness of greatness; for when the Scripture saith, God is great, this positive is to be taken as a superlative, God is great, that is, he is greatest, he is greater than all, so great that all persons and all things are little, yea, nothing before him ( Isa. 40.15.) Behold the nations are (to him but) as the drop of the bucket, and are counted but at the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing, they are as nothing, and they are counted to him as less than nothing and vanity. How great is God in comparison of whom the greatest things are little things, yea, the greatest things are nothing!

Behold, God is great. From this excellent Attribute, the greatness of God, I have made several Inferences already, at the 12th verse of the 33d chapter; yet I shall infer some things further here, both for our direction and consolation.

First, If God he great and greatest, then fear him greatly. Great is the Lord (said David, in his thanksgiving-song, 1 Chron. 16.25.) he also is to be feared above all gods; that is, above all the great powers on earth, and above all the imaginary powers of heaven. Idols, who are the fancied powers of heaven, are sometimes called gods in Scripture; so likewise are Princes or Magistrates, who are eal powers on earth. Now, saith David (who was one of those gods, and a great one) fear him above all gods: Why? Because he is above all gods, he is higher than the highest and he is greater than the greatest; therefore fear him above all gods, yea, therefore fear, or worship him all ye gods (Psal. 97.7.) Many say with their mouths, God is great, yea, infinitely greater than man, yet they fear men, especially great men, more than God.

Secondly, If God be great, then love him greatly. Shall this great God have but little love from us? The Law of love, with respect to God, is expressed two ways in Scripture; first, as to the truth of it; and secondly, as to the measure or degree of it. The love which is given to God must be a true love, a sincere love, yet not only so, but the love which is given to God must be the greatest love; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and with all thy strength; with all thy heart sincerely, with all thy might and strength greatly.

Thirdly, If God be great, then serve him greatly, or do him great service. Take heed of offering the lean and the lame, the halt and the blind to this great King. A great King must not be put off with little services with small pittances of duty.

Fourthly, If God be great, then believe him greatly; let us have great faith in the great God. Jesus Christ rebukes his disciples ( Mat. 8.26.) O ye of little faith; have you God to pitch your faith upon, who is great? have you his power, and his mercy, and his truth, and his faithfulness, all which are great, to rest upon? and have you but a little faith? That woman ( Mat. 15.28.) gave glory to God in believing, when she believed greatly; and therefore Christ crieth up and magnifyeth the greatness of her faith, O woman, great is thy faith.

Fifthly, The great God is greatly to be praised; he doth great things for us, therefore we must return great thanks to him. That also we have expressly (1 Chron. 16.25.) Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. The great God must have great praises, for he doth great things. As every sin we commi • against God hath a greatness in it upon this consideration, because he is a great God against whom we sin (Take heed of the least sin, for that is great, being committed against the great God) so whatsoever duty (this of p • aise especially) we perform to God, we should strive to raise it up to the g • eatest, to the highest, because the great God, the high God is concerned in it, or it is consigned to the great, to the high God.

Sixthly, If God be great, we ought to give him great submission, or to submit greatly to him. Great submission to God is the substance of all duty to God. We owe the full submission of our wills to the Will of God in a twofold respect. First, to whatsoever he willeth us to do, or to his commanding will. Secondly, to whatsoever he will do with us, or to his disp sing Will. In these, and in all things, let us strive to g • ea • en all the acting; of our souls towards God, because he is great.

Secondly, If God be great, then we may infer for consolation.

First, Be not discouraged in prayer when you have great things to ask, when your wants are great, and your necessities urgent, when you must have great supplies, when small matters will not serve your turn (In many ca • es, it is not a little help, it is not a small matter which will do the thing which we sue unto God for) now here is a mighty ground of comfort for us, if we want great things, we have a great God to go unto; and how great soever our wants are, they are all but small to the greatness of that God unto whom we go ( Ephes. 3.20.) He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think; and not only above what we actually ask and think, but indeed, beyond what possibly we can ask or think, above what we are able to ask or think. Therefore let us never be discouraged in prayer, because of the greatness of the things that we have to ask of God.

Secondly, Be not discouraged, though as your wants, so your dangers and your troubles are great. How great soever the danger is you would be delivered from, God is greater, to whom you come for deliverance: And therefore when a great Mountain stood in the way of the deliverance of the people of God ( Zech. 4.7.) the Prophet speaks in his language, Who art thou? O great Mountain, thou shalt become a Plain before Zerubbabel; that is, before the power of that God in whom Zerubbabel trusts and whose work Zerubbabel carries on. Hence that holy confidence ( Psal. 66.3.) Through the greatness of thy power, thine enemies shall submit themselves to thee, or, they shall yield feigned obedience, as we put in the margin, which some render thus, through the greatness of thy power, thine enemies shall be found liars. All the readi • gs magnify the g eatness of God. Through the g e • tness of thy power thine enemies, the enemies of thy people, shall • ubmit, they shall be found liars, t • ey shall yield feigned obedience, they shall not be able with all their greatness to stand i • out against the great God. Therefore be not discouraged at any time at the greatness of danger. Though you walk through the very valley of the shadow of death (that's to be in the greatest danger) yet as David did not, so do not you fear, no not that great danger, while the great God is with you.

Thirdly, Be not d scouraged though your sins are great when you come to a • k the pardon of them. As the greatness of sin puts a very great damp upon the spirit of man in asking pardon, so the greatness of God should take off that damp. My thoughts are not your thoughts (saith the Lord Isa. 55.7, 8, 9.) in this matter. There is nothing wherein God doth more exceed man than in pardoning sin ( Mic. 7.18.) If sin be great, the mercy of God is great too, infinitely greater than the sin of man; if sin be great, remember we have a great high Priest (Heb. 4.14.) not only a Priest, but a high Priest, and a great high Priest; therefore fear not to ask the pardon, even of the greatest sin, in his name and for his sake. And this is true it we respect either national or personal sins; it may encourage us in asking pardon for nations, how great soever their sins are. Moses, when the People had greatly sinned against God, had recourse to this ( Numb. 14.18, 19.) The Lord is of great mercy; pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy, as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now. Do thus also with respect to personal sins. David made the greatness of his personal sin an argument to go to God for mercy ( Psal. 25.11.) Pardon my sin, O Lord, for it is great. He was so far from being disheartened by the greatness of his sin, to a • k the pardon of it, that (according to our reading) he had great hope of pardon, as well as s • w he had great need of pardon; and all because he knew God was great in mercy. Or, if we read that text thus, Pardon my sin, O Lord, though it be great, the sense is much the same; for as the former makes the greatness of his sin a reason provoking him to hasten unto God for pardon (as great diseases hasten us in seeking remedies) so the latter shows that the greatness of sin is no stop to the mercy and free grace of God in Christ, for the pardon of it. Christ in that Parable ( Mat. 18.24.) gives instance of the greatest debt; he tells us of one that owed his Lord ten thousand talents, a vast sum, a very vast sum; a talent being, according to the lowest computation, three hundred pounds of money; ten thousand times three hundred pounds is a huge sum; so that here was a great debt, now (saith the text) When the debtor had nothing to pay, he came to his Lord, or Creditor, and he forgave him all. He did not say, wouldest thou have me, or can I, forgive such a debt as this? What, ten thousand talents? He forgave it as if it had been a debt of two mites. Thus, and many other ways we may improve this first Attribute of God, mentioned in the text, his greatness, both as to our direction in duty, and consolatition in every extremity. Behold God is great,

That's the second thing. The words are plain, but the tense is difficult; for it may be objected, Do not we know God? Elihu said but just now, in the very verse before the text, Magnifie his works which men behold, every man may see it, man may behold it afar off? Surely if the works of God may be known and seen by everyone, God himself may be known, for he is known in his works, as the Apostle argues ( Rom. 1.20.) The things which he hath made make him known: how is this then said, That God is great and we know him not? Doth not the Prophet in denouncing that dreadful curse ( Jer. 10.25.) Pour out thy wrath upon the he • hen that know thee not, thereby intimate, that all the people of God know him? Doth not Christ tell us ( John 17.3.) This is eternal life, to know thee the only true God. They who have eternal life, must have the knowledge of the true God. But all true believers have eternal life already in hope, and shall have it shortly in hand, therefore they know God. The Promise of the New Covenant is ( Heb. 11.) They shall all know me from the least to the greatest; that is, all my Covenant-people shall know me. How is it then said, God is great, and we know him not? When Paul was at Athens, he sound an Altar with that Inscription, To the unknown God (Act. 17.23.) They worshipped a God whom they knew not, but certainly we must know whom we worship. Ye worship ye know not what, was Christ's reproof of the Samaritans (John 4.22.) We know what we worship; that is, whom we worship.

For answer to this, when the text saith, God is great and we know him not; we may say, First, That even heathens, the untaught, untutored, and uncatechized heathens do, or, may know God, that is, they may know him in some degree or other, they may, yea, they do know him (as the Apostle saith, Rom. 1.20.) so far as to leave them without excuse; they have no plea, nor can they make any apology for themselves. Secondly, 'It is certain, all believers, I mean all true believers, know God savingly, or so far as is sufficient for their salvation. Every believer knows God. There is no faith in God without the knowledge of God. Thirdly, Which shall be the point of Observation from this part, as well as an answer to the question;

That's Elihu's meaning when he saith, God is great, and we know him not; that is, we know not how great he is, or we know not the utmost of his greatness. God only knoweth himself fully and comprehensively. There is no proportion between the greatness of God and the understanding of a man. The greatness of God is infinite, the understanding of a man is but finite and limited; the deepest understanding among men, yea, the understanding of Angels is but shallow, compared with God. Thus we are to understand this text, God is great, and we know him not. There is a greatness in everything of God, transcending the possibility of any created understanding. This some give for the reason, why the Seraphims spoken of ( Isa. 6.) are said with two of their wings to cover their faces, they were not able to bear the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. For, though Christ, in that admonition which he gave, to take heed of off • nding and despising the little ones, gives this reason for it. ( Mat. 18.10.) For in heaven there Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven; though (I say) it be a truth, that the holy Angels, and blessed Saints above, do always behold the face of God, yet neither Saints nor Angels, not the Saints in glory, nor the glorious Angels, can fully comprehend the greatness and majesty of God; and therefore the Prophet (as was said) represented the Angels covering their faces with their wings. We have heard of King Hiero putting the question to Simonides, a Philosopher, What God was, who desi • ed (not being able to give a sudden answer) that the King would respite him till next day; when next day came he desired a second, and when that came he desired a third; and still the more he searched, the farther he was from finding his answer. This is true, not only of Philosophers, who see but by the dark light of Nature, but of those who are enlightened divinely, or from above, they who receive much light from God, cannot comprehend the light of God; the more they search into it, the more they see themselves short of it. The most we know of God is not so much as the least part of that which we know not of him; and when we know as much of God as is knowable by man, yet it may be said, as in the text, God is great, and we know him not.

Hence take three brief Corolaries or Deductions.

First, If God be great and we know him not, that is, we are not able to comprehend him; then we must rest satisfied with what God hath manifested of himself and of his will. God hath manifested himself these four ways. First, In his Word. Secondly, In his works of Creation and Providence. Thirdly, In his Son. Fourthly, By his Spirit. These ways God is pleased to manifest himself, or make himself known unto his People; now what knowledge of God can be gathered up in these ways, what can be learned of him out of his word, out of his works, by considering him in his Son, and by waiting for the help of his blessed Spirit, we must labor to take in; but take heed of a bold pressing into the secrets of God, or of a curious prying into the nature of God, which indeed will but dazzle our eyes, and the more we think or look into it, the blinder we shall be.

Secondly, If God be so great that we know him not, Then we ought not presumptuously to inquire into a reason of the works and ways of God; for that which is true of God himself, is true of his works and of his ways, we cannot know them in the sense opened: Therefore the Apostle speaking about that wonderful dispensation of God, the laying aside of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles (Rom. 11.33.) crieth out, O the depth of the knowledge and wisdom of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments, and his ways past finding out! As God himself cannot be fully known, so neither can his ways nor works.

Thirdly, If God cannot be fully known, neither in himself, nor in his works, Then take heed of murmuring or complaining of the ways, works, and dealings of God. Will you find fault with that which you neither do, nor can fully know? how little is it of any of the works of God, that we know! how little a way do we see into them! let us not find fault with that thing, the perfections whereof we cannot find out; say not, why is it thus? why doth God let things go thus? why are his providences ordered thus? there are many such queryings in the hearts of men, and some such are expressed by the tongues of men. But remember the Lord cannot be known in his works, therefore let us not complain of his works, but, sitting down in silence, submit to them; let us (as David) Be dumb because God hath done it, (Psal. 39.9.) David was silent, not only with respect to the sovereignty of God, who, he knew, had power and liberty to do whatsoever he pleased, but with respect to his incomprehensibility, because he knew he was not able to know or understand the bottom-reason of that which God had done. This some conceive, the special intendment of Elihu in this Text, as reproving Job for his many complaints, and murmurings, and disputings about the dealings of God with him in the extremity of his sufferings: Therefore, said he, Consider God is great, and we know him not.

Yet let none be discou • aged in seeking after the knowledge of God, because 'tis told us we cannot know God; yea let no man think to excuse himself in his neglect of pursuing the knowledge of God, because this Text saith we cannot know him. Some possibly will say, If God be so great, that we cannot know him, then why should we labor after the knowledge of God? or we hope this will excuse us, if we do not know him, seeing we cannot. Take heed of such reasonings; for though God cannot be known to the utmost of what himself is, yet God may be known so far as is needful for us, and that is very far. We may know God so far as concerns our duty to him, and our happiness by him; we may know God so far as to honor him, and to enjoy him: and we must labor to know him perfectly, though we cannot. The Apostle speaking of the love of God ( Eph. 3.17.) would have us labor to comprehend with all Saints, the heighth, the breadth, the depth, the length, and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge. That the love of Christ passeth knowledge, that it exceeds our understanding, should not discourage us from laboring to know it; nor will it excuse any that sit down idly, and do not study the knowledge of God, though he passeth knowledge; we must labor to know the greatness of God's love, and the greatness of God's wisdom, and the greatness of God's power, though the greatness of God in all these is greater tha • our n • rrow hearts can comprehend. Behold, God is great, and we know him not,

The Text is, Number of his years, no search: that is, as we well translate it, the number of his years is such as cannot be searched, we say, searched out; it is but one word in the Hebrew, properly signifying, to search a thing to the bottom, that we may find out the utmost of it. The number of God's years cannot thus be searched out, we cannot find them to the bottom. Elihu speaks of God after the manner of men; years properly belong to man, and the things here below of this world: the life of man, and the continuance of the creature, are measured by hours, and days, and weeks, and months, and years, as these are measured by the motion of the Heavens. But God is far above any such rule or measure of life, or of his being, all these measures are improper unto God; there's no measuring him by hours, days, weeks, months or years, or ages. The word which we translate years, signifieth changes. Years are changed or returned; there is a return of the same time every year, Spring and Summer, and Autumn and Winter; thus the year changeth, and turns about continually. God is infinitely above all these charges and turnings of time ( Psal. 102.25, 26, 27.) The heavens wax old, and as a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same, and thy years fail not. The years of God are not like the years of the world, which wear it ou • , and change it as a vesture, is changed by time; the Lord is forever the same. Thus one of the Ancients glosseth those words of the Psalm, Thy years • ay • e not: Thy years (saith he) neither go nor come; thy years stand all together, for because they stand, they that go are not excluded by them that come; thy years are one day, and thy day is not day by day, but today; thy today doth not give place to to-morrow, nor doth it succeed to yesterday; thy today is eternity, therefore thou hast begot thy co-eternal, to whom thou saidest, today have I begotten thee. So then this expression, Neither can the number of his years be searched out, is, according to our apprehension and understanding, a description not only of very old age, but of eternity. We would think that man very old, the hours, yea the minutes of whose life could not be searched out by a good. A • ethme • ici • n much more easily may we tell how many years the oldest man hath lived: What then shall we think of him the number of whose years cannot be searched out? this can speak nothing less than everlastingness. And this eternity or everlastingness of God, though it be impartible, yet it hath, I may say, a double respect: First, to what went before; Secondly, to what is to come. The eternity of God is such as cannot be searched out, either as to what is past, or to what is to come; indeed unto God there is nothing past or to come; for eternity, properly taken, is an everlasting Now, it is not that which passeth or moveth away; and therefore some of the Ancients elegantly describe eternity, to be the perfect enjoyment of blessed life all at once; which because it is all at once together and perfect, cannot be altered nor lessned. In eternity that which is past is present, yea that which is to come is present in an eternal blessed life. 'It is so with God, and so in proportion with all those who are entered into eternity, whatsoever they have had is always present with them, nor are they in the expectation of anything to come; they enjoy all in every moment, without the want of anything. 'It is much more so with God; though years have succession, yet the years of God have no succession of times or things.

Further, The eternity of God, which lies under this description, The Number of his years cannot be searched out, is not a particular attribute of God, but that which difuseth itself through all his attributes; he is eternal in all; there is no searching out the Number of the years of any of the perfections of God; his Wisdom is eternal, and his Power is eternal, and his Goodness is eternal, and his Justice is eternal; there is no searching out the Number of the years of God in any of these perfections.

Hence Note;

His years come not under account, or number. God is eternal, not only without end, as created Spirits are, but without beginning, which no creature is, not can be; He is eternal, not only without end or beginning, but without succession or mutation. Some of the Ancients tell us, Eternity stands fast, but moves all other things. The eternal God is the first Mover, himself being immovable. If so, then

First, All things are always present with or before God: Things past, things to come are present with God, he were not eternal else. In that eternity or eternal estate of glory which believers shall at last arrive unto, even they shall enjoy all at once, because all their enjoyments shall be in God, or God shall be their whole enjoyment.

Secondly, God is infinitely happy and blessed. He hath all that ever he had, or that ever he can have, all at once, or already, nothing of his blessedness is either to come to him or gone from him; therefore he must needs be infinitely blessed. Here in this world some men have had a kind of blessedness, they have been rich and great, they have been in power, they have had their fill of pleasure, but now they have it not, all is perished and gone and past away. There are others in expectation of great matters, of great riches, of great honors, of great contentments in this world, but as yet they have them not; we say of many, Their lands are not come into their hands, their estate is but yet in reversion and expectation. Thus it is with men; some have had it, and it is gone, and others though they may have it, yet it is not come. But now with the Lord all is present, and therefore how infinitely happy is he! A man would think himself very happy if he could have all the contentments that ever he had scattered through the several days and years of his life gathered into one moment; it is thus with God, and thus in proportion it shall be with us, when we come to that blessed state of eternity.

Thirdly, If God be eternal, if there be no searching out of his years, then

Time is in the dispose and ordering of God. He that inhabiteth eternity, is the Lord of time. God is said to inhabit eternity, (Isa. 57.15.) that is, he is eternal, and therefore he is the disposer of all times; he that made time will order time: he ordereth time as to persons, and he orders time as to Nations, he orders times, and all the changes of times, he ordereth, not only the duration of time, but the condition of times; all is from him, whose yea s cannot be searched out. David said ( Psal. 31.15.) My times are in thy hands, that is, my personal times in all the changes of them, troublesome or comfortable, joyful or sorrowful, are ordered at thy will, by thy power and wisdom. And with respect to Nations Daniel said ( Chap 2.21.) He changeth times and seasons. The Lord puts a new face of things upon S • t • es and Kingdoms; what changes hath not, cannot the Lord m • re among the sons of men? The reason of all is, he is eternal.

Fourthly, If there be no searching out the number of the years of God, if he be eternal, then

How ought we to reverence and adore God! We have a Command from God to reverence those who have attained many years in this world, which alas are very few, none at all to the years of God; the aged, the gray-headed must be reverenced, ( Lev. 19.32.) And one reason of that Law may be, because the aged have some shadow of God's eternity upon them; they who have many years have some resemblance of him, the number of whose years cannot be searched out; therefore God will have them reverenced. Now if the ancient are to be reverenced, how much more God himself, who is called ( Dan. 7.9.) The ancient of days!

Fifthly, If God be eternal, then, we may trust him, yea therefore we ought to trust him, (Psal. 74.12.) Thou art my King of old, commanding deliverances. O how did David's confidence arise upon this, that God who was King of old, is King now, and will be King forever, ( Psal. 10.16.) The Lord is King forever and ever; the Heathen are perished out of his Land, that is, they shall surely perish. God will not always bear with evil men in his Land; For if because God was King of all the Lands, he therefore drave the old Heathen out of Canaan, and planted his people there; doubtless, if they who bear the name of his people there, live so like the old Heathen that they may be called Heathen, he will also cause them to perish out of his Land, and all because he is King forever and ever, and therefore can do it at one time as well as at another, and now as easily as at any time heretofore. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, (Isa. 26.4.) David a Great Prince makes it an argument to draw off our trust from men, from the greatest men, from Princes, because they are not forever, ( Psal. 146.3, 4.) Trust not in Princes, nor in any Children of men; why not? many reasons may be given why not; but the only reason there given is their frailty, and the consequents of it; His breath goeth forth, &c. As if he had said, Suppose Princes are never so good, and just, and gracious in the exercise of their Power, yet trust not in them, for they die, their breath goeth forth, and then all their thoughts perish: all the real purposes which they had, as also the promises which they made for your good, die with them, and can do you no good: The number of their years may be searched our, and run out, their years are not forever. Now the contrary of that which is an argument used by the Spirit of God to draw off our trust from the gods here on Earth, is an argument to draw on and engage our trust strongly to the God of Heaven; His breath goeth not forth, none, not one of his thoughts shall perish; therefore trust in him.

Sixthly, If there be no searching out the number of the years of God, then, Be not troubled if God seem to stay and not to do the work which you expect this or that year: If God doth it not this year, he hath another year to do it in, there is no searching out the number of his years. We may say of any man if he doth not his work this year, he may be gone before the next: but if God doth not his work this year, he may do it next year, or two or ten years hence; he hath time enough, even all time before him▪ therefore the Prophet, having said ( Hab. 2.3.) The vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie, presen • lie adds, Though it tarry, wait for it: As if he had said, The Lord who hath all times and seasons in his power, will do his work in the best time and season, he will do what he hath promised, when it is most sit to be done; if he doth it not at the time when we expect, yet let us wait, he is the Master of time. God who is eternal, cannot be scantied of time, The number of his years cannot be searched out. 'It is a known maxim among the wise men of the world, Take time, and you may do anything. What cannot God do, who knoweth all times, and can take what time he will!

Seventhly, Which followeth upon the former, God will carry on his designs through all the world: He will carry them through, against all, ( Psal. 92.8, 9.) Thou Lord art most high for evermore; Lo, thine enemies shall perish; thine enemies who would hinder thy work, they shall certainly fall. Christ is called The first and the last; He (saith St John, Rev. 1.17.) laid his right hand upon me, and said, fear not, I am the first and the last: Why should he not fear? what did Christ offer to cure him of his fear? Christ doth not give him a bare dissuasive, Fear not, but a rational ground why he should not fear. Fear will not be blown away with a breath: Our passions are never truly quieted nor attempered but by reason. Upon what ground then would Christ take off Johns fear, even upon this in the Text, I am the first and the last. As if he had said, John why doest thou fear? knowest thou not who I am, what a Lord and Master thou servest? Why, John, I tell thee, I am the first and the last; and therefore thou mayest be sure, I will do my work, and none shall lett me. John had wonderful things in vision; shall all these be done thought he? yea, saith Christ, Fear not, I will carry on my designs (all the designs that Christ had in the world were then in vision) Eternity triumphs over all difficulties; The Eternal will see the last man born, (as we say) he will have the last word, and the last blow. I am the first and the last.

Lastly, From this Consideration of God, let us take a prospect of ourselves, what poor short-lived short-breathed Creatures we are. There is no searching out the number of the years of God, but we may quickly search out the number of our own years; our life is but a span long, ( Psal. 39.5.) yea our age is nothing before God. Did we consider the eternity of God, what should we judge of our span-long life? we are said to be of yesterday. Some express man thus; He is yesterday; as if he were not today, but were already past while he is. The best that can be said of him is this; he is but of yesterday, and possibly he shall not have a tomorrow: but the Lord is forever and ever the same.

And though we are short-lived as to this world, though our years may soon be told over, yet let us remember that God hath called us to the participation of eternity; though we have not the eternity of God, which is without beginning, yet we shall have an eternity from God without end; every man is everlasting as to his soul. The godly shall be blessed forever; and there is an eternal estate of woe and misery to the wicked, the number of the years of their sorrows and sufferings, who live and die without Christ, cannot be searched out. The number of the years of the joy and blessedness, and rest and happiness, and tranquility of those that believe, of those that are faithful, of those that are godly, of those that walk with and fear God, I say the number of the years of their joy and happiness cannot be searched out neither. No man can number or tell how long-lasting the felicity of Saints shall be. As the number of the years of God cannot at all be searched out, so he hath given man as to his future estate a numberless number of years: And it were well if we who enjoy this life, and are dying every moment, would often consider there is a life coming which will never die, the number of our years also in that sense cannot be searched out.

The thoughts of eternity should swallow up all our time; yet alas, how doth time, or the things which are but temporary, swallow up, in most men, the thoughts of eternity! Whatever we do in time, should be to fit us for eternity; yet alas, most use their time so, as if they did not believe, or at least hoped, there would not be, any such thing as eternity. Did we but spend two or three minutes of time every day in the serious remembrance of our eternal estate, it would be an effectual means, to make us both holy in and contented with whatever temporal estate we meet with in this world. We should be earnestly searching after God all our days, did we consider what it imports to us, that the number of his years cannot be searched out.

Thus Elihu labors to draw Job to the consideration of God himself, who is the Author of those great providential works, both of those he had spoken of before, the works of providence, ordering men here in civils, as also of those works of providence in natural things, of which he comes to treat largely, both in the latter part of this Chapter, and in most of the next. Where we shall find Elihu giving us as i • were a System, or body of natural Philosophy in his discourse about the wonderful works of God, which he is calling Job to consider.

ELlihu having shown the greatness of God himself, in the former verse, proceeds to show the greatness of his woe ks; he had done it before as to Civil Administrations, and the ordering of human affairs, in casting down and lifting up the sons of men; he doth it now in natural things, or in ordering the motions of nature, still in reference unto man. He describes the greatness of the works of God aloft or above in the Air and in the Clouds, as he had before described the greatness of his works here below on the Earth.

The whole remainder of Elihu's speech in this Chapter and to the end of the 37th, is spent in a philosophical discourse about the Meteors, and those various operations and changes that are wrought in the Air; he discourseth of Rain, of Thunder and Lightning, of Snow and Winds; from all which works of God in Nature, Elihu would convince Job of the Justice and Righteousness of God (as well as of his power) which was his chief purpose. He begins this philosophical Lecture or Lecture of divine Philosophy with the Rain, in the two verses now read; and he mingles much of that matter in this and the following Chapter. He speaks here, I say, of the Rain, which is a dispensation of God usually both very profitable & comfortable; what more profitable or more comfortable than the rain? It is also a dispensation of God sometimes very dreadful and hurtful: The Lord sends the very same Creature upon contrary services, sometimes for good, sometimes for evil; a • one time as a blessing, and at another as a curse, to the inhabitants of the earth.

What Elihu speaks of the Rain in this Chapter, may be reduced to five heads.

First, He showeth the manner of it's formation and generation, v. 27, 28.

Secondly, The vastness or huge extent of the vessels containing it, which are the clouds of the air, spreading themselves all the Heavens over, v. 29.

Thirdly, He tells us of the sudden changes and successions of rain and fair weather, of a cloudy and serene sky, v. 30.

Fourthly, He sets forth the different purposes of God in dispensing the rain, which are sometimes for judgment, some • imes for mercy, v. 31, 32.

Fifthly, He intimates the Prognostics of it, or what are the signs and fore • unners or foretellers of it, v. 33.

The two verses under-hand, hold out the first point, the formation and generation of the rain.

That is, God (as it were) coins and mints out the water into drops of rain: As a mighty mass of gold or silver is minted out into small pieces, so a huge body of water is minted out into small drops; that's the sum of these words according to our rendering. The Hebrew word rendered, He maketh small, hath a twofold signification, and that hath caused a three-fold translation of these words.

First, It signifieth to take away, o • , to withdraw; according to this signification of the word, a twofold power of God is held forth about the drops of water.

First, The power of God in drawing the water up from the Earth to make rain, for that in Nature (as we shall see afterwards) is the cause of • ain; God draws up the water from the Earth, which he sends down upon the Earth: he draws up the vapors, and the vapors become a Cloud, and the Cloud is dissolved into rain.

Secondly, The word may very well express, according to other texts of Sc ipture, the putting forth of the power of God in stopping, staying keeping back and with-holding rain from the ea •• h, when • od hath drawn water from the earth, he can hold it fr • m the ea •• h as long as he pleaseth. The Chaldee Pa aphrase saith, He forbids the drops to water the earth, or he sends forth a proh bition to the clouds that they give no water. The vulgar Latin speaks to the same sense, who takes away drops of rain, that is, from the earth. Mr. Broughton renders, he withdraws dropping of water. In this sense I find the word rendered expressly ( Numb. 9.7.) where certain persons are brought in by Moses thus complaining, Wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer an offering to the Lord with the children of Israel? It is a case; there were some, it seems, suspended from bringing their offerings to the Lord, and they demand a reason of it; to give which, Moses saith, stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you. But I quote that scripture only for the force of the word, wherefore are we kept back, or with held, which was for some uncleanness. Thus you have the first signification of the word, and a double translation upon it, both very pertinent to the nature of the rain, and the Lord's dealing with man in it, which is the subject Elihu is insisting upon.

Secondly, The original word signifies to diminish, or lessen, or make a thing small, so 'tis rendered ( Exod. 5.8.) when the children of Israel complained that they were oppressed in making brick. This commandment came from Pharaoh, The tale of bricks which they did make heretofore, you shall lay upon them, you shall not diminish ought of it. It is this word. Again ( Deut. 4.2.) Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it. Man must not make the word of God smaller or greater than it is. 'It is high presumption to use either subtraction from, or addition to the word of God. Thus also the word is used in the case of second or double marriages ( Exod. 21.10.) If he take him another wife, her food (that is the food of the first wife) her raiment, and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish.

Our translators take up this sense of the word as noting the diminishing of a thing in the quantity of it. He maketh small the drops of water, or, he makes the water fall in small drops; whereas if the water were left to itself, it would pour down like a sea, or like a flood to sweep all away. This is the work of God, and though it be a common, yet it is a wonderful work; He maketh small the drops of rain. A drop is a small thing, and therefore the Prophet when he would show what a small thing, or indeed, what a nothing man is, yea, all the nations of the earth are to God, saith ( Isa. 40.15.) The nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance. Behold, he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing. The Spirit of God pi • cheth upon this comparison, when he would set forth that great distance between God and man. Man is but a drop to God.

But are not all drops small? why then doth he say, He maketh small the drops? The reason is because, though all drops are sm • ll, yet some drops are smaller than others, and we read of great drops in the Gospel History of Christ's agony in the Garden, which was an immediate suffering in his soul, from the hand of his Father, pressing him with that weight of wrath, which was due for our sins ( Luke 22.44.) He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood. As God made Christ sweat great drops of blood for our sins, so he makes the Clouds to sweat small drops of water for our comfort. He maketh small

The Verb of this Substantive is used ( Joel 3.18.) In those days it shall come to pass, that the mountains shall drop down new wine; by which we are to understand, the plentiful effusion of the Spi • it promised in the latter days. David describing the Lord's glorious march thorough the wilderness, saith ( Psal. 68.8, 9.) The earth sh • ok, the heavens also dropped at the presence of the Lord; thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary. Which Scripture principally intends the spiri • ual rain, which drops down upon believers, and refresheth their wearied souls: And therefore by a Metaphor, this phrase, to drop, signifies, to prophesy or preach the word of God; because that, like rain, falls silently, and as it were in drops upon the hearers, it falls in at the ear, and soaks down to the heart, it soaks quite thorough, as Moses spake ( Deut. 32.2.) My d • ctrine shall drop as the rain, and my speech shall destil as the dew. And as the word is used in Prophesies of mercy and instruction, so of judgment and desolation. Thus the Lord charged his Prophet ( Ezek. 20.46.) Son of man, set thy face towards the south, and drop thy words towards the south, and prophe •• e against the forest of the south field. Again ( Ezek. 21.2.) Son of man, set thy face towards Jerusalem, and d • op thy words towards the hol • place, and prophesy aga • nst the land of Israel. Once more ( Amos 7.16.) Drop no • thy word against the house of Isaac. So tha • , I say, this dropping is us • d frequently, as in a natural, so in a spiritual sense. He maketh small the drops

The word is of the Dual Number in the Hebrew, and so it signifies both sorts of water; the waters of heaven, and the waters of the earth, the upper and the nether waters, the • pper waters in the Clouds, and the nether waters in the Springs. We find them spoken of together in the first of Genesis at the 7th verse; God divided the waters which were under the firmament, from the waters which were above the firmament. We find the upper waters spoken of singly ( Psal. 104.3.) Who layest the beams of the chambers in the waters; Chambers are above. And in the first of Genesis at the 9th verse, we find the lower waters alone; Let the waters be gathered together under the heavens. Under-heaven waters are the lower waters. One of the Rabbies renders the words thus; He multiplieth the drops of rain; and the reason of it is (which falls in with our translation) because the less any one thing is made, the more is the general mass, out of which it is made, multiplied.

From the words thus far opened, we may note somewhat for our instruction.

Taking the former signification of the words, He draweth up the drops of water,

Observe;

God raiseth vapors from the earth, and then watereth the earth with them. All the rain which falls upon the earth was raised from the earth. If I were to answer that question in nature, What is Rain? I might resolve it thus; Rain is the moisture of the earth, drawn up by the heat of the Sun, into the middle Region of the Air, which being there condensed into clouds, is afterwards at the will of God, dissolved, and dropt down again in showers. The Clouds, at the command of God, hold fast, and at his command they break and let out their waters upon the earth. This is, as was touched before, a very ordinary, yet a very admirable work of God. As in spirituals, all those acts of grace in faith, and love, and joy, &c. by which our hearts and souls are carried up to heaven, come first from heaven; so that rain which comes down upon us from heaven, was first fetched from among us by the mighty power of God. Rain, according to natural Philosophy, is thus generated: The water and moisture of the earth being attenuated by the heat of the Sun-beams, become vapors, which being so rarified and resolved into an airy substance, are by the same heat of the Sun drawn up to the middle region of the air, where being again condensed or thickened into water, they melt down into rain, at the appointment of God.

We may consider rain briefly in all the causes of it; Thus:

First, The efficient cause of rain is God.

Secondly, The instrumental cause is the heat of the Sun.

Thirdly, The material cause is the moisture of the Sea and watery Land.

Fourthly, The final cause of it, is, 1. Supreme; the glory of God. 2. Subordinate; and that threefold. First, the benefit. Secondly, the punishment. Thirdly, the instruction of man.

Secondly, From that other signification of the word, as it notes withdrawing or keeping back, upon which some insist much,

Observe;

He can give a stop to the rain, and then the clouds yield us no more water than a stone; He with-holds the drops of water. The Lord threateneth the Vineyard with this stop ( Isa. 5.6.) I will command the clouds, that they rain no rain upon it; which is true of a natural and proper Vineyard, and of proper natural rain, though it be meant there of the people of God, whom he metaphorically, or improperly, calleth his Vineyard; and the rain there intended, is the rain of instruction usually falling upon them. Now as God doth often forbid the showers of the word, that they fall no more upon a people, as he sends forth a prohibition to stop the spiritual rain; so he also stops and prohibits the natural rain ( Amos 4.7, 8.) I have withholden the rain from you, when there was yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered: so two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, but were not satisfied. Thus in case of disobedience to his divine Law, the Lord threatened to stop the common Law of nature, and to make the heavens brass, and the earth iron (Deut. 28.23.) And when the heavens are brass, that is, when they yield no more moisture than brass, then the earth is as iron, that is, it yields no more food for the sustentation of man or beast, than a bar of iron doth. Such stops the Lord hath often put upon the courses of nature, and can do again when he pleaseth; though I believe he never did, nor ever will do so, but when highly displeased and provoked by the sin of man.

Take two or three inferences from it.

First, If the rain or drops of water come not in their season, let us acknowledge the hand of God. It is God that hath locked up the clouds whenever they are locked up; God hath forbidden the clouds to let down their rain whenever they with-hold it. Men and Devils can no more stop the rain than make it.

Secondly, When we want rain, let us go to God for it. 'It is the prerogative of God alone to help us in that straight; and therefore the holy prophet sends a challenge to all other powers, or declares them disabled for this help ( Jer. 14.22.) Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain, or can the heavens give showers? neither the one nor the other can. The heavens cannot dispose of a drop, though they possess a sea of water. God must hear the heaven, before the heavens can hear the earth, that is, answer the necessities of the earth. And as the heavens cannot give man rain, so neither can the gods of man's making and placing there, such are all the vanities or vain Idols of the Gentiles. The prophet having shown us that these cannot, showeth us who can give rain in the next words, Art not thou he, O Lord, our God (surely thou art he) therefore we will wait upon thee, for thou hast made all these things. Solomon, at the dedication of the Temple, puts this as one special case wherein they were to apply to God by prayer (1 Kings 8.35.) When heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee, If they pray, &c. then hear thou in heaven. The prophet sends the people in that exigent to God ( Zec. 10 1.) Ask ye of the Lord rain, in the time of the later rain. As if he had said, if ye would have rain you must ask for i • , and be sure ye ask it of none but him; ask of the Lord. As it is God that gives out or with-holds the rain, so he gives it our or with-holds it at the voice of prayer. The Apostle saith of Elias (Jam. 5.17.) he was a man subject to the like passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth, by the space of three years and six months; and he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain. At hi • word the Lord stopped rain, and at his word he gave rain. Let us therefore confess that God is the author or father of the rain; He causeth vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth, he maketh lightnings for the rain (Ps. 135.7.) He covereth the heaven with clouds, he prepareth rain for the earth (Ps. 147.8.) God covereth the heaven with clouds, by drawing up vapors from the earth, which are the matter of these clouds, and in those clouds he prepares the rain, & by the rain sent down makes the grass to grow upon the mountains. The increase of vegetables is the effect of rain; God hath the rain in his power, and to acknowledge him in it is our duty. 'It is a great part of our spiritualness to acknowledge God in naturals as well as spirituals; or, • hat the key of the clouds, as well as the key of the heart, is in the hand of God, and in his only. One of the Ancients speaking to this point, said, Let us not ascribe rain to the Saints, much less to Witches. Papists have their Saints to whom they pray for rain, and Atheists go to Witches for rain. The modest and moderate Heathen will • ise up against such in judgment; they ascribed rain to their gods though false gods; they had Epethites or Titles of Honor for their Idols, testifying their faith in them and dependence upon them for the showers of heaven, they called them shower-bringing gods, and fair-weather-making gods. If heathens would yet asc • ibe the rain to their gods, not to men, not to any inferior powers, how abominable are they, who professing the knowledge of Jehovah, the only true God, do not acknowledge him alone in this! In times of drought many will say, We hope we shall have rain when the Moon changeth, or, when the Wind turns; now though there be somewhat in natu • e, both in the change of the Moon and turn of the Winds, as to the change of weather, yet to speak much of, or expect anything from either, argues some withdrawing of the heart from God; and God to show the folly of such, hath often withheld the rain, though the Moon hath changed more than once, and the Wind turned to all quarters, and passed through all points of the Compass.

Thirdly, Let us take heed of provoking the Lord; he can quickly st • p our Comforts, those common outward comforts, the rain and showers of heaven, and then (as to this Life) in how sad a case are we! As the Lord hath not left himself without witness (namely of his goodness) in sending rain and fruitful seasons, so he can quickly leave a witness of his Justice, and displeasure, or of his just displeasure, by with-holding rain and (as a consequent of that) fruitful seasons from us. Were it only to have rain and fruitful seasons, we should take heed of displeasing God. If a man had such power as to with-hold rain from your land, you would take heed of di • pleasing him. How dangerous then is it to provoke God, who cannot only with-hold the rain from your land, but can, as the Scripture saith, make the rain of your land to be powder and dust (Deut. 28.24.) that is, give you powder and dust instead of rain! When the rain is long withholden the earth grows hard, and being much trodden or traveled on, dusty; this dust being raised up by the wind, shall come down instead of rain, or that's all the rain which I will give you. The Lord hath our natural comforts in his hand, as well as our spiritual and eternal.

Further, As this with-holding of the rain sometimes, so the holding up of the rain at any time, shows the great power of God; to hold the water in the air is the work of God as much as to with-hold it from the earth. The water is a heavy body, and all heavy things tend downward; is it not a wonder that such a mighty weight of water should hang in the air, and be there held up? if it were not held there, it would not stay there, but come down and drown all. What holds it up? the Cloud is a thin substance, yet it holds the water as well as the strongest vessel bound with hoopes of iron; But by what power? doubtless by the power of God. The water hath no consistence in itself, it is a fluid slippery body, now what can hold the water that none of it leaks out, but the power of God? There are many millions of drops in one little cloud, and every drop is of itself ready to slip away, yet the whole cloud yields no more water then a rock till God orders it. Let us contemplate the Almightiness of God, who can hold such a mighty body of water in the air, or who (as Job spake, Chap. 26.8.) b •• death up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them.

These notes arise from that translation, which imports the Lord's power in drawing the water f • om the earth, as also in with-holding it from the earth when there is need, and in holding it when there is no need.

We translate, He maketh small the drops of • ater. Not only hath God made the body of the water, which is one of the four general Elements, of which all bodies are compounded and made, but he makes the water into small drops, or maketh small the drops of water.

Hence note;

The water, if left to itself, would • all whole like a sea upon us, or like a mighty flood, in such quantities as would, instead of refreshing, overwhelm the earth. When God drowned the world, it is said ( Gen. 7.11.) The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows (or flood-gates) of heaven were opened. We are not to imagine that heaven hath windows o • flood-gates; but God did not put forth his mighty power to make small the drops of rain, but let it come all at once: those waters which were before bound up in the clouds, by the decree of God, were now, by his decree, let loose in a wonderful manner and measure, and came down, not in drops, but in streams and spouts; the clouds did not (as formerly) destil their burden, but ease themselves of it at once, or altogether. Rain ordinarily (as sweat through the Pores of the skin) passeth by degrees through the Pores of the Clouds, yet God can let it out all at once. Sea-men, who take long Voyages, tell us, they meet with spouts of wate • , endangering great ships. So then, this making small the drops of water, is to be ascribed to a threefold Attribute of God.

Fi • st, It is a woe • k of his power, nor is it done without a kind of Miracle, that the water comes down, as it were, through a sive, or watering-pot.

Secondly, It is a work of divine wisdom. The Lord knowing that the earth cannot digest huge portions of water at once, divides it into little po tions, that the earth may gradually receive and let it soak into i • s bosom, for the feeding of Plants, and the supply of all c • eatu • es that live upon it.

Thirdly, 'It is a work also of divine Goodness; for if God did not make small the drops of water, if it should come down whole it would drown the earth, instead of comforting and fattening it. Behold then, the Power, Wisdom and Goodness of God in making small the drops of water!

Though Philosophers have attempted to find out and assign a reason in Nature, about this falling of the rain in drops, yet they have not fully attained the reason why, nor the manner how, God doth this; we must ascribe it chiefly to the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, in ordering it for the benefit of man, yea of all living creatures. And surely Elihu leads us to consider the wonders of those things which are common and natural, to convince us, that forasmuch as we cannot clearly see the reason of those lesser things, we should take heed of prying into greater and remoter secrets; and he would have Job particularly know, that seeing he could not find out the way of God in these natural things, much less could he find out the way and whole design of God in those his providential dealings with him: He maketh small the drops of water; and then as it followeth in this verse,

Though the water be made into small drops, yet he doth not say, they drop down, but they pour down rain; that is, the drops fall plentifully; that frequent expression, in Scripture, of pouring down, everywhere implieth plenty or abundance. The promise of pouring out the Spirit in the latter days, notes the abundance of the Spirit that shall then be given. The word signifies also to strain, implying that the rain is contained in the Clouds, as it were in a linen clothe, which being pressed, distills the water in small streams or drops, as it were through a strainer. They pour down

There are three words in the Latin, the first of which notes a shower or gentle rain; the second, a stormy or fierce rain; the third, rain in general. Rain, in this place, may be taken in all or either of these notions, for at one time or other the Clouds pour down drops into all sorts of rain Rain (as I said) is made of vapors drawn up, and here he saith, They pour down rain

There are two sorts of vapors; there are dry vapors, and moist vapors; dry vapors (say Naturalists) are the matter of the wind, and the moist are the matter of the rain; Now saith Elihu, they pour down rain according to the vapor thereof; that is, look in what proportion the Sun draweth the vapors into the Air, in that proportion doth the rain fall upon the Earth; or, in the sam • proportion that the vapor is drawn up, in that proportion is the rain let down.

Some render the word which we translate vapor, a cloud, that is, after the water is drawn up into a Cloud, it pours down rain proportionably. Another translation renders it, Affliction or trouble, and give the whole verse thus; He draweth up the drops of water, which poured down rain to their Calamity. This the lea ned Author applieth particularly to the Flood in N • ahs time; but I shall not stay upon that. Our reading is clear; They pour down rain according to the vapor thereof; that is, in the same proportion that vapors come up, the rain falls down.

First, In that, as the rain is made of the vapor, so according to the vapor, or in proportion to the vapor, such are the showers of rain; Note;

And if the Clouds of Heaven return to man naturally according to that they receive from the Earth; how is man on earth bound morally, or in duty, to return according to what he receives from Heaven. Let us mind our accordings and proportions to the dealings and dispensations of God. The Clouds of the air will condemn us, at least witness against us, if we receive much, and return little. I pass this. Only here we may take notice of six things in Concatination one with another: First, vapors are drawn up from the Earth: Secondly, they are made into watery Clouds: Thirdly, from thence they are sent back to moisten the Earth: Fourthly, the rain sent down is proportionable to the vapor that went up: Fifthly, according to that proportion, the Earth is made more or less fruitful; plentiful rains cause or produce plentiful fruits ordinarily from the Earth, and little rains little fruits: Sixthly, and lastly, man is nourished and hath his outward Comforts increased or lessened in proportion to the fruits which the Earth bringeth forth, or to the fruitfulness of the Earth. All these things attend and depend upon one another. They pour down according to the vapor thereof, and God draws up in proportion to what himself purposeth they shall pour down. Thus we see, how God by the Sun draws out the moisture and sap of the Earth, to return it back with advantage. Drawing up the moisture makes the Earth languish, and her fruits wither; sending it down again, makes the Earth green, flourishing and fruitful. They pour down rain, &c. And what more? Elihu answers

Here he speaks more expressly, and tells us more clearly than before, what the vapors are made up into, According to the vapor thereof, which the Clouds do drop. As Clouds are made of vapors, so they are the receptacles or vessels of rain, which they hold (as was shown before) as long as God pleaseth, and when he gives the word, then they drop

That's another elegant word, implying the manner in which the rain comes or falls, it is as by a distillation. Here also 'tis expressed for whose use or sake principally the rain is sent. The Clouds (saith the Text) drop and distill upon man, yet we know men get themselves out of the rain as soon and as fast as they can. The rain falls upon the earth, and abides there; yet 'tis said to distil upon man, because the rain distils at man's request, and for man's sake: That other creatures are cherished by the rain, is not for themselves, but for man, as man is not cherished and maintained by those creatures for himself, but for God. As the rain distills chiefly for the glory of God, so nextly for the relief and comfort of man; and for man it distills

There is a double reading of this word. Some take it as an Adjective to the Substan • ive man, rendering thus, it distills upon many men; we take it adverbially, Which distill, upon man plentifully, that is, in great plenty upon man. We may take in both readings without strain to the Text, or departure from the matter in hand. For as the rain alls or distills upon man abundantly, so upon abundance of men; the rain, we know, falls sometimes very plentifully, and at times, or one time or other all the world over, watering every man's ground, and serving every man's turn or occasions. Therefore Elihu expresseth the blessing fully when he saith, The Clouds distill upon man abundantly, or upon abundance of men.

Hence Note, First;

He hath vessels plentifully filled for the watering of the Earth; and, The Lord is so free in his dispensation of the rain, that as he gives it to many in number, so to many in kind, he maketh his rain to fall, (as well as his Sun to shine) upon the just, and on the unjust, (Math. 5.45.) It shows the exceeding goodness, as well as the bounty of God, that the evil partake of his benefits as well as the good.

And, for our further improvement of this bounty of God, remember, that if God be so abundant and liberal in blessings to us, we ought in proportion to abound in duty towards him, or (as the Apostle exhorts, 1 Cor. 15.58.) we should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Some do only a little, (I may say) only here a stitch and there a stitch of work for God, but we should abound in it; and that not only now and then by fits, but be always fixed in it, especially we should do so, with respect to that, which the rain is a Symbol of, the word of God. When God drops and distills the rain of Gospel t • uths and holy soul-saving instructions abundantly upon us, how should we abound in every good word and work! It was prophesied of Christ ( Psal. 72.6.) He shall come down as rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. Some of the Ancients expound that place of the coming down of Christ in his Incarnation; then indeed he came down like rain upon the mown grass, he came down sweetly and powerfully. 'It is true also that Christ, who is God, the Word, the substantial Word, comes down as rain in and with the declarative word of God preached and faithfully dispensed to the souls of men: and when Christ comes down thus to us, we should rise up to him, and return fruits of grace, according to the showers of grace, which we have received. The Prophet gives us an elegant comparison of the natural and spiritual rain in their effects and issues, ( Isa. 55.10, 11.) For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give feed to the sower, and bread to the eater; so shall my word be, that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it. Now what is the pleasure of God in giving his Word? what is the arrand upon which he sends it? 'It is I grant, sometimes to harden, deafen and blind a people, ( Isa. 6.9, 10.) 'tis sometimes to be a savor of death unto death, (2 Cor. 2.16.) These are dreadful judiciary purposes of God in sending his Word; nor doth it ever please the Lord to send his Word upon this arrand, but when he is sorely displeased by a people's slighting and contempt of his Word. The thing which prima • ily pleaseth him, the purpose which he chiefly pu • sueth in sending his Word, is, that his people may have (as the Apostle speaks) Their fruit unto holiness in this life, and in the end everlasting life. For these ends, the Lord is daily distilling upon us the rain of his Word, both in commands and promises, and in both abundantly. Therefore let us labor to abound in returns of faith, of love, of hope, of self-denial, of zeal for God, and of fruit-bearing unto God. If when God distills the natural rain, that should provoke us to fruitfulness in spirituals, how much more when he pours down so much spiritual rain upon us! For the close of this meditation, consider, That

As the natural rain, First, softens the earth, and mollifies it; Secondly, cleanseth the earth, and washeth it; Thirdly, enricheth the earth, and makes it fruitful; Fourthly, comforts the earth, and makes everything that moves upon it, and grows out of it, to rejoice; Fifthly, sometimes drowns the earth, and destroys the Inhabitants of it: As I say, the natural rain doth all these things, so also doth the spiritual rain, the word of God. That, First, mollifieth; Secondly, cleanseth; Thirdly, fructifieth; Fourthly, comforteth the hearts of all those that receive it; and Fifthly, The rain of the word drowns and destroys all those that rise up against it, or will not receive it.

ELihu having spoken of the wonderful work of God in forming and sending rain in the two former verses, speaks next of the Clouds, which are as vessels containing the rain, and in which the rain is carried and conveyed up and down the world for the use of man, or for those services, to which God hath appointed it. He begins with a denying Question:

As if he had said, To what I said before, I add this, Here is another secret in nature, Can any understand the spreading of the Clouds? He doth not say, can vulgar ignorant and unlearned persons understand, but can any? Can the wisest? can the most learned? Can the best studied Philosophers understand the spreading of the Clouds? Can they understand? That is, they cannot understand.

But have not men, especially learned men, understanding enough to ascend the clouds, and discover the nature of them? Surely their understandings are very mean, or very much clouded, who understand not what the spreading of the clouds meaneth.

I answer, though Elihu's question hath a negation in it, yet not a total negation, 〈◊〉 doth not exclude the understanding of men wholly out of 〈◊〉 cl • uds; he only denieth man a full understanding of all thin • 〈…〉 • ch concern either the nature or motion of the clouds. Wh • 〈◊〉 understand much about the spreading of the clouds, but they cannot understand all. The best of godly men unde • stand not much, or see but a little way into spiritual things: And the wisest of worldly men do not, cannot, see all in natural things. Can any understand

Here are, First, the Clouds; Secondly, the spreading of them. The word which we translate, spreading, hath a twofold signification: First, (with the alteration only of a point upon one letter) it signifieth The difference of things in any kind: And then the Text is read, Can any understand the difference of the Clouds, that is, the variety that is among the clouds. The clouds are not all of a likeness, nor all of a bigness; there are clouds of many sorts and sizes: there are clouds which breed snow, and clouds which breed hail, clouds which breed rain, and clouds which breed thunder and lightning. Some clouds are empty, called clouds without rain or water, (Pro. 25.14. Jude, v. 12.) and other clouds are full of water: There is a difference also of clouds as to our sight and view, some are black, some white, some red, some are greenish, others palish clouds, from which various colors and appearances, Prognostics are made of the change of weather, as Christ told the Pharisees ( Mat. 16.2, 3.) Naturalists observe very many differences in the clouds, nor is it without wonder, that the clouds which are made all of one matter (vapors drawn from below) should produce such and so many different effects, that (according to this reading) we have reason to put the question, Who can understand the differences of the Clouds? We read it, and that well and full to the Hebrew Text,

The most cunning and knowing men in the mysteries of nature, ca • not either tell how far the clouds will spread, or to what point and part of the world they will convey their water, and (as I may say) unburden themselves. Thus the words refer back to the two former verses. The Clouds are spread as a Curtain, or as a piece of Tapestry, or as a mighty Canopy; Who can understand the spreading of them? The spreading of them; First, as they carry rain; or, Secondly, the spreading of them (as some expound the place) as they convey the Lightening, which the Scripture saith, ( Math. 24.27.) Passeth from one end of heaven to the other, from the East to the West; who knoweth how far the Lightning will spread in the Clouds? Thus some connect it with the following verse. Who can understand the spreading

There is a special derivation of the word rendered Clouds, from the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, all pretending to the nature of the Clouds: The Hebrew word properly noteth the thickness or grossness of the Clouds; the Greek word noteth the dropping nature of the Clouds, being derived from a root which signify • h to drop, or (which is near the fame) to descend, the root word signifying to fall; the Latin word is taken from covering, because the Clouds mask or cover the face of Heaven, and often hide and screine the shining of the Sun from us.

Now because Elihu is upon a work of nature, and insists upon it all along in the next Chapter; I shall therefore to clear the matter, propose and answer three Questions concerning the Clouds.

First, What is a Cloud, or what is the nature of the Clouds? A cloud is a moist vapor drawn up from the earth or water by the heat of the Sun into the middle region of the Air (as Naturalists divide the Air) where being by the coldness of the place congealed, and as it were knit together, it hangeth and continueth there, till it be broken up at the dispose of God, and sent down for the comfort or correction of man in rain, snow, hail, &c. The clouds of heaven derive their pedigree from the moisture found on earth, and to the earth they return their moisture.

Secondly, Seeing the Clouds are such mighty bodies, and contain (as I may say) whole seas of water in them, and water, being a heavy body, naturally descends or tends downward (as all heavy things do) it may be questioned (and indeed it is a wonder) how those Clouds are k • pt aloft in the Air? how comes it to pass that such heavy bodies, such floods of water do not presently fall violently, and at once shed themselves down upon, and overwhelm the earth? To that I answer,

First, Some say the Clouds are kept up by that natural inbred heat or warmth which is included in them; or that they are kept up by the superior heat of the Sun, and Stars, which first drew them up.

Secondly, Others say, these mighty Clouds are held up by the wind; which keeping them in perpetual motion, they fall not, they descend no • , but according to a divine order, by which they are disposed of to several uses.

Thirdly, Others ascribe it to the hollowness or spunginess of their nature, which receiving and taking in the thin air, they are more easily kept up.

But when we have searched to the utmost for reasons in nature, we must rise higher, and resolve the question according to Scripture and divine Philosophy, into the power and will of God. The holding up of the Clouds is God's work as well as the raising of them up; He gave this law or command unto the Clouds in the day of their creation, that they should not fall down nor distill a drop, but by his own commandment and appointment. Thus we find it expressed by Moses in his description of the crea • ion, ( Gen. 1.6.) Let the firmament (that is, the air, the inferior air next to the middle region) divide the waters from the waters. Here is a divine sanction; there are waters above, and waters below; And saith God, Let the firmament divide the waters from the waters; that is, those waters that are drawn up into Clouds in the air, a provision for Rain, &c. let them be kept above, and divided from the Sea and waters that dwell below. Thus there was a Law at first to keep quarter, as I may say, between those waters. And Solomon speaking of the eternal Son of God, of his co-eternity with the Father, brings him (under the name of Wisdom) speaking thus of himself; I was with him (when he did this and that, and among the rest, Prov. 8.28.) When he established the Clouds above; that is, when God made a Decree that the Clouds should stay above, and not come down but at his call. So 'tis expressed ( Job 26.8.) God bindeth up the waters in the thick Cloud, and the Cloud is not rent under them. 'It is not of itself that the Cloud (having such a weight in it) doth not rent and break, but, saith God, it shall not. ( Pro. 30.4.) He hath bound the waters in a garment. But what is the garment? His own decree and pu • pose is the garment which bindeth up the waters. For as the waters of the Sea are bounded by the Decree of God ( Job 38.11.) So likewise the waters in the air are bound up by his Decree ( Psal. 148.4, 6.) Praise him ye heaven of heavens, and ye waters which are above the heavens; he hath established t • em forever, and hath made a decree which shall not pass. He hath established the waters which are above the heavens, as well as the waters below the heavens; he hath established them by a decree (like that of the Medes and Persians ) which shall not be disanulled. So then, here's the answer to this second question, How it comes to pass, that the Clouds containing such floods of water (which is an heavy body▪) do not descend and overwhelm the earth? This is by the power and decree, or by the powerful decree of God, who hath caused such a weak and thin substance, as the Clouds, made up only of Vapours, to hold those mighty waters close, and keep them prisoners, that not a spoonful shall shed forth till himself pleaseth. The Clouds, as some have well expressed it, are like sponges filled with water, and till God layeth his hand upon the Clouds (that is, till he gives a word) and as I may say, squeezeth or presseth them by his providence (as we squeez a spung full of water) the waters fall not. Thus we see the reason, why Elihu makes so great a matter of the sp • eading of the Clouds, and why the waters fall not presently together, nor presently drop out of them, but in their season.

A third Query concerning the Clouds may be this; Why are they placed above? What is their use?

I answer, The use of the Clouds may be considered two ways; first, there is a natural, secondly, a spiritual use of them.

First, there is a natural use of them, and that is twofold.

First, That they may contain water in a readiness to moisten and fatten the earth: Stores and treasures of rain are kept in them to supply the necessities of all earthly creatures.

Secondly, The natural use of the Clouds is, to attemper the the heat of the air, and to be as a Curtain, or Screen between us and the Sun. If the Sun should always shine fully upon the earth, we were not able to abide it; but the Clouds coming between, do exceedingly qualify and moderate the heat and fierceness of the Sun. These, besides others, are their natural u • es.

And if we look into the Scripture, we shall find many spiritual and gracious uses, for which God hath made the Clouds.

First, God hath set his Bow in the Clouds, as a token of his favor unto mankind, as a token of his general favor, that he will not drown the world again ( Gen. 9.14, 15.) And it shall come to pass, when I bring a Cloud over the Earth, that the Bow shall be seen in the Cloud; and I will remember my Covenant which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood, to destroy all flesh. This is alluded to by the Prophet ( Isa. 54.9.) as a token of the special favor of God to his People, that he will never break Covenant with them. When Believers see his Bow in the Cloud, they may be as well assured, that they shall be freed from a deluge of wrath, as that the world shall not be overwhelmed again with a deluge of waters.

Secondly, We find the Lord making use of a Cloud, or using the ministry of a Cloud, in a g • acious way, for the conducting of his People out of Egypt quite through the Wilderness unto Canaan. That I grant was more than an ordinary Cloud, and lower and nearer the earth than usually Clouds are, yet it was doubtless of the same nature with other Clouds ( Exod. 13.21. Neh. 9.19.) And therefore, when the P • ophet would assure the Church of guidance and protection, he tells them ( Isa. 3.5.) The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a Cloud and Smoak by day, and the shining of the flaming Fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense. And we at this day, may make this spiritual use (acco • ding to Scripture) of the Clouds, which we behold, as to mind us how the Lo • d both protected and guided the People of Israel through the wilderness, so to assure us that he will protect and guide us through the World. Christ is this Cloud, a covering protecting Cloud unto his Church; and we may sweetly meditate upon him, not only when we behold the Sun, but as often as we behold the clouds.

Further, As Christ serves his Church like a Cloud, so the Clouds have done and shall do many services to Christ. A b • ight Cloud overshadowed Christ in his transfiguration ( Mat. 17.5.) A Cloud received him out of the Apostles sight at his ascension ( Act. 1.9.) and he shall come again in the Clouds to judgment Mat. 24.30. Luke 21.27.) He is also represented) sitting upon a white Cloud ( Rev. 14.14.

Thirdly, The spirit of God gives us another gracious use of, and meditation upon the Clouds; that as often as we see thick and black Clouds, which threaten a grievous sto • m, scattered, and the air cleared, this should put us in mind of the abundant grace of God pardoning our sin ( Isa. 44.22.) I have blotted, as a thick Cloud, thy transgression, and as a Cloud thy sins. False and faithless Ministers are called Clouds without water (Jude v. 12.) And the faithful Ministers of the Gospel, flee as a Cloud to water Souls, as the converted Gentiles are said, to flee as doves to the windows (Isa. 60.8.) There are not only natural but spiritual uses and improvements to be made of the Clouds, as often as we behold them; and the Scripture in many places, leads and points us to such meditations. It is said of Luther, that once beholding a great Cloud, that promised, or had a great appearance of rain, in a time of drought, blown away and dispelled, without yielding one drop of rain to refresh the earth; he turned to some of his friends, and said, Such are the Promises of the world. Men, said he, make great and fair promises, pretending much good, and good-will to those to whom they are made, which yet vanish and come to nothing; and concluding his observation upon the deceitful appearance of the Cloud, added the words of Solomon (Prov. 25.14.) Who so boasteth himself of a false gift, is like clouds without rain. Such especially are all false teachers, they, if any, boast themselves of a false gift, that is, they either pretend to a gift which they have not, or they pretend their gift is of Christ, when it is not; these are like Clouds without rain, or (as the text in the Epistle of Jude, even now mentioned) calls them, they are Clouds without water, carried about of winds, that is, which way so ever the wind of outward respects and advantages bloweth, they are carried.

So much for answer to those three questions about the Clouds. Who can understand the spreading of the Clouds?

Hence note;

How much more do spiritual things, the mysteries of Grace! Nicodemus was a knowing man, a Master in Israel, yet how simply did he speak when Christ proposed to him, and presented him with the necessity of a new-birth! Nor hath a natural man a clearer insight in any other Gospel mystery (1 Cor. 2.14.) The natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth (or discerneth) all things; that is, he hath a principle of spiritual understanding, whereby he is able to make a right judgment of all things necessary to his own edification and salvation.

Again;

Who can understand the spreadings of God? the immensity of God? the eternity, the omnipotency, the infinity of God? That's the thing Elihu chiefly aims at in all this discourse. While he poseth Job, and all men, in the natural works of God, he would convince Job, and all men, that neither he was, not any man is able to comprehend the equity and righteousness of his proceeding in the darker ways of Providence. And this he did, because Job had too often (upon the matter) called God to answer, asking why it was so? instead of a silent submission to what he did not understand, nor could see the reason of.

Further, consider this particular in nature, The spreading of the Clouds. We see the Clouds every day, and we see their spreadings, that's common and obvious to the eye; yet (saith Elihu ) who can understand these spreadings? There is a greater latitude in the Clouds than we imagine; and if we cannot fully understand the things which we see, how can we understand what we see not? Who apprehends the true greatness of the Clouds, the greatness of the Moon, the greatness of the Stars, the greatness of the Sun; all which our eyes behold? We can neither understand by our eye, nor by the rules and reports of the greatest Astronomers, the true magnitude or greatness of those heavenly visible bodies; who then can take the true dimension (if I may so speak) of things invisible? Who can understand the spreading of the Clouds?

Th • word notes a dreadful noi • e, a noise with a tumult, such a noise as is made when ruin and desolation cometh upon a place, such a noise as the Prophet describeth in a time of war. Moab shall die with a tumult (Amos 2.2.) Who can understand the •• ise of his tabernacle?

This noise may be expounded two ways;

First, Of thunder-claps. When Clouds are discharged, their thunder-bolts, like cannon bullets, rattle through the air: Who can understand this noise of his tabernacle? As no man can at all understand the thunder of his power (Chap. 26.14.) so not the All of his powerful thunder. This is a truth, and the text may well take in that noise, the noise of the thunder. But because Elihu speaks professedly and expressly of thunder in the next Chapter ( verse. 4.) therefore (I conceive) the noise of his tabernacle, here may be some-what else, or less than that of thunder, that is, the noise of the winds, breaking out from the tabernacle of God. What a bustling noise, what an out-cry (as I may say) the winds make we all know, especially when they become storms, and are not only winds but tempests. There are sweet gentle gales of wind, which make but a little murmur, or whisper in the air, we can scarce hear their voice; but some winds roar, some winds come little short of thunder, for noise and lowdness, and I suppose Elihu chiefly intends this noise, by The noise

But what is the tabernacle of God? I answer; That word Tabernacle is often used in the Old Testament; properly it signifieth a tent in war, a military mansion, a flitting habitation, or portable house, having no fixed or settled seat. The tabernacle under the Law was the place appointed by God for public worship. We read also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23.34.) at which solemn Feast, the Jews dwelt seven days in tents, to put them in remembrance, that God made their forefathers dwell in tents when he brought them out of Egypt, as also to mind them, that here they had no abiding place, but were to seek one to come. And as this place of public worship, so any place for private dwelling was called a tabernacle. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, until &c. (Said David, Ps. 132.3.) that is, into my house, which though it be a royal Palace, yet I look upon it, but as a movable tabernacle. But doth God dwell in a movable house? God is immovable, he makes no removes, yet wheresoever God is pleased to show himself in his power and marvelous works, there we may say his tabernacle is. The tabernacle of God, where this noise, this mighty noise is made, is nothing else but the Clouds before spoken of. The Clouds are God's tabernacle; they are called so expressly by a word of very near cognation unto this ( Psal. 18.11.) He maketh the Clouds his pavilion. A pavilion is an extraordinary tabernacle; a pavilion is that tabernacle which is proper to a King or to the General of an Army. Now saith the Psalmist, He maketh the Clouds his pavilion; In them he shows his power and glory. They are also called the chariots of God ( Psal. 104.3. Deut. 32.6.) and he is said to come in the Clouds, as a Prince in his chariot. He came in a thick Cloud (Exod. 19.9.) and he descended in a Cloud (Exod. 34.5.) which here is called his tabernacle. So then, the Clouds, together with all that middle region of the air, where the rain now, and fiery meteors, are generated, are in Scripture allegorically called, the tabernacle of God; because there he seems often to dwell or reside, for the producing of many wonderful works upon this inferior world. We may take the word here in a double allusion unto a tabernacle, or unto two sorts of tabernacles.

First, There were ordinary tabernacles, wherein men dwelt. The ancient Hebrews dwelt in tents or tabernacles; these were tabernacles for civil use, or for habitation; in allusion unto which, the Apostle speaks of the body, wherein the soul dwells (2 Cor. 5.) When the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, we know, that we have a building of God, an hsuse not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Secondly, There were tabernacles for military use, soldiers tents, or tabernacles. As the whole heavens, so the clouds especially may be called the tabernacle of God in both respects; they a • e his house, wherein he sits unseen, and doth wonders all the woe • ld over; in them he sh • weth his power, and appears glo • iously, and as a great P • ince or mighty General he sends out his edicts and orders from the clouds, he commands winds, storms, tempests, snow & hail for several dispensations to go from thence, according as his own infinite wisdom seeth fit, and the cases of men require, whether in ways of Judgment or of mercy; as Elihu tells us, yet more distinctly, at the 31th verse, For by them (saith he) judgeth he the people, he giveth meat in abundance. The clouds are very fit and commodious for God's use in any of these respects; either for the terrifying and punishing of the wicked, or, for the helping and feeding of them that fear him. Now forasmuch as the clouds are called the tabernacle of God upon these accounts,

Learn first;

God is no more in one place of the woe • ld than in another, as to his being and existence; for he is every w • ere, he filleth heaven and earth. We must not think that God is shu • up in the clouds as a man in his tabernacle; but because God works much in the clouds, and doth great things by the rain, thunder and lightening, therefore the clouds, whence these Meteors issue, are called his tabernacle. Where-ever God works much, he is said to dwell. Why is God said to dwell with them that are of an humble and contrite heart? even because he works much in them, and much by them. So because many great works of God are done in the Clouds, as we shall see more particularly hereafter, therefore the Lord is said to dwell there as in his tabernacle.

Secondly, When 'tis said, Who can understand the noise of his tabernacle?

Observe;

They go when he saith go, ( Psal. 148.8.) Stormy winds and tempests fulfilling his will. We may think, storms, of all thing • , least under command and order, yet they are under an exact order. The most stormy winds go not an hairs breadth besides, or beyond the commission which God gives them. As often as we hear the roaring noise of the wind, much more, of thunder, let us remember, 'tis the noise of his tabernacle.

Elihu insists still upon the works of God, He spreadeth his light. Some understand by this light, the lightening; and it is a great truth, God wonderfully spreads the lightening upon the da • k clouds, as if they were all in a flame, That's clear to the eye when it lighteneth; and God is s • yd ( Psal. 144.6.) To cast forth his lightening; which comes near this word in the text, he spreadeth it. But because in the next ch • pter Elihu speaks purposely of the lightening, therefore I shall not stay upon that sense here, but decline it.

Rather take light in the common notion; He spreadeth his light, that is, the light of the Sun, which is eminen • lie called God's Light, upon it, that is, upon the cloud spoken of in the form verse▪ and so the two parts of this verse, yield us a de • crip • ion (as I conceive) of the weather-changes made by God. When we have had much rain and storms, God can presently spread his light up • n the cloud, that is, cause the light and heat of the Sun to conquer the clouds and scatter them.

And (he also) covereth the bottom of the Sea. That is, by and by, he makes it very dark by the gathering of thick clouds; even as dark as the bottom of the Sea, whither the light cannot come, or dark to the bottom of the Sea. The original is, the roots of the Sea, that is, the lowest parts of the Sea, which we significa • tly translate, the bottom of the Sea. Some explicate the whole ve • se, He spreads his light upon the face of the whole heavens, and spreads the waters over the Ocean, so that no bottom▪ can be seen, scarcely found. Mr. Broughton, by the roots of the Sea, understands the earth. Another saith, he makes mention of the roots of the Sea, because the waters of the Sea, are as it were the roots of the Clouds, they chiefly supplying the matter of which they are made. Vapours drawn from the waters of the Sea, by the heat of the Sun, become Clouds, and these Clouds cover both Earth and Sea, far and near. Thus 'tis matter of wonder to see such great and sudden changes in the air; that the same Sun with its beams should exhale those vapors which are condensed into Clouds, and that soon after, those Sun-beams should scatter and dissolve those Clouds; or tha • now the heavens should be so masked with Clouds as to make all dark, and in a little space, all return to its former brightness and b •• uty.

He spread • h hi • Light. Wha is there in the world that is not God's? •• re he call • h Light his.

Hence note;

( Mat. 5.44.) He causeth his Sun to shine, &c. The Moon is his as well as the Sun, and the Stars are his as much as either; but because the Sun is the greater Vessel and conveigher o • Ligh • , therefore saith Christ, He causeth his Sun to shine on the evil and the good, &c. God himself is Light, and the Father of Lights (Jam. 1.17.) which is true not only of spiritual Light, by which the things of God are discovered to us; but also of natural Light, the light of the Sun, that's God's Light too, he is the Father of it.

Secondly note;

It is not in the creature to make one day or hour fair or foul. As Christ gives the reason why no man should swear by his head, because he cannot make an hair white or black, he cannot change the color of an hair, nor make a hair of any color: So, it is not in the power of any man, to make one day fair or foul, that's God's peculiar; He spreadeth his Light upon the Clouds, and covereth the bottom of the Sea.

This 31 ^th Verse gives us the effect of all that which Elihu had spoken before, of the rain, of storms and tempests, and we may add, of lightening, and of thunder; By them he judgeth the people and giveth meat in abundance. Here are two effects; First, an effect grievous; Secondly, an effect gracious: The former proceeds from the justice, the latter from the mercy and goodness of God.

To judge is taken three ways in Scripture.

First, To judge, is to rule or govern. When it is said, such a man judged Israel, the meaning is, he ruled and governed Israel: That's the language of the book of Judges everywhere, when their Governors are spoken of.

Secondly, To Judge, is to determine, or give sentence in a special case ( Deut. 25.1.)

Thirdly, To judge is to punish or afflict, and thus often in Scripture, when God punisheth any person or people, he is said to judge them ( Psal. 51.4. That thou mayest be cleared when thou judgest, that is, when thou afflictest, or layest thine hand upon me (saith David ) as God had threatened by Nathan, that the sword should not depart from his house; this moved David to make confession, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned: — that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and cleared when thou judgest. As if he had said, my confession, O Lord, will be thy justification; all may see I have given thee abundant cause to lay thy chastening hand upon me ( Heb. 13.4.) Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge; though men let them pass, yet God will not, he will punish them. Again, in that notable place (1 Cor. 11.31, 32.) If we would judge ourselves we should not be judged of the Lord. What it is to be judged, the Apostle showeth in the next words; But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord. The Apostle warns the Church to take heed how they came to the solemn assemblies, lest coming rashly and unpreparedly, the hand of God should fall heavy upon them, by weakness, sickness and death. When Elihu saith, By them he judgeth the People. We are to take judging in this third sense; He judgeth, that is, he afflicteth and punisheth men by these things. Thus the Allusion is elegantly followed. The Lord from his tabernacle, or throne in the Clouds, sends forth Edicts, and signs his Warrants, for the punishment both of nations and persons; windy storms, rain and thunder, going forth as executioners of his orders and appointments: By them he judgeth the people.

Hence observe;

By them, that is, by the rain and by the wind, he judgeth the people. He can use what instrument he pleaseth to afflict and chasten us with. Read the holy Scriptures, read the Histories of the Church, and you will find all sorts of creatures summoned one time or other, and sent forth as God's messengers, to punish the pride and stubbornness, the impenitency and perverseness of men's hearts and ways. How many creatures did God make use of to punish Pharaoh with, and many of them ve • y contemptible ones; among the rest, the hail, rain, and thunder spoken of in this place, were his instruments of vengeance in plaguing that hardened King. Whensoever God afflicts a people by the creatures, he judgeth them by the creatures. Let us take heed, that we provoke not God to turn those things which were given for our good, to our hurt; that he make not what was made our servant, our punishment. God made all creatures serviceable and useful to man, but through sin they become grievous and destructive to man; By them he judgeth the people.

Here is the second effect wrought or produced by these creatures: He giveth, that is, God giveth; meat, that is, all kind of food and provision, for the life both of man and beast; and he giveth it in abundance: He doth not give it scantly or nigardly, in small portions and pi • tances, but in full measure, pressed down, heaped up, and running over. By them, that is, by the rain and by the wind, &c. God gives us our meat in abundance. One translation saith, He giveth meat to many, that is, to all.

Hence note;

He giveth meat. No man gets his own bread unless God giveth it; God must give it before we can get it.

Secondly note;

He giveth meat in abundance; he giveth to very many, yea, to all, and he giveth very much; he giveth meat to all the fowls of the Air, and to all the fishes of the Sea, to all men and beasts living on the earth, they all receive food from God: he giveth food to all flesh ( Psal. 136.25.) He filleth every living thing. (Psal. 147.9.) He giveth to the beast his food, and feedeth the young ravens when they cry. Christ makes this an argument of faith in God for food and clothing ( Mat. 6.26.) Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them: are not ye much better than they? How little faith have you, who knowing that God feeds the fowls of the air, yet cannot trust him for your food! He giveth food in abundance.

Thirdly note;

He can give meat in scarcity, as well as meat in abundance; he can give cleanness of teeth as well as fullness of bread: And as he can strengthen the staff of bread, so break it, and cause us to eat bread by weight and with care, and to drink water by measure and with astonishment (Ezek. 4.16.) To eat by weight and drink by measure, is to eat and drink in the want of bread and water, as is expressed ( verse. 17.) And as these changes of our natural, so of our spiritual food are from the Lord ( Amos 8.11.) I will send a famine (What famine?) not of bread, but of hearing the word of the Lord. 'It is the Lord who sends plenty and scarcity of bread, whether for the soul or for the body.

Fourthly, In that he saith, by them he giveth meat in abundance,

Note;

The Lord could give us abundance, if he pleased, without rain, but he rarely gives abundance but by rain; he sends rain out of the Clouds to water the earth, and make it fruitful. The Lord could make our souls fruitful in every good work, without the preaching of the word, but he seldom doth it (I believe never when the word may be had) without the preaching of the word. And therefore the Lord by his Prophet makes a comparison between, or a parallel of these two ( Isa. 55.10, 11.) As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; so shall my word be, that goeth out of my mouth, &c. The Lord useth rain and snow, yea, wind and thunder, to fit the earth, as he useth his Word and holy Ordinances to fit the soul, to bring forth fruit to himself. He could do both alone, but he improveth that order of nature and grace which himself at first set up and instituted to b • ing about these excellent ends. By them he giveth meat in abundance.

The Greek translation renders all manner of muchness. From the whole learn, what cause we have to acknowledge the goodness of God in every shower of rain, and fleet of snow; for by them he giveth us our meat.

We should hence also be minded to fear the Lord, and to take heed of his displeasure. It is said ( Asts 12.20.) when Herod was highly displeased with them of Tire and Sidon, they came with one accord to him; and having made Blastus the Kings Chamberlain their friend, desired peace, because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country. O how much more should we labor to avoid the displeasure of God, and hasten to make our peace with him, seeing our Country is nourished by his Country! The heavens nourish the earth, else the earth could not afford anything for our nourishment. We are fed rather from the heavens than from the earth. The clouds drop down and make the earth fat, to give grass for cattle and co n for man. Elihu speaks nothing of the Earth, but of the Clouds, f • om them we are fed.

Lately consider, Elihu joins both effects expressly, By them he judgeth the people, he giveth meat, &c.

Hence note;

That which is an instrument in his hand for good to his servants, is often a plague and a scourge to his enemies. The rain which at one time moistens the earth, at another time drowns it; the rain which at one time cherisheth the creatures, at another time chokes them. The winds which at one time fan the air and cool it, at another time enrage and vex it; the winds which at one time sweeten and cleanse the air, at another time corrupt and infect it. The Lord can with the same creatures, furnish himself for any dispensation: By them he judgeth the people, and by them he giveth meat in abundance.

THese two verses have a Character of difficulty and obscurity put upon them by several interpreters; and some have concluded them the most difficult and darkest portion of the whole Book of Job, yea, of the whole Book of God. And should I reckon up all the various Grammatical constructions of these words, together with the distinct interpretations given upon them, I should weary myself, and rather perplex than advantage the Reader.

And therefore I shall speak to these two verses, First, as they are laid down plainly in our translation, according to which (with submission to the judgment of those learned Authors) I see neither any great difficulty nor obscurity in them, and shall afterwards give a brief account at least, of some of those different readings and translations which I find upon them.

The words (as I conceive) according to the mind of our translators, and as the Text clearly beareth, hold out two things concerning the rain, of which Elihu had spoken before.

First, What is naturally preparatory to rain or foul weather, that we have in the 32d verse, With clouds he covereth the light, and commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between.

Secondly, We have that which is declaratory of rain, or (as some call them) the Prognostics and signs of rain; these are laid down in the 33d verse, The noise thereof showeth concerning it, the Cattle also concerning the vapor.

He, that is, God covereth the light with Clouds. We heard of the Clouds at the 29th verse, but the word there used is not that which is used in this 32d verse. The word here made use of by El • hu, signifies generally anything that is hollow or concave, as a spoon, platter, o • bool, or such like utensils, which are bowed with a convex and concave superficies; it hath also particularly two eminent significations, both of which are made use of in this place by Interpreters. First, it signifieth the hand; so we translate it ( Job 16.17.) There is no injustice in my hand. The word which here we translate a Cloud, is there translated, a hand: Now, the hand, we know, hath a hollowness or cavity in it, unless when it is purposely held forth plain. The second signification is that of the Text, a Cloud, which is also hollow, and (as most conclude) the same word is put to signify a hand, and a Cloud, because Clouds usually • t the first appearance are but small, or like a hand, as Elijah's servant repo ted to him, after his seventh going to view the Heavens (1 Kings 18.44.) Behold, a little Cloud like a man's hand. In this sense we take it here in our translation: Some render With his hand he covereth the light, we say, With Clouds

He covereth or hideth the light, that is, from our eyes, he causeth it to disappear, or not to appear to us: The woe d notes covering as with a garment, or covering with anything that intercepts and stops the sight; and hence by a Trope it is applied to the pardon of sin ( Psal. 32.1.) Blessed is the man whose sin is covered. When the Lord pardons sin, he is said to cover it, because he will not suffer it to appear against the sinner, nor be charged upon him to condemnation. As pardon covers sins, so Clouds cover the Heavens, and when they are covered the light is covered. With Clouds he covereth the light. The Prophet Jeremy in his Lamentations (Chap. 3.44.) complained sadly, because God (who is light) had covered himself, Thou hast covered thyself with a Cloud, that our prayers should not pass through. As God doth sometimes cover himself, o • hide the light of his Countenance from his people, as with a cloud, that their prayers cannot pass through; so he of • en hides or cove • s the light of the air with natural o • proper Clouds, that the Sun beams for a time cannot pierce no • pass through; With Clouds he covereth

The word used by Elihu, signifies both light and the Sun, which is the fountain, from whence light flows and issues; yea, the word signifies also fire. The Sun, Moon, and Stars, are called (ignes) the fires of heaven, because like so many fires or mighty torches they give light to us on earth. And by a metaphor the word signifies Joy, Comfort, all sorts of good things; as on the other side, by darkness, troubles and calamities of all sorts are metaphorically expressed in Scripture. With Clouds he covereth the light,

As if he had said, When a Cloud covereth the light, 'tis the command of God which puts the Cloud as a covering upon it. Those words [not to shine] are not expressly in the Hebrew Text; the • e it is only thus; With Clouds he covereth the light, and commandeth it by that which cometh between: nor is the word Cloud expressed in the latter part of the verse, we put it in as a suppliment in another Character, more fully to express the sense of the Text.

The word which we translate to command, properly signifies, to bid or command a thing to be done; but when it stands in construction, as here, with Gnal, it signifieth to forbid or stay a thing that it be not done. ( Gen. 2.16.) God commanded the man, or concerning the man, &c. As that command expressed a liberty to eat of every other tree in the Garden, so it included a prohibition of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, which is also expressed at the 17 ^th verse. We have a like construction of the word ( Gen. 28.6. 1 Kings 2.43.) He commandeth it not to shine

By that which come • h between, or by that which meets it, that is, as we supply it, by the thick and da • k Cloud which meets and intercepts the bright beams of the Sun. The root of the word signifies to meet with force (not only occurrere but irruere ) to rush upon, to invade, to assault, or to charge, as an enemy is charged in battle; and it signifies, by a Metaphor, to intercede, to make prayer or supplication for another, which is as i • were a coming between man and man. An Intercessor cometh between two parties, the party offending, and the party offended, he interposeth himself to make up the breach, or to take up the difference, that if possible a reconciliation may be made. The Latin word which we translate Latinely to intercede, is of the same significancy; and this Hebrew word is often so rendered ( Jer. 7.16.) Pray not for this people, nor make intercession to me; that is, thou shalt not come between me and this people to stop or stay me, that I break not out into wrath, or from pouring out my wrath upon them. In other Scriptures it is used to note an act of intercession between man and man ( Gen. 23.8.) as also an act of address by prayer and entreaty, whether towards God or man, ( Job 21.15. Ruth 1.16.) And because the word properly notes meeting another with a kind of violence, it intimates with what a holy violence, with what strength, earnestness, and fervency of spirit, we ought to meet God, either in prayer for ourselves, or when we come as intercessors, and stand before him in the behalf of others, whether Persons, Nations, or Churches.

Many Interpreters (as I shall show afterward) take the word in this sense here for an Intercessor, or for a person that prayeth and intercedeth for another. We, in our translation, expound it of a thing, and that thing of a Cloud that interposeth or cometh between us and the Light. He commandeth the light not to shine, by the Cloud that cometh between, or, by the Cloud that passeth between us and the light of the Sun.

Hence note;

When we have the Light, a Cloud may soon come between the Light and us: Which as it is true of the natural Light and Clouds, so of that which is Light in a figure, our most comfortable enjoyments; and that which is a Cloud in a figure, troublesome and afflictive Providences. There is no light, of what kind soever it is, but there may be a Cloud to intercept it, and come between us and that; even the light of the favor of God, the light of his countenance, which is the most blessed light of all, even that light hath many a Cloud. The clouds of ou • sins cause the Lord to cloud his face with anger and displeasure, and hinder the light of his favor and loving kindn • ss from shining upon our souls.

Secondly, In that Elihu saith, He c • mmandeth it not to shine,

Note;

He sends forth his commanding word, not only to Angels and Men, but to Beasts, yea, to inanimates, he sends out his orders and edicts to the Clouds of the Air, to the Light of the Sun, to things without life, and they submit presently and obey; he speaketh to the light as if it were a • ea • onable creature, he commandeth it not to shine, and it shineth not. The hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth are at the di • pose of God; the w •• le course of nature moves and stands still at his word and plea • ure. The Sun stood still in the days of J • shua at his command; and by the same command, the Sun wen • backward in the days of Hezekiah; and 'tis by his command that the Sun withdraws its light, and is muffled up with Clouds at any time. He commandeth it not to shine.

Take these Inferences from it.

First, Then, what cannot God do? He that commands the light not to shine, and it shineth not; Is anything too hard for him? who but God can stop the Sun from shining? If all the Princes and Potentates of this world should join their forces, their counsels together, and send a prohibition to the Sun, to stay its light, and forbear its shining one moment, they were not able to do it; yet if the Lord do but speak the word, the Sun shineth not; he can give it a prohibition, and supersede the going forth of its light to us: yea, he hath power enough, not only to cove • the Sun with Clouds, but to turn it into a Cloud, and to blot it out of the heavens.

Secondly, learn hence, In what dependence we are upon God for everything. God can keep the light from us every day if he pleaseth, and wrap us up in perpetual darkness, as he plagued the Land of Egypt with thick darkness for three days together. 'It is true, the Sun riseth and goeth down in a natural course, yet still by a divine order and commission. As God can sorbid the Light by interposing Clouds, so he can sorbid the Clouds to give us showers, and bind up all the sweet influences of heaven from destilling upon the earth to make it fruitful. He can speak to our garments that they warm us not, to our food that it nourish us not, to our physic that it cure and heal us not, to all our relations that they comfort us not, to all our possessions and riches that they content us not. O let us remember that we depend upon God for Rain, for Light, for Sun-shine, for all; it is at his word that they all put themselves forth to do us good, and at his word they are all staid and stopped in their motion, from doing or bringing us any good.

Le • us remember also God can command another light not to shine; he can by a word stop the progress of the Word, and stay that blessed and most beautiful light, the light of the Gospel, from shining to us, by some Cloud or other coming between. To how many nations of people, where that light sometimes shined, hath God long since sent a command, and it shineth not! It shined brightly in former Ages upon the African Churches, but now, for a long time, God hath said to the light of the Gospel, shine not upon them; there's scarce any light at all, at most but a glimmering of Gospel-Light in all that vast continent, a quarter-part of the world. What mighty Dominions are now possessed by the followers of Mahomet, both in Europe and Asia, where the light of the Gospel did once shine very brigh • lie and gloriously! How famous were those seven Asian Churches, men ioned and writ to by the command of Christ, and the ministry of his servant and Secretary John (Rev. 1.2, 3.) yet now darkness possesseth all those places, and the Alcoran hath thrust out the Gospel; and whence is all this? Surely God commanded, and that light shined not, nor hath it shined with any b • ightness for many hundred years. Jesus Christ, who threatened Ephesus with the removal of her Candlestick, hath removed all those Candlesticks, and put out their lig ••• The same stop can God give to the Gospel-light which hath shined among us (blessed be his Name) for many years together: Let us take heed that we forfeit not that blessed light, that we provoke not the Lord by our abuse of it and unthankfulness for it, to send out a command, that it shine not among us anymore. We read in the Prophets how divine light was prohibited both to the People and to the Prophets: The stop of it to the People, we have ( Amos 8.9.) I will cause the Sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. The Prophet speaks not here at all of the stop of natural light, nor do • h he only intend the stop of that metaphorical light, Prosperity in outward things, which the Lord doth often eclipse and da • ken, when men dream least of it, or have no more fear about it, than • hey have that the Sun will go down at noon day; but he, at least, intends, if it be not his principal intendment, to show that a grievous judgm • nt was hastening upon them, as to their spiritual enjoyments; that the light of divine knowledge, what to believe, and what to practice, was declining, and ready to go down, though they thought it was but noon with them, and the day very clear. For as the famine threatened ( verse. 11.) is expounded upon the place, by the Prophet himself, not to be a famine of bread, and a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord; so the darkness threatened in this 9th verse, is not to be restrained to the loss of their worldly liberties and comforts, but extended to those which were spiritual and divine, the failing of vision, and the removing of the light of the Word. And as in this Prophet we find the light departing from the People, so in the third of Micah (verse. 6, 7.) we find God commanding the light not to shine to the Prophets (the false prophets he means there, for so he describeth them, verse. 5.) Therefore shall night be unto you (the prophets who deceive my people, who teach them vanity, and lead them to Idolatry and superstition; therefore, I say, shall night be unto you) that ye shall have no vision, and it shall be dark to you that you shall not divine, and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. What the Lord means by all this, you have expressed in the close of the 7th verse, There is no answer of God, that is, God doth not now anymore manifest his mind and will by the Prophets, that they might manifest his will unto the People. I close this point with the renewal of my former admonition; Let us therefore take heed • e provoke not the Lord to command this light not to shine, either to Prophets or People, in our Ho • izon.

Thirdly, He commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between. Though (as I said) the word Cloud, be not expressed in the text, yet we know 'tis a Cloud that usually cometh between the light and us.

Hence note;

There is something comes between. God hath a Cloud, or somewhat like it, to put between us and the light. The Apostle (2 Thes. 2.6, 7.) treating of Antichrist, the man of sin, intimates, that he would have filled the world with the darkness of error and superstition very quickly, by a full discovery of himself, had not something withheld him, had not something come between him and his design for a time. What was that? 'It is generally conceived, that which did with-hold or come between the man of sin, and his purpose of filling the world with the darkness of his wicked errors and abominable worship, was the power of the Roman Empire at that time; Antichrist could not put forth his power while that power stood in its strength. God could have withheld Antichrist immediately from putting forth of himself, but he saw it best to put a block in his way, the power of the Roman Empire, and until that was thrust out of the way, the man of sin could never show himself fully, in that unlimited exercise of his sinful power. Now, I say, as there was then a with-holder of Antichristian darkness, somewhat that came between and hindered its effectual working; so usually, I may say universally, somewhat comes between to check and stop the course of the Gospel-light, or of any other mercy. Sin is a Cloud of our making, and God in judgment makes that as a Cloud coming between us and our mercies. He did so of old to Israel, and he told them so by his Prophet ( Jer. 5.25.) Your sins have withholden good things from you. Sin with-holds good things, not formally, but meretoriously, that is, sin is the meriting or deserving cause of their withholding. This one Cloud of our sins, brings all the Clouds of trouble between us and our mercies; and the Lord hath always some Cloud or other of trouble at hand, in readiness to cover the light, that it shine not to us, when we trouble and grieve him by those foggy and filthy clouds of our sins. Thus far of that which is preparatory to rain, Clouds covering the light. It followeth,

This Verse, according to our translation, as I touched before, carrieth on the same thing. There we had the preparation as it were, for rain, Clouds gathered and covering the Sun, so making dark weather: Now, saith he, that the rain is coming, the noise thereof showeth concerning it. The word which we render noise, taken from one root signi • ieth any troublesome clamour; and as derived from ano • her root, it signifieth a friend or companion (as I shall touch afterward) But at present leaving that, I shall open it according to our own reading, as it signifieth a noise. Some read his noise, that is, God's noise, he maketh a noise in the air: And this noise of God in the air, is either, first, the noise of the wind; winds often fore-run great rains; or secondly, the noise of thunderclaps, that rattling noise heard from the clouds, which come between us and the light; this noise showeth concerning it, that is, this showeth fowl weathe • is coming, or that rain (as we speak) is brewing in the Clouds. Both the blustering winds and the rattling roaring thunder tell us afore-hand, and give warning, that the weather will suddenly change, or that rain is at hand.

Hence Note;

When God is about to send rain, the noise that is in the Clouds tells the world that 'tis coming. Some are very skillful in observing these things; such we call, weatherwise. From this I would only infer, If God doth fore-show or give signs of the change that he makes in natural things, then surely he doth much more give his people warning of the changes he is about to make in civil things, in the States and Kingdoms of this world. There are some things which do, as it were, predict or fore-show such and such changes near, if we were wise to observe them. The Jews were very inquisitive to know of Christ the signs of the times; These signs they inquired of him, not so much out of curiosity (which had been bad enough) as out of treachery, to int • ap him in his words, yet mark what Christ said to to them ( Math. 16.1, 2, 3.3) He answered and said unto them, when it is eve • ing, ye say it will be fair weather, for the sky is red (a red sky shows concerning fair weather) and in the morning it will be foul weather, for the sky is red and lowering. When the sky lowres, or, as here in Job, when the Cloud cometh between us and the light, that tells us it will be foul weather. Now, saith Christ, do you think that God hath given us such warnings about changes in natural things, and hath he not given signs which may fore-show changes in other things, which more concerns us? Therefore Christ checks them in the 3d verse, O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, and can ye not discern the Signs of the times, that is, what changes God will m • ke in the times? As if he had said, if you were wise ye might discern the signs of ruin approaching • o you and your City. A dreadful black Cloud of destruction hung over the City of Jerusalem at that time, as Christ had fore-told them in several places of the Gospel: the time is coming (saith he) when there shall not be left one stone upon another; yet you cannot see the signs of these things; you are very skillful to discern a fair day & a foul day (there are natural prognostics of these things) but ye hypocrites cannot discern the signs of the times: Do ye not think God hath given you warning, hath he not fore-shown what he will do with you and with this City? if ye were wise ye might unde • stand that shortly it will be overthrown, and so it was by Titus Vespatian not long after. God gives as clear signs of the changes that shall be in times, as he doth concerning the change of the weather: And that's one thing which doth very much fore-show it, when God puts it into the hearts of his Ministers unanimously to fore-warn approaching troubles. Such warnings were given to Jerusalem, not only by Ch • ist, but afterward by others. Josephus in his History reports of one th • t could not by any punishment be stopped from crying up and down the City, for several years, after this manner, A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem, and a voice against the Temple. There was also (as the same Author reports) a voice heard in the Temple, Let us depart hence. The Jews generally would not believe these voices, but went on and were angry when any told them of a Cloud coming over their day, yet they found them all verified in the subversion of their city, by the Romans. Such fore-warnings were given the Palatinate, and other parts of Germany, before those great evils came upon them. Some way or other God hath always shown when these showers were coming; and when a people grow weary of their warnings, when they grow more profane and wicked under them, this is a sure sign, a fatal prognostic, that God is coming with a shower of wrath, and is ready to pour down a storm of vengeance upon them. And surely these warnings, both with respect to natural changes in the Air, and civil changes in the affairs of this World, argue the wonderful goodness of God, that he would have us prepare for all dispensations: He will not send a shower of rain, but would have us prepared for it; and when he is about to send those great showers of Judgment upon the world, he would have his people ready and prepared, and therefore by some means or other he tells them before hand what is at hand.

Thus, the noise thereof showeth concerning it, or telleth us the storm is coming. But is there nothing else that fore-tells this? Yes, it followeth,

The very beast of the field give notice of the vapor. The Hebrew is that which goeth up, so we read in the margin. The rain comes down, and the vapors go up; and the going up of the vapor is an argument of the coming down of the rain. As the noise or thunder in the Clouds sore-showeth a storm, so the cattle concerning the vapor, they tell us the rain is coming down by their apprehenson of the vapor which goeth up.

Some render, not vapor, but plants or herbs, trees or grass, these go up or ascend out of the earth, as well as vapors. Our translation is plain. The cattle also, the very sheep and oxen, yea the fowls of the air will tell when we shall have foul weaher; before such storms come usually they run to shelter, hiding and shifting for themselves as well as they can, against the storm. Cattle presage rain. Pliny in his Natural History speaks much of the natural sagacity that is in beasts, swine, sheep and oxen, whereby they perceive change of weather. The Poet Virgil also verifies largely and acurately of these things; reporting how husbandmen that keep cattle will gather by what they see in the cattle what the weather will be. The cattle also concerning the vapor.

Hence Note;

And why hath God given them that natural instinct? Why are they quick-scented and quick-sighted, yea many times mo • e quick-sighted than men are? Surely, it is first, that those poor Creatures may provide themselves of shelter, and not be abroad in the storm, rain or wind, in a time of danger, or inconvenient to them. This may be of use to us. God would teach us by the very dumb Creatures, the Bruits, what our duty is; the Cattle, the Swine, the Sheep will witness against us, if we do not take notice of, nor observe, the signs of the various dispensations of God, or when he is about to vary his dispensations. Can the Cattle tell when it will be fowl weather, and are men so stupid (are they especially that profess the Gospel so stupid) that they understand none of these things? The Prophet Jeremiah (Chap. 8.7.) reproves the people of Israel upon this account, by the fowls of heaven (as was shown upon another occasion, at the 11th Verse of the 35th Chapter) The Stork in the heavens knoweth his appointed time, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow know the times of their coming; that is, they will not stay in any place, where it is not fit nor safe for them to stay, and they will not come to any place till they know all things are suitable and ready for them: But my people knoweth not the judgment of their God, they are more senseless than the very fowls of heaven in this. And therefore the prophet checks them ( v. 8.) How do ye say, we are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us? You count yourselves very wise, yet ye are not so wise in this matter as the Stork and the Crane, and the Swallow, for they observe their times, but you do not. It is a great part of our wisdom to see what God is doing, or what he is about to do before he doth it. It is said ( Prov. 22.3.) A prudent man foreseeth an evil. When evil is come everyone can see it (though some will scarce see it then, as the Prophet complained ( Isa. 26.11.) When thy hand is lifted up they will not see it ) but usually that w ^ch is done or doing we can see; when we feel an evil we can see it; but the prudent, that is the godly man, fore-seeth the evil. How comes he to fore-see it? not by any hellish divination, not by star-gazing, not by asking the Devil what shall be hereafter, as Saul did; he would fore-see the evil, but he went to the Devil, to a Witch for it (1 Sam. 28.) Now a godly man doth not fore-see the evil by any such ways or means, but by a diligent collection of things, compa • ing one with the other, or by the connection of causes with their effects, and of antecedents with their cons • quents; by these he plainly fore-seeth that such or such an evil is coming, even as the beast fore-sees the storm is coming by the vapor, or that w ^ch goeth up. The prudent man fore-seeth an evil approaching by way of argument. For thus he reasons, if God be an unchangeable God, if he be as holy, as just, as powerful, as zealous, as jealous now, as eve • he was, and if sin be the same as ever it was, if sin be as fowl in itself, if it be as loathsome and as burthensome to God, if it be as pernicious and hurtful to man now, as ever it was, then surely when men run such and such sinful courses, such and such will be the effects, such and such the fruits. Thus a pruden man seeth the effect in the cause, the consequent in the antecedent. This was Solomon's purpose, when he said ( Eccles. 2.14.) The wise man's eyes are in his head. You may say, so are the fools eyes too; Where are his eyes else? But when Solomon saith, The w • se man's eyes are in his head, his meaning is, they are there to purpose; the wise man well observes and marks how things go, and whither things tend, he considers how things go, and whither things are going; but the fool walketh in darkness, that is, he walketh as if he had no eyes in his head, as if his eyes were in his heels, not in his head. It is said, (1 Chron. 12.32.) concerning the men of Issachar, They were wise concerning the times, and to know what Israel ought to do: They knew what the times required, and what God required in those times, what special duties were incumbent upon them, from the dispensations of God. It is a great mercy, and a great part of our wisdom to be thus wise, and if we ar • not, we shall be found and judged more brutish • han the brute beast, for the Cattle also give warning concerning the vapor, they give notice when rain and storms are coming.

Thus I have held out the sense of the words, as they are laid down plainly in our translation.

But there are very many differences among Interpreters (as was hinted before) in the reading and rendering of these words; all which arise from some diffi • ul • y in the Gramatical construction and copious signification of the Hebrew text. I might give you more than three and three several intepretations of these words, but, as I said before, I should rather perplex the Reader than confirm him; yet I shall name three, when I have only shown which words in the text occasion this variety in translation. First, the word rendered by us Clouds, signifieth also the hands. Secondly, the word rendered cometh between, signifieth an Intercessor, or one that prayeth, as also an opposer, who stands up against and resists • he force of another. Thirdly, the word rendered noise signifieth (when de • ived from another root) a friend or familiar. Fou • thly, the woe • d rendered cattle, signifieth also possession, or that which is possessed, and taken from another root, emulation or strife. Fifthly, the word which we translate as an Adverb, also, signifieth likewise anger. Sixthly, the word rendered vapor, signifieth an ascension, or going up; and so plants or herbs, which grow out of • ne ground and ascend into the air according to their grow • h, are elegan l • expressed by it.

All these diffe • ences found in the single terms, are made use of by Interpreters, as will appear while I give you a taste of three differen • tr • slations.

Fi • st, The common Latin translator renders thus, In his hands he hideth the Light, and commands it to come again; he speaks of it, or declares it to his friend, that it is his possession, and that he may ascend or come to it. This rendering is marvelous different from ours, yet there is some sooting for it in the Original, and it may receive a useful sense.

The whole text being accordingly expounded as an argument of God's great favor to godly men; from whom, though he at any time hideth the light, yet, tis but for a time, he commands it to return again, and tells them as his friends, light is their possession, and that at last they shall ascend up into light.

There is a second Classis of Interpreters, who expound these two Verses wholly as a description of the Clouds meeting together and assaulting one another, like two great Champions and Warriors in battle. The learned Beza translates the first part of the 32d Verse conformably to the Vulgar Latin last spoken of, He hideth the light in either hand, or both hands; and the latter part of that Verse, together with the whole 33d Verse, in conformity to the sense now given; He gives it (namely the light or Lightening) command concerning that which meets or comes against it (namely where and how to receive the fo • ce or charge of the other cloud that is ready to assault it) the noise, the strife, the anger of it against the ascender (or cloud coming up) plainly declareth this. Some of the Jewish Doctors insist much in the description of this conflict between the Clouds above, and the ascending Clouds, concerning which the reader may consult them for further information; but the difficulties of this translation noted by Modern Expositors, especially by Mercer and Merlin, are so many that it may suffice to name it.

Thirdly, Mr. Broughton, thus, By hands he covereth the light, and chargeth it as man doth pray, declaring his favor towards him, the cattle and also plants. The meaning is (which several others follow in translating and opening this con • ext) That when God covereth the light or causeth darkness, yet at the intercession or prayer of his people he makes a change and causeth great serenity, giving comfortable times, & thereby declaring his favor towards them, yea, and towards the cattle and the plants, which feed upon ascend or grow up out of the earth. Junius consents fully with this sense, whose Translation and gloss upon it I shall present the reader, and submit all to his judgment and consideration; With his hands he hideth the light (that is, he makes it dark as laying his hand upon it) and he f • rbids it (namely his hand to hide the light any longer) because of him that intercedeth (that is, Noah in the time of the general flood, and the Godly, who according to the example of Noah come to God, Jam. 5.16.) declaring towards him (that is, the Godly man praying and worshiping God) his good will, yea, towards the cattle and fruits of the earth.

These are the most eminent conceptions which I find upon the text; all of them containing truths, and such as may occasion useful meditations. But I rather adhere to our own version, in which, as the power of God in changing the weather is held out, so his goodness in giving signs and warnings of it, both by the noises which we hear in the air, and by some unusual actions and motions, which we may see among Cattle here upon the earth.