Exposition of Job 22-26

ELIPHAZ now enters his third and last contest with Job; in which some tell us that he behaveth himself like a man who seeks Victory rather then Truth: who though he hath been sufficiently answered, yet will not seem to be overcome; yea that he takes up the same weapons to maintain this third, with which he maintained his two former Encounters; The first in the fourth and fifth Chapters, and the second in the 15 ^th . as if he were resolved to contradict, though he could not confute the reasons wherewith Job had made his defense.

But as such a carriage as this in Disputation is altogether vain in it self, so it is most uncomely in a wise and godly man; who ought not to refuse truth and reason though spoken by an Adversary, but rather modestly to sit down and confess his own error and mistaking: And therefore though Eliphaz in this answer or triplication doth but roll the same stone, and move upon the same hinge in general; still adjudging Job to suffer for his sin, and to be punished as an evil doer; yet he puts all into a new method, and varies the sceane or manner of his argumentation, which may be reduced to this form; as if Eliphaz had said: O Job! if thou sufferest all these evils for some cause (as certainly thou dost, for these things could not come by chance, but by the wise disposure and providence of God) then that cause or reason for which thou sufferest, must either be found in God or in thyself: If thou sayest the reason is in God, and that he doth it by his prerogative, thou dost rashly intrude thyself into his secrets, and art over-bold or curious in searching into his hidden counsels; and when thou hast made out thy conjectures, we may as easily deny as thou dost affirm: but if thou hast recourse to, and refl • ctest upon thy own self for the cause of thy sorrows and sufferings, surely thou canst find out or pitch upon nothing else but thy sinfulness and abounding transgressions, which while thou refusest to acknowledge, thou dost but harden thy heart against God, and growest impatient under the rebukes of his afflicting hand, therefore I admonish thee to repent, &c. This seems to be the sum of that whole discourse which Eliphaz gives in this Chapter, as will further appear in the explication of the parts.

Again we may contract his scope and give it in this brief; Job having constantly affirmed against his friends, that God equally afflicts the righteous and the wicked: and having said (which might have gained respect to what he was about to say) that he pleaded for God (Chap. 21.4. As for me, is my complaint to man, or for man, no, it is to God, or in God's behalf.) Hereupon Eliphaz taxes him with this presumption, as if he would needs undertake to be a patron for God, and so to bring him in some advantage, or to stand him instead, for the maintaining of his cause; therefore he begins his speech with this chiding expostulation; Can man be profitable unto God? or (suppose thou wert (which I shall presently disprove) as thou hast often boasted, righteous, yet) is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?

This seems to be the intent of the whole Chapter, in which we may further take notice of two distinct parts. The first is reprehensory, Eliphaz reproves and rebukes Job sorely, to the end of the 20. verse.

The second is hortatory; Eliphaz moveth Job earnestly to repentance, in which he coucheth many Promises, and gives Assurance that it shall not be in vain, from the 20 ^th ver. to the end of the Chapter; Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace, thereby good shall come unto thee, &c.

The first part, his reprehension begins at the second verse.

There are three readings of these words. First thus, Can a man be compared to God? Some labor much in the defense of this reading, but I shall not stay upon it. For though it be a truth that man cannot be compared to God, how wise or how good soever he is. What's the wisdom or the goodness of man to God? Yet the Original Text doth not freely yield it self up to that translation which bears this truth.

2. Master Broughton renders thus. Can the human wight teach the Omnipotent? that word which we render to be profitable, he, to Teach; The Chaldee Paraphrase favors this translation, and some render it so in both parts of the verse; Can a man teach God, As he that is wise may teach himself? If a man should be so bold to take upon him to teach God, would God regard his teachings? but I shall pass by this also, especially considering that Eliphaz had no reason to tax Job with such a Presumption, as if he had taken upon him to direct God how to order his affairs; when as Job himself ( Chap. 21. v. 22.) had strongly repressed and condemned such a boldness. Shall any teach God knowledge? Job having so lately exalted God above man's teaching (as was shown in opening that verse) it is not probable that Eliphaz should reprove him, as conceiting himself wise enough to teach God: Or that he thought Job either had done, or was about to do that which with his last breath almost, he confessed no man could do.

The third is our reading, Can a man be profitable unto God? Can a man? he doth not mean an ordinary weak, sickly, frail man; but a man, yea any man at his best: the word here used notes a man in his health, strength, and glory; a man in the flower and perfection not only of his natural abilities, but in the richest furniture and array of his acquired, yea inspired abilities. Take this man, a man of these atttainments, a man thus accomplisht, and Can he be profitable to God? For as when the Psalmist saith ( Psal. 33.17.) A horse is a vain thing to save a man; By the horse there, we are not to understand a lean, poor, weak, slow-pac'd horse, or a strong, swift horse unmanned; Such a horse indeed is a very vain thing to save a man by; Such a horse may do a man more hurt then help when he comes into danger; but the Psalmist means a horse of the greatest strength, courage, and swiftness: A horse exactly man'd, and taught all his postures, even such a horse is a vain thing to save a man. Again, when the Scripture saith, Christ came to save sinners, we must not understand it of lesser, lower, or of the ordinary sort of sinners only, but even of the highest and the greatest, for such Jesus Christ came to save as well as the least of sinners. So here when 'tis said, Can a man be profitable to God? we must expound it of the highest, of the learnedst, of the holiest, of the best of men; Can a man be profitable unto God? The word is El, The strong God; Can the strongest man be profitable unto the strong, the mighty, the omnipotent, the Almighty God? Can he be profitable? Can he bring any advantage, gain, or profit to God? Should he reason with unprofitable talk (saith Eliphaz. Chap. 15.3.) or with words that bring in no Profit? A word of the same root, signifies a Treasurer, who is a keeper of public Profits ( Isaiah 22.15.) Go, get thee unto this Treasurer, even unto Shebna. Can a man be profitable? Thus Eliphaz reproves Job for insisting so often upon his own innocence, as if that were an Advantage to God? As if he had said, how holy or righteous soever any man is, the Lord receives no advantage by him. So that Eliphaz (it seems) apprehended Job trusting or boasting of somewhat in himself, as if he had thought God his debtor, or that he had done somewhat for which God was beholding to him. And upon this ground, that God is debtor, or beholding to no man; Eliphaz undertakes Job: And though his supposition was false, yet his position was true, and gives us this profitable observation,

That which is our duty to do, cannot merit when we have done it. We cannot oblige either God or man by performing our own obligation. Thus Christ argues, Luk. 17.7. Which of you having a servant ploughing or feeding Cattle, will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field, go and sit down to meat? And will not say unto him, make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken, and afterward thou shalt eat and drink. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye have done all these things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do. Where Christ proves, that because the servant had done no more then was his duty to do, therefore he did not merit in doing it. When you have done all that is commanded you, say ye are unprofitable servants. He that doth all those things that are commanded him, is a man indeed, a man of worth, a man of men, yet (let that be granted that he reacheth to the utmost line of the Command) he is an unprofitable servant, he hath but done his duty.

There is another Parable in this Gospel of Luke that seems to be somewhat opposite to this ( Chap. 12. v. 36, 37.) And ye yourselves be like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants, w • om when the Lord cometh, he shall find so watching, that is, at their work. Watching is not meant here of a bare waking, or not being asleep, for a man may watch, in that sense, and yet be as bad as a sleeper: To be found awake, and yet idle, to be found awake yet doing nothing, is as blameable as to be found asleep: So that to be found watching, is to be found intent upon, and laboring in the work of the Lord. Blessed be those servants whom when their Lord cometh he shall find so watching ) what will he do? Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth to serve them. In the 17 ^th Chap. Christ saith; If a servant have been hard at work in the service of his Lord, even as a man that is come from Plow, or from feeding his Cattle, yet his Master doth not say to him, sit down to meat, but first bids him gird himself and serve him, and afterward go to meat. But here 'tis said, the Lord presently girds himself, and makes his servants sit down to meat, and will come and serve them: so that here he speaks, as if the Lord were much beholding to these servants, whereas before he speaks of them as unprofitable servants, to whom he was not at all beholding.

For the clearing of these two Parables, we are to distinguish them by their scopes. The scope of the Parable in the 12 ^th Chapter is to show, that the diligent servant shall receive much from the hands of the Lord, or that the labor of the diligent servant shall not be in vain, or unprofitable to him.

But the scope of the Parable in the 17 ^th Cha. is to show, that the most diligent servant cannot do anything that is profitable unto his Lord. He may do that which may be profitable to himself, but he can do nothing that can be profitable to his Lord, that's the scope of the 17 ^th Chapter, which falls in fully with the Text, and Observation that I am now upon. There is a wide difference between these two parables. To show what a diligent servant may expect, is one thing, and what the most diligent servant can challenge or require is another. For indeed those servants in the 12 ^th Chapter, to whom the Lord administers the Supper, or to whom he ministers at Supper, must say that they are unprofitable servants to the Lord; though they are to acknowledge (to the praise of their Lord) that his service hath not been unprofitable unto them, and they must say so upon these Considerations.

First he is their Lord, they his servants, not their own (1 Cor. 6.20.) Ye are bought with a price, ye are not your own, therefore glorify God in your bodies & in your spirits which are God's. God is the owner of our bodies and spirits, ourselves are the Lord's. Now if we ourselves, our bodies, and our spirits are the Lord's, then much more are our services his. If the person be another's, all the work done by him must be his too.

Secondly, the house wherein these servants are feasted is the Lord's. The whole fabric of heaven and earth is his house, He hath set it up to entertain and feast his people in.

Thirdly, All the cheer and good things with which the Lord feasteth his servants (all the comforts which grace holds out in this life, or glory in the next life) are of his own provision, the whole furniture of the Table is of his cost and charge, therefore they are obliged to their Lord, not their Lord to them; he is indeed profitable unto them, but they are not profitable unto him: They by their sloth and idleness might deserve to be sent supperlesse and hungry to bed, but by all their pains and diligence they could not deserve their Supper; Can a man be profitable unto God?

Secondly, Observe,

If there be an impossibility that man should be profitable unto God, then he is Self-sufficient, and altogether Independent, in reference to man: He that cannot receive any addition is perfect in himself, and he that is self-sufficient, needs not: to receive any addition from another, is an argument of imperfection. And seeing God neither receives, nor can receive anything from another, he must needs be perfect in himself. David (Psal. 16.2.) speaking of himself (as the type of Christ) saith, O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord (that is, thou art my Portion and my All) but my goodness extendeth not to thee, I am not able to do any good which reacheth to thy benefit, or increaseth thy happiness, for thou art mine. In the 50 ^th Psalm the Lord asserts this his own independency; If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine & the fullness thereof. If I had any hunger (that is, any defect upon me) I need not go to the creature to ask a supply, I could supply myself if there were any need, but there's none: The Lord is infinitely above all hunger, above all wants and defects whatsoever. He indeed threatens Idolaters, that he will famish all their gods (Zeph. 2.11.) Idols shall be hungry, they shall be famished, and have none to administer anything to them. This the Lord doth, when he with-draws their respect and worship, that name and reputation which once they had in the world from them; worship is the food of Idols, that keeps lifeless Idols (as it were) alive, and therefore falls gods are famished, when their false worship is cast down; but who can famish the Lord? If I were hungry, &c. I would not tell you; Can man be profitable unto God?

But it may be objected; Cannot a man be profitable to God? is man no advantage, no help to him? why then ( Judge. 5.23.) Sings Deborah, Curse ye Meroz, said the Angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. It should seem then that the Lord had need of the help of these inhabitants of Meroz, and if they had come forth, it had been an advantage to him, why else were they cursed for not coming forth to the help of the Lord?

I answer, man is said to help the Lord, when he helps in the Lord's cause. Personally the Lord needeth not my help, but the Lord may be helped relatively, in his Cause, and in his people. Thus we help the Lord, when we help man, when we help the Church, and people of God; It is our honor as well as our duty, to help his People, and give assistance in his Cause; This the Lord takes so well at our hands, that he reckons it as help given to himself.

Again, if we consider the help as given to the Lord's people, we are not to conceive that the Lord needed the help of these men of Meroz, as if he could not help them himself without the assistance or aid of man. For when he seeth that there is no man, then his own arm brings salvation, Isa. 59.16. 'It is the duty of man to come forth and draw his sword in the Lord's quarrel against the mighty, but the Lord needeth not the sword of man to subdue the mightiest.

Secondly, It may be objected; Cannot man be profitable unto God? he speaks of the Church of the Jews, in such language as implies them a profit to him. Exod. 19.5. Now if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. And is there no profit in a treasure? Again, Deut. 32.9. The Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Hath a man no profit by his portion? no advantage by his Inheritance? Now if the Lord's People be his Portion, his Inheritance, his Treasure, his peculiar special treasure, how then can it be said, they are no profit, no advantage to him?

I answer, the Lord's people are his treasure, not because they enrich him, but because he hath a high esteem of them. The Lord's People are his treasure, not because they profit him, but because he protects them: If I say to a man, you shall be a treasure to me; I may do it, not because I expect any profit from him, but because I have a high esteem of him, and resolve to protect and defend him as I do my own portion and treasure; In this sense doth the Lord say of his People, Ye are my treasure. We esteem treasure, and treasures are under protection, lest any take them from us. Thus the Lord speaks of his People, not that he hath any profit or gain by them, as men who ordinarily have Portions and Inheritances in Fields or Houses which are their stock and livelihood. Indeed there is a Revenue which the Lord hath by his People as they are his portion; that is, a Revenue of glory and honor, not a revenue of profit. But if you say glory and honor is profit, and an advantage to man, is it not then an advantage to God to be glorified by man?

I answer, It is no advantage to God when he is glorified by man. Our glorifying of God doth not add any glory to him that he had not, but it is only the setting forth of that glory which he had; there is no increase of his fullness by all the honor and glory that the creature gives him. We are commanded to glorify God. ( Matth. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ) But God doth not receive any additional glory by us, how much or how clearly soever our light shineth before men. A candle adds more light to the Sun, then all the creatures in the world can add to the glory of God, when they have studied his glory, and labored to glorify him to the utmost all their days.

Thirdly, that of David may be yet objected, Psal. 4.3. The Lord hath set apart for himself the man that is godly. And is so, then it seems he intends to make some profit of him; it is an allusion unto those that vend wares: A Merchant looks upon this and that commodity, and then saith this is for my turn, this I like, set it apart for me. Seeing then the Lo • d sets the godly apart for himself, it sounds as if he meant to make some gain or advantage by him.

I answer, the meaning of that Scripture is not, that God sets a godly man apart as one that he gets profit by, but as one that he intends to bestow mercy upon; or he sets him apart for service, not for gain; The Lord serves his own ends by the service of man every day, and sets apart the godly man for his special service.

Yet a little further, I shall demonstrate that a man cannot be profitable to God.

First, God had all perfection before man was, therefore man cannot profit God. Psal. 90.2. From everlasting, and to everlasting thou art God, shat is, thou art infinite in glory and excellency from everlasting. God was God as much before there was a creature, as he hath been ever since the creatures were; therefore creatures add nothing at all to him.

2. All the goodness and profitableness of man comes from God, therefore no profit goes unto God from man: that's the Apostles argument, Acts 17.25. where he shows that man cannot advantage God, no not by worship. He is not worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything. What, do you think God calleth for your worship, because he needs your worship? or as if he could not tell how to be without your worship? Nothing less; Seeing he giveth to all life and breath & all things. He that gives all things to all men, needs nothing of any man: heres the Apostles argument, the Lord giveth out all things, life, breath, and all comforts whatsoever to all men, therefore he needs nothing of any man, no not the worship of any man. 1 Cor. 4.7. The Apostle assigns that reason against boasting: What hast thou that thou hast not received, wherefore then dost thou boast? When do men boast? even when they think they have done God a good turn. What hast thou that thou hast not received? therefore why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it. What can he receive of us from whom we receive our all? And though we must return all to him in a way of thankfulness and duty, yet God needs not that we should return anything to him in a way of largesse or supply.

3. Take this demonstration of it; they who live much in God, even they (upon the matter) need little or nothing of the creature; they (upon the matter) are Independent as to the creature who depend fully upon the Creator. The good or evil of this world is not much to them, who are much with God. They have but little to do with the creature, and can do well enough without the creature. ( Hab. 3.17.) Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. As if he had said, what if all creature comforts are taken away from me, I can live upon God alone. The life of a Believer is much above the creature, how much more is the life of the Creator? The Apostle (2 Cor. 6.10.) speaking of himself, saith, as having nothing, & yet possessing all things. If Paul by the high actings of his faith & dependencies upon God could say he possessed all things, while he was as having nothing in the creature. Surely God hath all, when he hath nothing of or from the creature; He may say in the strictest sense, having nothing (of these things) and yet possessing all things. Lay these two observations together.

First, That the Creature cannot oblige God.

Secondly, That God is Independent, absolute, perfect without the creature, and the result of both will rise up in these eight conclusions.

First, this will follow, That we should not murmur, nor be discontented with our Estate whatsoever it is, why? we are not profitable unto God, we have deserved nothing at his hand. Discontent ariseth from pride, from an opinion that we are not answered according to our worth; we should never be discontented, were we convinced that we are altogether worthless. Do but sit down in this thought that man cannot be profitable unto God in any state, and then be discontented with your state if you can.

Secondly, If the creature cannot be profitable unto God, Then, all that God doth for man, yea for Angels, proceedeth from his free grace. We give him nothing afore-hand, nor anything afterward, therefore it is grace before, and grace after grace in all. We receive grace when we have no grace, and we receive more grace when we have it; yet by the grace we have we do not deserve to receive more; As we received the first grace, merely of gracc, so we do the second. No man is aforehand with God; if any think they are, let them show their Bills, what they have brought in, and it shall be acknowledged. Rom. 11.35, 36. Who hath first given, and it shall be recompensed to him again? For, of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever, Amen.

Thirdly, If man cannot be profitable unto God, then as none should dare to come to God in their own worthiness, so none should fear to come to God because of their unworthiness. We should not be discouraged, though as yet dead and fruitless, though vain and unbelieving; The worst of men should not keep off from God, because they are unprofitable, seeing the best cannot profit him. If we have don much it is nothing to the Lord: and if we have done nothing, it is no bar to the Lord's doing much for us. God will not turn us back because we bring him nothing, nay he invites us to come without anything ( Isaiah 55.1.) Ho everyone that thirsteth come to the waters, buy, &c. Here is buying, but for what? for profit? no, but come buy wine & milk without money and without price. God doth not expect any profit; there is a kind of buying, but its not for money, nor for money worth. As the Lord sometimes sells his people, so he always sels his graces and comforts, for naught (Psal. 44.12.) Thou sellest thy people for naught, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. That is, thou leavest thy people under miseries and afflictions, by which it doth not appear that thou gettest any honor. Now as the Lord doth sometimes sell his people, so he also sells his mercy and grace to his people (as to any desert of theirs) for naught; he sells without money and without price, therefore be not discouraged if you have nothing of your own of any worth to present unto him. Say not, Wherewith shall we come before the Lord? The poorer you come in your own thoughts, the richer you shall return; For he filleth the hungry with good things, but the rich he sendeth empty away.

Fourthly, If man cannot be profitable unto God, then our gifts and parts, yea our holiness and graces do not make us necessary unto God. God may say unto the great Ones of the Earth, I have no need of you, and to the rich I have no need of you, and to the wise, I have no need of you; yea he may say unto the godly and to the holy, I have no need of you neither. There is no creature necessary to God, seeing he cannot only (as we say) live, but live in the heights of happiness without the Creature.

Fifthly, If no man can be profitable unto God, then whatsoever God requires of us, he aims at our profit, and not at his own; all is for us, or for our good, which will appear more fully in the opening the n • xt clause; He that is wise may he profitable to himself. The Lord hath designed all our wisdom and obedience to our own benefit: So Moses spake to the people of Israel (Deu. 6.24.) The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. It is not for the Lord's good, but it is for our good that he commands, and we obey. And as the Lord commanded all things in the Law for our good, not for his own: so he commands us to believe the Gospel not for his good, but for our own; he is not to be saved by it, it is we that are to be saved by it. He doth not call us to work as men do their servants, that he might play the good husband, and get some profit by keeping us hard at labor. Indeed the Lord keepeth his servants hard at labor night and day, they must be continually upon duty: But he doth it not (as I may say) to play the good husband, to increase his stock by it, but it is for our profit. That which Christ speaks ( Mar. 2.27.) about the Sabbath, is true of all other the commands of God, we are apt to think, that God requires a seventh day, because it is for his profit and advantage; no saith Christ, the Lord hath not an eye to himself, but to man; The Sabbath was made for man; that is, for man's advantage, that he might look heaven ward, that he might work in the things which concern his own blessedness, therefore hath the Lord appointed him a resting day. The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Sixthly, Then our disobedience cannot hurt God, our sin • cannot disadvantage him, impair his blessedness, o • diminish his glory. As man's obedience is no profit, so his disobedience is no disprofit to God. Sinners shall be punished, as they who have wronged and dishonored God, they shall be dealt with as such: But really, all the sins of the world do not bring any damage or disadvantage to God; Elihu is express to this point, in the 35. Chap. of this Book, verse. 6, 7. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? (Every sin is against the mind of God, but no sin is against the happiness of God) or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? is God impaired by it? Surely no, God doth not loose a pinn from his sleeve (as I may say) by all the sins committed in the world; He hath no dependence at all upon our obedience for his blessedness; our sins cannot hurt him, as our obedience cannot help him, which Elihu shows in the next verse; If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Seventhly, hence see the honor of God, that hath made so many creatures, and man especially of whom himself hath no need, that hath so many to serve him, and yet needs none of their services. Give God this glory: We think those men are very glorious and honouurable who have but as much of the creature as will serve their turn; all creatures are the Lord's, yet he is not necessitated to serve his turn by any of them.

Eighthly, then, see what an obligation lieth upon us continually to bless God, to be thankful to him, to walk humbly with him, who gives us so many profits, when as we do not profit him at all. God prizeth that highly by which himself hath no benefit; he prizes the actings of faith and holiness highly, but he hath no advantage by them: God gives us profit by these, though himself be not profited, though he is not the better by anything we do, yet we are the better; The Lord binds himself by promise, that the least good we do in sincerity shall have a good reward; He that gives but a cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple, shall not lose his reward. But if we give thousands of Gold and Silver to poor Disciples, what profit hath God by it? And yet though none of the profit comes to his hand, yet he reckons it as if all were put into his hand. All the charity and compassion shown to his people, Christ taketh to himself ( Matth. 25.) In that ye have done it unto these, ye have done it unto me. Christ had no need of alms, of visiting or clothing, yet he counts it as done to himself, when we do it to any of his.

Some give the meaning of the words thus: Doth it follow, that a man can be profitable unto God, because a wise man may be profitable to himself? our reading reaches the same sense. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? It doth not follow, because A man may profit another man, or profit himself, that therefore he may profit God. That's the sum of the argument.

The word in the root of it signifies to Understand, to be Prudent; and by a Metonymy to be happy, or to prosper, because usually affairs succeed well and prosper in the hands of wise men; and happiness usually follows wisdom; therefore to be wise, and to be profitable, are signified by one and the same word in the Hebrew. So in this Text, He that is wise is profitable to himself, that is, his affairs shall prosper. We find this Title prefixed to divers Psalms, Maschil, which is as much as A teaching Psalm, a Psalm making wise, a Psalm for Instruction. This Title is given those Psalms, which as they have some extraordinary matter, so usually they are Psalms of complaint under affliction; and the reason of that is, because there is much instruction in correction, much light of holy knowledge is to be had in the School of the Cross: therefore usually those Psalms that describe the afflictions of the Church, are called Maschil, Psalms of Instruction.

He that is wise, and instructs: or he that is wise as having received instruction, may be profitable to himself. All wisdom is not profitable to man, for there is a wisdom of which the Scripture saith, that God will destroy it; a man cannot profit himself by that; and there is a wisdom which is earthly sensual and devilish (Jam. 3.15.) A man (be he never so wise according to this wisdom) shall not profit himself by it. There are a sort of wise men whom the Lord will take in their craftiness (1 Cor. 3.19.) and how can such profit themselves by their wisdom? There are wise men whose thoughts the Lord knoweth to be but vain, that is, unprofitable, therefore these cannot profit themselves: Then what is that wisdom which Eliphaz means when he saith, He that is wise may be profitable to himself?

I answer, The wise man here intended is not the man that is politically wise, worldly wise, carnally or craftily wise, but the man spiritually wise, his wisdom will bring him in profit. He that is guided by holy and godly wisdom, shall reap the benefit and eat the fruit of it. We have such wisdom described ( Psal. 111.10.) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding have all they that keep his Commandments; he doth not say, a good understanding have all they that know his Commandments, for many may know the Commandments, and yet not have a good understanding; but they have a good understanding indeed that do his Commandments. And when the Psalmist saith, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the word Beginning signifies not on • lie the first step or entrance into a thing, but the head or hight of it; so that Beginning is as much as chief, or principal, the best wisdom, the chief, the top wisdom, the head wisdom, or the head of wisdom, is the fear of the Lord. Job gives the same description of wisdom, in the last words of the twenty-eighth Chapter, Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to depart from evil that is understanding. Would you know what is true wisdom, 'tis the fear of the Lord: would ye know who is wise? The godly man is the truly wise man, yea he is the only wise man.

But then it may be questioned, May a wise man be profitable to himself? Doth not the Apostle say ( Rom. 14.7.) None of us liveth to himself, &c. Then how can a man be wise to himself? And doth not the Apostle give the rule (2 Cor. 5.15.) Christ died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves: If we may not live to ourselves, how then doth he say here, that the wise man is profitable to himself? He that is profitable to himself, lives to himself, doth he not?

I answer, First, the wise man must not make his own profit the end or the design of his wisdom, but he may look upon his own profit as that which will be the issue, frui • , and cons • quent of his wisdom. A carnal man looks to and loves his work for the rewards sake: A godly man may look to and love his reward for the works sake. ( Prov. 9.12.) If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thyself, that is, the fruit or the good of thy wisdom will drop into thy own bosom. A wise man may look for his advantage in the end of his work, though he is not to make his own advantage the end of his work. We are not to make either temporal or eternal advantages, the end of our wisdom; but we may look upon them as fruits and effects that God leads us to by the exercise of wisdom.

Secondly, I answer, a wise man cannot be profitable to himself as the founder of his own happiness, or as having a sufficiency in himself to make himself happy; but a wise man may be a means or an instrument of his own happiness; and walking in the way of wisdom, he walks in the way to his own happiness. Thus he that is godly wise, or that feareth God, may be profitable to himself.

Hence Observe,

The Apostle (1 Tim. 4.8.) assureth us that Godliness is profitable for all things. The greatest gain in the world is Godliness, It hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come. Whatsoever drops out of any promise of the Gospel, falls into the lap of a goly man; the promises are his, and therefore the good of the promise is his. When the promises open at any time, and give forth their virtue, they must needs give it forth to him that is wise, to him that is godly, for godliness hath the promises. When the Apostle had rebuked a sort of men that made godliness only a stalking-hors to get gain, he presently adds, But Godliness is great gain, if a man be content with what he hath. Godliness it self is great gain, if we have no more, but godliness brings in gain, abundance of gain, besides it self. ( Matth. 6.35.) Seek first the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be added (or cast in as an advantage) to you. The Apostle ( Rom. 6.21.) puts a kind of holy scorn upon sinners, come, tell me, What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed? What fruit have you by your folly, pride, worldliness, envy, what fruit have you found in these things? Bring me in an account of your gain by trading in any sin. The end of these things is death; there is no great profit in that. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Here are fruits good store, and all good fruits both for here and hereafter. We can never want fruit ourselves, while we are bringing forth fruit unto God: All obedience is attended with a blessing, and though as was touched before, we cannot be the founders of our own blessedness, nor must we merely design our own happiness, or aim at our own pro ••• 〈◊〉 that is mercenary service) yet we may look at our own happiness and profit, yea and Lay up for ourselves a good foundation, as Paul adviseth rich men (1 Tim. 6.1 • .) We then make the best of our riches, when we lay up for ourselves a good foundation. But can a man lay a foundation of his happiness in his riches? what a rotten foundation will that be? what hay and stubble (in this sense) will gold and silver be? What's the meaning of it then when the Apostle saith, Laying up for yourselves a good foundation?

I answer, we do it by the right improvement of riches (for he speaks there to rich men) not that we can lay any foundation to build upon beside Jesus Christ, for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid, even Jesus Christ; but when our hearts are not glued to the creature, but we use them in a holy manner, here's our laying up a good foundation. A godly wise man may look upon his right improvement of worldly riches, as an effect of the grace and love of Christ dwelling in his heart; and thus he may be said to lay up for himself a good foundation. And further, a believer may look upon his worldly profits as a fruit of the same grace, the Lord having promised that he will bless and provide for him, so that every way a wise man may be profitable to himself. Thus Eliphaz hath at once asserted a possibility for a man to be profitable to himself, and denied any possibility that a man can be profitable unto God, which he further explains in the next words.

In the former Verse Eliphaz denied in general that God receiveth any benefit from man: In this third Verse he speaks the same thing, but somewhat more distinctly, denying first that he receives any pleasure which might add to his blessedness, or secondly any gain which might add to his abundance. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Is it any gain to him that thou makest thy way perfect? As if he had said. Is the blessedness of God increased by thy righteousness? Or doth the perfection of thy ways augment his treasure? Is he either the happier or the richer by anything thou art or canst do? That's the scope and sense of the words in general.

The word which we Translate Pleasure, signifies the will, and because it is so great a pleasure unto man to have his will, therefore the same w • rd signifieth both pleasure and the will. So the word is used ( Psal. 1.2.) Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of God; that is, whose will is there, or who takes pleasure in the Law of God, his will being resolved into the will of God. Then we take pleasure and delight in a thing when we conform to it, or close with it. The judgment of God is so expressed upon Coniah (Jer. 22.28.) Is this man Coniah a despised broken Idol? Is he a vessel wherein there is no pleasure? A Vessel for the lowest use, as 'tis interpreted, ver. 21. A vessel in which there is no complacency, it is only for necessity. So the word is taken also ( Prov. 3.15.) He is more precious then Rubies, all the things thou canst desire (or have pleasure in) are not to be compared to him. And again, ( Isa. 58.13.) If thou forbear to do thy pleasure upon mine holy day. What is the pleasure of a carnal man upon the Sabbath, upon the holy day of God? It is to do his own will, and not the will of God. If thou forbear to do thine own pleasure, that is, thine own will upon my holy day. Thus here, Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? The Septuagint Translate somewhat differently, What cares the Almighty if thou art unblameable in thy ways? Thus a man usually speaks of that wherein he hath no pleasure, What care I for it? Is it any pleasure, &c.

Righteousness is twofold: First of Justification (so some understand it here) Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art justified? Or secondly there is a righteousness in Conversation, so most understand it here; Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art holy? Which is the same with the latter clause of the Text, That thou makest thy way perfect.

Further, the word signifies to plead our own justice, as well as to have a justice or righteousness of our own. And thus it may be Expounded in this place. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous, that is, that Thou dost justify thyself or (as Mr. Broughton) pleadest justice. Dost thou justify thyself, or stand upon thine own integrity, and then think to please God, or to carry the day against man, upon those terms? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty? That word fully hits the design of Eliphaz, it signifies both Almighty and All-sufficient, one that hath all in his own compa •• , that needs not go out of himself to fetch in any supplies or aid from abroad. He is self-sufficient, and he hath a sufficiency for all others. Is it any pleasure to this Almighty one, that thou dost thus justify thyself?

As it is no pleasure, so no gain. The second Verse before opened clears the mind of this clause. What there he calleth profit, is here called gain, in different words: And the word here used is rendered indifferently both gain and profit. ( Gen. 37.26.) When Joseph was cast into the pit, Judah said, What profit is it to slay our Brother, let us sell him; let us make gain of him that way, slaying him will be no profit to us. And as it signifies gain, so covetousness, & the reason is because covetousness hath gain for its object, covetousness provokes men to seek gain. Jethro (Exod. 18.21.) gives council that Magistrates should be Men fearing God and hating covetousness, or hating gain, that is not only all covetous practices, but inordinate desires of gain, for these lead into unlawful ways of gain, even to the perverting of Justice.

Is it any gain to him that thou makest [thy way] perfect? That is, thy life, thy conversation, thy course; what though thou strivest after the highest attainments of grace, the purest purity of life, is this any gain to the Lord? The Septuagint render, That thou makest thy way simple. The simple, sincere, plain way is the perfect way. The perfection of our way is the simplicity, sincerity, and uprightness of it.

Another reads, Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thy way is undefiled, Or clean, that thou doest sweep and wash thy way, so that there is no spot to be seen upon it. ( Psal. 119.1.) Blessed are the undefiled or perfect in the way. The several parts of this Psalm begin with a new Letter, according to the order of the Hebrew Alphabet, intimating that it ought to be learned even of Children, as one of the Ancients infers from it. The undefiled in the way are such (properly) as have been holy or pure from their youth, such as did never corrupt their ways. Timothy is said from a Child to learn the Scriptures. Suppose thy way thus perfect, that none could tax thee with any gross sin, even from thy Child-hood, could this be any gain to the Almighty?

There is yet another Translation, which implieth not only the study of holiness, but a boasting in holiness, Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou doest justify thyself? Or is it any gain to him that thou dost affirm thy ways are perfect? So it falls in with the third rendering of the former clause.

For the understanding and further clearing of these words, I shall draw them forth into distinct Propositions, which will be as so many Observations from the Text. It may seem a very Paradox to assert that it is no pleasure to the Almighty that a man makes his way perfect, therefore take the sense first in three Affirmative Propositions, and then in three that are Negative.

First, The Lord hath pleasure in us as we are righteous in Christ. Yea he loves to hear us boast of this righteousness, and glory in it; and the more we do so, the more pleasure he taketh in it. ( Isa. 45.25.) Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness, even to him shall men come, &c. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. The seed of Israel are righteous in the Lord, and glory in that righteousness; yea the Lord is pleased to hear them glorying in that righteousness, for that's the righteousness of his Son, in whom he is well pleased, (Mat. 3. • 7.) And because the Church is clothed with this righteousness, therefore she is called The Lord's delight, (Isai. 62.4.) Thou shalt no more be called forsaken, neither shall thy Land anymore be termed desolate, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, & thy land Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee. Thou shalt be called my delight, or my pleasure is in her. The word of the Text, the Lord's pleasure is in the Church, and therefore the Lord's pleasure is in the Church, because the Church is adorned and beautified with the righteousness of Jesus Christ; this is it which causeth the Lord to call his Church Hephzibah, My pleasure is in her. When Eliphaz inquireth, Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? We may answer, the Lord hath pleasure in this righteousness, and as he tells the Church, so every particular Believer, his delight and pleasure is in him.

Secondly, God takes pleasure also in us as we are righteous in Conversation. David (Psal. 147.10, 11.) gives a clear proof of it both in the negative and in the affirmative. The Lord delighteth not in the strength of a Horse, he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord's delight is neither in Horses nor in men, neither in their strength, nor in their beauty: wherein is the Lord's pleasure then? The next words show us where, He takes pleasure in them that fear him and hope in his mercy. This Scripture seems to speak directly contrary to Eliphaz in Job, he saith, Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? But David saith, The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him; therefore we must not understand Eliphaz in this sense, as if the Lord had no delight or contentment at all in the holiness of his people, as if it were all one to him whether they are holy or unholy: There is a Generation who say, that all actions are alike, and that it is all one before God, whether men be righteous or unrighteous, whether they do good or evil: woe to them that understand this Scripture in such a corrupt sense, for the Lord doth not only hate iniquity, but he is Of purer eyes then to behold any iniquity. He hath no pleasure either in unrighteousness, or in the unrighteous, but both righteousness and the righteous are his pleasure. There are three things which I shall touch for the confirmation of it.

First, the Lord cannot but take pleasure in his own Image: Now that righteousness which is implanted in us, and put forth by us, the righteousness of our natures and of our actions, as we are regenerate, is nothing else but the Image of God renewed upon us. Seeing then God cannot but take pleasure in his own Image, therefore it is a wickedness to think that God takes no pleasure in a righteous man or in his righteousness.

Secondly, as this righteousness is the image of God in us, so it is the very workmanship of God upon us ( Ephes. 2.10.) For we are his workmanship; we are so not only first in our natural capacity, as we are men, and secondly in our civil capacity as such or such men, high or low, rich or poor, but also (which is the thing intended by the Apostle) in our spiritual capacity as Saints. Thus we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. The same Apostle saith again, He that hath wrought us for this self same thing is God, (2 Cor. 5.5.) Is it possible that God should have no pleasure in his own works? We read in the first of Genesis, that when he had made the world, the Lord saw all that he had made, and behold it was very good. God hath an All-seeing eye, he always beholdeth all things, but when 'tis said, he saw all that he had made, this imports a special act of God, after the manner of men, who strictly view and behold what they have done, delighting in it; Thus the Lord saw all that he had made, he (as it were) came to view his own work, he saw and behold it was very good, he took pleasure in it. Now if God took pleasure in that structure and fabric of the world, the first Creation, how much more doth he take pleasure in that holiness which he hath wrought in the hearts of his people, which is a second creation? and that's a more curious and noble structure then this visible world is. The new Creation is more excellent then the old. Therefore the Lord cannot but delight in a righteous person for he is his workmanship. What Job (Ch. 14.15.) assures himself of, is most true in this respect. Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. Job speaks there of his outward man: my body (he means) was made by thee, 'tis the work of thy hands and thou wilt fetch it back again, thou wilt redeem it from the dust. Whatsoever hath the workmanship of God upon it, he hath pleasure in it as it is his work, and a special pleasure in that, which (as any work of Grace is) is his special work.

Thirdly, this Consideration shows that the Lord must take pleasure in a righteous person, because he bears the form of his will revealed in his word. Holiness is our conformity to the will of God: Now the Lord cannot but take pleasure in those who conform to his will. Samuel tells Saul (1 Sam. 15.22. and there he useth this word in the Text) Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? God gave thee a word, a Command, to which he expected thy conformity, but thou hast thought to please the Lord with Sacrifices, which he commanded thee not, this was thy mistake and thy folly. We honor God when we do his will, surely then he must needs take pleasure in those that do it. Man takes pleasure when he can have his will (though it be a corrupt and sinful will) fulfilled: It cannot but be a pleasure to God when his holy will is fulfilled, or done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thus we see the second Propnsition cleared, for the understanding of these words, That as the Lord takes pleasure in those who are righteous by the imputed righteousness of his Son, so even in those also who are reghteous by the Implanted righteousness or holiness of his spirit.

Thirdly, God takes pleasure to see a sincere and upright person justify himself, or plead his own justice against all the false accusations and suspicions of men. The Lord likes it well to hear a man who is falsely accused, to stand up and maintain his own innocence, yea it is our duty, and we are bound in conscience to maintain our own innocence. So David in the seventh Psalm and in the eighteenth Psalm justified himself against Saul. And thus Job all along in this Book justified himself against the opinion of his friends; in this sense God takes pleasure, when we are so righteous in all our dealings, and perfect in all our ways, that we dare encounter whosoever speaks the contrary, and can wash off all the aspersions which either misguided and mistaken friends, or professed Enemies cast upon us. You have now had those three affirmative Propositions for the understanding of the Text. Take three more in the Negative.

First, God hath no pleasure to see us justify ourselves before him, or to plead our own righteousness with him, yea he is extremely displeased at it. This some conceive the chief thing which Eliphaz aimed at. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou doest justify thyself? No, thou dost highly provoke him in doing so, to plead with or to justify ourselves before God that we are righteous, is worse then all our unrighteousness, for this overthrows the whole design of the Gospel, which is (1 Cor. 1.29.) That no flesh should glory in his presence, but be that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And ( Rom. 3.19, 20.) The Law convinceth all, That all the world may become guilty before God, therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight. God will have every mouth stopped, or cry guilty, and therefore for any one to open his mouth and justify himself before God, is to overthrow the Gospel. They are ignorant of the righteousness of God, who go about to establish their own righteousness (Rom. 10.3.) And as God hath no pleasure in them who boast of their righteousness to justify themselves before him, so

Secondly, God hath no pleasure in them who boast of their own righteousness, and contemn others. Though a man may assert the righteousness of his Conversation against all them who question it; yet God resents it highly when any proclaim their own righteousness to the despising of others. Christ speaks a Parable against those (in the 18 ^th of Luke, v. 9, 10, 11.) who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. Two men went up into the Temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, the other a Publican: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, adulterers, unjust, or even as this Publican. Here was one that advanced his own active righteousness, and he did it with the contempt of another, I am not as this Publican. The Lord takes no pleasure in this, yea the Lord is highly displeased with this. And ( Isa 65.5.) the Prophet represents the Lord's indignation against this pharisaical spirit in dreadful eloquence, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou. Thus they pleaded their righteousness in contempt of others. These (saith the Lord) are a smoke in my nose (that is, grievous, and displeasing) a fire that burneth all the day.

Thirdly, God hath no pleasure at all in any of our righteousness, either in the righteousness of our Justification, or the righteousness of our Sanctification, as the least addition to his own happiness. The reason of it is, because (as was shown from the former Verse) God is self-sufficient, and hath no dependence at all upon the Creature: So that what pleasure soever the Lord hath in the righteousness of our Justification, or of our Sanctification, we cannot put it to this account, that we add anything to his happiness.

And therefore the work which Jesus was to do on Earth, is called the pleasure of God (Isa. 53.10. ) It pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief, when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. That pleasure of the Lord was the work which the Lord put into his hand, or which he gave him to do, even the bringing about his eternal purpose, for the recovery of lost man; that's a work in which the Lord takes pleasure, so much pleasure, that the Prophet calleth it His pleasure. And thus the Apostle speaks ( Eph. 1.5, 6.) Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children, by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his own will, &c. The good pleasure of God is only in his own will, that's his pleasure. The Lord delights to see his will accomplisht in the saving of sinners, as well as in the obedience of Saints, that's a part of the good will of God: why doth he take pleasure in the obedience of Saints, even because his own will is done. It's not anything in us that doth it. So when he saves us, the pleasure which he takes is in the fulfilling of his own will, rather then in our salvation. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?

The Question is to be resolved into this negative, He will not reprove thee for fear of thee, &c.

The word signifies first to argue or dispute, and so to convince by the authority of reason.

Secondly, to plead, so to convince by evidence of the Law and fact ( Mich. 6.2.) Hear ye O Mountains the Lord's Controversy, and ye strong foundations of the Earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. The Mountains and the strong foundations of the earth, are the great men of the earth, or Magistratical powers, with these the Lord threatens a Controversy, and that he will plead or argue his cause with them.

Thirdly, it signifies to argue or plead not with words only, but with blows, to reprove with correction. Job 5.17. Happy is the man whom thou correctest. The word which here we render reprove, is there rendered to correct, which is reproving by blows.

Fourthly, Some translate it to evidence, to evince, and determine: Thus it is said ( Gen. 20.16.) that Abimelech reproved Sarah, that is, gave evidence that she had a husband: And Abraham's Servant said ( Gen. 24.44.) She that saith to me, both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy Camels, let her be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed for my Masters Son. That is, let this token be an evidence to me, that it is she whom thou hast appointed for his wife. Some here take it so, Will God evidence or determine concerning thee, by thy fear, or the worship which thou givest him, That thou art righteous. We express it fully enough, Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?

Both these expressions are of the same sense; and these words [for fear of thee] may be read in the close of the Verse, Will he reprove thee, or will he enter with thee into judgment for fear of thee?

Fear may be taken here two ways: Either first Actively, or secondly Passively.

Take it Actively, and so it notes the Fear of Job, Will he reprove thee because of thy Fear? And then by his Fear we are to understand his Religiousnesse or Holiness; so Mr. Broughton, Would he reprove thee for thy Religion?

Take this Fear Passively, and then it implieth a Fear which God himself might be thought to have of him; as if Eliphaz had said, God is not afraid of thee. The Prophet saith ( Isa. 51.12.) Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man, &c. Much more may we say, who or what is man that God should be afraid of him? One of the Ancients following this Interpretation, professeth that no fit or comely sense can be given of these words, but concludes that Eliphaz spake very foolishly and grossly, or as a man forsaken & left of God: For (saith he) can any one imagine such a thing as this, that Job should have a thought that God was afraid of him? But we may very well accommodate the sense in either of these Considerations of Fear, whether Actively, or Passively, and judicious Interpreters carry it both ways. Let us weigh it a little in both.

First Actively, as Fear is taken for the Fear which Joh feared, that is, for his religion and worship, or the exercise of it, then the meaning is this, Dost thou think that God doth punish thee for thy goodness, or because thou art righteous? No, it is because thou art irreligious: Is not thine iniquity great, and thy sin infinite? As he speaks out in the n • xt words, Doest thou think that God punishes thee for thy holiness? No, he can find sins enow to do it for. And Eliphaz might speak to such a sense (I conceive) because Job pleaded his integrity so much; as if he should say, Never think that God afflicts thee for thy holiness, or righteousness, but rather acknowledge thy sins and thy wickedness to be the cause of thy afflictions, Are not thine iniquities manifest?

There is a true • h in this, God doth correct many who fear him, but he doth not correct • ny one for fearing of him; many holy persons are afflicted, but no man was ever afflicted for his holiness. God hath made many promises to the godly man, that he will reward him, and do him good. Say to the righteous it shall be well with him. Godliness is profitable for all things, having • he promises of this life, and of that which is to come. Therefore no man needs fear that God will hurt him for his holiness: though a holy man may receive many rods and scourges from God, yet holiness never received the least scourge from God.

Again, as fear is taken Actively for Religion, or for holiness, the sense may be given thus, in pursuance of the fourth signification of the word Reprove, before • xplained, When God comes to judge thee, or when he declares what thou art, he will not look to thy fear only, to thy profession of Religion, and holiness, and overlook or wink at thy sins; and therefore he presently subjoins, Is not thy wickedness great? Hereby arguing, that no man's piety is so perfect, that thereby he can be accounted just or righteous in the sight of God, or that a man's profession, yea and practice of Religion is of no value, either to escape the punishment of his sin, or to deserve a reward at the hands of God. Some expound that ( Psal. 50.8.) in a parallel sense to this, the Original word being the same. I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices (which is the same with Fear in the Text, according to this Interpretation, being put for all outward worship or religiousness) or for thy burnt-offerings continually before me; For those words, to have been, which our Translators supply, may be left out, and the sense remain perfect: Or if those words be continued, then the negative particle not, is (as in many Scriptures it is) to be reassumed out of the first part of the Verse, and the whole read thus, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, or for thy Burnt-offerings not to have been continually before me. That is, I will not charge thee with a neglect of outward duty or worship, the inward and spiritual (of which he speaks, ver. 14. ) being that which is most pleasing unto me. Now as to the paraleling of this place in the Psalms, with the sense of Job's Text now under hand, we must read them thus, I will not judge thee for thy Sacrifices, that is, when I determine concerning thy righteousness, I will not do it by having an eye to or respecting thy Sacrifices, thy religious course and exercise of holiness, though thou hast been much yea even continually conversant in them; I shall only argue and declare thee righteous as thou trustest in me and by Faith takest hold of my Covenant. Thus as the Lord is conceived saying in the Psalm, I will not judge or declare thee righteous for thy Sacrifices, so here Eliphaz, will he (that is certainly he will not) judge or declare thee righteous for thy fear? And so the latter part of the Verse may receive the same Exposition, Will he enter with thee into judgment, namely for thy fear? Will God deal with thee upon the account of thy piety? And when he comes to justify thee, will he impute that to thee? Or when God enters into judgment with thee, will he suffer thee to present thy fear, thy piety, or goodness to him, and so thereby answer his plea, or take away the action which he brings against thee? When God enters with us into judgment, we may boldly plead our interest or Faith in the Mediator, but we must not plead our fear, the Grace or Holiness either of our persons, or of our services.

Thus we see the Doctrine of the Text according to this Exposition, and the Active signification of the word Fear, carrieth in it the very life and spirit of the Gospel. All the worth and merit of our works as to righteousness, is nul'd and laid prostrate, and we taught to glory in nothing but the free gift and grace of God by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Secondly, As Fear is taken passively, Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? That is, is God afraid of thee, doth he pick quarrels with thee for fear of thee? Or seek occasions against thee when there is none? only lest thou shouldest stand in his way, or be a detriment to him. This appears plainly to be the sense of our Translators.

Whence Observe,

As in the former Verse God is above any advantages or hopes that the Creature can give him, so he is above the fear of any hurt that the creature can do him. As the goodness or righteousness of man cannot benefit the Lord, so the wickedness and sinfulness of man cannot at all impair the eternal glory and happiness of the Lord. Though the wickedness of man be a darkening to the manifestations of his glory (and for that wicked men shall be judged) yet as to his essential glory all the wickedness in the world cannot darken that, nor be the least abatement to it. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? No, man cannot hurt the Lord by all his wickedness, and therefore

The punishment which God layeth upon wicked men is not after the manner of men. God doth not punish as man punisheth.

Eliphaz here speaks of that w ^ch is often indeed a true ground among men why they reprove or punish other men. Some reprove others upon a vain fear of them, and some upon a just fear of them. Why did the Jews accuse and reprove Christ? Was it not for fear of him? at least they pretended a fear, why else were they so hasty to have Jesus Christ brought to judgment? ( John 12.47, 48.) Then gathered the chief Priests and Pharisees a Council, and said, what do we? for this man doth many Miracles, if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and Nation. They Crucified Christ for fear (though it was but a vain fear) that he would be the ruin of their state; the Romans must needs come and destroy them if they let him alone. Fear makes men cruel, and they are most ready to hurt others, who continually suspect hurt from others. It hath been an ancient Observation, that Cowards are murderous and revengeful; while a man fears that such a man will be his ruin, he ruins him if he can, and removes that out of his way which he supposeth standing in the way of his own safety. Why did Pharaoh give Command to slay the Male-Children of the Jews, and oppress that people? It was upon a vain or cowardly fear, Come let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war, they join also with our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the Land, (Ex. 1.10) It is said at the 7 ^th verse of that Chap. that the children of Israel were fruitful and (God fulfilling herein his promise made to Abraham) increased abundantly, and multiplied and waxed exceeding mighty, and the Land was filled with them. When God thus cast a gracious eye upon them, Pharaoh and his Counselors cast a jelous eye upon them; and began to suspect their multiplying might at last diminish him, that their rising might prove his ruin. Therefore upon reason of state he must find out a way to suppress and keep them under as slaves and bondmen, whom his Ancestors received as welcome guests, and had to that day, enjoyed as faithful friends. Pharaoh being captivated with this fear, saw no way to free himself, but by taking away the freedom of that whole People. As some through the prevalency of their own fears dare not do justice, so others through the prevalency of fear do that which is unjust. Take one instance more, why did Herod (Matth. 2.) send out to slay all the Children? It was for fear of the King of the Jews, he was afraid of Christ, and therefore that he might murder him, he gave that horrible sentence to slay all the Infants. Again, some reprove and judge upon a due fear, for as Tirants and wicked men are full of fear because full of cruelty, and have suspicious thoughts that others will wrong them, because they have a mind to wrong every man: so just and righteous Magistrates when they see evil working, they must reprove and punish it lest it spread to the endangering of the public Peace. This is a just fear, and such as becomes a man, even a man of courage and integrity; such may fear that if seditious spirits be let alone, they will undermine a whole Nation, and destroy thousands. A Magistrate reproves and Judges Thieves and Murderers out of fear that if they increase no man shall live quietly. Such as either openly or secretly contrive evil against a Nation, the Magistrate from a just ground of fear deals with them & reproves least they should disturb or infect the whole.

But the Lord doth not reprove any man for fear of him, he is of such infinite strength and stability, so far out of the reach of all the plots and contrivances of the wicked, that he needs not call them to account lest they should hurt his state, pull him out of his Throne, spoil his Kingdom, or get his Dominion from him; the Lord is not afraid of any of these things, but the true reason why the Lord reproves wicked men, is, because he hates their iniquities, and is a God of truth and judgment. Though Magistrates may punish not only out of the love of Righteousness and Judgment, but because they fear a State may be ruined if they do it not, yet the Lord hath none of this fear, in regard of his State, but he doth it merely out of love to justice, and as a hater of wickedness.

He reproves man because he hath sinned against him, not because he is afraid of him, as Eliphaz shows in the words which follow.

The question may be taken two ways; either conjecturally, and doubtingly, or assertively, and affirmingly. Usually in Scripture such questions are resolved into assertions and so divers Interpreters resolve this here; Is not thy wickedness great? That is, I conclude against thee, that thy wickedness is great, and that thy iniquities are infinite; so M ^r Broughton renders; Doubtless thy evil is great. Others conceive it more clear to the mind of the Text, that this question should be interpreted conjecturally; Is not thy wickedness great? That is, may we not suppose, that thy wickedness is great? may we not from (at least) probable grounds think thus of thee? And that, First, from the general state of man by nature, man's heart being sinful he may sin, and sin (as it were) without bounds, greatly. There is no man (saith Solomon, 1 Kings 8. 46.) that liveth, and sinneth not; Solomon puts it as a parenthesis in his prayer, but it is such a parenthesis, as hoocks in all man kind, it takes all in, Who is there that sinneth not? so ( Pro. 20.9.) Who can say I am clean from my sin? Now upon this general ground Eliphaz might suppose, Is not thy wickedness great? All men have this in their nature, and hast not thou made improvement of it in thy life? All men being sinful by nature, art not thou extremely sinful in practice?

Again, He might make the supposition upon this ground, his present condition, or his affliction; thou art greatly afflicted, thy afflictions are not of an ordinary sise, or measure, therefore is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquity beyond the ordinary measure? Upon this common rule he might suppose his sin very great; for usually God doth proportion, and measure out punishments by our sins. Thy sufferings are very great, therefore are not thy sins great too? Thus he might speak conjecturally upon both these considerations; And yet if we consider how positively he speaks of particulars at the 6 ^th and 7 ^th verses, &c: Thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing, &c. He gives us but too much ground to think, that he did more then barely conjecture, while he said;

The word which we render wickedness, is by some specially expounded of that wickedness which hath a kind of impudence in it, and which doth not only break, transgress, or step over the Law, but spurns against it; every man that sinneth steppeth over the Law, over the line, but there are some that kick at it, some who trample upon it, yea they would destroy it; so some heighten the emphasis of the word.

Again, the word is rendered by others as signifying the evil of punishment in this part of the verse, and not the evil of sin; Is not thy affliction great, therefore thy iniquity is infinite. The Greek word ( Matth. 6.34.) answers this, Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof, that is, the trouble, and the sorrow of it: ( Amos 3.6.) Is there any evil in the City which the Lord hath not done? So here, Is not thy evil great, thy evil of punishment? therefore thy iniquity is infinite. But I rather fix it upon the former: though the word sometimes signifies the evil of affliction, yet here I shall take it for the evil of sin, or as we translate, wickedness, which denotes not ordinary but great sin; for though every wicked man be a sinner, yet every sinner is not properly a wicked man.

Further, wickedness in the former, and iniquity in the latter part of the verse, may be thus distinguished; wickedness specially respects those acts by which we hurt, and wrong others, iniquity, those in which we pass by or neglect the duty which we owe to others; and therefore Eliphaz calls his wickedness great, but his iniquities infinite; because sins of omission are more in number then sins of commission; Man fayles oftener by not doing the good required, then by doing the evil forbidden. Nature can easier forbear that which it likes, or pleaseth it, then be conversant in that which it likes not, or with which it is displeased.

The word signifies both magnitude and multitude, and it may be taken both ways here, for great in bulk, and great in number.

But it may be said, whose wickedness is not great? or is any sin little? Why then doth Eliphaz fasten this upon Job, Is not thy wickedness great?

I answer, first, that it is unbecoming any man, to say his sins are little; we should not little, or lessen our sins, or have low thoughts of them; as we ought not to have low thoughts of any of the mercies of God, but to think them all great to us, yea too great for us; so we should not have light thoughts of any of our sins, but judge the least of them great, and the lightest of them heavy; yea even too great and too heavy for us to bear. Nor doth anything more greaten a man's sin, then his opinion that it is little.

Secondly, I answer, that indeed no sin is little; in the least sin that ever was committed, there is a greatness, as committed against the great God, as it is a breach of the Law, and an abuse of the love of the Great God. Nevertheless, though every sin, thus considered, is great, yet comparatively some sins are but little, and sins being weighed one with the other, we may give this distinction of them into little and great, light and heavy. And as some Godly men are faithful and fear God above many, so some wicked men are sinful and dishonor God above many. Is not thy wickedness great?

Hence note;

Eliphaz doth well to put Job upon that inquiry, Is not thy wickedness Great? Though he did ill so groundlessly to suspect, much more to conclude that it was so. When Moses (Exod. 32.31.) interceded for the people, after they had made the golden Calf, he makes report of their sin to God in the fullest aggravation of it; O, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them God's of Gold; he doth not only confess in their behalf, that they had sinned, but they had sinned greatly, They have (saith he) sinned a sin, that's more then to do a thing that is sinful, and which is yet more, They have sinned a great sin, and which is most of all, they (though they have been taught and have professed that God made them) have made them gods of Gold. David makes this the ground why he did beg pardon of his sin ( Psal. 25.11.) Pardon mine iniquity for it is great. As we are to look upon the greatness of sin, to humble our souls with godly sorrow, so we are to look upon the greatness of sin when we sue to the Lord for pardon; pardon my sin for it is great; our very senciblenesse that our sin is great, is a prevailing argument with God to pardon it; and our insenciblenesse that our sins are great, gives the greatest stop to the pardon of them. And as every sin hath the more need of pardon, by how much the greater it is, so God will have the more glory in pardoning it, by how much the greater it is. The great wounds, and sicknesses of the Patient have the more need of curing, and if a Phycitian cure a great wound, or sickness, he hath the more honor by the cure. Now that we may take the truest measure of our sins, we must look upon them, first in their nature and kind, of what sort they are, and to what they relate in their commission; secondly, in their circumstances, when, how, and in what manner they have been committed. That sin which is but little in the nature of it, may be a very great one in the circumstances of it. As there are some mercies which we receive from God, little in their kind, yet great in their circumstances, and very obliging; so are our sins. Some sins are very horrid in their own nature, they lay the conscience wast, and eat out the very principles of Godliness, such are Atheism, Blasphemy, and Idolatry. The sin of the people of Israel in making God's of Gold, how detestable was it? a golden God, what an ugly sight is that? and indeed there are many sins which by how much they have the more external beauty and glory upon them, the more ugly and filthy they are. Other sins are small in their kind, yet by additional considerations they swell into an immense vastness, and become out of measure sinful.

For Instance, first to sin against light, that is, not only to commit a known sin, but to commit it knowingly. (It is possible, that while we know such a thing to be a sin, yet to do it unknowingly, or not to know that we have done it; He that knoweth it is a sin to tell any untruth, may yet tell one and not know it: But) when we do that which is a known sin, and likewise know that we do it, then we have no cloak for our sin.

Secondly, To sin against many received mercies, greatens it exceedingly; Thus the Lord aggravates the sin of David, I have done thus, and thus, for thee, and if this had been to little, I would moreover have given thee such and such things; Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight, 2 Sam. 12.8, 9.

Thirdly, It greatens sin when continued in after warnings, and renewed admonitions; He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy, (Prov. 29.1.) The Greatness of his punishment, (he shall be (not afflicted, but) destroyed ) the quickness of it (he shall suddenly be destroyed ) the irrecoverablenes of it (and that without remedy) all these with one consent vote the greatness of that sin, whatsoever it be in its kind, which is persisted in after persuasion to desist and depart from it. The Church is commanded to pass her extremist censure upon that offending brother, who having been told his fault; first, by that brother alone whom he hath offended; secondly, by him and two more associated as witnesses; thirdly, then, by the Church gathered in the name of Christ. ( Matth. 18.16, 17.) But if be will not hear thee, then take one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established: and if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publicane. It is dangerous enough to sin against a rule, but tis more dangerous to sin against a reproof; especially against the reproof of a whole Church.

Fourthly, When we sin in the sight of judgments upon ourselves, or others, whether for the same, or other sins: This is as if a thief should steal before the Judge, or under the gibbet, while he seeth others arraigned or executed for stealing. It is very evil to sin against judgments threatened, but it is far worse to sin against Judgments executed. That wrath which is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness to the ear in the word of God, should stop us from sin, much more that which is revealed to the eye in the works of God.

Fifthly, When we sin against our own promises not to sin, when our own words condemn us, as well as the word of God, this staynes every sin with a double guilt.

Sixthly, The greatening of a sin is from the repeating of it after it hath been repented of. To fall into any sin out of which we have risen, makes our fall the more grievous; when a sinner lickes up his own vomit, when he builds again the things which he had destroyed, he makes himself a transgressor indeed. They who repent not cannot expect mercy, what remains then for them but a certain fearful expectation of Judgment, who repent of their repentings?

Seventhly, Sin is greatly increased when acted with deliberation; to be hurried into a sin though great, is not so great as to do a less evil consultively, or to advise upon it and do it; some sin for want of advice, many sin against advice, and not a few sin with advice, that is, advisedly. It is hard to find out a way to give them comfort, who sin with counsel. They who are wise to do evil, or who do evil as a piece of their wisdom (such every deliberate action is esteemed to be) will be found the greatest fools. All sin is folly, but those sins have most of the fool in them, which we think, we do wisely. In all these cases, we may well say to any man, as Eliphaz here to Job; Is not thy wickedness great?

The word which we translate iniquity, implieth perverseness, or frowardness in sinning; Is not thine iniquity infinite. The Hebrew is, There is no end to thy iniquity, or thou dost commit iniquity without end. The Septuagint render it thus; Are not thy iniquities so many that they cannot be numbered? are they not innumerable? Another thus; Is not thy rebellion eternal? And so the sense reacheth either the multiplication of acts, or the continuation of time. Our reading is comprehensive of both; Is not thine iniquity infinite?

But how could Eliphaz make such a supposition as this? seeing there is nothing infinite but God, and it is altogether impossible that there should be two infinites. The heavens cannot hold two Suns, much less can the world hold two infinites. God is The only Infinite; therefore sin is not infinite as God is infinite; First, that is infinite which is without end; secondly, that is infinite which is without bound, in both God is infinite; As he had no beginning, so he shall have no end or period of his being; He is infinite in reference to duration or time; and he is infinite in reference to place or extent; He fills heaven and earth; and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. The Hebrew phrase in the Text, without end, answers our translation, infinite; for infinite is that which hath no bounds or end. So then in a strict and proper sense, there is nothing infinite but God. And infinity runneth through all the titles of God, he is infinite in power, infinite in wisdom, justice, righteousness, and mercy; It remains then to be further considered, how we may understand this question, Is not thine iniquity infinite?

I answer, sin is not infinite properly, yet in a vulgar sense, sin may be called infinite, for according to common acception, we call that infinite which is very great, or which exceeds all ordinary bounds, though not all bounds; only that is properly infinite which exceeds all bounds, but we usually say, that is infinite which exceeds ordinary bounds. Thus some men's sins only are infinite. For though every sin be a breaking of the bounds which God hath set us, either in excess or in defect; yet they who sin after a common rate or proportion of sinning, may be said to keep their bounds in sinning. For what the Apostle speaks of some trials and Temptations (1 Cor. 10.13.) the same may be said of some sins and transgressions, that they are common to man. But they who sin (as the Prophet speaks) with a high hand, or with both hands greedily, they who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as i • were with cart-ropes, these do not only break the everlasting bounds of the Law, but the ordinary bounds of sin. Their sins are not common (in the act, though the principle be) to man; They sin as few men ever sinned, they sin like devils rather then like men, and therefore (under this notion) their sin is deservedly called infinite.

Secondly, We may say, that sin hath an infiniteness in it in reference to the object, God, and so not only a great sin, and many sins, but small sins, or any one sin may be said to have an infiniteness in it, because it is committed against an infinite God. And hence it is that nothing can expiate sin but what hath an infiniteness in it; the least sin, calls for the blood of Christ to take it away, which blood hath a kind of infinity in it; for though the sufferings and blood of Christ were not properly infinite, because they were the sufferings of the human nature, yet the divine nature shed forth an infinite worth and value upon his sufferings; and therefore we are said to be redeemed (or purchased) by the blood of God (Act. 20.28.) that is, by the blood of that person who is God, though the human nature only was capable of having blood shed. Thus we may say, that the least sin, with respect to the object is infinite, God himself being offended and wronged by every sin.

Thirdly, As this infiniteness may be considered in reference to the extent of any one sin (that reaching as high as God) so to the number, or rather to the numberless of our sins. There is an Arithmetical as well as a Geometrical infinity in sin. Thus the Septuagint (as was said before) render the Text; Are not thine iniquities innumerable? That hath a kind of infinity which cannot be numbered; but cannot our sins be numbered? are they infinite in number?

I answer, sins may be considered two ways: first, in their species and kinds; secondly, in their acts, if we consider sins in their species and kinds, so they are not innumerable, for it is possible to number up all the several heads, divisions, and kinds of sin; but if we consider sin in reference to acts, so every man's sins are innumerable; yet this innumerablenes of sins in reference to acts, may be considered either absolutely, or as to us. The acts of sin, are not absolutely or in themselves innumerable, but as to us they are innumerable: they are more then any man can number. John saith, ( Rev. 7.9.) After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number (besides those that were sealed of every Tribe,) of all Nations, and kindreds, &c.) This great multitude was not in it self without number, but as to man's arithmetic it was, no man could number it. The hairs of our head, and the sands of the Sea, are numerable to God, but to us innumerable. David (Psal. 40.12.) speaks first of innumerable evils, and then of innumerable sins; innumerable evils compass me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up: they are more then the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth me; when he saith, they are more then the hairs of my head, his meaning is, they are innumerable; I can no more tell the sum of my sins, then the sum of my hairs. Christ to assure his Disciples in time of their afflictions and sufferings, that he will take care of them, tells them; The very hairs of your head are all numbered, (Mat. 10.30.) As if he had said, seeing God taketh care of those inconsiderable (not parts, but) excrements of the body, surely then he will take care of those more noble parts of your bodies, and most of all of that most noble part of you, (which is your all) your souls. The hairs of our heads are innumerable to us, but God numbers them. The sins of our hearts and lives are all numbered by God. Thou tellest my wanderings, (saith holy David, Psal. 56.8.) he means it of his wanderings by persecution, and 'tis as true of his wanderings by transgression. But what man knows the errors or wanderings either of his heart or life ( Psal. 19.12.) He that hath fewest sins, hath more then he can number; and therefore every man's sins are to him, in number infinite.

Fourthly, Iniquities may he called infinite in reference to the will, or the spirit of him that committeth those iniquities: those sins are without bounds, to which man would never set a bound. The natural man would never end sinning, therefore his sins are without end, or infinite. The Prophet ( Jer. 13.27.) speaks reproveingly to that people in the name of the Lord; I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields; woe unto thee, O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean, when shall it once be? As if be had said; O Jerusalem, thou hast no will to be made clean, or thou wouldest never be clean, if thou mightest have thy will; When shall it once be? The time is yet to come when thou wouldest have it to be so; thou hast a mind to pollute thyself still, but no mind to wash thyself from thy pollution. The sins of a person or people are then infinite, or without end, when they discover that they have no mind to leave sinning. A godly man's desires to do good are infinite, and so are the desires of a wicked man to do evil. This Prophet had spoken to Jerusalem in the same language ( Chap. 4.14.) How long shall vain thoughts lodge in thee? when wilt thou be weary of these lodgers, when wilt thou bid these guests be gone, whom thou hast thus long bid welcome? The Church of God doth sometimes suffer evil to lodge very long in her, even in the midst of her, as it were, at her very heart; but the world lodgeth or lieth (continually) in evil (1 Joh. 5.19.) and there (as it is the world) it will lie forever, soaked and steeped in evil. Some give this as one reason to justify the infiniteness or everlastingness of the punishment that is laid upon impenitent sinners in hell. The damned are under endless sufferings, because they would have sinned without end; A wicked man would live long, yea he would have no end of his life here, he would live ever, that he might sin ever; therefore the Lord giveth him a life, not such a one as he would have, but such a one as he deserves to have, which is indeed a death forever. They die eternally for sin, who would have lived eternally in sin. Take a Scripture or two more to illustrate this way of the infinity of man's sin, ( Jer. 8.5.) Why is this people of Jerusalem slidden back, by a perpetual backsliding; they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return; Here are three phrases noting this one thing. First, They hold fast deceit; secondly, They refused to return; thirdly, Their's was a perpetual backsliding, or as some read it, an eternal rebellion, an obstinate rebellion, a strong and mighty rebellion; the Seventy call it, an impudent shameless rebellion: all these are proper Epithites of that obstinacy, and settledness of resolution, which is in the heart of man by nature to continue in sin; yet there is a further rendering of the words, which as the Original will bear, so it hath an elegancy in it, Why is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a conquering, or a prevailing backsliding? A perpetual backsliding hath conquest or triumph attributed to it upon a twofold consideration; first, in reference to other sins; final obstinacy, or impenitency lifts up its head above all other sins, and sits as King among them; impenitency under any sin committed, is greater then the sin committed; not to repent of the evil we have done, is worse then the evil which we do. Impenitency seals the soul under condemnation. Repentance conquers sin, but impenitency is the conquering sin. Secondly, 'tis called a triumphing or conquering sin, because it seems (as it were) to carry the day against the mercy and goodness of God, that's a sad conquest indeed; not that any sin, no nor impenitency for sin, exceeds the mercy and goodness of God; for his thoughts of mercy are as high above our acts of sin, as they are above our thoughts of his mercy, & that is as high as the heaven is in comparison of the earth. ( Isa. 55.9.) But the mercy of the Lord is said to be overcome by perpetual backslidings, because the Lord will not be merciful to such; thus final impenitency may be called a triumphing or conquering sin, seeing the mercy of God seems to yield unto it; They will not humble themselves to seek mercy, yea they slight and despise mercy, therefore they shall not find mercy. The Prophet Jeremiah represents the LORD thus expostulating again with the Jewish Nation ( Chap. 5.22, 23.) Fear ye not me, saith the Lord, will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it, and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail, and though they roar, yet can they not pass over it; but this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart, they are revolted and gone. The words, as I conceive, have these two things in them; first, that the Lord is to be feared who doth such things, who sets bounds to the Sea, &c. Secondly, that the wickedness of man's heart is admirable, or rather that we are to be astonished at the wickedness of man's heart, which is more boisterous and disobedient, then the raging waves of the Sea. The Lord sets bounds to the waves of the Sea, which waves in their own nature are altogether boundless; liquid waves have no bounds of their own, yet the Lord having put bounds to them, they are kept in bounds; The sand bounds the Sea, so that though the waves thereof toss, they cannot prevail, though they roar they cannot pass over; but this people have revolted, and are gone; As if he had said, I the Lord have put a bound to the Sea, I have also set a bound to the wickedness of man's heart; what is that? my Word, my Law. The Law of God is a moral bound to stop and keep in compass the raging waves of man's corruption. God doth not always put an external bound by sword and judgment to stop men whether they will or no from sin, but he always puts a moral bound to stop them; this is supposed in the Text, I put a bound to the Sea, to the Sea also of man's heart, to the wickedness that is there, but this people are revolted and gone, they have broken all my bounds, even that perpetual decree of my righteous Law. Now as when the Sea breaks its bounds, the waters flow infinitely, there is no stopping them; so when the heart of man breaks bounds, revolts and is gone, he sins infinitely, he makes no end of sinning. By these Scriptures we may understand in what sense the iniquities of wicked men may be said to be infinite; though nothing is infinite in a strict and proper sense, but God himself.

But hath Job given Eliphaz any just occasion of this surmise, that his sin was in this sense infinite? Did he ever observe either wickedness in general, or those particular wickednesses which he presently enumerates, taking a pledge, denying relief of the poor, stripping the naked, &c? had he seen any of these evils acted by Job? certainly he had not; Job was a man of another frame of life then these things import; these black lines and colors would never make the picture of Jobs heart or life; this is as ill a draught of a man as could be made; yet Eliphaz puts all this upon Job, at least by supposition; is it not thus? but what reason had he for this supposition? none but this, the greatness of his affliction; the infinite troubles that were upon him; God set no bounds to Jobs sorrows, therefore he thought Job had sinned beyond all bounds.

Hence observe;

Though we know nothing by them, though we can charge nothing upon them, yet this thought riseth naturally in us, when we see any under great and extraordinary sufferings, surely they are great, and extraordinary sinners. The worst of sinners never suffered more in this world, then the best of Saints; Witnes those Jewish Worthies, whose torments are reported by the Author to the Hebrews (Chap. 11.37.) and as these were adjudged to suffer, because they were thought the worst of sinners, so, doubtless, many who saw them suffer thought them such, though they knew nothing done by them to make them such. Read also this Spirit ( Luk. 13.2. Act. 28.4.) This hath been formerly observed from other passages in this book, and therefore I only touch it, and pass away.

Again, Eliphaz seems to take Job off from the wrong ground of his sufferings, and tells him, though he looked to other reasons, yet the true reason was the greatness of his wickedness, and the numberlesnes of his iniquities.

Hence observe;

Sin is so much and so often the cause of suffering, that we do it no wrong to suspect it as the cause of all sufferings; and it is indeed one kinds of cause (causa sine qua non) of all our sufferings; so that we can hardly wrong sin by this suspicion, but we may easily wrong both God and man by it. When the blind man came before Christ, his Disciples asked him, saying; Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was borne blind; they could hit upon nothing but sin, why the man was borne blind, ( Joh. 9.2.) But at the third verse, Christ answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; he vindicates both from this suspicion. What man was this? and who were his parents, that they sinned not? were they clean from sin? not so neither, but the meaning of Christ is this, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, so, as that either his sin or theirs should be reckoned the special cause why he was borne blind. There was somewhat else in it, which the Disciples took no notice of, nor did they understand. Christ doth not deny but that a man's own sin, and the sin of his parents may be a cause of blindness; but neither the one nor the other was the cause in that man's case; as if Christ had said; Can you think of nothing else why a man is afflicted but only his sin? There are many other causes of suffering besides that. The cause why some suffer, is the trial of their graces. The cause why many suffer, is to bear witness to the truth, and to encourage others both in the profession of it, and in persecutions for it. And Christ particularly assigns another cause of the sufferings of the blind man, That the work of God might be made manifest in him: That the work of God in his power and mercy might be seen in restoring this man to his fight, therefore was he borne without the power of seeing. The blindness of that man was an occasion to make a very glorious discovery of God. Much of God had not been so eminently seen at that time, if that man had always seen. Many are cast down upon beds of sickness, or into a state of poverty, that the work of God in raising them up to health and plenty may be made manifest. The design of God looks beyond the sin of man in the afflictions of most men, yet man seldom looks beyond it.

Thirdly, Note from the whole verse;

Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite? Eliphaz might have said as much of himself and his own sin; and it had been but a duty to have done so; we should not aggravate the sins of others, nor extenuate or lessen our own, we should not set the sins of others in open light, nor provide coverings for our own, yet most commonly we run the contrary course: we have a favorable opinion, and excuses ready for what we have done, while we have hard thoughts of, and give harsh censures upon what others do; our own sins we can call moats, and the sins of others beams. The better any man is, the better he judges others, and the worse of himself; Paul spake no complement, while he said, that he was less then the least of all Saints, and the chief of sinners; usually they who are the severest observers and censurers of others, either flatter, or have not well observed themselves.

Fourthly.

Forasmuch as Eliphaz seeing Job under great sufferings, saith to him; Is not thy wickedness great? The counsel in it self was seasonable.

Hence observe;

So the Prophet ( Lam. 3.39, 40.) Why doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord; times of afflictions should be times of inquisition, when the Lord is smiting, we should be searching; when we have received many wounds, it is time for us to be suspecting ourselves of many sins; and the counsel of others is not to be rejected, when seeing us in sorrow, they advise us to consider what our sins are, how great, and how many. For though we should be tender in pressing those who are under the load and burden of affliction, with the burden of their sins, yet they who are so, shall do well and wisely to press it upon themselves.

Fifthly, Whereas Eliphaz saith; Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquity infinite? and in the next verse, concludes upon it; Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, &c. All which were but conjectures and suspicions.

Observe;

We must not Censure upon, I hear so, I suppose so, I think so, but upon, I know it is so; many have run into great sin by judging the sins of others Great. Judge not (saith our Savior, Matth. 7.1.) that ye be not judged. He speaks not against all judgment, but either, first, against severe and harsh judging, or secondly, against false judging, or thirdly, against inconsiderate and rash judging. When we judge without due ground, not knowing the why or wherefore of our Judgment, take heed of such judging, that ye be not judged, that is, lest having judged others unduly, ye receive your due in Judgment. Eliphaz had nothing upon knowledge to charge Job for, yet while he questions, Is not thy wickedness great? He doth more then seemingly conclude that his sin was very great, and his iniquities infinite. And in the next verse instead of querying, he comes to peremptory concluding;

Now begins the special charge, or inditement, now he innumerates several sins; As if he had said; What doest thou stand looking for matter, or reasons why thou art thus afflicted, here are the reasons, I will name them to thee; Thou hast taken a pledge fram thy brother for naught. Thus Eliphaz poureth upon him, and dischargeth whole volyes of deadly shot, but all at random, and besides the mark. Before, he spake in the third person, he speaks now in the second, thou, thou, thou art the man, thou hast taken a pledge. Again, Eliphaz had formerly dealt with Job as an hypocrite; he then granted that he had some shows of holiness, and some appearance or counterfeit of goodness at least, now he denieth that; now he pulls off his visour or mask, and objects against him barefaced. Before he charged him with falseness of heart, while he professed and practiced Religion; but now he objects such practices against him, as no man doth who hath but a profession of Religion. He objects those crimes against him which are proper to profane open sinners, to common oppressors, who raise themselves upon the ruins, and enrich themselves by the spoils of their weaker brethren; These are sinners not only against the Law of God, but light of nature; these are acts not only of impiety, but of cruelty, inhumanity, and tyranny.

Job was a Magistrate, and this would have aggravated his sin exceedingly, if it had been true; for any man to oppress another is very wickedness; but for a Magistrate who is set up to be a protector, a releiver of others, a helper of the freindlesse, and a Judge of the widow, for him to carry himself thus, for him to oppress and grind the faces of the poor, is most tyrannical. Thus Aristotle defines a Tyrant; He is one that rules so as to turn all to his own private benefit or profit; he that governs so, governs for himself; Whereas true government seeks and respects the good of others. Just governors are a general blessing, and their aim is the common, not their private wealth. Thus Eliphaz renders Job a very tyrant, who when he should be a nursing-father to his Country, proves a devourer of it, and when he should provide bread for those about him, he takes their bread, yea their blood from them, and gives them a stone.

There are three aggravations of his supposed sin in these words.

First, That he took a pledge.

Secondly, That he took it of a brother.

Thirdly, That he took it for naught.

Thou hast taken a pledge] The Hebrew is no more then this, Thou hast pledged. The word signifies also to bind, or fasten a thing as with a cord, and the reason is, because a pledge given is an obligation, a ty or bond to perform the promise made, or pay the debt contracted. A promise is an audible bond, but a pledge is a visible bond. It is no sin in it self to take a pledge, no more then it is a sin to buy, sell, or to engage a man any other way, to perform a bargain, or repay a debt. The Law of God published by Moses allowed the taking of a pledge, what is it then which Eliphaz chargeth upon Job as sinful in taking a pledge? I conceive there are two things which show sinfulness in taking a pledge, and that both are implied here.

First, He intimates that Job did not wait to receive a pledge at the hand of his brother, but he did as it were rush in upon him, and took the pledge; for so tender was the Lord in reference to the poor of his People, or to those that should be in need to borrow of their brethren, and so give a pledge for security; that he giveth this special order ( Deut. 34.10.) When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge (it was not unlawful to receive a pledge from his brother, but to go into his house was against the Law) but thou shalt stand abroad, and the man shall bring it out to thee. Some conceive that this was the sin charged upon Job; Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother, thou hast not according to this express Law of God tarried for it; and supposing that Eliphaz and Job lived before the giving of that Law, yet the light of nature teacheth, that we should not press a man, or pull his pledge from him, but that the borrower should go into his house, and bringing his pledge, deliver it up freely with his own hand into the hand of the lender. It is an affliction to have need to borrow, and therefore the borrower should be so tenderly dealt with by the lender as not to add affliction to him. It is a courtesy to lend to him that is in need, but as some in giving, so most in lending spoil all the courtesy of it; while they lend their money, they snatch or gripe at their security; whereas the old Law said (the equity whereof, though not the formality, remains to this day) Thou shalt not go into thy brothers house to fetch his pledge, but thou shalt stand abroad and the man shall bring it out to thee. Some Critticks tells us that this is signified in the Etymology of the Latin word, which signifies a pledge. Namely, that the lender should not take but receive it from the hand of the borrower. It is the duty of borrowers to pay: The wicked borroweth and payeth not again, (Psal. 37.21.) The Apostles rule to the Godly is; Owe no man anything but to love one another, (Rom. 13.8.) Now, as it is the duty of the borrower to pay, so of the lender to be moderate, and not to exact or impose heavily upon him, for the assuring of his payments. As he that buyeth should be as if he bought not, so he that lends should be (in this respect) as if he lent not; He should lend with so much mildness and meekness of spirit, as if he gave, rather then lent; or as if (the contrary whereof Solomon found in his experience, Pro. 22.7.) himself the lender, were servant to the borrower. Job is charged first with failing in this; As if he had over eagerly pressed upon his brother for a pledge; Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother.

Secondly, The taking a pledge from a brother, may be expounded of withholding a pledge when it is called for, or of the not restoring it, when the Covenants are performed. This is not only to take it, but to take it away; suppose the pledge hath been given into a man's hand, yet if he will not restore it, or give it back out of his hand when called for, but make excuses, or delays, This is to take away the pledge. And thus some make out the sin of the Text; Thou hast taken a pledge; that is, thou hast swept it quite away, thou hast refused to restore the pledge, when that which was borrowed upon it, hath been in due time tendered to be paid or restored. The Prophet Ezekiel (Chap. 18.14, 15, 16.) numbers the contrary practices among those Negatives, for which the Lord declares himself much pleased with the son of a wicked father; A son that seeth all his fathers sins, that he hath done, and doth not such like; that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; that hath not defiled his neighbors wife, neither hath oppressed any; that hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, &c. he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. Here sinning in the matter of a pledge, is pitched upon with-holding it, not upon taking it. For though a man have a pledge fayrely delivered up to him, though he do not rush into the borrowers house, and there be his own carver, taking what himself listeth to secure that which he hath lent, yet if he withhold the pledge when it is required, and desired to be returned upon promised satisfaction made, this is very sinful and oppressive. Some when they get a good thing in their hands, they are loath to part with it, and will have a device to prove it forfeited by the borrower, when indeed, 'tis only coveted by the lender.

Hence note;

That Law which saith; Thou shalt not steal, doth as much forbid the detaining in our hands, as the laying of our hands upon that which is our neighbors. And he that withholds the pledge when the debtor is ready and offers to redeem it, is like him that withholdes the debt when the lender desires him, and he is able to repay it. Thou hast taken or withholden a pledge. That's thy sin.

Secondly, There is a further aggravation of sin in the words respecting the person from which the pledge was taken; A Brother: Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother. This addeth to the sin; we should be kind to all, but especially to a brother. A brother, may be taken either strictly for one next or near by birth or blood, a brother by consanguinity: such are in the most proper sense, our brethren and our own flesh. Or the word brother may be taken in a large sense, for any that are near to us, as being either of the same profession of Religion with us, or living in the same Cit •• , society, or under the same Government with us. These are our brethren and our own flesh too. And so the Prophet calleth them even when pinched with hunger and nakedness, the more to move the bowels of our compassion towards them, ( Isa. 58.7.) When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh; As richly clothed as thou art, and as naked as they are, thine own flesh they are. When Eliphaz saith, Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother, he takes in brethren under all distinctions. This he adds to heighten Jobs sin; Thou tookest a pledge from thy brother.

Hence note;

To wrong a brother of any latitude or degree is sinful, and still the nearer the brother is, the more sinful it is to wrong him: the sin which a man commits against himself is therefore greatest of all, because a man is nearest to himself; so in proportion the nearer any one is to us in any relation, the more we sin in wronging him. The Apostle puts it under that notion; If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, &c. Jam. 2.15. And again, 1 Joh. 3.17. Whosoever hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? That is, the love of God doth not at all dwell in him, or at best it dwelleth very poorly and undiscernably in him. To see strangers yea enemies destitute and not relieve them, is uncharitable; but to see a brother or a sister, and chiefly a brother or a sister in spiritual relation (for of such I conceive the Apostle speaks particularly, in those places, I say, to see such) destitute and not to relieve them, this is highest uncharitableness.

Again, Some render thus, (not thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother, but) Thou hast taken thy brother for a pledge. This speaks yet louder, and is a sin of a blacker color then the former; thou hast not only taken thy brothers pledge, but himself, his very person for security or for payment. But what is it to take a man's brother for a pledge? or how was that done? These • woe things may be in it, either first more generally thou hast imprisoned him. As ( Mat. 1 • .28.) 'tis said of the cruel Creditor that he took his brother, and cast him into prison till he should pay the utmost farthing: now though all kind of imprisonment be not sinful, not only as to the law of Nations, but as to the Law of God; yet cruel imprisonment is very sinful; Thou hast taken thy brother for a pledge: Thou hast not spared his person when he had not a purse to pay thee; Thou hast (as it hath been said among us) made dice of his bones. Some would never pay, were it not for fear of a prison; but to put and detain a poor man in prison when he hath nothing to pay, is not only unchristian, but barbarous and inhumane. Or secondly (which was used in ancient times) Thou hast taken thy brother for a pledge, that is, thou hast made him thy slave: To be cast into prison is a slavery, and a man may be made a slave, yet not imprisoned. And though it may be a duty (when we have nothing else to satisfy it with) to work out a debt, yet it is a very high severity to force a debtor to pay with his work. We read how the poor widow came to Elisha the Prophet, and bemoaned her case to him, (2 King. 4.1.) Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord, and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen; This is to take a brother for a pledge; The Prophet seems to aim at this while he describes those hypocritical fasts among the Jews ( Isa. 58.6.) Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke; To fast and not to reform, is to mock God rath • r then to humble ourselves. Here are the true fruits of fasting. And they all run into the point in hand, the avoiding and turning from all injurious and vexatious dealings with our Brethren. First, the bands of wickedness, that is, of oppressing Laws or pinching Contracts. Secondly, heavy burdens, either of services or taxes; From these the oppressed should be freed, and every yoke imposed, by these or any other way of grievance, broken from off the necks of our brethren.

There is yet one word more, very considerable in the Text, for the hightning of this sin.

Thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for naught; or without cause; This word was opened ( Chap. 1.9.) where Satan suggests against Jobs sincerity, doth Job serve God for naught. And again ( Chap. 2.3.) where the Lord asserts and vindicates the sincerity of Job against Satan's calumniations; Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause; That is, thou hadst no cause to move me so against him; he is no such mercenary servant as thou hast maliciously pretended. Thus here; Thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for naught, or without cause; that is, without any necessary cause, there was no reason thou shouldest take a pledge from thy brother when thou tookest it; thou mightest have trusted him, but thou wouldest not any further then thou hadst full security put into thy hand, or rather then thou didst take it into thy hand, whether he would or no. As if he had said; Thou wouldest not relieve thy brothers poverty, upon the promises which God makes to those who charitably relieve the poor; thou wouldest neither take God's word, nor trust thy brother in any case, further then thou didst see him; unless he would put into thy hand, thou wouldest not put into his. True charity must and will make some ventures; Cast thy bread upon the waters (saith Solomon Eccl. 11.1.) A good man is a Merchant and will trust his bread where he hath no more assurance of a safe return, then the Merchant hath of his Ship and Lading from the winds and waters.

Again, Without cause or for naught, may have this meaning, thou didst oblige thy brother to restore that which really and indeed he never received from thee; thou didst put a debt to thy brothers account which he never made by borrowing. David complains of such kind of unkind usage ( Psal. 69.4.) They that hate me without cause, are moe then the hairs of my head: They that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away; That is, which I took not away, either as borrowed of them, or as stolen from them. I was neither a debtor, nor a thief, I had nothing of theirs in my hands, yet I was forced to restore. This is the worst sort of taking a pledge for naught.

Thirdly, For naught; That is, when there was no reason to take so great a pledge of thy brother, the thing which thou didst lend him was but some trifle, yet thou wouldest have a pledge of thy brother for it; thou wouldest have great security for an inconsiderable debt; that's the course of many oppressors, by lending a little they will have much to secure it. And this is to take a pledge from a brother for naught, there should be some equality between the debt and the security, he that lends a trifle, a small matter, and requires great assurance, takes a pledge of his brother for naught. So that all unreasonable and unequal demands for security, either taking (where charity bids us trust) from the poor, or taking it (where in justice we should not take anything) when nothing was lent, or when there is no reason we should take so much; any of these harsh and injurious practices, is the taking a pledge of our brother for naught.

Hence observe;

But hath any man a cause to do any evil; he hath not; by cause I mean a provocation; there is no cause for which we should do any evil, but there may be many provocations or temptations to do evil; Peninah provoked Hannah sore to make her fret (1 Sam. 1.6.) It was not for naught or without cause that Moses his passion was stir'd, and that he spake unadvisedly with his lips, the murmuring and complainings of that unsteady people provoked his Spirit. (Psal. 106.33.) Now the less provocation, the greater always is the sin; as to sin against admonition, or against any of those means that might keep us from sin, makes the sin greater, so when there is no occasion leading us unto sin. This was one reason of greatening the sin of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit; why did they eat? were they ready to starve? were they in any straits? had they not the whole garden before them? did they not eat the forbidden fruit without cause, or for naught? Solomon saith ( Pro. 6.30.) Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; for though to steal for mere hunger doth not take away the sinfulness of the fact, yet it doth much abate it; because the man is provoked to do it for the supply of his present and pressing need; But for a rich man (who hath no need) to steal, for a man to steal who is not hungry, how sinful is it! Our greatest necessities cannot wholly excuse our sin, but to sin where there is no necessity, doth greatly increase our sin. Saul thought he should come off without blame, when he had so much to say for his rash sacrifice (1 Sam. 13.12.) I said the Philistines will come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord; I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. But doth Samuel approve this plea? We have his resolution in the next verse; Thou hast done foolishly, thou hast not kept the Commandment of the Lord thy God. Though Saul found himself under a moral force to do what he did, yet that did not free him either from guilt or punishment when he ventured to do it. David smarted for numbering Israel, though Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number them (1 Chron. 21.1.) What shall we say then of those, who do more then David altogether unprovoked by Satan, who rather tempt themselves, then are tempted unto evil? As the Good we do is so much the better, so the evil we do is by so much the worse, by how much we do it the more freely and unconstrained. Thus Eliphaz aggravates the first Instance of Jobs supposed wickedness. To take a pledge from a man in the manner expounded, is not only illiberal, but sinful; To take a pledge from a brother in distress is more sinful, but to take a pledge of a brother for naught, is a degree of sin, which hath many degrees of sinfulness beyond both the former. Eliphaz hath yet but begun Jobs Inditement, this is the first Crime objected; A second, and a third, and more are following. Thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for naught,

It may be questioned; If they were naked, how could they be stripped of their clothing? he that is naked hath no clothes to be stripped of. 'It is gone into a Proverb, A naked man cannot be stripped by a hundred men; he that hath nothing, can loose nothing. How then is it said here; Thou hast stripped the naked of their clothing?

I answer; The naked, are not here to be taken strictly for such as have no clothes at all, but for those who have but few clothes, or for such as are but meanly and thinly clothed; any that are poor and low, any who are in want, may be numbered among the naked. 'It is frequent, as in Scripture, so in Common speech to express those as being quite without that of which they have but little. We say of a man that hath but a little knowledge, he is an Ignorant man; and of a man who hath but a little learning, that he is an Illiterate, or an unlearned man. Thus we may say of a man that hath but little store of clothes, little store of the world about him, that he is naked, that he hath nothing. The Apostle useth this Language (1 Cor. 4.11.) Even to this present hour, we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, &c. not that the Apostles went about without clothes, but they were but mean in their Apparrell, poor in their Appearances, and that he calls nakedness. So the Apostle James in the second Chapter of that Epistle, verse. 15. If a Brother or a Sister be naked, &c. He doth not mean it only of such as have never a ragg to cover their nakedness, but of such as are ill furnished with clothes. The Lord threatens his own People ( Deut. 28 ^th from the 4 ^th ver. to the 48 ^th ) in case of their disobedience, with this affliction; Because thou servedst not the Lord with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things, therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, &c. That is, thou shalt not have thy Wardrobes stored and filled with change of raiment, but thou shalt feel and be pinched with want and poverty. So here; Thou hast stripped the naked of their clothing; That is, those that were ill clothed, thou hast unclothed, and instead of relieving their wants, thou hast increased them.

And thus the words may allude to the taking of a Pledge, about which Eliphaz spake before; Thou hast stripped the naked of their clothing; That is, thou hast taken a pledge from thy neighbor, and stripped him quite of it. Therefore the Law provided against this oppression ( Exod. 22.26.) If thou at all take thy neighbors raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it to him before the Sun go down, for it is his Covering. The breach of which Law is discovered and reproved ( Amos 2.8.) And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge; That is, they detained them all night, whereas they should have delivered them before the going down of the Sun. And thus their sin is aggravated in that it is said in the next words, that they did this by every Altar. It was their sin to make many Altars. And this increased their sin, that they durst do acts of wrong to men, where they pretended to worship God. The like Law is given about the Pledge, Deut. 24.6. No man shall take the upper, or the nether millstone to pledge, for he taketh a man's life to pledge; That is, he takes the thing away without which he cannot live; If his millstone be taken away from the Mill, how shall he grind his Corn, to make bread, which is the Staff of life? And again at the 13 ^th verse of the same Chapter, the Law is renewed in reference to raiment; In any case thou shalt deliver the pledge again before the Sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own Rayment and Bless thee, and it shall be Righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God. Thus we may conceive Eliphaz speaking here, though not eying that express Law, yet from the Common light of nature, which teacheth that the poor and naked should not be stripped of that little provision and small pittance which serves only to protect them from cold and starving.

Further, By these words; Thou hast stripped the naked of their Cloathing] We may understand not clothing only, but all the necessaries of this life, anything which is of such concernment to our lives as our Cloaths are; for as bread in Scripture is put for all the necessaries of this life; So is Cloathing. Esa. 3.6. When a man shall take hold of his Brother, saying; Thou hast Cloathing; Be thou Ruler over us, &c. Thou hast clothing, that is, thou hast goods, thou hast an Estate, thou canst make provision for us; there Cloathing is put for all outward Conveniencies, as in other Scriptures Bread is. So that according to the extent of this interpretation, Thou hast stripped the naked of their Cloathing, takes in all sorts of bodily grievances put upon the poor.

Hence observe.

It is our duty to Cloath the naked, how great then is their sin who strip the naked of their clothing? it is sinful & unjust violently to take clothes from him that hath greatest variety of clothing, we may not rob the rich, what is it then to take from them who have not? • oe (as we say) to rob the Hospital. Solomon (Prov. 28.3.) tells us of an oppression which is very grievous, and that is the oppression of a poor man, which is true both actively and passively, when the poor man is the oppressor, 'tis so, 'tis so also when the poor man is the oppressed. Solomon intends both, for he makes the poor to be the oppressed, and a poor man the oppressor. The poor man that oppresseth the poor is as a sweeping rain, which leaveth no food. 'It is worse with the poor when the poor oppress them, then when the rich oppress them, the rich may oppress them much, but they come not so near, as when a poor man oppresseth; for as the imbecility of the oppressed poor man can give him no help, so the necessity of the oppressing poor man will show him no mercy. Nothing doth more harden the heart of a man then his own want, and he hath little feeling of another's misery, who is under the feeling of his own: He that hath nothing takes what he can get, and his own hunger devoureth all. The rich man oppressing the poor is a dashing rain, the great man oppressing the poor is a thundering rain, but the poor man oppressing the poor is a sweeping rain. As they who never knew poverty, so they who know it most, have the least stock of pity for the poor. Such are a sweeping rain indeed. There is a refreshing, a fattening, a filling rain, which the Lord sends upon the thirsty Earth, this produceth store of food. It rains corn and wine, milk and butter; There is also a sweeping rain that takes away food, and destroys the fruits of the Earth. Such a rain is a poor man oppressing the poor. Want is the greatest spoyler.

Secondly, We may expound the Text thus; And stripped the naked of their Cloathing; That is, Thou hast stripped them till they are naked; for in Scripture we find the denomination to be taken from the End of the action, or that which the action tends to. As to Illustrate it a little ( Esa. 47.2.) Take the millstones, and grind meal. Now we do not grind meal, but whole Corn to make meal. So ( Isaiah 44.15.) He baketh Bread; Now we do not bake bread, but dough, that it may come to be bread, when it is bread once it needs no more bakeing. So ( Dan. 2.21.) He giveth wisdom to the wise; that is, he giveth wisdom to those who before were rude, and so makes them wise. Thus here, the denomination of the act is given from that to which the act hath a tendency, Thou hast stripped the naked, not that they who are naked indeed can be stripped, but thou hast stripped them, & so made them naked. This very phrase is used ( Hos. 2.3.) Lest I strip thee naked, saith the Lord to the Church, that is, lest in stripping thee I leave thee naked, lest I take away all the good things with which thou art Encompassed. So here, Thou hast stripped the naked of their Cloathing; That is, thou hast stripped them till thou hast made them naked.

From this learn;

We find more then Cloaths taken away by some, they go closer then to the clothing (as the Lord complains, Mic. 3.3.) Who eat the flesh of a People, and flay their skin from off their backs; There's oppression and cruelty in blackest colors, they will not leave them so much as their skin upon their backs. Skin is natural Cloathing, as Garments are Artificial Cloathing. These took away not only the clothing which art, but that which nature had provided and put upon them, they flayed their skin from off their backs. Yet we are not to conceive that they were so cruel to pull off their skin, but because they would have all to their very skin, therefore they are said to take skin and all. They who are so unmerciful, that they will not leave a rag to cover the skin, are justly charged with that unmercifullness, which will not leave so much as their skin to cover their flesh, yea, (as it follows in the same place) that they would gnaw their bones, they will have all, Cloaths, skin and bones, from another, rather then not have enough for themselves. Cruelty joined with Covetousness, knows no bounds.

Eliphaz having thus shown some of those particular evils, which he supposed Job had done, proceeds to show what Good he had not don. Sins of omission render a man as foul and vile, as sins of commission do. He that doth not the good which he ought and can, doth evil.

Water is a very Common thing, and the word which is here used takes in all natural waters, the whole Element of water. Seeing then water is not under lock & key, but lies open to all comers, how comes it to be any man's gift? I answer, first, If we understand the words literally & strictly, yet sometimes & especially in some places to give a cup of water to drink, or a bucket of water to wash in, is no small charity to a wearied traveler. But secondly (I conceive) Job is taxed with not giving water, to show his refusing to do the smallest charity. So we find it expressed ( Matth. 10.42.) when Jesus Christ would assure us that the least office of love or respect which we do to a distressed Saint, to a Believer upon that account as he is a Believer, shall be rewarded, he gives it in this language; Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a Cup of Cold water only in the name of a Disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. As by one of these little ones, he means any, the least of Believers, or righteous Persons; so by the gift that he speaks of, water, or Cold water, a Cup of Cold water, he means the least of favors. Cold water is a cheap commodity, and a little cold water, only a cup of it, cannot (as some things cannot because they are worth so much) be prized, because it is worth so little, yet he that gives but this little thing, this (almost) nothing in the name of a Disciple, he shall not lose his reward. So here to set forth the hardness of Jobs heart (as Eliphaz conceived) he puts it in these terms, Thou hast not given water, (no not cold water) to those that are weary; As if he had said, thou hast not only denied a feast, or a banquet of wine, which might put thee to some cost and charges, but thou hast denied then, water, cold water, which is not chargeable at all, which doth not so much as put thee to the cost of a little fire to heat it, or of any ingredient to mix with it, thou hast denied them this cheapest charity. An old Poet (speaking of a place where water was sold) saith; That which is lowest prized, a thing of no price, water, is sold here. Thus far hast thou, O Job, (saith Eliphaz ) fallen below the Law of love; Thou hast not given water; And to whom did he not give it. The next word answers that Query,

That is, thou hast not given water to them to whom it doth most properly belong, or who had perfect need of it, the weary, the thirsty. There are some to whom we may very well refuse to give water, or any other refreshment of nature; they have enough, if not too much already, not only in possession, as the rich, but in use or abuse rather, as the intemperate and the drunken; To give water to such is to pour water into the Sea; but thou hast not given it to the weary, not to those who are like the dry and parched ground.

In that the matter of charity is placed in water, observe;

It is not the quantity of the gift, but the affection of the giver, it is not the quantity of that which is denied to be given, but the heart of him that denies it, which the Lord takes notice of: be it much or be it little that is given, if it be given with an honest and willing mind, the Lord accepts it, and be it much or be it little that is denied, if it be denied with a churlish and uncharitable spirit, the Lord is displeased with it: and the less that is which is denied, the more sinful is the denial, & the more is the Lord displeased with it. When crusts or crumbs of bread, which fall from our Table, are denied, when a cup of cold water is denied, how cold is charity? and is it not crumbled into a lesser nothing then those crumbs? We should honor the Lord with our substance, and our charity should not only have cost in it, but liberality in it, how do they honor God with their substance, who will hardly give to him (that is, to his poor) the shadow of their substance? If the Lord should command us to give some great thing, to testify our charity, should we not do it? how much more when he saith give but water to the weary for my sake, and I account you charitable.

Secondly, Note;

It is supposed ( Acts 5.15.) that the very shadow of Peter was healing to the sick. There are some so hard-hearted, that they would hardly bestow their shadow upon the poor to do them good. It troubles them to part with the least Imaginable Benefit, or to do the least Imaginable courtesy, not only great things, but small things, even the smallest things, the chippings of their loaf, the parings of their apple, yea the very husks which their swine eat (as the letter of the Parable concerning the prodigal intimates, Luk. 15.16.) are stuck at as too much for them who have nothing. And thus the heart of a wicked man is stated to the whole business of obedience; his heart is as much against obedience in a small matter, as in a great, he is so far from swallowing the camel of holy duty, that he strains at the very gnats of it; and if a man's spirit be against obedience it self in its own nature, if his spirit be unsuitable to it, let it be a duty of the least or lowest degree, he cannot but stick at it. The servants of Naaman the Assyrian said to him; Had the Prophet bid thee do some great matter, wouldest thou not have done it? how much more when he saith unto thee, Wash in Jordan and be clean. There is a reason why we should rather do small things then great as to the outward act, but, I say, if the spirit of a man be cross-grayn'd and lie against the duty, he is as unfit and as back-ward to do a little as to do a great deal; he will not so much as give water to God or man, or if he do give it, he doth not give it with a heart let out in love to God, or in compassion to the most needy man. It is a hard matter with him to give or do at all, but it is an impossible matter for him to give or do with a ready or cheerful mind. Thus the Covetous man, the hard-hearted worldling cannot give so much as water: a worldly man never thinks that himself hath enough of the world, and he never thinks that others have too little, when he is full he thinks all others are full enough too. Such narrow-hearted creatures the Prophet Isaiah describes ( Chap. 32.6, 7.) who as they practice hypocrisy and utter error against the Lord, so they practice oppression and utter cruelty against man, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The Instruments also of the Churl are evil. What Instruments doth he mean? Some say, the instruments of his commerce, his weights and measures, he pincheth the poor there, that's true, those instruments of the churlish Merchant or Tradsman are evil. Yet we may rather expound it more largely for all the means, whether persons or things, whether agents & under-officers, or courses and devices, which the churlish man useth as instruments to compass and bring about his purposes; all these savor of himself, they are evil, that is, false, treacherous, and lying in wait to deceive. For (as it follow) He deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right, or (as we put in the margin) when he speaketh against the poor in Judgment.

Thirdly, Note;

Water is a welcome mercy to the thirsty, to the weary, to those who are ready to die with heat and travel. The rich man in hell would have been glad of a drop of water to cool his tongue. Sicera the General of Jabins Army, begs of Jael, to give him a little water, for (saith he) I am thirsty. (Judge. 4.19.) The full soul loathes the honey-Comb, that which is sweet and delicious the full stomach loathes it, but they that are weary, hungry and thirsty, a piece of bread, a Cup of water, how pleasant! how sweet! Such are glad of anything, who are in want of all things. Much is little to them who have much, a little is much to them who have but little. The weary will thank you more for water, then the wanton will for wine. The weary asked but for water to drink, and could not get it, thou wouldest not give it.

Fourthly, Eliphaz describing a wicked man, fixes most upon this sin, his unmercifulness to the poor. And there is a general truth in it.

They who have found the compassion of God to their own souls (as every godly man hath) cannot shut up the bowels of their compassion towards the pined body of man. The Apostle John puts the question (1 Ep: 3.17.) How dwelleth the love of God in him, that doth so? The love of God, either as taken for the love of God to us, or for our love to God, dwelleth not in him, in whom there dwells no love to man. Now, if the love of God dwell not in a man, God dwelleth not in him, and if God dwell not in him, Satan doth; and what can he be called but wicked, in whom the wicked, or the evil one dwelleth? Thus the wicked Edomites dealt with the people of God, when they were wearied in their March thorough the Wilderness. We read the children of Israel thus bespeaking the Edomites (Numb. 20.17, 18, 19.) Let us pass I pray thee thorough thy Country, we will not pass thorough the fields, or thorough the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells, &c. we will put you to no trouble, no charge, we will be content with the common waters which we find abroad, this is all that we desire when we shall be weary and thirsty in our travels. And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, least I Cutt thee off with the sword: And the Children of Israel said unto him, we will go by the high way, and if I and my Cattle drink of thy water, I will pay thee for it, I will only (without doing anything else) go thorough on my feet. See what a spirit Edom was of; when Israel put it to the lowest, we will drink none of the water of your wells, or if we do we will pay for it; No, Edom was so hard-hearted, that he would neither give, nor sell them water; they shall not have it either of free cost, or for money; thus uncompassionate was he towards a People that were travelling, that were weary and thirsty. The Inhabitants of Tema are commended for their tenderness to men in distress ( Isa. 21. 14.) They brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled; They gave water and bread unasked; The wants of the distressed moved them, though they made no motion for the supply of their wants. They act most like God who prevent us with their favors. Even the light of nature leads to it. How unnatural then are they who deny water to them who being weary and thirsty beg for it! The mercy of God by Jesus Christ is highly Commended to us upon this Consideration, that he gives it not only in bounty, but in Compassion, there is not only liberality, but there is a pity in it: therefore he saith ( Matth. 11.28.) Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. To give ease and refreshment to those that are weary and heavy laden, hath not only bounty & liberality, but Pity and Compassion in it. ( Psal. 136.23.) Thanks to God who hath remembered us in our low Estate. It is an act of grace for God to remember us in our highest Estate, in our most flourishing Estate, but to remember us in our low Estate, then to give us in refreshings and Comforts, this is a clearer act of Grace. As it is said ( Ps. 68.9.) Thou O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary. As the goodness of God is most seen in giving water to the weary, so is the wickedness of man in denying it. Eliphaz urgeth Job further with this uncharitableness.

He gave no water, and he withheld bread. The word is sometimes rendered to hide, to deny, and sometimes to deceive a man of that which is due to him. Our translation (Thou hast withholden) carries that sense in it; Properly we are said to withhold only that from a man which he hath a right to; Thou hast withholden Bread from the hungry. As hunger and thirst are put for all manner of Extreamity; so bread and water are put for all manner of supplies generally. The Greeks and some Latins Interpret this strictly of a morsel of bread, Thou hast withholden a morsel of bread, as the rich man in the Gospel did, Lazarus desired but the crumbs that fell from his Table, but could not get them. So here, thou hast withholdden not only a full Table, but a morsel of Bread; This latter clause and the former are of the same sense, yet from that word withholden, which Implyeth a wrong done to the poor, note first;

And if they withhold all from them, they shall be condemned, not only as uncharitable and illiberal, but as oppressors and unjust; not only as not having given them relief, but as not having done them right. ( Prov. 3.27.) Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the Power of thy hand to do it. A thing is due upon a double account; first, by the Law of Justice; secondly, by the Law of Love: I conceive here that the Proverb is to be understood of a dueness, not by the Laws of Common Justice (as if a man have his brothers Estate in his hand, he cannot withhold it from him without transgressing the Law of Justice) but of a dueness by the Law of Love, or more strictly by the Law of Charity: thus 'tis a duty to do good to those that are in want; it is not only a favor that we show to them when we relieve them, but there is a duty in it which we owe to God, who hath commanded that their poverty should be supplied by the plenty & abundance which he hath given to others. If therefore it be demanded, who are they to whom this doing of good is due? I answer, not only they to whom thou art indebted in Justice, witness thy hand and seal; but even they to whom thou art indebted in charity, witness their want and need. The poor have a right to what we are able to give, and can conveniently spare; yea sometimes their right may lie somewhat beyond the line of our conveniency. So then there is a point of Justice in it, as well as of charity in relieving the poor; and if (as the next words in Solomon imply) it be sinful to delay them till tomorrow, it must needs be a wickedness to deny them forever. Therefore the same Solomon (Prov. 22.2.) speaking of the poor and the rich puts them together; The rich and poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of them all; Now the Lord is the maker of the poor and of the rich, not only in their natural constitution, as they are men consisting of body and soul, (so indeed he hath made the poor as well as the rich, and they are both alike the work of his hands) but the Lord is the maker of them in that capacity or state wherein they are, he makes the rich man and the poor man, that is, he makes the one rich, and the other poor, he 〈◊〉 the maker of them both, and Solomon (I conceive) puts that in to show first, that poor men should not envy the rich man, why? for the Lord hath made him rich; why should thine Eye be Evil, because the Lord's Eye is good?

And again, that the rich man should not despise the poor, or withdraw the bowels of his Compassion from them, the Lord could have made thee poor too if he had pleased, therefore be Compassionate towards them, for the Lord is the maker of you both. And this answers that objection commonly given by some, why, are not my goods my own, may I not do with them as I please? I have not stolen them, I have wronged no man in the obtaining them; it is well when men can say thus, that they have done no wrong in getting riches: but this is no argument (how justly soever any man hath got his Estate) that he should keep it all to himself, and not give a portion to those that are in want. The rich man withholds what is due to the poor, when he withholds relief from them. It is true your Estate is your own, it is yours, no man can challenge or claim it from you; I, but God can claim it from you; you are possessors and masters of your Estate in reference unto men, but you are but Stewards and Servants of your Estate in reference unto God. Now a Stewards buisinesse (you know) is not only to receive and lay up the Estate of his Lord or Master, but 'tis his buisines also to pay or lay out according as he receives command or order from his Lord; thus it is in this Case; Rich men are but Stewards to the Lord in reference to all that they have; Therefore as they receive from him, and partake of the fullness of the Earth which is his (for the Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof) so they must issue it according to his order and command: Now he hath left a standing order for all times, that the rich should distribute to the necessities of the poor and hungry. Rich men must not think themselves Stewards only to receive in, but also to pay out what their Lord calls for, and therefore as they would give a good account of their Stewardship at the great Audit day, let them take heed how they withhold bread from the hungry. I might show further, that the rich are not only obliged to give, or that it is their duty to give, but that they ought to give cheerfully and readily, not upon constraint (2 Cor. 9.7.) that they ought to give liberally and bountifully, no • with restraint, and that they ought to give sincerely, not thinking thereby either to merit at the hand of God, or to get the praise of men.

Secondly, From the matter of this charge, Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry, we may observe, That

Not to relieve the poor is a sin as well at to injure or oppress the poor, yea not to relieve hath injury and oppression in it. The reason of it is clear from the former point, because the poor have a right to so much of a rich man's estate as is a relief of their pressing necessities, to preserve them from perishing. And every man must acknowledge that to deny any man his right (by what title soever that right ariseth) is to oppress him. Nor is it enough to give them good words (which yet is more then some will give) unless we do them good. ( Jam. 2.15, 16.) If a Brother or a Sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them depart in peace, be warmed and filled, yet notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Though you give them good words, yet if you give them no supply, what doth it profit? We may understand it two ways.

First, What doth it profit the poor? Can they feed upon your good words? or will your good words clothe them? what doth it profit them if ye say be fed and be clothed, if you give them neither food nor raiment.

Secondly, What profit is it to you who say so? will God take it well at your hands, that you have spoken kindly to the poor, when you did them no kindness? therefore withhold not thy hand, &c. And if it be so great a sin to withhold our bread from the hungry, what is it to take their bread from them? Eliphaz having thus taxed Job with neglect of the poor, he proceeds in the next verse to tax him with an undue and partial respect to the rich. As he was rigid to to them who had nothing, so he was indulgent to those who had enough, if not more then enough, before.

There is a twofold Interpretation of these words: Some understand them so, as if this mighty man here meant had been Job himself, and then the sense is thus rendered; All these evils were done by thee, and these good things not done, when thou wast a man in power, and so hadst no need to do any such evil, and hadst power enough in thy hand to do good. The Vulgar translation reads it (according to this Exposition) personally of Job; In thy might thou didst possess the Earth, and being most powerful thou didst dwell in it. That is, thou wast a man in power, thou hadst all in thy hand, thou hadst water and bread enough when the poor wanted it, thou canst not say that thou wast necessitated to keep the pledge, or strip the naked, but thou in thy greatness and might didst oppress them; this interpretation (though I assent not to it) aggravates his sin exceedingly, for the more power any one hath in his hand, the greater is his sin, as in the Evil which he doth, so in the good which he doth not, or leaves undone; yea it may be said that we do evil more then they who do it, when we have power in our hand to hinder them from doing it, and do not.

But secondly, take the words as they import the partiality of Job; The mighty man had the Earth; thou hast been over-kind and favorable to him, how hard or churlish soever thou hast been to others.

The Hebrew is, The man of arm; and it is usual in Scripture to call a strong man, a mighty man, or a man in Authority, a man of arm. (Ezek. 22.6.) Behold the Princes of Israel Everyone of them were in thee to their power to shed blood; The Hebrew is, they were to their arm; that is, as far as they could reach forth their arm, or to the utmost of their power to shed blood, that is, to do mischief and wrong, to afflict and vex others even unto death, or the shedding of their blood. They who are evil know not how to bound themselves in doing evil; if they want not power, they seldom want will to do it more and more. Thus the Prophet reproves that perverse generation; Behold thou hast spoken and done evil as thou couldest (Jer. 3.5.) That is, to the utmost Extension of thy ability and opportunit • . As those Princes shed blood to their arm, or as far as they could reach out their power; So did this people; And as the power of man, so the power of God is Exprest by his arm ( Job 40.9.) Hast thou an arm like God? Canst thou thunder like him? That is, hast thou power like God? ( Esa. 30.30.) The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the Indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire; The revenging power of God, like a bird of prey, hovers over the heads of wicked men, but at l • st it lights down, and (as the word rather signifies) rests upon them.

Again, Some understand here by the arm of the wicked man, those who are his Instruments, those who serve him, or whom he uses to supplant or suppress others, and reach his own ends by; Such may well be called the arms of mighty men, the arms of the men of the Earth. Evil men have their seconds or Instruments to do evil. Upon this Consideration it was said anciently; Do not you know that Princes have long arms; the meaning is, they have Agents and Servants in the several parts of their Dominions, who are their hands or arms, both for protection of those who are peaceable, and to take revenge upon the rebellious. We commonly say of a Servant that is discreet and faithful, he is his Masters right hand. The mighty have many helpers, many arms and hands to carry on their designs, and to do their wills.

This stands in opposition to what was spoken before, the poor man could not get a drop of water, nor a crust of bread, but the mighty man he had the Earth; As if he had said; O Job, thou being in power didst pass away great possessions to the mighty, thou gavest both thy sentence and assistance, that they should have the Earth, but thou wouldest not help the poor so much as to a piece of bread, or a cup of water; The mighty man had the Earth; he speaks Indefinitely, as if all the Earth were his. Wicked men are called men of the Earth (Psal. 10.18.) To judge the fatherless, and the oppressed, that the men of the Earth may no more oppress.

But it may be objected, Is not every man a man of the Earth? As Adam the first man was of the Earth, Earthy; so all men are of the Earth, Earthy; why then is it then said of a wicked man, that he is a man of the Earth, as if any man were of another Pedigree or extraction?

I answer; A man of the Earth is put in opposition to a man of Heaven, to a man that hath his Estate, or hope, or portion in Heaven; the Saints have their Conversation in Heaven, and though they live upon the Earth, yet they are not men of the Earth; Carnal men are Earthly-minded, they mind the Earth, and thats both their hope and buisines; they are not only Earth in their Constitution, but Earth in their affections, therefore they are called men of the Earth; these men had much of the Earth in their possession, as well as they had all of it in their affections & desires. The mighty man he had the Earth.

Observe hence;

Eliphaz knew that Job was a Magistrate, a man in Power, and he supposeth that under his government, the poor got no bread, but the mighty men had the Earth, they had favor to have and do what they lift. It is very Common with the men of the world to be very free to those that are of the world; they are like those Clouds which we may observe sometimes blown over the dry Land, and emptying themselves into the Sea. The mighty that had store before, have more, and the poor, who had nothing, have nothing at all; Men love to bestow kindnesses upon them only to whom they are like, or whom they love. A good man helps those that are good, and wicked men care for none but such as themselves. Wicked men are called Oaks (Zech. 11.2.) Howle ye firr trees for the Cedar is fallen, (that is, the great man is fallen) because all the mighty are spoiled; howl O ye Oaks of Bashan, for the forest of the vintage is come down. The Chaldee Paraphrase saith, Howle ye Governors of Provinces: And he calls these Governers, Oaks; first, because of their strength; and, secondly, because of their fruit. What fruit do Oaks bear? only acorns; and who are fed with acorns? only swine; Acorns are but hogg • meat; he gives the allusion thus; wicked men in power, bear fruit, but it is only for swine, that is, for wicked men, they bestow the tokens of their bounty, the overplus of their plenty, upon hogs and swine, that is, upon carnal and sensual men, they have nothing for the People of God, for those that are the true objects of charity; they make their horses fat, their dogs fat, none are lean but God's poor. Thus one of the Ancients reprehends those great ones of his time; Ye clothe the walls of your houses with gold, with Arras hangings, and ye let the poor go naked; the poor ask bread, and ye give it them not; it may be your horse chewes a golden Bitt, and the poor man hath not a Bitt of Bread. The spirits of carnal men are carried out from that which is their duty, they care not how profuse and lavish they are to those who suits with their own hearts; the poor have nothing, while the mighty man hath the Earth. Thus Eliphaz reproved Job, though indeed it was otherwise with him, as appears in the defense which he afterwards made for himself against these gross insinuations. And as to this particular he answers ( Chap. 29.17.) I brake the Jawes of the wicked, and plucked the spoil from between his teeth; he indeed pulled the earth from the mighty, or the mighty from the earth; though Eliphaz here said, The mighty had the earth, and

The Hebrew is, The man whose face is lifted up; which phrase is Interpreted two ways.

First, Passively; Secondly, Actively. Passively thus, the man who is lifted up by others, that is, who is respected, who is reverenced according to his place or worth; All which agree with our rendering, the honorable man; And in the Hebrew, Princes and great ones are expressed by that word which signifies to lift up the face, because such are lifted up above others, and are much respected by others. So the word is used ( Gen. 19.21.) See (saith the Angel to Lot) I have accepted thee; The Hebrew is, I have lifted up thy face, that is, I have respected and honored thee by granting thy request.

Secondly, It may be taken actively, The man that lifts up the face dwells in the Earth; What is it to lift up the face? it is to Accept Persons in Judgment, to accept him that hath the worst cause, and to reject him that hath the best cause for private ends. As if Eliphaz had said; He that respects persons, that is, who perverts justice, he hath the Earth; and so here seems to be a description of all sorts of wicked men flourishing in Jobs time and under his wing. Some oppress openly; the mighty man; the man of arms comes by main force and obtains the earth, or the riches and fatness of the earth; Others oppress secretly and cunningly, they accept persons, and are biased in Judgment by their own interest and advantages; The man of this strain dwelt in it.

The word notes two things. First, to continue, he dwelt there, thou let'st him abide, whereas if he had come into the Land thou shouldest quickly have rooted him out. Secondly, The word signifies not only to dwell but to sit, and to sit, in Scripture Language notes authority or dominion, he dwelt or sat in it, that is, he was the man in authority, he had the power, and the great places of government were entrusted in his hand. From both these observe;

Favor should be shown according to the Justnes of men's causes, and not according to the greatness of their persons. But usually the mighty men have the Earth, all goes on their side, and the honorable man dwells there, be sits safe & quiet, well and warm. This is so commonly seen, that 'tis become a Proverb, The mighty man hath the whole earth for his house to dwell in; the poor man lies everywhere, but seldom dwells anywhere. The wicked are said to have their portion in this life, they would have the Earth to themselves, and they shall have nothing but Earth. So the Prophet describes them ( Isaiah 5.8.) Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, that there may be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth. Man is naturally a sociable Creature, and it may seem strange that he should desire to be alone in the midst of the Earth: Therefore by his desire to be alone, we must not understand a strict lonenes, or solitariness, as if rich men had a mind to live alone, so as to have none about them or with them, but the meaning is, they would have none in power but themselves, none in possession but themselves; they are unwilling that any should have an estate but themselves, they would have all others to be their underlings and tenants, their servants and villains to till their ground and gather in their revenues, they only would be Freeholders, all others must hold by their Copy, and do them homage. If the greatest man in the world were turned alone into the world, he would have but an ill being of it, therefore the meaning of the Prophet is, that they would be placed alone in the midst of the Earth to command and rule, all others must serve them. And they whose pride, ambition, or covetousness provokes them to dwell thus alone in the earth, shall find nothing, beyond this earth, but fire to dwell in.

Secondly, Observe this;

The poor man should have the Earth, that belongs to him, as well as the rich. The mean man's right to his little is as good, as the mighty man's to his great deal. Justice gives every man his own, without respect to the Owner.

Thirdly, Consider the words as a charge brought against Job, he being a man in Authority, and in place.

Then, Note;

The Lord chargeth Eli (1 Sam. 3.13.) because of the great Iniquity which his Sons committed; but it might be said, What was their sin to him? Yes; it lay in his power to hinder them; for Eli was the chief Magistrate in Israel, and therefore the Lord concluded; I will judge his house forever, for the Iniquity which he knoweth, because his Sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not; But did not Eli restrain them? there is a restraining:

First, By way of Council and advice; and in this sense Eli did restrain them ( Chap. 2.23, 24.) He said unto them, why do ye such things, for I hear of your evil dealings with all the people; nay my Sons; for it is no good report that I hear, ye make the Lord's people to transgress. Thus he put a moral stop in their way, showing the heinousness of their sin, and dehorting them from it; but Eli being a man in Power and Authority, might have gone another way to work with them, he might have punished them for their sin. And because he did not, here was Eli's sin; and this is suggested as Jobs sin, He was a man in Power, yet he winked at those violent ones, and let them carry all in the Earth, when as he might have mended the matter, by checking their insolencies, & doing the poor right. This is charged on Thiatira in reference to the neglect of using their Church-power, ( Revel. 2.20.) Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, that Cals her self a Prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my Servants to commit fornication, &c. That Angel suffered her; how did he suffer her? he did not use that Power that Christ had Committed to the Church, to admonish, to reprove, to cast out, he did not stop that seducing Prophetess by a due Exercise of Spiritual Power, but suffered her to seduce uncontrol'd. The more Power we have to prevent or remove either Spiritual or civil Evils, the greater is our sin when it is not done: if Eliphaz had not supposed Job a Magistrate, he could not have laid this burden upon him, or have represented him in fault, because the mighty man had the Earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it, oppressing the weak, and vexing those of low degree.

Eliphaz goes yet one step further in the prosecution of this charge, and Arraignes him for another Crime, and that a very great one; The mighty man had the Earth, the honorable man dwells in it; But

As if he had said; Thou didst fill the full with good things, but the hungry thou hast sent empty away; The honorable have been provided for, but they who were destitute of all friends, found no friendship at thy hands, unless the breaking of their own arms.

There is somewhat considerable in the nature of the word, which we render sent; for it implies a putting away with a kind of violence; thou hast cast them out, or bid them be packing; thou hast put them off with rigor and distaste. As if he had said, Thou hast not only let them go from thy house unreleeved, but thou hast reviled them and thrust them away because they asked relief. So we may expound it by that ( Gen. 3.23, 24.) And the Lord God sent him (that is, Adam) forth, from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. What this sending forth was, is expressed in the next verse, So he drove out the man. Such a sending away is here intended, thou hast sent widows away (as we speak) with a witness; thou hast chide or rated them out of thy presence. As it is said of Gallio (Acts 18.16, 17.) That he cared for none of those things, and he drave them from the Judgment-seat. Thus thou hast sent widows away.

Further, In the Chaldee Language; the word signifies to stripe, or to pluck off the very skin. This is yet more tyrannical, Thou hast sent them away spoiled and stripped, or as it followeth in the Text, empty. Thou hast sent widows away &c. It was not the mighty man, nor the great ones of the earth, that he is charged to deal thus unkindly or rather cruelly with, but the widow; that heightens the sinfulness of his tyranny. This very word by which a widow is expressed in the Hebrew, as well as her condition, calls for help and pity. It comes from a root that signifies; either to bind, or to be silent; taking it, in the first signification, to bind, the widow may be so called for two reasons. First, because the widow is (as it were) bound about with afflictions, and sorrows, she hath many troubles about her, as so many bonds, from which she cannot free her self without running into many other troubles. Secondly, The widow is so called, by the rule of contrary speaking; bound, that is, not at all bound, but free or loosed from her husband. Thus the Apostle speaks ( Rom. 7.1, 2, 3. 1 Cor. 7.39.) her marriage knot is un • yed by death; If her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband, she is left to her self, and her own dispose alone. Take the word in the second fignification, to be silent; A widow is so called because she seldom hath that natural, and never hath that civil liberty or freedom of speech, which her husband had, and therefore she needs others to speak for her, or must speak her mind by others; her self being either unable, or disabled to speak in her own case, or to speak for her self. This being the widows state, he hath the greater sin who deals unkindly with her. What? Thrust away the widow, whose heart is bound about, yea and thrust thorough with many sorrows; What? thrust away the widow, who is unable to manage her own cause, and defend her self in her right? yet this thou hast done. Thou hast sent widows away

That is, without any help or comfort. The word is used to signify the emptiness of a vessel (2 King. 4.4.) It is used also concerning the Dreamer; who thinks that he hath eaten, but when he awakes his soul, (that is, his stomach) is empty (Isai. 29.8.) So we may expound the word Racha (Mat. 5.22.) He that saith to his brother Racha; which some understand, not of a man that wants wit or honesty only, but wealth or plenty. And then to call a man Racha, is to upbraid him both with poverty and simplicity. As if it should (in disgrace) be said to him; Thou poor snake, thou silly fellow, what dost thou talk, thou who hast so little wit, thou that art not worth a groate? In the Story of Jephthah (Judge. 11.3.) such a sort of men are spoken of as his aiders and assistants; Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and there were gathered together vain men to Jeptah, and went out with him. Some translate, poor men were gathered together, and went out with him. Vain men, are usually idle fellows, and vagabonds; and we may conceive his company or followers to have consisted of poor men rather then of vain men. And in that sense the word is used ( Neh. 5.13.) Even thus be he shaken out and emptied; That is, impoverish'd and reduced to nothing. And thus also the low estate of Jesus Christ is expressed ( Phil. 2.) He empted himself, namely, of his divine glory and splendor; that is, he showed not his Majesty whilst he was in the flesh, but covered and veiled it, and was in appearance as a poor empty man, having voluntarily made himself of no reputation, though he were Lord over all. Such was the emptiness, in which these widows were sent away by Job, as Eliphaz accuseth him. And this act may have a threefold interpretation. First, they were sent away empty; that is, not filled or relieved by thy charity; thou didst not open, either thy heart or thy hand to supply their necessities, or to make them up in what they wanted, and humbly desired.

Secondly, Thou hast sent widows empty away; That is, thou hast given them no relief by thy Justice; some widows beg merely for our Alms, others bring their case and cause to the Magistrate or man in Authority, for help against their oppressing adversaries. In the 18 ^th of Luke, the importunate widow, saith to the Judge, Releive me against my Adversary; I beg not your charity, but your Justice; The widow is sent away empty, when her suite is not heard. We may understand Eliphaz either way, that when the widow sued for her right, she found no Justice; and when she came for an alms, she found no charity.

Thirdly, We may interpret it yet higher; Thou hast sent widows away empty; That is, widows came to thee full or in a good condition, but thou hast emptied them by oppression, and taken away what they had. Covetous Magistrates care not how or of whom they get it, so they can get it; They empty the widows purse, yea widows houses to fill their own. Christ reproved the Pharisees for this ( Mat. 23.14.) Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, for ye devour widows houses; ye eat them out of house and home, either by living upon them, or by taking away their livings. We may understand Eliphaz in this sense also; Thou hast sent widows away empty; that is, widows came to thee for protection, and thou didst promise it, but then to make thy own market upon them and serve thyself, thou hast oppressed them, they came to thee to do them right, and thou hast undone them by unrighteousness. It is ill enough to deny widows charity, it is worse to deny them Justice, but it is worst of all to undo them by unjustice; yet those two Horse-leaches, pride and covetousness will not forbear to draw from the widow. Some rich men undertake the widows cause, only to enrich themselves by the spoils of the widow; and for this reason they promise help to those who are in misery, that they may make them more miserable, instead of helping them, Thou hast sent widows away empty. Thus Job was supposed to have dealt with widows.

See next how Eliphaz chargeth him for his dealings with the fatherless.

These two desolate names are often found alone, but oftener as one in Scripture; the widow who is disjoin'd from her husband, and the fatherless, who are bereaved of their parents, are commonly joined together. And these two names are taken in Scripture, either strictly, or more largely; strictly to signify only such persons as have either l • st their husbands or parents; Largely, and so the widow and fatherless, signify any that are in distress, or need our charity: Because the widow and the fatherless stand often in need of charity, therefore these names in Scripture, signify any that need our charity. While the Prophet saith ( Hos. 14.3.) With thee the fatherless findeth mercy; We are not to straighten his sense only to Orphans, but to any that are in distress; he that is a father may be called fatherless, and the child that hath a father may be called fatherless, when extremely needing the help either of God or man. And so the word widow must be understood ( Rev. 18.7.) where Babylon boasteth, I sit as a Queen, and am no widow; that is, I am neither friendless nor helpless; or as the next words seem to expound it; I shall see no sorrow; which is usually the widows portion. Thus in the Text by the widow and the fatherless, we must understand not only those who are formally so, but all in affliction, who are equivalently so.

In the former part of the verse, he saith; Thou hast sent the widow away empty; charging the sin personally upon Job; here he only saith; The arms of the fatherless have been broken; As if he did not place the fault directly upon him; yet some translate it so; Thou hast broken the arms of the fatherless; making it Jobs act; However our rendering lays fault enough upon him, and leaves him in particular without excuse, while it speaks only in g • nerall; The arms of the fatherless have been broken. For it is as if he had said; thou hast permitted their arms to be broken; And if he should object; what if the arms of the fatherless have been broken? what is that to me? Yes; you being in place and power, and having strength in your own hands to preserve the fatherless, if the arms of the fatherless have been broken, the sin must lie at your door: Every man is guilty of all the evil, which he hath power and a call to hinder, and doth not hinder.

Arms may be taken either properly, or figuratively; The arm properly is a noble and most useful Limbe of the body, we are not to understand it so here, as if he had broken the natural arms of their bodies; A man's arm is broken when his power is broken, though his skin be not so much as touched. So then,

By the arms of the fatherless, we are to understand whatsoever is the strength, or makes for the defense of the fatherless. The arm (as was touched in the former verse) is put for strength, because the arm hath much strength and activity in it for the defense and use of the whole body. The estate, the friends, the kindred, all the means, helps, and ayds which are subservient to the good and protection of the fatherless, are by a figure called the Arms of the fatherless; These arms, saith Eliphaz,

The word notes an utter breaking, a breaking to pieces; To break, as a thing is broken in a Morter with a pestle. This breaking may be also considered two ways; either as done by a positive act, or by a negative act; that is, by withholding that help which might preserve them from breaking. The arms of the fatherless are broken by denying them protection as well as by exercising oppression upon them. Thus we see what a bill of inditement is here drawn up against J • b, how he is charged with crimes, which are not only against the light of Scripture, but even against the very light of nature, even with those crimes which his hand was far from, and his heart further from, with those crimes which he did not only forbear to practice, but which his soul did abhor.

Hence observe;

Job was so clear in his own conscience from this accusation, that he not only professeth openly that he never did, but imprecates a like vengeance upon himself if ever he had done it ( Chap. 31.21.) If I have lift up my hands against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate, (that is, when by reason of my great power and authority in the place of judgment I could easily enough have done it, no man daring to oppose or hinder me, but all rather being ready to countenance and assist me in it, if (I say) when I had these advantages over the fatherless, I did ever break their arms) then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone; As if he had said, if I have done this thing, let a divine and visible retaliation point me out for the man, let all the world see and read my sin in my punishment, and my injustice against man in the most discernible judgments of God upon myself. Thus free and innocent was Job, and yet thus accused. And indeed if to accuse were enough, there is no man in the world could be innocent or free. Who is there of so unspotted a conversation, that may not be spotted with accusation? who while his conscience is pure, may not have much dirt cast in his face?

Secondly, Eliphaz accuses Job of all this, not because he knew it to be so, but because he thought it was so. Whence note (which hath formerly been touched at)

The Lord reproves Jobs three friends in the last Chapter of this Book, because they had not spoken of him the thing that was right; and as they had not spoken the thing that was right of God, so not of Job. They pitched upon no reason why they condemned him so much, but only because he endured so much. They concluded him a man of sin, because he was a man of sorrow. The Apostle gives us the true genius of charity (1 Cor. 13.3, 4.) Charity believeth all things; not that charity is so credulous as to take up everything for truth which is scattered by any common and ungrounded report; that's no commendation in any man, much less is it the commendation of a godly man; therefore when the Apostle saith, Charity believeth all things, the meaning is, Charity interprets everything in the best sense which it will bear; and makes the fairest construction which every man's case and condition will admit. And again at the 5 ^th verse; Charity thinks no evil; that is, it thinks no evil of others; As a godly man will not maintain evil thoughts, or suffer them to lodge within him, in reference to any sin which himself is tempted to commit. So a charitable man, will not maintain or Iodge evil thoughts of others, in reference to any sin which he can only suppose that they have committed. Again, as charity thinks no evil, that is, it doth not plot evil against others; so thinks no evil, by a rash surmising it of others. Thus, charity believes all's well, and thinks no evil. How uncharitable then are they, yea, how unjust who believe all's ill, where they know of none, and think the worst of them in whom they never saw anything, but what was good? It is not enough for a man to say he doth not judge his brother maliciously, he ought not to judge him ignorantly. Though to speak or judge ill of another, because we wish him ill, be the greater sin, yet barely to speak or judge ill of another, by whom we know no ill, is very sinful: And then 'tis most sinful, when we do it not only as not knowing any evil they have done, but because we know, hear, or see the evils which they suffer. 'It is dangerous as well as improper to make the hardest and harshest dealings of God with any man, the ground of our hard and harsh thoughts of him.

Thirdly, Consider who they were whom Job is supposed to have oppressed; they were not the great ones, not the mighty men of the earth, but the fatherless, and the widow.

Whence note;

The greater fish in the sea of this world devour and live upon the lesser; The strong should support the weak, and they who are upper-most should uphold those who are under them. But because the weak and the underlings may most easily be oppressed, therefore they are most usually oppressed. As Covetousness is cruel, so 'tis cowardly, and dares not meddle with its match. God in reference to Spiritualls, filleth the hungry with good things, and the rich he sendeth empty away, (Luk. 1.53.) Ungodly men, in reference to temporals, would send the rich away empty, if they could, but they are so far from filling the hungry with good things, that they take away all the good things they can from the hungry, they care not if they starve the hungry, if they make the poor poorer, and take all from them who have but little.

Fourthly, Job having been a Magistrate, and so (by his place) a Minister of Justice, is strongly pressed with the doing of injustice.

Whence note;

To have a power in our hands whereby we may do good, is a temptation to do evil. 'It is hard to keep power within its bounds, and to rule that, by which others are ruled. The Prophet ( Isa. 1.10.) calls the rulers of Zion, rulers of Sodom, because they ruled like them, or rather worse then they, eating up the people, under their charge, rather then feeding them, and vexing those whom they undertook to govern, and to be a Shield unto against the vexations of others.

Secondly, Note;

Such act not only contrary to a common rule, but contrary to their special duty; by how much we have the more obligation not to do a thing, by so much we sin the more if we do it.

Thirdly, Note;

Magistrates are called God's; And God who hath honored them by putting his name upon them, expects that they should honor him, by imitating or acting like unto him. What a Magistrate doth he should do like God, he should do it so that everyone may be convinced that God is in him and with him of a truth. As God takes care of the widow, and of the fatherless, so should he. God is known by this Title; A father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widow, is God in his holy habitation (Psal. 68.5.) That is, in Heaven; for that's the habitation of his holiness, and of his glory, there he dwells, Judging for the widow, and the fatherless; And as that is the special business (as it were) of God in Heaven, so they who are God's on earth, ought to make it their special business to judge for the widow and the fatherless. Hence we find the widow and the fatherless commended by name to the care of the Magistrate; The fatherless have no natural parents living, or none near of kin remaining to maintain and defend them, therefore the Magistrate, who is (pater patriae) the common father of his Country, should be their Foster-Father. They who want power are the charge, & should be the special care of those in power. Thus they are commanded ( Psa. 82.3, 4.) Defend the poor & fatherless, do justice to the afflicted & needy, deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Here's their work; and the neglect of this work (how busy so ever Magistrates are about other work) is often complained of aloud in Scripture, as a crying sin, as a sin that ruins Nations, and draws down public Judgments upon a people. ( Isaiah 1.17.) Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek Judgment, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow: And at the 23 verse; They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the Cause of the widow come unto them. Again ( Jer. 5.28.) They judge not the Cause of the fatherless. It is a sin not to judge any man's Cause, not to judge the Cause of the richest, of the greatest; yet it is more sinful not to judge the Cause of the widow and the fatherless. And when he saith; They judge not the Cause, &c. the meaning is, they judge not the Cause of the fatherless impartially and righteously. And indeed, he that doth not judge righteously, doth not judge at all; and when the Prophet saith, They judge not the Cause of the fatherless, it is as if he had said; Among all the Causes that lie unjudged, this is the Cause, that God takes most notice of, and is most displeased with the neglect of it, even when the Cause of the fatherless is not pleaded, or judged. All are forward enough to plead the Cause of the rich; but when the Client is poor, and appears (in forma pauperis) his cause seld me finds any but a poor and formal pleading. We read ( Acts 6.1.) That