Exposition of Job 32-24

We render the first word of this verse by that causal particle, For; yet because the text doth not strictly carry a reason in it of what was said before, but is rather an explication or an accommodation of it; therefore some begin the verse, not with that causal particle For, but with an adverb of time, When. So Mr Broughton, When the omnipotent speaketh once, &c. And the reason of it is, because we find another adverb of time answering this at the 16 ^th verse, When God speaketh once or twice, and man perceiveth it not, &c. then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction. As if Elihu had said; If speaking will not do it, somewhat else shall; or when God having spoken once or twice, yet finds man unattentive and unsencible, he takes another course; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth up their instruction. If they understand not his meaning by dreams and visions, he will awaken them to purpose. We say,

As if here a reason were given why God should not be called at all (as being so great he ought not) to give man an account of any of his matters, for he speaketh once or twice, he is aforehand with man.

To speak, in strict sense, as speaking is the forming up of words by an articulate voice, is proper to man; yet in Scripture God is said to speak, when or howsoever he maketh known his mind to man. Which he always doth in such a way, as is most suitable to his own greatness, with respect to man's weakness. When God giveth us any intimation of his own will, and of our duty, of what he will do for us, or of what he would have us do, then he is said to speak to us. ( Heb: 1.1.) God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son. God spake to the old fathers, as at many times, or by many parts, so in divers ways and manners; he delivered his mind unto the people usually by the Prophets, and to the Prophets in dreams and visions. The speaking of God was either immediate from himself in those dreams and visions to the Prophets, or mediate by the Prophets. And though now God doth not speak to us immediately as he did to the Prophets before Christ came in the flesh, and to the Apostles after he was come in the flesh, yet All the Prophetical and Apostolical writings are the speakings of God to us, besides what he daily speaketh to us (answerable to what is written) both inwardly by the workings of his Spirit, and outwardly by the works of his providence. For he speaketh once, &c.

Hence note.

Every manifestation of the will of God to us is a Sermon; what, man speaketh to us according to the word of God, is to be received as the word of God. For as God speaketh to us, though not formally, yet expressly in the holy Scriptures, which are his word, so he speaketh to us virtually, though not expressly by his works. And that, First, by his works of creation; by them God is continually opening and manifesting himself to man in his wisdom, power, and goodness. He speaketh to us, Secondly, by his works of providence, whether first they be works of mercy (every mercy hath a voice in it, every blessing a speech) or secondly, whether they be works of judgment ( Micah 6.9.) The Lord's voice crieth unto the City, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name; hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Sicknesses and losses, the crosses and troubles that we meet with in the world, cry aloud to us, especially when they make us (as they often do) cry aloud. As the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work, day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge (Psal: 19.1, 2.) so those things that are done and acted night and day, utter the mind and speak out the heart of God unto man.

The Hebrew is, in once, that is, for one Turn or Time, or by one means or way. The word once, hath a threefold signification in Scripture, all which are appliable to the text in hand.

First, Once, is as much as surely, certainly, verily, irrevocably. Thus ( Psal: 89.35.) Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David; That is, I have surely sworn, certainly sworn, irrevocably sworn, my word, yea my oath is out, and it is immutable; That which God (in this sense) once saith, it is always said, or 'tis said forever; how much more that which he swareth? Thus the Apostle argueth ( Heb: 6.17, 18.) God willing more abundantly (or more then needed as to him and the truth of the thing in itself) to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie (namely, his promise and his oath) we might have strong consolation, &c. In like notion we may expound that once, which we find ( Heb: 9.27.) And as it is appointed unto men once to die (or to die once) and after that cometh the judgment. Some refer, once, to die, as if the meaning were, it is appointed unto men to die once, that is, men must expect to die a natural death, which happens but once, and once (at least equivalently) will and must happen to all men. Others refer the once to appointed in the sense of this present exposition; It is appointed once; that is, God hath certainly and firmly appointed established and decreed this thing, he hath ratified it in heaven, that men must die; This statute is irrevocable; The thing is appointed, and there is no reversing or revoking of that appointment. This is a good sense, and suitable enough to the scope of Elihu; God speaketh once, that is, what he speaketh is a sure and certain word, an infallible word; the word settled forever in heaven (Psal: 119.89.) his promise is not only sure but most sure. As the Apostle speaks (2 Pet. 1.18, 19.) And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount. We have also a more sure (the Comparative imports the Superlative, a most sure) word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts. As the whole prophetical, so the whole historical and doctrinal word of God is most sure, being once spoken it is spoken forever, And written as with a pen of iron, and the point of a Diamond, and that upon a rock which cannot be removed. That which was vain-gloriously, and beyond the line of man, said of the Law of the Medes and Persians, (Dan: 6.8.) is only true of the word of God, it altereth not.

Secondly, This once speaking, notes the speaking of a thing so sufficiently or fully, that there is enough said at once, and so no more needs be said. The vulgar translation takes up this sense, God hath spoken once (that is, he hath spoken fully or sufficiently for man's instruction and admonition at once, and therefore he translates the latter part of the verse, thus; And he doth not repeat it the second time. That which is done at once sufficiently, needs not be done a second time; This is a truth; There is a sufficiency and a fullness in the word of God once spoken, there needs nothing to be added; or as others expound this translation. When once God speaks, that is, resolves and determines a thing, he doth not (as man who often repents of what he hath purposed) bring it into a second consideration, for he cannot err, and therefore he needs decree but once. But though this be a truth, yet I do not conceive it to be the meaning of this place, because it doth not well agree with what goes before, and less with that which followeth at the 29 ^th verse; Loe all these things worketh God oftentimes, or (as our Margin hath it) twice and thrice with man. And therefore here Elihu rather intimates the variety of those ways by which God reveals himself to man, then the sufficiency of any one of them. For though we grant any one of them sufficient, yet God out of his abundant goodness is pleased to reveal himself more ways then one, and more times then once.

Thirdly, This once, may be taken exclusively; so i • Scripture, once is once and no more, once and not again; or as we say, once for all, and so it is opposed to the repeating and acting over of the same thing. Thus Abisha said to David (1 Sam: 26.8.) God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day, now therefore l •• me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. Once smiting is there opposed to smiting more then once; As if he had said, I will pay him home, or dispatch him at once, there will be no need to fetch another blow. Thus when the Apostle had said in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Chap: 9.27.) It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment, presently he addeth, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; there also once is opposed to twice, or a second time, excluding all repetition of the sacrifice of Christ. As 'tis said ( Heb: 10.10.) By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And therefore the same Apostle in the same Chapter ( v. 26.) terrifieth Apostates with this dreadful doom; If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; that is, neither will Christ give up himself to be a sacrifice again for such as have (after light received about it, and some seeming closings with it) cast off that his sacrifice, nor can any other sacrifice be given. In this sense also sometimes God speaks, once, He speaks once and will speak no more, once and not a second time; though we have a twice here in the text, yet, I say, in some cases and unto some persons, God speaketh once and will not speak again. Whence take this observation or Admonition rather.

God may speak in thy case, not only once, that is firmly and certainly, not only once that is sufficiently, but once (that is exclusively, once) and no more forever. That moving caution of the Apostle is grounded upon such a sad possibillity as this ( Heb. 3.7.) Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; and again ( verse. 13.) Exhort one another daily, while it is called, today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfullnesse of sin. As if it had been said; hear today, hear this hour of the day, for you know not, first, whether there will be a morrow or another day for you; secondly, if you have a morrow, yet you know not whether you shall have a word tomorrow; both time and season, days and opportunities are in the hand of God; and he that neglects the season of one day, hath no assurance of another day, much less of a season with the day. Wh • knows whether the cock shall crow twice or no? possibly the cock may crow but once; in what a condition had Peter been if it had been so with him, for after he had (as Christ notwithstanding all his confidence to the contrary, told him ( Mark 14.30.) denied his Master thrice, he never called to mind the words of Christ, nor had any thought of humbling himself for what he had done, till (as 'tis said, verse. 72.) The second time the Cock crew. Everyone hath not a promise (as Peter equivalently had) that the cock shall crow twice, or that God will afford him means a second time to awaken him out of his sin. That which the Lord spake of affliction, to show the fullness of it, may also be fulfilled concerning his warnings and admonitions ( Nahum 1.9.) I will make an utter end, affliction shall not rise up the second time: We should hear at first speaking, lest it should prove that when the Lord hath spoken once, he should make an utter end, and say, instruction and admonition shall not rise up a second time. And to be sure, as Abraham after he had interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah several times, said at last ( Gen. 18.32.) O let not the Lord he angry, and I will speak yet but this once. So the Lord when he hath spoken oft to sinners and is not heard grows so angry, that he comes at last and saith, I will speak yet but this once. God will at last come to his, but once more to all men; and with some he is at his once at first and no more forever. There is a time when every man shall hear his last word, and God will speak but that once; and sometimes it is but once in all that God will speak. Therefore take heed, it is dangerous deferrings if God speaks once, if he call & knock once, it is our sin & folly too, that we do not hearken to, and open at his first call and knock, though the Lord doth (I grant) usually and mostly exercise much patience towards sinners, calling and knocking once and again, as it followeth in the text, He speaketh once,

Several of the Jewish writers interpret this twice of the two sorts or ways of divine revelation which are spoken of in the following parts of this context; God speaks to man by visions and dreams, and God speaks to man by diseases and sicknesses, as we shall see afterward. But I rather take it more generally, not only as to the divers manner and distinct ways of his speaking, but as to the divers times, or reiteration of his speaking; he speaketh once, yea twice: As he speaks several ways, so several times, twice or thrice, possibly, in the same way; twice by visions, twice by dreams, twice by sicknesses, and often by his Ministers; He speaketh once,

I shall consider this twice three ways, and give a brief note from each.

First, consider twice as to number; twice strictly taken is more then once. One is no number, but two is.

Hence note.

Who is there among us that hath not had experience of God's speaking to him more then once? And that not only with respect to the various ways of speaking, but with respect to various times of speaking. He speaks more then once by his word, more then once by his works, whether of judgment, or of mercy. Some sinners are consumed in a moment or at once, (as it is said of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram with their confederates ( Numb. 16.21.) others die of a lingering consumption. God waiteth to be gracious, and therefore he rarely speaketh his all or striketh his all at once. He gives precept upon precept, line upon line, he sends sorrow upon sorrow, cross upon cross, that sinners may at last remember themselves, return and live.

Secondly, As twice notes a number, so it may be considered as a small number, yea as the smallest number; twice or two is the first number, the first step into number. They that do a thing more then once cannot do it less then twice, nor can that number which is more then one be less then two. When the woman in the book of Kings told the Prophet (1 Kings 17.12.) I am going to gather two sticks. Her meaning was, a very few sticks, only now to make a little fire to bake a Cake with. And when the Spirit of God would show how few, comparatively to the rout of the World, they are and will be that bear witness to the truths of Jesus Christ, he calleth them two Witnesses ( Rev. 11.3.) they are a number, yet expressed by the lest number, that we should not have our eyes upon the multitude, or think, that is not the truth which is not followed by great numbers, or the most of the World. The train of Christ is not large, nor are his ways thronged, few there be that find them. As they whom he calls forth to be eminently his witnesses are not many, therefore called two; so they that receive their witness are not many; The world wonders after the beast. Thus as two or twice imply a small number; so in Scripture language, that which is done more then twice is supposed done often or many times (2 Kings 6.10.) When the Prophet had told the King of Israel where the forces of the King of Assyria would come, and by that means defeated him of his purpose; it is said, And the King of Israel sent unto the place which the man of God told him, and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once, nor twice; that is, many times, which made the King of Syria wonder how it came to pass that he was so often defeated; he thought he had laid his plots so wisely and closely that the King of Israel could not escape, but he saved himself not once, nor twice; more then twice is many, but bare twice is the narrowest compass of number imaginable.

Hence note.

Though he speak more then once, yet it may be but twice, possibly but twice precisely, probably but twice restrainedly taken. The Lord would not have us build upon the hope of future speakings, to the neglect of what is presently spoken. Though God be very patient and longsuffering to sinful men, yet he hath not given any man, the least occasion, no not by a promise of speaking a second day, to continue one day much less to continue long in sin. When God spake (as I may say) at the largest rate of his patience to sinners, he said ( Gen. 6.3.) My spirit shall not always strive with man; not always, that is, though it strive long, yet it shall not strive very long, and that he may know it, I will give him a day, yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. This was somewhat a long day indeed; But remember this hundred and twenty years, was all the time that was granted to all the men of that world, there was not so much granted to every particular man of that world, possibly the Spirit of God did not strive a day longer with many a one among them. Therefore take heed of presuming. When the Lord speaketh once, do not say, I will stay till he speaks a second time, and if he condescend to speak twice, do not believe that he will always speak.

Thirdly, Twice, may be considered as a small certain number, put for a small uncertain number. 'It is frequent in Scripture, to put a certain number of any kind, for an uncertain; Sometimes a certain great number, for an uncertain great number; and sometimes a small certain number, for a small uncertain number. As twice is not to be tied up strictly to the smallest number; so not to any number whether small or great.

Hence note.

God doth not put an absolute stint upon any of his actions. Beware of neglecting the least twice, the first twice, which is the lowest twice; for though we cannot bind God up strictly to twice, it may prove three times or four times, yet whether it shall be so many, or how many it shall be, no man nor Angel knoweth. Twice cannot be very often, and 'tis uncertain how often. Therefore if you hearken not when God hath spoken once (take it strictly) do not stop your ears at the second speaking. It is said, Moses smote the rock twice (that was twice beyond his Commission, for he should not have smitten it at all) and the mater came out abundantly. How many rocks, that is, hard hearts, hath God smitten by his word and his works twice, and yet we see not the waters of Godly sorrow flowing out; the rocks are smitten more then twice with the rod of God, with the rod of his mouth in the ministry of his word, they are smitten with admonition upon admonition, with reproof upon reproof, with threatening upon threatening, and yet the waters came not out abundantly, yea scarce at all. May not they fear that they shall have penal sorrow upon sorrow ( Paul took notice of the goodness of God to him, that he did not let him have afflictive sorrow upon sorrow ( Phil: 2.27.) but, I say, may not they fear they shall have penal sorrow upon sorrow) that is, everlasting floods of sorrow, who after the Lord's speaking upon speaking, and reproving upon reproving, give no proof of their godly p • enitentiall sorrow? O how angry was the Lord with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared to him twice (1 Kings 11.9.) God appeared to him in Gibeon (1 Kings 3.5.) when he was first made King, putting him to his choice, or giving him a blank to ask what he would, and he chose well, he chose wisdom and had it. God appeared to him a second time after the building and dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 9.2.) And said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me, &c. Thus the Lord appeared solemnly unto Solomon twice, and but twice for anything that appears upon record in that solemn manner. Now when notwithstanding these two appearings of the Lord to Solomon, the heart of Solomon was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, his anger was kindled against Solomon, and the Lord smote him once, yea twice, renting his kingdom, and pulling away ten tribes at once, from his son and successor. O do not refuse God speaking to you twice, or the renewed speaking of God; to do so is very sinful, and therefore very dangerous. For as 'tis a sign of a holy heart, of a gracious frame of spirit, to hear twice at once speaking; as David professed he did ( Psal: 62.11.) God hath spoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God: also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy. There are several renderings and interpretations of those words; But that which to me seems most intended by our rendering is, I heard what was once spoken twice at once, that is, I heard it speedily, and I heard it believingly; as soon as ever the word came to me I received it, and I received it not only with my ear, but with my heart. That's a blessed way of hearing, and they who hear so, at first speaking, may well be said to hear that twice which God speaketh once. But how sad is it that God should speak twice, thrice, yea four times, and yet not be heard so much as once! When Job was brought upon his knees ( Chap: 40.5.) he said, Once have I spoken, but I will not answer: yea twice but I will proceed no further. Job began to be sensible of that which Elihu was working him to, that he had been too forward, yea too forward with God; Job began to see his error, and recanted it; I have spoken once, yea twice, but I will proceed no further. 'It is good, that after once or twice sinning or failing, we yet say we will proceed no further. O how deplorable is man's condition, when the Lord shall say, I have spoken once, yea twice, but now I will proceed no further, I will speak no more! And this usually comes to pass, when men are dull and slow of heart to understand what he speaketh, which as natural men always, so godly men often are, as it followeth in this text; He speaketh once, yea twice,

That is, apprehendeth not sometimes that God is speaking to him, and he seldom understandeth what God is speaking to him.

There is a little variety in the exposition of this latter clause of the verse; The word man not being expressly in the Hebrew (and therefore we find it put by our translators in a distinct character) the text runs only thus; God speaketh once, yea twice, he perceiveth it not. This hath occasioned the vulgar latin interpreter to refer this last clause of the verse to God also; giving out the sense thus; God speaketh once, and a second time he doth not repeat it; As if here were a warning given, that all should attend the very first motion of God's voice to them; For he speaketh once, and doth not repeat the same. But I shall not stay upon that, because I see not how the Hebrew word by us rendered to perceive, can with any tolerable significancy be rendered to repeat: yet, there is a second rendering of the text in the same tenor, giving a genuine sense of that word, which is very profitable and proper enough to the scope of the place, God speaketh once, and he doth not consider upon it a second time; That is, when God speaks or decrees to give forth anything, he doth not take it into consideration again or review and bring it about upon second thoughts, as men often do; yea it is their duty (though it be a duty arising from their frailty) so to do. Men ought to consider often and review their own words as well as their works. But (saith Elihu, according to this reading) God speaks once, and doth not consider of it again; for he hath the measure and compass of all things so fully in himself, that he needs not turn back his thoughts upon any of his determinations, as if there could be a mistake, or any error in them. This is a very glorious truth, highly advancing the name of God above every name among the best of the children of men. And it ariseth clearly from the text, leaving out the suppliment which we make of the word man. Yet according to the opinion of the most and best expositers, yea according to the clearest scope and tendency of the text, that word man is rather to be supplied, God speaketh once, yea twice,

'It is common in Scripture to leave such words unexpressed, as must necessarily be understood. And therefore I shall only insist upon our own translation.

Yet before I proceed to that, I shall touch upon another reading of these words, as referring unto man, which doth not so much carry a reproof of man's dullness, as a commendation of God's goodness, thus; God speaks once, yea twice, if man perceiveth it not. As if he had said, If man be so weak and dark, so dull and slow of apprehension, as not to perceive God's mind at his first speaking, yet God is usually so gracious and condescending as to speak twice, or a second time, even to that man. This reading doth exceedingly exalt and set forth the goodness and graciousness of God; and we have frequent experience of it, that when God speaks once, and finds creatures dull of hearing, he speaks a second time.

Our reading gives in these words as a charge of man's darkness and slowness to apprehend the meaning of God speaking to us either in his word or works. God speaks once, yea twice,

The Hebrew is, man seeth it not. There is an eye in the understanding, the mind of man heholdeth the sense of words, even as his bodily eye beholdeth the colors, and dimensions of any material object: Yet the eye of man's mind is so bleared and dim-sighted that though God speak once, yea twice, he seeth, he perceiveth it not. That is, he doth not clearly perceive it. Elihu makes use of this word six times, Job thrice, Zophar once, in all which places, they intend an exact observation and through speculation of the matter which they treat upon, either in the affirmative or in the negative; here as a rebuke to man Elihu makes use of it in the negative, man perceiveth it not.

Hence note.

The prophetical Sermons are called visions; The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos, which he saw (Isa. 1.1.) yet when they preached them to the people, many of them saw nothing; their visions were to the people as parables or dark sayings. Man in general falls under a twofold consideration; first, as unconverted or carnal; and in that state he perceiveth not at all, when God speaks once and twice, yea thrice, he perceiveth nothing. And that proceeds from a double ground.

First, from the natural pravity of his heart, and the blindness of his mind. Of such the Apostle saith ( Eph. 4.18.) They have their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. And hence he concludes (1 Cor. 2.14.) The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; spiritual objects must have a spiritual eye to see them.

Secondly, this comes to pass sometimes from the judgment of God upon carnal men; who as in mercy he causeth the blind to see, so in wrath he striketh those that have no mind to see with greater blindness, and punisheth their former rebellion and obstinacy against the word received with an impotency to perceive it. Yea God doth not only leave such in the blindness of their mind and dullness of their understanding, but gives them up to it. The Prophet Isaiah was a Gospel Preacher, he held out the light clearly, yet his hearers were under such a doom, that the very light which he held out blinded them; so that the more he spake the less they perceived ( Isa. 6.10.) And he said, go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not: make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed. This is a dreadful Scripture; The Lord is highly provoked indeed, when he judicially shuts up the eyes of men, and hardens their hearts against his own messages, not that he infuseth any hardness or instilleth any ignorance into them; but gives them up to that ignorance hardness and darkness which already possesseth them. And then though God speak once or twice, or a hundred times, they perceive it not: They that harden their hearts, shall have them hardened by that which is the ordinary means to soften and melt them; and they that shut their eyes against any truth, are in danger of having them shut against all truth, even by that means which usually openeth eyes. Thus we see that this first sort of men, mere carnal men, cannot see ot perceive when God speaketh, and why it is so.

Secondly, (which I conceive rather to be the meaning of Elihu here) Man may be considered in his spiritual state. That is, as converted and renewed in spirit, by the mighty working of the Spirit. Now to men in this estate God speaks once, yea twice, and they perceive it not. They that are spiritual do not always perceive spiritual things. For

First, they have much corruption in them. Though they are renewed, yet they are renewed but in part; we see in part and but darkly, yea sometimes Saints can hardly see at all, especially as to some dispensations and manifestations of God! he may speak once, yea twice and thrice to them in such a thing, or to such a purpose, and they take little or no notice of it. He may point unto them by such providences, and by such Sermons, and yet they look upon themselves as un-concerned, not making any home-application of what they outwardly hear or see, yea feel and smart under; and all this by reason of some prevailing corruption.

Secondly, this may proceed from their negligence and slothfullnesse; good men are not always careful as they should, much less critical and wisely curious to observe every providence of God, and to consider why or for what end such or such a word is sent to them. As carnal men thrust the word from them, so godly men fail much at all times, and at sometimes wholly neglect to lay the word to heart. They do not compare themselves, that is, their lives and consciences; their thoughts and ways with the word, and then no wonder if they perceive not what is spoken to them. Even a Job may be hindered by his own indulgence from perceiving what God saith unto him. The Prophet complained of the people of God for not striving to take hold of him. (Isa. 64.7.) There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee. And may we not complain that few stir up themselves either to take hold of the word of God, or that the word may take hold of them? Paul exhorted Timothy (2 Tim. 1.6.) to stir up the Gift of God that was in him. They that have received both gifts and grace may be much wanting to themselves in stirring them up. Though we deny man's natural power, yet persons converted have a spiritual power, which they often neglect to stir up. When the servants of Benhadad (1 Kings 20.32, 33.) came to Ahab upon that message to beg his life, it is said, The men did diligently observe whether anything would come from him that they might take hold of, and urge it in favor of their Master; and as soon as Ahab had dropt that word, he is my Brother, as soon as they had that word, they did hastily catch it and applied it for their present purpose. So they that are godly should observe what is spoken unto them, what corruption is smitten by the word or by the rod of God, and as soon as ever such a word is spoken, they should take it up and apply it to themselves.

Thirdly, those many lusts that are in the heart of a godly man, not yet fully mortified, as secret pride, self-love, and unbelief, these hinder him from understanding the mind of God. And therefore we are counseled by the Apostle James (Chap. 1.21.) to lay aside (that is, to get subdued and mortified) all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and (so) receive with meekness the engraffed word which is able to save our souls. As if he had said, we can neither perceive nor receive the word savingly, unless our lusts are cast out and cast off. How much any man neglects this duty of mortifying his lusts, by so much is he rendered both unable to perceive the word, and unfit to profit by it.

Lastly, Mr. Broughton renders the words thus, God speaks once, yea twice, and man will not mark it. We say, man perceiveth it not; he saith, man will not mark it. As our reading shows the weakness and imperfections, or the negligence and slothfullnesse of man, when he doth not perceive what God speaketh; so his showeth the obstinacy of man. The will of man is as perverse, as his understanding is blind. Man hath not only a wound or a weakness in his will unto that which is good, but he hath a rebellion in his will against that which is good, and that not by some occasional disgust or sudden gust of passion, but he is naturally set and resolved against that which is good. Man will not mark what God speaketh in his word and works. Christ upbraids the Jews (Joh. 5.40.) Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life; he chargeth the fault upon their wills. 'It is certain man hath a will not to come to Christ for life; yet that is a forced and far fetched inference which some make from it, that man hath therefore power and will to come. Sure enough man hath a will not to come, he hath not only an inabillity, but an enmity and an opposition in his will against Christ: he will not come to Christ that he may be saved, but would take up his salvation somewhere else; he would be his own Savior, or let any one save him, rather then be saved by Christ; all things considered, especially this, that he must deny himself, and neither be found trusting to his own righteousness, nor acting any unrighteousness, if he desires to be saved by Christ. And as there is a resistance in the will of man against the true dispensation of Gospel grace; so against any other dispensation whereby God speaketh to him. The unchanged will of man riseth up against the will of God manifested in his works, as much as against his will manifested in his word ( Isa. 26.11.) Lord, when thy hand is lifted up they will not see. If his hand be lifted up in public judgments they will not see it, if in family or personal judgments and afflictions they will not see it, but shut their eyes and hoodwink their own understandings. Yea, they are oftentimes so willfully, or rather so madly blind, that they had rather say it is the hand of blind Fortune, then the hand of the Almighty and All-seeing God. Now who is so blind as they that will not see? Till this rebellion against the holy will of God with which the will of man is filled be cast out and subdued, let him speak once, yea twice, let him speak by word or works, by promises or by threatenings, by good or evil, yet man will not mark it. Thus much in general of God's revealing himself to man; In the next words we have the distinct ways set down by and in which he revealeth himself: In a dream &c.

The root of the word rendered a dream, signifieth that which is thick, gross or fat, and by a metaphor a dream, because dreams are naturally caused by gross and thick vapors, arising from the stomach & fuming up into the head. Sleep is caused immediately by vapors and dreams are our work in sleep. A dream is an Imagination which the mind frames and forms, or which is formed and framed in the mind while we sleep; or, A dream is the work of the soul, while the body is asleep. Sleep is the binding up of the outward senses, hearing, seeing, feeling, &c. yet then the inward senses, fantasy and memory are at liberty and free to work. The fantasy is very quick and nimble, when the body lieth as a logge and stirs not. The fantasy (as we say) builds Castles in the air, and makes strange Chimera's in the brain by day, much more by night. In Dreams, there is an image of things or persons represented to us. When Pharaoh dreamed, he saw seven lean kine, and seven thin ears, as also seven fat kine and seven full ears of corn. Jacob saw a ladder in his dream reaching up to heaven, and the Angels of God ascending and descending. Joseph saw his brethren's sheaves doing obeisance to his sheaf, he saw also the Sun and Moon and eleven Starrs, doing obeisance to him. Nebuchadnezzar dreaming saw an Image with the head of gold, with shoulders and breast of silver, with belly and thighs of brass, and legs of Iron, &c. These dreamers had images as clearly represented to their minds, as anything can be to the most waking and wakeful eye of the body. And though in many dreams there are no such formal similitudes presented to the mind, but only a voice heard speaking, yet nothing can be declared to us in a dream without forming in our mind some kind of likeness. When it is said that God came to Abimelech (Gen: 20. and to Laban Gen: 31.) and an Angel of the Lord to Joseph (Math: 1.) speaking to them in dreams, they had such things exhibited to and impressed upon them, as gave the former two assurance that God spake to them, and the third that he was spoken to by an Angel of God.

Further, We may distinguish of dreams; First, some are mere natural dreams; and they arise four ways; First, from the temperature of the body, Melancholy and phlegmatic persons, have their special dreams, and so have men of a sanguine and of a choleric complection. The first incline to dream of sad, the second of sottish, the third of pleasant things, and the last of wrathful wranglings and contendings. Secondly, Natural dreams are caused by the diet or food which we eat, special meat inclining to special thoughts and imaginations. Thirdly, Mere natural dreams flow from the business or special work wherein we have been engaged in the day; as Solomon speaks ( Eccles: 5.3.) a dream cometh thorough the multitude of business; that is, a man dreams at night of what he hath been doing in the day. Fourthly, Natural dreams arise from vehement affections to or desires of what we want, and would have. Thus ( Isa: 29.7.) The hungry man dreams he eats, and the thirsty man dreams he drinks; For being pinched with hunger, and parched with thirst, his appetite is not only strong, but fierce and violent after meat and drink. These and such like are natural dreams. I call them so because the rise or reason of them is seated in nature, and they are such as have no other cause but what is common and natural to man. Nature let alone or left under such outward accidents will produce such dreams.

Seconldy, There are diabolical dreams; the devil knows how to stir the humors and work upon the phantasies of the children of men. Satan is skillful and diligent in soliciting our lusts and corruptions both day and night, and they being once solicited or moved to work, cannot but work in us both sleeping and waking. Yea the devil can inspire false doctrines and opinions by dreams, as well as provoke to wicked practices. Of such dreamers we read ( Deut: 13.1, 3.) If there be among you a false Prophet, or a dreamer of dreams. False Prophets had many dreams ( Jer: 23.25.) Such were wont to say, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. Because the holy Prophets had their dreams from God, the Devil would give his unholy Prophets dreams too, which were lies and vanity, deceits and errors, leading them out of the way of God, whether we respect truth of doctrine, or purity of worship. We may reduce all diabolical dreams to these two heads; They are either, First, false dreams, that is, dreams of falsehood, for he is the father and former of lies; or, Secondly, they are filthy defiling dreams; for he is an unclean spirit, and the feweller of all filthy fires and uncleannesses, whether corporal or spiritual.

Thirdly, There are divine dreams, so called, First, because immediately sent by God; Secondly, because the subject matter of them is divine and heavenly, or some manifestation of the holy will of God to man. There are five special Messages upon which dreams are sent from God.

First, To reprove or admonish; Thus God dealt with Abimelech in a dream, that he should not meddle with Sarah (Gen: 20.3.) and with Laban, that he should not hurt Jacob, nor hinder him in his journey back to his fathers house ( Gen: 31. 24.) whereupon Jacob told him, God rebuked thee yester night. That dream of Pilate's wife ( Math: 27.19.) was sent to admonish Pilate about giving Judgment against Christ.

Secondly, God sends dreams to instruct, and inform; There are teaching dreams, that of Joseph (Math: 1.21.) was not only to show him what to do about Mary his espoused wife, but to instruct him about that Great mystery of God manifested in the flesh, to save lost man.

Thirdly, Dreams are sent for support and consolation in a time of trouble ( Gen: 28.12.) God comforted Jacob by that dream, when he was in a desolate condition, and assured him of his presence.

Fourthly, Some dreams are sent of God upon a sad message to afflict and terrify; Job bemoaned his sufferings and sorrows by such dreams ( Chap: 7.13, 14.) When I say my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint, then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me with visions.

Fifthly, God foreshoweth what shall come to pass, he reveals his own counsels, as to future providences, by dreams and visions. The seven years of famine were revealed to Pharaoh in a dream. And the great things of the Church, and of the world too, were revealed to Daniel in a dream, and in visions of his head upon his bed ( Dan: 7.1.) The message of the dream in the text was for instruction and admonition, as will appear at the sixteenth verse; God speaketh in a dream; and further

Some take vision here as a second way of divine revelation. And 'tis true, the Scripture speaks of dreams and visions distinctly ( Numb: 12.6.) Others make visions to be only appurtenances to dreams; For though there have been visions without dreams, yet dreams are seldom, if at all, without some kind of vision. This seems the intendment of this text, In a dream, in a vision of the night; That is, in a dream with a vision of the night, as making the vision to be nothing else, but either a representation of the matter dreamed of, or of the manner wherein it was represented to the dreamer. And I conceive, that Elihu in this verse is speaking only of one, not of two ways of God's revealing himself to man; or rather of one then two. Yet whether we take the vision distinctly from or jointly with the dream, the scope of Elihu in this text is equally answered and fulfilled.

Further, Elihu doth not only report the way of God's discovering himself, that is, in a dream, in a vision, but he declares the time or season of these dreams and visions, or of these visions in a dream; that is, the night, and the night considered under this division.

First, When deep sleep falleth upon men.

Secondly, When they have their slumberings upon their bed; that is (as I apprehend) at the beginning of the night, and break of day (for those are the slumbering times of the night) or in the middle of the night or midnight, for then usually men are fallen into and abide in a deep sleep, or as we render, Then

Some sleeps, as we may say, are but shallow sleeps, slight sleeps, in comparison of other; Deep sleep is that which we call, Dead sleep. The word here used by Elihu, notes the strongest and the soundest sleep, and therefore 'tis fitly distinguished from slumberings upon the bed.

There are three words in the Hebrew which signify sleep; whereof the first signifies sleep in general; the second, deep sleep; the third, any slight sleep, which we here translate slumbering. Ordinary sleeping is more then slumbering, and a deep sleep, more then ordinary sleep; we commonly say, such a man is fast asleep, he is, as it were, bound hand and foot. Sleep is the binding of the senses, and so, by consequence the binding of all the members of the body. We often find this distinction in Scripture ( Psal: 132.4.) I will not give sleep to mine eyes, nor slumber to my eye-lids; that is, I will not only not give myself to fall asleep, but I will not so much as (according to our manner of speaking in that matter) forget myself. We find the same distinction ( Ps: 121.4.) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The words are a description of the exact watchfulness of God over his people, he that doth not so much as slumber, he that never lays his eyes together, he that doth not only not take a nap (as we say) but not so much as once nod (to so little the Hebrew-word may be drawn down, which is likewise the importance of the Greek-word, he, I say, that doth not so much as nod) is far from sleep, furthest of all from deep sleep. In both these degrees of sleep, the Lord speaks by Dreams, first, in deep sleep; Secondly, in slumbrings.

Some conceive that Elihu intended by these different words, to set forth two sorts of dreams; First, those dreams which men have when extraordinary deep sleep falls upon them; such as that spoken of ( Gen: 2.21.) God commanded a deep sleep to fall on Adam, when he took the rib out of his side and formed the woman. We read also ( Gen: 15.12.) that a deep sleep fell on Abraham when God revealed to him what should become of his posterity, and how they should be in Egypt, and there much oppressed four hundred years, &c. It is said also (1 Sam: 26.12.) A deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them; that is, upon Saul, and his guards, who lay round about him. And that might be called a sleep from the Lord, both because it was a sleep which the Lord sent, and because it was an extreme deep sleep. Secondly, there are dreams in ordinary sleep, or in very slumbrings or noddings upon the bed, we may call them waking dreams. Thus Elihu showeth God taking several times or seasons for the revealing of himself in dreams; sometimes in deep sleep, and often in the least and slightest sleeps, called slumbrings.

I shall not here insist upon or discourse the way of God's manifesting himself to the Ancienrs, by dreams & visions, but refer the Reader to what hath already been done upon the 4 ^th Chapter at the 12 ^th and 13 ^th verses; where Eliphaz speaks almost in the same manner as Elihu here about visions; And, indeed there is a very great Consent between their two parts in this book, that of Eliphaz, and this of Elihu; They were both holy and prophetical men, both of them had the same design in speaking about dreams and visions, namely, to convince and humble Job; and both of them express themselves in terms of a very near Cognation. So that if the reader please to consult that place ( Job 4.12, 13.) he will find these words farther cleared, as to the nature and several kinds of visions. And if he turn to what hath been done upon the 14 ^th verse of the 7 ^th Chapter, he may find the doctrine of dreams further opened.

Only let me add here a note or two.

First, It hath been the use of God to reveal his mind by dreams.

And I may give you five reasons why God used to apply himself to man in dreams: First, because in sleep man is, as I may say, at best leisure for God to deal with him; he is not distracted with business, nor hurried with the labors of this life, but is at rest. Secondly, when we are awake we are very ready to debate and discuss what we receive by our own reason, we are ready to Logic it with God; but in sleep we take things barely as offered without discussions or disputes. Thirdly, in sleep when all is quiet, that which God represents, takes and leaves a deeper impression upon the mind of man. Common experience teacheth us how dreams stick, and how those apprehensions which we have in our sleep dwell & abide with us when awake. Fourthly, I conceive the Lord doth this chiefly that he may show his divine skill in teaching & instructing man, or that he hath a peculiar art in teaching; he teaches so, as none of the masters of learning were ever able to teach and instruct their Scholars. There was never any man could teach another when he was asleep; they that are taught must at lest be awake, yea they must not only be awake but watchful; but now God is such a teacher, such an instructor, that when we are asleep he can convey instruction and teach us his lessons; this (I say) doth wonderfully magnify the divine skill and power of God, who is able to make us hear and understand doctrine even when we are asleep and cannot hear. There may be also a fifth consideration moving God to this. Possibly God would hereby assure us, that the soul is a distinct essence, and hath its distinct operations from the body; and that even death itself cannot deprive the soul of man of its working. For what is sleep but a kind of death? sleep is a short death, and death is along sleep. Now when the body is (upon the matter) laid aside, the soul can go to work; when the body lies like a block and stirs not, the soul can bestir itself about many matters, and run its thoughts to the utmost ends of the earth, yea and raise them up to the highest heavens, in blessed intercourses with God himself. There's no need to prove the matter of fact that 'tis so; what night, with reference to some or other, doth not utter this point of knowledge? nor need I stay to prove that this is, if not a demonstrative, yet a very probable argument of the distinct substantiallity of the soul from the body, namely its operations when the body (with all its proper and peculiar faculties and powers) is a sleep, and contributes nothing to those operations. For though it be granted that some irrational creatures (who have no immortal part, nor anything substantial in them distinct from their bodies, though it be granted I say, that these) may have dreams; yet their dreams differ as much from those of men, as themselves do.

Secondly Note,

The Apostle reports, God speaking at sundry times, and in divers manners in times past, unto the fathers by the Prophets, ( Heb. 1.1.) The Greek text hath two very significant words, the former most properly implying how God gave out his mind in divers measures, or how he parcelled it out, the other implying the several ways in which he gave it out. As the measures were various, sometimes more sometimes less of his mind about divine matters and mysteries being dispersed, so the ways manners and forms of this dispensation were very various; yet the most usual way was by dreams and visions ( Numb. 12.6.) If there be a Prophet among you (saith the Lord) I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and speak to him in a dream. Yea we find that in the first days of the Gospel, dreams and visions were frequent. The Apostle falling into a trance had a vision ( Acts 10.10.) He saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descend, &c. And when Christ would have the Apostle Paul carry the Gospel into Macedonia, a vision appeared to him in the night ( Acts 16.9.) There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. The same Apostle saith (2 Cor. 12.1, 2.) I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord, whether in the body I cannot tell, or out of the body I cannot tell. Paul's soul was wrapped up in such high and intimate converses with God, that he even forgot how it was with his body, or had little to do with it. Which suites well with that description which the Apostle John gave of himself, when he had the whole mind of God concerning the state of his Church to the end of the world, revealed to him in several visions, I (saith he Rev. 1.10.) was in the spirit on the Lord's day, &c. That's is a famous promise, which was first reported by the Prophet Joel (Chap: 2.28.) and after repeated by the Apostle Peter (Acts 2.17.) I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, &c. and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Thus it is everywhere clear in Scripture, that dreams and visions were frequent both in the Old Testament times, and in the beginning of the New;

But now in these last days (as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.2, 3. passing from those former ways of Revelation described in the first verse) God having spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the Worlds, who is [also] the brightness of his glory, and the express Image of his person: God I say having spoken to us by his Son, and we having now a clearer manifestation of the mind of God then the old fathers had, the Son who once spake to us in person on earth, still speaking to us in the Gospel every day; therefore now for any to look after dreams and visions, or visible apparitions for the revealing of the mind of God, is to go backward to the old state of the Jewish Church, or to the infancy of the Gospel Church, while the Canon or Rule of the Scripture as to all matters of faith and holy life was not fully finished and completed. And though we ought to be far from limiting God, yet he hath limited us from looking after any wisdom in the knowledge of his will above that which is written (1 Cor. 4.6.) The Apostle also testifying by the Spirit of God, that the Scripture is sufficient to make every man wise to salvation and the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (that good work especially of helping others to salvation) 1 Tim. 3.15.17.

Luther observing how many were deluded in his time by dreams and visions, which they falsely attributed to God, as the immediate Author of them; earnestly prayed about two things: First, that God would give him a sound understanding of his mind revealed in the Scriptures. Secondly; that he would nor send him dreams or visions, yea, saith he, I even contracted with God that he would not. And doubtless he did this upon a double ground. First, to oppose the wild opinions and practices of those, who had nothing to pretend for them but dreams and visions. Secondly, to advance the honor of the written word in its sufficiency, not only without the help of any human tradition, but without any further divine revelation. And therefore though God should please to speak to us now by dreams and visions, yet that were only (as the Apostle speaks about his adding of an oath to his promise ( Heb. 6.17.) to show that he is (ex abundanti) more abundantly willing to satisfy our weakness by such a condescension, then that there is a necessity of it, with respect to any deficiency of the Scriptures fullness. And hence it is, that if men shall profess they have received anything from God by dreams or visions, concerning what is either to be believed or done, the matter of those dreams must be examined and weighed at the balance of the Scriptures, and is no further to be credited then as 'tis found agreeable thereunto.

It cannot be denied but that men may make profitable use of their dreams at this day; they may see much of themselves when their eyes are shut up by sleep. Evil men may see their lusts at work in the night, and find out what lust is most working and wakeful in them. What is said in History of the ancient Persian Kings, that they were seldom seen in the day, but came to view in the night, is true of a man's special sin, or of that sin which reigns and Kings it in him. What ugly apparitions of lust hath many a man in his nightly dreams, especially of those filthy lusts which are most proper to the night? Thus also good men have sometimes a clearer sight of their graces in the night by dreams, then in the duties of the day. What holy frames of heart? what lively actings of grace? what sweet and ravishing communion with God have many godly men found and felt in dreams? That may at lest, be somewhat of David's meaning, when he said ( Psal. 16.17.) My reins also instruct me in the night season.

Lastly, Though we cannot make any certain conclusions, either what we are, or what we are to do from dreams; yet from them they who are wise and watchful may sometimes gather strong conjectures about both or either. To make dreams the rule or warrant of what we do is extremely dangerous, yet that we may have hints what to do in a dream, I nothing doubt, nor can there be any danger in it, while the matter hinted is consonant to the rule of the word, both as that which is lawful to be done, and lawful for us (all circumstances considered) to do. Otherwise, whatsoever we may think ourselves warned or warranted to do by dreams, is but a mock or trick put upon us by the Devil, or a deceit of our own foolish selfish hearts.

Thus we have seen the first way of God's speaking to men of old, by dreams and visions of the night; what work God is pleased to make with and in man by such speakings, will appear distinctly in the three following verses.

In this verse Elihu gives us the first of those gracious designs or purposes of God in sending dreams or visions of the night; then he openeth the ears of men. There is a twofold ear of man, first, external, that organ of hearing placed in the head. Secondly, internal, that power of hearing seated in the heart. God can uncover or open both. There are but few who have their outward ear stopped, we rarely meet with a deaf man. But we everywhere meet with and speak to those who are internally deaf. The Lord openeth this inward ear, and he only is able to do it. God opened the heart (or internal ear) of Lydia to attend to the things which were spoken of Paul (Acts 16.14. ) The Septuagint render this place of Job expressly so. Then he openeth the mind of men. Their translation comes close to the sense, though not to the letter of the Original.

Further, the Hebrew is (as we put in the Margin) He revealeth or uncovereth the ears of men. This revealing or uncovering of the ear, say some, noteth only private speaking, and is a similitude taken from a common custom among men; who when they would convey their mind secretly to a friend that stands by, put their head near to his ear, and take up the brim of his hat, or put by his hair (if long) that they may whisper in his ear. Thus in a dream God whispers and speaks silently unto men. This seems to have a suitableness with that ( Chap. 4.12, 13.) where Eliphaz spake of a thing brought secretly to him, or that was whispered or stolen into him. But I conceive there is more in this place then the intendment of a secret and private conveyance of the mind of God unto man in a vision or dream.

And therefore this opening of the ear imports the removing or taking away of that (whatsoever it is) which hinders the effectual hearing or obeying of those messages which God sends to men. When God spake in a dream, he did more then speak, he opened the ear, yea, he gave an ear to hear: This powerful work of God upon the heart is elegantly expressed by opening the ear, because when the ears are stopped, we cannot hear, till that which stops them is plucked out or taken away; so that here we have speaking with effect, or the clear and penetrating power of the Spirit of God sweetly and prevailingly insinuating his mind to man. God speaks so as he will be heard.

Hence Observe.

There are many things which stop the ears of man, or man hath many ear stoppers. I will name seven, all which God removes and takes away when he effectually reveals his mind to man. First, the ear of man is stopped with ignorance, that's a thick veil or covering upon the ear, and keeps out the mind of God till it be removed. And, Secondly, Unbelief is another ear-stopper; till the Lord removeth that we cannot hear. Thirdly, Impenitency or hardness of heart stops the ear, there are a number of Scriptures I might give for each of these. Fourthly, the love of any particular sin is an ear-shutter or an ear-stopper, and the Lord removes that, when he opens the ear. Fifthly, Prejudices stop the ear, prejudices sometimes against the person speaking, sometime against the word spoken. That man will never hear a word to purpose, who hath a prejudice against the person, or a prejudice against the word, either a prejudice against the man, or against the matter. Sixthly, Pride stops the ear too, the proud man will not hearken, therefore God humhles and brings down the spirit that the word may be heard. Seventhly, and lastly, the World is a great ear-stopper, that locks up the ear against the word; the world in the profits of it, and the world in the pleasures of it, and the world in the cares of it, and the world in the fears of it, the world by or in everyone of these stops the ear, and by these the ears of all men naturally are stopped, so that they are as it is said ( Psal. 58.4.) like the deaf adder, that stops her ear, and will not hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. Till all these stoppers are removed, and the ear opened, there is no receiving of the word.

Secondly Observe.

Though it hath never so many stopples in it, he can pull them out, never so many locks upon it, though all the seven spoken of, and seven more obstruct the ear, yet he can open them all, and make a free and uncontrollable passage for his word into the remotest and closest chambers of the soul. God can speak loud enough, not only to make the deaf, but the dead hear his voice. Verily; verily I say unto you (saith Christ, Joh. 5.25.) the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. By the dead he means not those who are corporally, but spiritually dead, that is, dead in sins and trespasses, and in danger of eternal death for their sins and trespasses, even these heard the voice of the Son of God then speaking personally, and heard it afterwards ministerially, in the dispensation of the Gospel, and that voice revived them, not only by giving them the comfort of that natural life which they had before, but by bringing in a new spiritual life which before they had not. Then the internal ear is opened to purpose when those internal or mystically dark graves of sin are opened, and the soul comes forth into the light of life.

Yet more distinctly. God may be said to uncover or open the ears of men, when he doth these four things.

First, When he makes us not only to hear but to attend, not only to hear but to hearken; or not only to hear but to give ear. Many give the word of God the hearing, but they do not give ear to the word of God.

Secondly, God opens the ear when he makes us not only attend, but understand, or when he takes the veil off from our minds. The Apostle saith of the Jews (2 Cor: 3.14.) The veil remaineth upon them untaken away to this day in the reading of the Old Testament (and it doth so still) so that as they could not, so yet they cannot, Look to the end of that which is abolished; that is, to Christ, who was the end or scope at which the whole Ceremonial Law (now abolished) did then aim. When once the e • re is divinely opened, then the veil of ignorance and spiritual blindness is taken off from the mind, both as to that greatest truth, and all other necessary truths. The opened ear is an understanding ear.

Thirdly, God openeth the ear when he causeth us to believe what we perceive and understand. As faith sets the whole soul awork for God, so faith is the great work of God upon the soul. When the ear is opened, truth is not only known, but savingly believed.

Fourthly, This opening of the ear maketh the soul obedient; Jesus Christ in that great prophecy of him ( Psal: 40.6.) to show his ready obedience to his fathers command, saith, Mine ear hast thou opened (or digged) The ear of Christ was never shut in the least, either through ignorance or unbelief; but he is said to have his ear opened, only to show his constant preparedness and readiness for obedience. He came into the world with an open ear to all the will of God; and therefore it followeth in the 7 ^th and 8 ^th verses of that Psalm, Then said I, loe I come, in the volume of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea thy law is within my heart. Christ is brought in by another Prophet speaking to the same point with some little variety, but with very great significancy of expression ( Isa: 50.4, 5.) He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned; we usually say, Sleep is in the eye, yet this prophecy intimates a sleep in the ear, thou hast wakened mine ear. What we are to understand by this wakened ear, is clear in the next words of the same prophecy, The Lord hath opened mine ear, that's the word of Eliphaz, and the consequence of opening the ear, set down in the Prophet, is the same now given in this point, The Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious. He doth not say, The Lord opened mine ear, and I heard, but, I was not rebellious; that is, I gave up myself to obey the word or command, which I heard. The same Prophet ( Isa: 48.8.) describing the rebellion of the Jews, puts this as the reason of it, Yea thou heardest not, (that is, thou didst not attend) yea thou knewest not, that is, thou didst not understand, yea thine ear was not opened; as if he had said, thine unopened ear was the cause why thou diddest neither attend, nor understand, nor obey the word spoken to thee. So much of the first gracious design of God in speaking to men by dreams and visions of the night; Then he openeth the ears of men. The second is given in the latter part of the verse.

The word signifies not only to seal, but to perfect or conclude. He sealeth Instruction.

There is a threefold use of seals and sealing; First, to distinguish one thing from another; Secondly, to keep things safe and secret; Thirdly, sealing is to confirm and ratify; A Bond, Deed, or Evidence in writing, till it hath a Seal, is but a scrip of paper of no force, but when once the Seal is put to it, then it is confirmed, then there is strength and force in it. A seal fortifies the writing, or maketh it authentic. He sealeth their

The word here used signifies both correction and Instruction, and so it is rendered by some here, He openeth their ears, or sealeth their chastisement. M ^r Broughton takes that sense, And imprinteth why they are chastised; that is, (as himself expounds it) when he hath chastised them, he sealeth up the decree of their judgment; or as another, He proposeth it unto them as firm and concluded, if they do not repent and imprinteth in their mind the certainty of it, as also the true cause of it. We render fully to the sense of the word and scope of the text, He sealeth their instruction; that is, upon the opening of the ear there is a sealing or a setting home the word which is received. When the ear is opened to receive, God will make men hold what they have received. The sealing of instruction, signifies the efficacy, energy, or effectual working of God with the word, he ratifies and confirms it to the soul, he maketh his word as sure to them as a sealed Bond, both with respect to the duty commanded, and the mercy promised. And, indeed, we have as much need to have Instruction sealed, as to have the ear opened; for 'tis possible the ear may be opened, we may hear and understand, and in some sense believe, yea obey, and yet not have the instruction sealed. The instruction is then sealed, when we keep what is received, as the ear is opened when we receive what is offered. Unless the instruction be sealed, we hear and obey only for the present, not for the time to come, that is, we do not retain and hide the word received for use and practice.

Now, whether we take this sealing in reference either to correction or instruction, it yields us matter of profitable meditation. First, As it refers to correction.

Note.

It is as sure that he shall, as if he saw it under hand and seal; or as if the sentence were engraven upon his conscience, and fixed before his eyes. If the ear be not obedient to instruction, the back must submit to correction; If the word will not do it, the rod must; if teaching will not serve the turn, chastening shall; He sealeth their correction. Every correction threatened is not certainly inflicted; for Elihu saith afterward ( v. 26.) He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable to him; but the meaning is, man's correction is sealed in case he proceeds on in his sin; if he does not give proof that his ear is opened by his obedience to instruction, there is no escaping correction. The correction of the dearest children of God is sealed, if they hear and do not. God will not cocker his stubborn children, nor spoil them by sparing the rod; He will certainly meet with them one time or other, either by sickness, or poverty, or reproach; the order the warrant is sealed for their correction.

We may much more apply this to the wicked, to the ungodly and rebellious, who though they have their outward ears open, yet their hearts remain shut; If the correction of the godly be sealed in that case, to be sure, the destruction of the wicked is; they are sealed for death, yea they are sealed for hell; the writ of their eternal Judgment is sealed. If Judgment must begin at the house of God, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God?

Further, Take it as we render it, referring to instruction, He sealeth their instruction.

Whence note.

He can leave such an impression upon the heart, as as shall never be forgotten nor worn out. He can make every word stick; And so this is but a further illustration of what was said before; he openeth their ears to receive the word, and then sealeth instruction upon them. The Apostle speaking of some persons converted, who were the fruit of his ministry, saith, Ye are the seal of mine Apostleship (1 Cor: 9.2, 3.) that is, ye confirm and ratify my ministry, that it is of God, and that God is in it. Now as the conversion of sinners, and the building up of Saints, is the seal of our ministry; so the sealing of instruction upon the soul, is the conversion of sinners, and the edification of Saints. When a sinner is converted, his instruction is sealed upon him, and when a Saint is built up and edified, and increaseth in the things of God, then instruction is sealed upon him also. And until we thus profit by the word, we have the word, as I may say, without a seal, nothing fastens upon us.

Thus much of the first design of God in sending dreams and visions in those times, it was to open the ears of men, and to seal their Instruction; This being only a general benefit aimed at by those means, we have those which are more special set down in the words which follow.

This 17 ^th verse contains two of those blessed ends or designs of God in revealing himself to man by dreams and visions, or by visions in a dream, of which Elihu spake in the two former verses; as then he takes an opportunity to open the ears of men, and seal their Instruction, to fasten and fix his word upon them, to make it stick and stay by them; so in all this his purpose is;

The word rendered to withdraw, signifies, to take off, or put away, to remove or change for the better. ( Isa: 1.16.) Put away the evil of your doings; that is, do no more evil, or (as the Lord speaks by another Prophet, ( Jer: 44.4.) O do not this abominable thing that I hate; we render the word in the other sense ( Job 27.2.) He hath removed my Judgment far from me. There is in man a kind of settledness and resolvedness upon his purpose, he will on; but saith Elihu, the Lord withdraws him, he stretcheth forth his hand, and pull's him back; He withdraweth

Adam, the earthly man; The proper name of the first man, is the common name of all men. Man is earthly by nature, and so are all his natural purposes. To draw an earthly man from that which is earthly, is no easy matter; only the power of God can do it, He withdraweth man

The word which we render purpose, properly signifies a work; and so it is translated not only elsewhere, but here by several Interpreters. Mr. Broughton is express, That the earthly man leave off to work, and then by work, he means an evil work, as by purpose an evil purpose. The word work set alone usually signifies an evil work, as the word wife put alone is taken for a good wife ( Prov. 8.22.) He that findeth a wife, findeth good; everyone that findeth a wife doth not find good, (there are many bad wives) only he that findeth a good wife findeth good. So on the contrary, the word work standing here alone implieth a bad work. And to withdraw man from his work, or from his purpose, is to withdraw him from his evil work or purpose: The Septuagint gives it clearly so, that he may withdraw man from unrighteousness. And Mr. Broughton glossing his own translation, saith, that he leave off man's work, and do the work of God.

Again, This term work, seems opposed to the thought or concupiscence of the inner man; he withdraweth man from his work, that his hand may not effect what his heart hath contrived: that the bitter root may not bring forth evil and bitter fruit. Or if we follow our translation, the sense will be the same; He withdraweth man from his purpose, that is, he checks and stops the inward motions and workings of man's heart, and so keeps him from bringing it to perfection by an outward evil work. ( Jam. 1.15.) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death; God in great mercy takes man off from his purpose when he finds him upon an evil device or purpose; he crusheth the Cockatrice's egg that it may not be hatched, and destroyeth the conception of those Babylonish brats that they may never come to the birth. ( Mic. 2.1.) Woe to them that devise mischief on their beds, when the morning is light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. The work begins at the heart, there 'tis plotted and contrived; the heart is the work house of sin; now the Lord withdraws man from his purpose, and will not suffer the inward work to be accomplished by the outward work.

Further, we may refer these words either to what is past, or to what is to come; some translate (referring it to what is past) that he may turn, or withdraw man from those things which he hath done; that is, from those evils to which he hath already set his hand; this is done by giving man repentance, which is our being humbled for, and turning away from any evil already committed.

Our translation refers it to what is intended to be done, for that's a purpose. So the meaning is, God doth these things that he may keep man from doing that evil or mischief which he hath resolved upon, or at least is forming and hammering in his thoughts. Abimelech had an evil purpose for the matter (though possibly the purpose of his heart was not evil, for he said to God (and God said he spake true) in the integrity of my heart, and innocence of my hands have I done this, Gen. 20.5, 6. (he was I say about an evil purpose for the matter) when he thought to take Abram's wife from him, but the Lord came to him in a dream, and withdrew him from the evil of his purpose. Laban intended evil, or hard dealing to Jacob, but the Lord met him also in a dream, and withdrew him from his purpose, saying, ( Gen. 31.24.) Take heed thou speak not to Jacob, neither good nor bad, that is, hinder him not in his journey, either by threathings or by promises. Thus man is taken off or withdrawn from evil purposes by preventing grace, and from evil works by repenting grace.

I shall prosecute the words according to our reading only, which imports that when man hath some evil purpose upon his heart, the Lord visits him in dreams and visions of the night, to withdraw him from that purpose.

Hence observe First,

God himself must come to withdraw and fetch him off, or otherwise he will be driving them on. The heart of man naturally hath no other purposes but evil purposes, and upon them it is set (as I may say) to purpose; that is, he will effect and bring them about if he can. When Moses reproved Aaron concerning the golden Calf which he had made, at the instance and violent importunity of the people, Aaron answered for himself ( Exod. 32.23.) Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot, thou knowest the people that they are set on mischief, they are bent to it, they have such a mind to it, that there's no turning them from it; they will hear no reason nor take any denial, when the fit is on them. There is a setting of the heart of man continually upon evil; the wind blows that way, and no other way, the wind sits always in that bad corner till God turneth it. There are two gracious acts of God, spoken of in Scripture, which do exceedingly show forth the sinfulness of man; every act of grace doth in its measure aggravate the sinfulness of man, and always the higher grace acteth, the more is the sinfulness of man discovered, especially (I say) in this twofold act of grace. The former whereof consists in drawing; the latter in withdrawing; there is a gracious act of God in drawing the sinful sons and daughters of men to that which is good. Man is drawn, First, into a state of grace or goodness, by this he is made good. He is drawn, Secondly, to acts of grace or goodness, by this he doth good. Of the former Christ speaks ( Joh. 6.44.) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, that is, no man can believe, (for by faith we come to Christ) except he receive power from on high. God draweth the soul to Christ, and that's a powerful act of divine drawing, though not a compulsory act: and as God must draw man into a state of grace, which is our union with Christ by the Spirit in believing, so he draweth him to the acting of his graces. Of this latter the Church speaketh to Christ ( Cant. 1.4.) Draw me, and I will run after thee. These gracious drawings show that we are not only utterly unable, but averse to the receiving grace, and so becoming good, while we are in a state of nature; as also that we are very backward to do that which is good, even when we are in a state of grace. Now as God acts very graciously in drawing man to good, so Secondly, in withdrawing him from evil, from those evil purposes and evil practices, to which all men are so easily yet so strongly carried. The Prophet ( Jer. 2. 23, 24.) elegantly describes the exceeding forwardness of that people to evil, while he compareth them to the swift Dromodary, traversing her ways, and to the wild Ass in the Wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure (or the desire of her heart) in her occasion who can turn her away? As the wild Ass set upon her pleasure, & in her occasion, when she hath a mind to it, will not be turned away; such is the heart of man. That other Prophet ( Isa. 5.18.) telleth us of those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope; that is, they set themselves with all their might to do mischief. When men are thus vainly bent upon vanity, 'tis a mighty work of God to withdraw them from their work. When, what men are purposed to do they are fastened to it as with cords and cart-ropes, what but the power of the great God can withdraw them from it?

Whence note Secondly,

When man is in an evil way, he hath no mind to return till God turneth him; let come on it what will he will venture: 'It is only through grace that the heart either abstains or returns from evil. David saith ( Psal. 18.23.) I have kept myself from mine iniquity. David kept himself from his iniquity, yet he was not his own keeper: It was by the power of God that he kept himself from that sin to which he was most prone, even from that sin to which his own corruptions and the Devils temptations were always drawing him. David had some special iniquity to which his heart was inclined more then any other, and from that he kept himself, being himself kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Of ourselves we can neither keep ourselves from doing iniquity, nor leave off doing that iniquity, which we have once done. How can man withhold himself from sin, while sin hath so great a hold of him, yea the Mastery over him?

Thirdly Note.

Between these two the grace of God is daily working in and towards man, and it worketh for the effecting of both many ways.

First, by his word, and that in a fourfold consideration. First, by the word of his command, he everywhere in Scripture forbids man to do any evil, and bids him repent of every evil which he doth. Secondly, by the word of his threatenings; they are as thunderbolts to deter him. Thirdly, by the word of his promises, they are divine alluremenrs, sweetly yet effectually to entice him. Fourthly, by the word of his persuasions, they are full of taking arguments to convince and win him.

Secondly, God withdraws man from sin, and draws him to repentance when he hath sinned, by his works: First, by his works of Judgment, they break him to these duties. Secondly, by his works of mercy, they melt him into these duties.

Thirdly, God withdraws man from sin and draws him to repentance by his patience and longsuffering. (Rom. 2.4.) Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance. As if the Apostle had said, O man, if thou knowest not the meaning of God's patience towards thee, and that this is the meaning of it, thou knowest nothing of the mind and meaning of God towards thee.

Fourthly, The Lord withdraweth man from evil purposes by seasonable counsels. David was going on in a very bad purpose (1 Sam. 25.) and God stirred up Abigail to meet him, and by good counsel to withdraw him from his purpose: This David acknowledged ( verse. 32, 33.) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me. As if he had said, I was fully purposed to revenge myself upon Nabal, and had not surely left a man of his house alive by the morning light, if thou hadst not met me; therefore blessed be God who hath sent thee, and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and hast by thy good counsel withdrawn me from that evil purpose.

Lastly, consider God withdraweth man from his sinful purpose, all or any of these ways, by putting forth his mighty power with them. For his word alone, his works alone, his patience alone, the counsel of man alone would not do it, if God did not stretch forth his own arm in and with these means for the doing of it. Nothing is any further efficacious then as God is with it. ( Numb. 22.) Balaam was going on in his wicked purpose, being sent for by Balak to curse the people of God: And though the Lord sent his Angel to be an adversary to him in his way ( verse. 22.) so that his Ass turned out of the way into the field, yet Balaam went on in his purpose, yea though the Angel standing between two walls caused his Ass to turn so suddenly, that she crushed Balaam's foot against the wall ( verse. 25.) yet Balaam went on in his purpose: Once more though the Angel went further and stood in a narrow way, where there was no way to turn to the right hand nor to the left, so that the poor Ass fell down under him ( v. 27.) and speaking (as the Apostle Peter expresseth it, 2 Epist. 2.) with man's voice rebuked the madness of the Prophet; Yet so mad he was that all these checks and warnings, could not withdraw him from his purpose. And what the Lord did at that time to Balaam by an Angel, that he doth by some other means and providences to stop many from their evil purposes, who yet will not be stopped. He speaks to them in the ministry of his word, he speaks to them in his works; he spreads their way with roses, he hedgeth up their way with thorns, he bestoweth sweet mercies upon them, he sends sharp afflictions upon them, to withdraw them from their evil projects and purposes, yet on they go like Balaam, unless he send more then an Angel, even his holy Spirit to withdraw them.

Lastly, Elihu reports it as a special favor of God to withdraw man from his purpose.

Whence note.

Disappointments are acts of grace, when we are acting against grace; If God stop us from doing evil, not only by his word, but by blows, or by a hedge of thorns, yea if he stop us by a drawn sword, it is a great mercy. Though God throw us to the ground (as he did Saul, afterwards Paul, when he went with a bloody purpose to vex and persecute the Saints ( Acts 9.) let us count ourselves exalted, and rejoice in it more then in any worldly exaltation. 'It is a rich mercy to be kept from executing an evil purpose, though by our own poverty and outward misery. The doing of that which is sinful, is worse then anything that can be done to us, or endured by us, as a stop against sin. Sin hath death in it; sin hath wrath in it; sin hath hell in it; sin hath Devil and all in it; therefore to be kept from sin, let it be by what means it will, if by pains and pining sicknesses, if by reproaches and disgraces, yea if by death, we have cause to bless God. The greatest and sorest Judgment which God pours upon sinful men, is to let them alone in or not to withdraw them from their sins. To be suffered to go on and prosper in sin, is the worst of sufferings, the last of Judgments, the next Judgment to hell it self, and an infallible sign of an heir of hell. Thus the wrath of God waxed hot against Israel when he gave them up to their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own Council (Psal: 81.11.) This was the highest revenge that God could take upon that sinful people. He said a little before, Israel would none of me; when God wooed them they were so coy, they would have none of him; and then, said he, go on, take your fill of sin; I give you up to your own hearts lusts. The Lord did not say, I gave them up to the sword, to the famine, or to the pestilence, but to their own hearts lusts, and to walk on in their own way; That person or people may be sure, God hath purposed evil against them, whom he will not withdraw from their evil purposes. The severity of the wrath of God against the Gentiles is expressed and sum'd up in this ( Rom: 1.26, 28.) He gave them up to vile affections; he gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do things which were not convenient. A natural man left to himself, will soon do such things as nature it self abhorreth and blusheth at. The same dreadful doom is denounced ( Rev: 22.11.) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. I will not withdraw him from his way, let him go on and perish, let him go on and sink down to the pit of perdition forever. As S ^t. John in the Revelation foretelling the Church, given up or left to (not in) great sufferings of all sorts; Here is the patience of the Saints. So when we see the world given up and left in great sinnings of any sort, especially if to sinnings of all sorts, we may truly and sadly say, Here is the wrath of God. 'It is therefore a great mercy, if God will any way withdraw man from his sinful ways and purposes, especially when he taketh such gentle ways, as dreams and visions, counsels and instructions, to withdraw man from his purpose, and (as it followeth in this verse) to

The word which we render to hide, is to hide by casting a covering, a veil, a garment, or any other thing, over what we desire should be hid, ( Prov: 12.23.) A prudent man concealeth knowledge; it is this word; he doth not pretend to know so much as he knoweth; he puts a veil upon his own abilities, (as Moses upon his face when there was such a shining beauty imprinted there) rather then reveals them unnecessarily or uncalled. 'It is the foolish man, or he that hath but a show of wisdom, who loves and affects to be showing it. But to the text. The word is used also, to note that gracious act of God, his pardoning the sin of man. ( Psal: 32.1.) Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. God covers our sins in the riches of his grace, by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Now there are two ways by which God hideth pride from man. First, by pardoning it; Secondly, preventing it. Here to hide pride from man, properly, is not to pardon it when acted, but to prevent or keep man from the acting of it; God indeed hides the pride of man by pardoning it (and that's a high act of grace) and he hideth pride from man by keeping man from doing proudly, or from showing his pride in his doings.

The word rendered pride, signifies Eminency, or Excellency, because men are usually proud of that wherein they are eminent and excel; there lies the temptation to pride. And therefore as a man should turn away his eyes from a beautiful harlot, lest she should ensnare him, so God hides man's own beauties, eminencies, and excellencies, even his best works from him, lest he should be proud of them, and so go a whoring after them: or as God did with the body of Moses, he not only buried him, but hid him (for 'tis said, ( Deut: 34.6.) No man knoweth of his sepulcher to this day ) and 'tis well conceived that the reason why God hid his sepulcher, was, lest the people of Israel should be drawn aside to some undue or superstitious veneration of him. So God hideth (by some means or other) that which is most eminent in us, from us, lest it should draw us aside to some undue estimation of it, and so prove but matter or fuel for pride to kindle upon. Thus the Lord hideth pride from us, when he hideth that from us, which (considering our corruption) may probably make us proud.

And the original word here used to signify the man from whom God hideth pride, hath a near cognation to this notion about hiding pride it self. Man is twice expressed in this verse, yet not by the same word; The first word notes man in the weakness of his constitution, an earthly man; This second notes man in the powerfulness of his condition, a strong man, a mighty man, an eminent man, a man with all his furniture, in the fullness of his earthly glory and greatness; when man hath much natural power, much civil power, with the various additions and ornaments of both these powers upon him, then man is in greatest danger to be proud, & then God hideth pride from man. And who can hide pride from such a man but God alone. Men commonly blow up such men with pride by great applauses, and such men have mostly great thoughts and high apprehensions of themselves, and are very forward to discover (which is the greatest discovery of their weakness) their own pride. God only hideth pride from man; that is, he makes it not to be, as well as hinders its appearing; that which is hidden is as if it were not. The word is used in that sense ( Job 3.10.) Because he did not hide sorrow from mine eyes; Sorrow is hidden from us when the matter of sorrow is so taken away, that we sorrow not at all. To hide pride is to take away the matter and occasion, the incentives and motives of pride, whatsoever is a nurse of pride, or doth encourage the pride of our hearts, that's to hide pride from man.

Again, We may take this word, pride, in a large sense, as Comprehending all sin, He withdraweth man from his purpose, and hideth pride; that is, sin of all sorts from man; and doubtless there is pride of one kind or other in every act of sin; There is a heightening of the spirit against God, some dissatisfaction with the mind and will of God, and thence a setting up of our will against the will of God in every sinner, especially in bold and willful sinners. Such sinners would not let the will of God stand, but desire that their own may. This is pride; This in some degree is mingled with every sin, and pride leads to all sin; therefore in Scripture sometimes an humble or meek man is opposed, not only to a proud man in special, but to a wicked man in general ( Psal: 147.6.) The Lord lifteth up the meek, he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Where the wicked man in the latter part of the verse, stands in opposition to the meek or humble man in the former part of it. Nor can it be denied, but that as pride is in it self a very great wickedness, so it gives a propension and fitness for the doing of all manner of wickedness. And thus take it in the largest sense, 'tis a truth that God hideth pride, that is, every sin from man, otherwise he would soon show forth any sin as much as pride. But I rather keep to that strictness of Interpretation here, as pride is opposed to humility, which is not only a choice grace, but the ornament of all those graces which are hidden in the heart, and held out in the life of a gracious man. And thus the Lord by exercising man with dreams and visions in his affliction, doth first stop and check the very purposes of evil, that they come not to act, and when man hath brought to pass or acted any good purpose, he keeps him from ostentation. He hideth pride from man.

It being the Lord's design to hide pride from man, by those fore-named dispensations.

Observe, First.

Those things which Children are apt to abuse or hurt themselves with, their parents hide from them; They will hide edge-tools from them, lest they get a wound by meddling with them; They will hide fruit from them, lest by eating overmuch they get a surfeit. Thus the Lord our tender father often hides all the means and occasions of pride from the eyes of his children, because they are so ready to boast and lift up themselves in pride. Man (as was shown at the 13 ^th verse of the former Chapter) is a proud piece of flesh, and hath much proud flesh in him. The Prophet saith ( Ezek: 7.10.) Pride hath budded; pride hath a root, and it brings forth fruit. There is a twofold pride, or pride of two sorts. First, secret unseen pride, or pride of heart; Secondly, open visible pride, or pride of life. In allusion to the Prophets metaphor, we may say, there is pride in the bud, and pride in the root, pride buddeth outwardly.

First, At the tongue, men speak proud words, they speak boastingly and vain-gloriously ( Psal: 75.5.) Speak not with a stiff neck, that is, speak not proudly. Pride budded at the tongue of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan: 4.30.) when he walked in his Palace and said, Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my Majesty. Here was pride budding at the tongue.

Secondly, Pride buddeth also at the eye, in scornful lofty looks. David professed that his heart was not haughty, nor his eyes lofty (Psal: 131.1.) The haughtiness of many men's hearts may be seen at those windows of the body, the eyes, in lofty looks. These are threatened with a downfall ( Psal: 18.27.) The Lord will bring down high looks, that is, proud men who look highly. And again ( Isa: 2.11.) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be bowed down. Once more saith the Lord ( Isa: 10.13.) I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Asyria, and the glory of his high looks. There we have pride in the root, a stout heart, and pride in the fruit, high looks. (Isa: 3.11.) The show of their Countenance testifieth against them; that is, they look proudly, though (which should lay them in the dust) they live very lewdly, yea they are proud of their lewdness.

Thirdly, How often doth pride bud in apparel, in vain fashions, and new-fangled attires, in the affected adornings and trimmings of a body of clay? What are these but the buddings of pride? yea the flaggs and banners of pride. Some are as proud of their gay dresses, as the Peacock of his feathers. We commonly say, Fine feathers make fine birds, but how foolish are those birds that are proud of Feathers!

Secondly, There is pride of heart, or pride budding in the spirit of man, which doth not show it self; only the mind swells within. When men have high thoughts of themselves (though they do not (as the Apostle Jude hath it) speak great swelling words of vanity, yet they have great swelling thoughts of vanity, then pride buddeth in their spirits, their minds swell, and the mind will swell more then the tongue. The tongue swells mightily, but the heart much more. The spirit of a man may lift up it self on high, when the man looks very demurely. ( Hab: 2.4.) Behold, his soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him; If the soul be lifted up, the man falls; He that is high-minded, cannot be upright in his mind.

It may be questioned, Whence it cometh to pass, that the soul of man is so much and so often lifted up with pride? What causeth this swelling and heaving of his spirit? I answer,

First, Some are proud of their birth, either, that they are borne of great men, or that they are borne of good men. The Baptist admonished the Jews of this piece of pride ( Math: 3.19.) Think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father. As if he had said, I well perceive what makes you (as we speak proverbially) stand so much upon your pantafloes? and talk within yourselves, at such a rate of yourselves, is it not because you are of Abraham's stock? But I say unto you, let not your heart swell with these thoughts, we are Children of Abraham; for God is able even of these stones to raise up children to Abraham; that is, God will not want a people, though he should lay you aside, and entertain you no longer for his people.

Secondly, Others are proud of riches, yea they boast of the multitude of their riches (Psal: 49.6.) Even they who desire to hide their riches as much as they can, yet cannot but tell the world they are proud of their riches, so proud, that they slight and contemn all men that have not as much riches as they; O what rejoicings have most rich men over their riches? Hezekiah a great King and a Good man (a rare conjunction) had much of that upon his spirit ( Isa: 39.2.) when Ambassadors came from Babylon, He was glad of them, and shown them all his treasure; He affected they should see what a rich King he was, and what masses of Gold and silver as well as what multitudes of men were at his command.

Thirdly, Many are proud of their honors and powers in the world; They are high-minded, because they are set in high places; 'It is a dishonor to some great men that they have not truly great spirits. And 'tis the temptation of all great men to have proud spirits.

Fourthly, Not a few are proud of their bodily perfections and strength; many a soul is defiled and deformed with pride by the bodies beauty and fairness; many look not after the beauty of holiness, while they doat upon the beauty of their own comeliness; they see themselves in their beauty, till they are proud of it, and care not (which should be our greatest care, and shall be our greatest privilege, Isa: 33.17.) to see the King in his beauty. As some trust in their spiritual beauty ( Ezek: 16.15.) so others over-ween their corporal, both are the effects of pride; and the first is by so much the worse of the two, by how much it riseth from a better object.

Fifthly, Many are proud of their natural parts, proud of their gifts, proud of their wit, proud of their memory, proud of their eloquence and abilities of speaking. As knowledge it self puffeth up (1 Cor: 8.1.) so do all those endowments which serve either for the getting or expressing of our knowledge. Gifts and abilities, whether natural or improved and acquired, do not more fit us for service, then tempt us to and (unless grace work mightily) taint us with pride.

Sixthly, As many are proud of what they have, so others are proud of what they have done, they are proud of their actions, their spirits swell with the thoughts of their own works. Some are so wicked, that they are proud of their evil works. The Apostle saith, They glory in their shame (Phil: 3.19.) David complained of many ( Psal: 4.) who turned his glory into shame; but these turn their shame into glory, that is, they are proud of that for which they ought to be ashamed. Now if some are proud of the evil, of the mischief which they have done, how easily may we grow proud of the good which we have done? proud of our duties, proud of our righteous deeds, proud of our charitable deeds to men, proud of our prayers to God, proud of our zeal for God, as Jehu was who said, Come and see my zeal for the Lord. The heart of a good man may soon have too much to do with what he hath done, his thoughts may quickly work too much towards and upon his own works. But as for hypocrites and self-seekers, who do good to be seen of men, they cannot forbear seeing it themselves, and surely that sight of the eye cannot but affect the heart with pride.

Seventhly, Pride riseth often from the success of what is attempted and done, men are proud of victories. The Assyrian is described ( Isa: 10.13, 14.) triumphing and insulting, because he had put down the nations as a valiant man. And ( Hab: 1.16.) we have the Chaldeans sacrificing to their net, and burning incense to their drage, because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous; that is, they boasted of and gloried in their great achievements in war; so it seems to be explained in the next words ( v. 17.) Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

Eighthly, Pride springeth out of the very mercies and salvation of God. Thus 'tis said of Hezekiah (2 Chron: 32.25.) after he had received two great mercies; First, deliverance from a great enemy; and, Secondly, from a great sickness; He rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up. How lifted up? not in thankfulness, for he rendered not according to the kindness, but in pride and high-mindedness; for presently it is said ( v. 26.) Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart.

Ninthly, The heart is lifted up and waxeth proud with Church-Privileges; Some say, they are in the Church, or they are the Church; they enjoy pure ordinances and administrations of holy worship above others. For this kind of pride the Prophet reproved the Jews (Jer: 7.3, 4.) Hear ye the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord, &c. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we; The temple of the Lord are these; As if he had said, Be not proud of the Temple (what we trust to, besides God, we are proud of) nor of your Temple privileges, you will find no sanctuary, no security there, unless you amend your ways; these things will do you no good, except you be better. The Jews were taxed also by the Apostle for such a proud cry ( Rom: 2.17.) Thou makest thy boast of God; and can a man do better then to boast of God? but they swelled with pride, they did not rejoice with thankfulness, they contemned others, as if God were a God to them only, and saw somewhat in them above others, as the reason why he chose them for his people above others. This was pride of spirit, or spiritual pride. And again to the Jew (v. 22.) Thou that makest thy boast of the Law; And is it not our duty to boast of the law or word of God? But the Apostle saw them proud of the Law, not obedient to it; He perceived their hearts were lifted up in their privilege of having the letter of the Law, while both their hearts and lives were unconformed and unsubdued to the spirituallnesse of the Law.

Tenthly, Pride is ready to rise in the heart of man from that divine light & those extraordinary Revelations which he receives from God; and it is hard to keep the heart under when God discovers very much of himself to man. This was Paul's case (2 Cor: 12.7.) Lest I should be lifted up above measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me. Even Paul in that case needed a thorn in his flesh to let out or prevent the Impostumation of his spirit. Some conceive the reason why the Prophet Ezekiel is so often called, Son of Man, was to keep him humble, while he had many revelations from God.

Eleventhly, Some have been proud not only of divine and heavenly, but of diabolical and hellish Revelations. We read of one Theudas boasting himself to be somebody (Acts 5.36.) This vain man pretended revelations from God, which were indeed from the Devil; And he swelled with this conceit, boasted himself to be somebody, that is, he thought himself to be everybody; as if the perfections of all men were Center'd in him, or as if all others were nobody, and he himself the only somebody. The Apostle ( Acts 8.9.) speaking of Simon, who had used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, saith, He gave out that himself was some great one; he swelled with pride from his diabolical Revelations; giving out not only (as Theudas ) that he was somebody, but that he was some great one. Though indeed for a man to report himself somebody, is (as both learned Grecians and Latins noted in the Margin tell us) to report himself a Great one. And who are greater in pride, then they who make Great reports of themselves, or report themselves great?

How great a proneness there is in the heart of man to pride, may appear by all these instances; by which it appears that as there is much pride abiding in man, so by all or any of these occasions it is daily budding out, unless God hide it from man, and nip it in the bud.

Yet here it may be questioned; Whence it cometh to pass, that man is so prone to pride? or what is the spring of it?

I answer; First, Pride springs from Inordinate self-love, (2 Tim: 3.2.) Men shall be lovers of their own selves, Covetous, Boasters, Proud. They that are undue lovers of themselves, or in love with themselves, they presently grow proud of themselves. Self-love, and self-flattery, are glasses in which if a man look upon himself, he appears double to what he is, or much greater then what he really is. Self-love is a multiplying, yea and a magnifying glass. 'It is dangerous to see ourselves through our own self-love; That sight of self affects the heart with high thoughts of self, which high thoughts the Lord would have all men cast down, or cast away, while he gives that admonition by his Apostle to the Romans (Rom: 12.3.) Let no man think of himself more highly then he ought to think (that is, let him not think highly of himself at all) but (as it followeth in the same verse) Soberly, or to sobriety. For indeed many are drunken, yea mad, or mad-drunk with high, that is, proud thoughts of themselves. Hence that of the same Apostle ( Gal: 6.3.) If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself; he that thinks himself to be something, is he that hath proud thoughts of himself; and such a something, is a mere nothing, that is, is no such thing as he thinks himself to be; as is clear in the case of the Church of Laodicea (Rev: 3.16.) Hence

Secondly, Pride springs from an opinion that what we have is better then indeed it is; the proud man thinks all his silver gold, and his brass silver. We speak proverbially of such, All their geese are swans; they always over-rate their own commodities.

Thirdly, Pride springs from this false opinion, that what we have, we have it from ourselves, or that 'tis of our own getting. The Apostles Pride-confounding question, is, (1 Cor: 4.7.) What hast thou that thou hast not received? As if he had said, the true reason why men boast, or the ground of all their proud boasting is this, they think not themselves beholding to any for what they have; all is of themselves, or by a self-improvement; they have somewhat (they imagine) which they have not received.

Fourthly, The proud man thinks what he hath, he alone hath it; at least, that he hath it in a greater measure then any other. He is the Cedar, others are but shrubs. He is the Giant, others are but dwarfes. Only the humble attain that rule ( Rom: 12.10.) In honor preferring one another: as also that ( Phil: 2.3.) In lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better then himself.

Fifthly, Pride riseth from this thought, that what we have, we shall always have. Holy David began to be blown up with pride, as soon as ever he said in his prosperity, I shall never be moved. Babylon glorified her self, having said in her heart, I sit a Queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow, (Revel: 18.7.)

Secondly, In that God is here said to hide pride from man;

Observe.

If God hide it from man's eyes, then surely God himself is of purer eyes then to behold it, and be pleased. ( Psal: 138.6.) The Lord knoweth the proud afar off; He that meets a spectacle or person which he cannot endure to look upon, avoydes it, or turns from it while he is yet afar off; whereas if the object be delightful, he draweth near, and comes as close as he can; when therefore 'tis said, the Lord knoweth a proud man afar off, it shows his disdain of him, He will scarce touch him with a pair of tongs, (as we say) he cannot abide to come near him. He knows well enough how vile he is even at the greatest distance. Pride is the first of those seven things which are an abomination to the Lord, (Prov: 6.17.) And how abominable a thing pride is, may appear further by these six Considerations.

First, The folly and Irrationallity of pride, renders it odious to God; nothing is more odious to a wise man then folly, how odious then is pride to the most wise God! When Paul did anything which had but a show of pride in it, though he did it only upon Constraint, yet he calls himself fool for doing it (2 Cor: 12.11.) I am become a fool in glorying, ye have compelled me. Doth not this intimate, that in Paul's opinion, all proud self-gloriers and boasters are fools, that is, such as act below common sense or reason. In the Hebrew language, the same word that signifies boasting and pride, signifies folly and foolishness. The empty vessel yields the greatest sound; and they that make so great a noise of themselves, are usually nothing else but a Great noise themselves, at least they unavoidably raise suspicion of themselves, that they are but empty vessels, or shallow rivers. This was Solomon's conclusion ( Pro: 25.27.) For men to search their own glory is no glory; that is, a man obscures himself by self-glorying. How foolish, how irrational a thing is it for any man to glory proudly, when as by doing so he obscures that which is the chiefest glory of man as man, his reason; and seems to put himself to the question, whether he be a reasonable creature yea or no.

Secondly, Pride is more abominable, because it is not only the folly of man, but a robbery of God; nothing robs God of his honor so much as pride. It is said of Jesus Christ ( Phil: 2.6.) He thought it no robbery to be equal with God; He did not wrong God in making himself his equal, himself being God. But if men will match themselves with God, or are lifted up in their spirits, (as proud men are beyond the line of man) this is a robbery of God. Whatsoever we take to ourselves more then is due, we take from God, yea we steal from God. They who forget God the author and fountain of all they have, and take glory to themselves, commit the worst kind of robbery, and are the most dangerous Thieves. ( Isa: 42.8.) My glory will I not give to another; therefore if any take glory to themselves (as (I say again) all proud men do) 'tis stealing, and 'tis not only (as I may say) picking of his pocket, but the breaking open of his Treasury, of his Cabinet, to carry away the chief Jewel of his Crown, so is his glory (Rom: 11.36.) All is from him, therefore all must be to him; all is from the father of light, therefore what light, what gifts, what strength soever we have, it must return to him in praises, and in the glorifying of his name; we may not deck or adorn our own name with it, nor put our name upon it? How much soever we have we have received, it is from the Lord; therefore 'tis extremely sinful and sacrilegious to take or keep it to ourselves. And as whatsoever good we have we have it of God, so whatsoever good we have done, we have had light and strength from God to do it; natural yea spiritual strength, not only the first power of acting, but all subsequent actings of that power are from God; therefore to have secret liftings up of spirit, in our own actings, is to rob God ( Psal: 51.15.) Open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise, said David; As if he had said, Lord if thou wilt open my lips, and help me to speak as I ought, I will not show forth my own praise, nor boast of what I have either spoken or done, but I will show forth thy praise; because the opening of the lips is from thee.

Thirdly, It is an abomination to be proud; for whatsoever any man hath done, or how good soever any man is, he is no better then he should be, and hath done no more then was his duty to do; he hath done but his duty to God, and his duty to man, when he hath done his best, he hath done no more; every man is bound to do the good that he doth, how much soever it be that he doth; therefore it is both an ignoble and an abominable thing for any man to boast of what he hath done.

Fourthly, Is it abominable to boast of what we have done, seeing how much soever we have done, it will appear upon a right and due account, that we have done less then we ought, and are much short of our duty, ( Luke 17.10.) When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, and have done but that which was our duty to do. We can do nothing but what is our duty, but all we do is not the one half of our whole duty, and shall we glory as if we had obliged God by doing more then all!

Fifthly, It is an odious thing for any man to be proud of what he hath done, for God might have done it by another if he pleased. No man is necessary to God, as if his work could not be done unless such a one do it. He hath choice of instruments, and is able to fit those for his business who are most unfit of themselves. It is matter of thankfulness that God will call and use us to do him any service, and enable us to do it; God could have put his talent into another man's hand; the riches, the power, the wisdom, the learning, the parts which thou actest by, he could have put it into other hands; he can make the dumb to speak, as well as the greatest speaker; He can make an Ideot, a Dunce, knowing and learned, as well as the most knowing among the learned. Therefore the learned, the eloquent, have no reason to be proud, but much to be thankful; He can make the weakest to do as much as the strongest; therefore the strongest have no reason to be proud, but much to be thankful; He can raise Children to Abraham out of the stones of the street; therefore the Jews must not be proud, or think that God is beholding to them for being his people; He can ordain strength and his own praise out of the mouths of babes and sucklings (Psal: 8.2. Math: 21, 16.) therefore the wise and prudent have no reason to be proud, but much to be thankful. O remember, It is of God's vouchsafement not of our desert, that we are admitted to his service.

Lastly, Pride must needs be an odious thing, and that which God greatly abhor's, because it quite crosseth the design of God in the Gospel; which is to keep the creature humble and low, that he himself alone may be exalted; He will not bear it that any flesh should glory in his presence; He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (1 Cor: 1.29, 31.) God will have his end upon all flesh, and therefore he will dreadfully glorify himself upon those, who proudly glory in themselves.

Further, The word by which man is expressed, from whom God hides pride signifying (as was shown) a strong mighty man, the most accomplished and best furnished man.

Observe, Thirdly.

God therefore hides pride from them, because they lie so open to the assaults of pride; our rising is oftentimes an occasion of our falling. And that which God gives man for his good, proves (by reason of this corruption mostly) his snare. One of the Ancients speaking of Pride, saith 'tis the greatest sin for four reasons.

First, In the antiquity of it, because it was the first sin, the Devil's sin, before man sinned; that sin which he first dropt into man to make him fall, was the sin by which himself fell; he would be higher, and more then he was, and he provoked man to be so too. 'It is disputed what was the original of original sin, and the doubt lieth between two, whether unbelief or pride had the precedency in man's fall, (a question much like that, whether faith or repentance hath the precedency in his rising) I shall only state it thus; that which appeared first was unbelief; the woman put a peradventure upon the threatening of God in case of eating the forbidden fruit. But certainly pride was Contemporary with unbelief; man would needs lift up himself beyond the state he had, and so fell from and lost that estate.

Secondly, Saith he, Pride is productive of many other sins, 'tis a fountain sin, a root sin, it nourisheth, nurseth, and bringeth up many other sins; no man knoweth what sin may be next when pride is first.

Thirdly, The greatness of the sin of pride may be argued from the over-spreading of it; pride hath infected many mortally; and who can say his heart is free from this plague, though possibly it be not the plague (or special master sin) of his heart? Pride is an Epidemical disease, all labor under this sickness, and this sickness hath got the mastery over many.

His fourth reason is that of the text and point; Pride is a great wickedness, because usually it infects great men. They that are great in power, great in gifts, great in learning, great in anything, are sure to be assaulted if not blemished and blasted with this sin, insomuch that it had been better for many to have been fools, then learned, low then high, mean then great, poor then rich in this world. There is a temptation in power, in greatness, in riches, in knowledge, in gifts, in the best things, to make the mind swell, and the man that is stored with them proud. Pride is (as I may say) of a very high extraction, it was conceived in and borne by the now Apostate Angels, whose place, first estate (or principality, as we put in the Margin of the Epistle of Jude v. 6.) was aloft in heaven. Angels were the nearest servants and attendants upon God himself, who calleth heaven the habitation of his holiness, and of his glory; And surely the habitation which the Apostle Jude in the same verse saith the Angels left, (and he calls it their own, that is, that which was allotted and allowed them by God as their portion, this habitation, I say,) must needs be a very high and excellent one, as themselves by nature were in the highest classis or form of creatures. Now as pride began from and had its birth in these high and noble spirits (which gave one occasion (though it be as hellish a lust as any in hell) to call it Heavenly by Nation) so the higher men are (who at highest are but dust) the more doth pride haunt them, and insinuate it self to get a dwelling of seat in them, as the most proper and congeniall subjects which it can find here on earth it self, with those of whom it first took possession and whom it made its first habitation, being forever cast down from heaven. Pride having once dwell in those who were so high, loves still to dwell or take up its lodging (at least) in those, who upon any reference whether to natural, civil, or spiritual things, are called and reputed Highest.

Observe; Fourthly.

Pride is a sin which God prosecutes both night and day; if speaking by day doth not mortify it, speaking in the night by dreams shall. Nebuchadnezzar was full of pride, and God humbled him by a dream, and brought down the haughtiness of his heart by a vision of the night. This great Monarch of the world was so full of pride that he boasted it out ( Dan: 4.30.) Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, and by the might of my power, and for the honor of my Majesty? Now while he spake thus walking in the Palace of the kingdom of Babylon, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, The kingdom is departed from thee, &c. And they shall drive thee from among men, And thy dwelling (who hast thought thyself more then man) shall be with the beasts of the field. The effect of this voice Nebuchadnezzar had in a dream, as appears by Daniel's interpretation of it in the former part of the Chapter. God shown him in that dream what his condition should be, and he executed it upon him to the full, to pull down his pride; That, he at last might know that the most High ruleth the Kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will. Whereas then he thought that he alone ruled the world, and could give kingdoms to whom he would. How wonderfully did God oppose the pride of Paul's spirit, he could not favor pride, no not in that eminent Apostle, Lest through the abundance of revelations he should he exalted above measure, there was given him a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, (2 Cor: 12.7.) that is, God used extraordinary means to humble him. As here God is said to humble by visions, so there Paul being endangered to pride by receiving visions, God found a strange way to humble him, even by the bufferings of the messenger of Satan, who is the Prince of pride, and as (God speaketh of the Leviathan at the 42 ^d Chapter of this book, v. 34.) a king over all the children of pride. God doth so much resist pride, that he cannot but resist the proud (James 4, 6.) and scorn the scorners, (Pro: 3.34.) yea he hath told us of a day ( Isa: 2.11.) wherein the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

There are four special pride subduing Considerations.

First, They who are proud of what they have, are like to have no more, When the Apostle had said ( James 4.6.) He resisteth the proud (he presently adds) but giveth more grace to the humble. As if he had said, Though the Lord hath given proud men much (for 'tis some gift of God, and usually a great one of which men grow proud) yet he will now stop his hand and give them no more. The Lord gives to them who are humble and praise him, not to those who are proud and praise themselves.

Secondly, Not only doth the Lord stop his hand from giving more to those who are proud, but often makes an act of revocation and takes away that which he hath already given. As he who Idly puts his talent into a napkin, so he who vainly and vain-gloriously shows it, is in danger of having it taken away from him. It is as sinful to show our talent proudly, as to hide it negligently. Nebuchadnezzar boasted proudly of his kingdom, and presently it was said to him, The kingdom is departed from thee. Hezekiah boasted of his treasure ( Isa: 39.6.) and by and by the Lord told him, his treasure should be taken away, (though not immediately from him, yet from his posterity) and carried to Babylon. 'It is so in spirituals, when we proudly show our treasure, the treasures of our knowledge, or other gifts and attainments, the Lord many times, in judgment, sends them into captivity, takes them from us, and strips us naked of that clothing and adorning whereof we are proud.

Thirdly, If God doth not take all away, yet what remains is withered and blasted, it dries up and comes to little; if it be not quite removed, yet it appears no more in its former beauty and luster. When God with rebukes correcteth man for (this) iniquity, he maketh his beauty (the beauty of his parts and gifts, yea of his graces) to consume away (as David expresseth it, Psal: 39.11.) like a moth. O what a dryness, and so a decayedness falls upon that soul from whom the soaking dew and drops, the sweet influences of heaven are restrained! And surely if they are restrained from any, they are from proud men; No marvel then, if others see and they feel their witherings, and even sensible declinings every day.

Fourthly, Suppose the gifts and parts of a proud man continue florid and appear still acting in their former strength, vigor, and beauty, yet God sends a secret curse upon them, and though he doth not wither them, yet he doth not delight in them, not give them any acceptation. The best things how long soever continued to proud men, are no longer blessings to them; yea it had been good for them, that either they had never had them, or that they had been soon taken away. That as one said falsely of the life of man in general, but truly of wicked men; It had been best for them not to have been borne, and their next best would be to die quickly. So I may say in this case of proud men; It had been best for them they never had received any eminent gifts from God, and their next best would be to have them quickly taken away; For as wicked men in General (if they die unconverted) the longer they live, the worser they live, and every day by adding new heaps of sin, heap up further wrath against the day of wrath; So proud men in special, the longer they have and hold their gifts, their riches, their honors, their powers, do but abuse them the more, to the increase of their sin here, and (without repentance) shame hereafter.

And therefore to shut up this observation, and the exposition of this verse, I shall only give some few directions or counsels for the cure of this soul-sickness pride, or for the pricking of a pride-swollen heart, that so the wind, that noxious wind of ostentation, by which proud men are vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds, may be let out and voided.

First, Let the proud man consider what he is; Some have asked blasphemously, What is the Almighty? as we saw at the 21 ^th Chapter of this Book: But it may well enough be asked, What is man that the Almighty should be mindful of him (Psal: 144.3, 4.) and may we not much more question again, What is man that he should be so mindful of himself? David, a great king said to the Lord (2 Sam: 7.18.) Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? Thus every man should say to himself, or put the question to his own soul; Who am I? or what am I, that I should have a proud thought? All men indeed differ in some things, and some differ in very many things. Men of high degree, and men of low degree differ, men of knowledge and ignorance differ, learned and unlearned men differ. And it is not only, as I may say, a piece of heraldry, but a piece of divinity to keep up the differences of men. Yet what is any man, whether high or low, knowing or ignorant, learned or urlearned, that he should be proud? they all agree in this, they are all dust and ashes, they are all but as a shadow, or a vapor, they are all as grass, or as a flower of the field, and at their best estate (in the very hight of their excellency) they are altogether vanity. How much soever men differ in other things, yet in this they all agree, or are all alike in this, they are all vanity. Then what is man that he should be proud? shall dust and ashes, shall a passing shadow, or a disappearing vapor, shall withering grass, or fading flowers, shall vanity it self be proud? The best of men at their best, are the worst of all these, why then should any man be proud? Yea I may put the question further, How can any man be proud, who knoweth what man is? and acknowledgeth himself to be but a man. I will add yet further in this questioning way, How can any man be proud who knoweth himself to be (which is a more humbling consideration, then any of or then all the former) a sinful man! We ought always to be humbled for sin, and shall we who are at all times sinning, be proud at any time?

Secondly, To cure pride of spirit, Consider what ever man is (as to this world) he cannot be long what he is. He that is high in the world, cannot be long in his worldly heights. He that is rich in the world, cannot be long enjoy his worldly riches; yea knowledge vanisheth; all such kind of knowledge, learning and skill as men now have, is a mere vanishing thing; man, in his highest perfections, is very mutable, and the higher he is, the more mutable he is; what hath he then to be proud of? We have some changes every day, and when a few days are past, we shall come to our great change; our change by death is but a few days off, for the utmost of our days are but few. As man is not to be accounted of by others, so not by himself, because his breath is in his nostrils, and he may quickly perish ( Isa: 2.22.) Shall perishing things be proud things? Shall they be lifted up with what they have, who (as to this world) have so little being, that they can scarcely be said to be. By this argument all men are called off from trusting those that are highest in this world ( Psal: 146.3.) Their breath goeth forth. And we have the same argument, not to be high in our own thoughts, because our breath goeth forth, and there is an end of us.

Thirdly, Consider all those things which are as fuel and occasions of pride in man, even for those man must shortly give an account. And surely he who remembers that whatsoever he hath, be it riches, strength, honor, parts, knowledge, or learning, he must come to a reckoning for it, that man will not over-reckon himself so much for it, as to be proud of it. The Apostle concludes, So then every man must give an account of himself to God, (Rom: 14.12.) That is, of all his receipts, and of all his expenses, what hath been bestowed upon him, and how he hath improved what hath been bestowed. He must give an account of himself in his natural capacity as a man; and he must give account of himself in his civil capacity, as a rich or great man; and he must give account of himself in his spiritual capacity, as he hath enjoyed means to make him gracious, or to grow in grace. He must give an account of himself about all the good things he hath received, what good he hath done with them, either to himself or others. He that is serious upon such a meditation as this, shall find two effects of it; First, it will keep him very busy, and free him from Idleness; Secondly, it will keep him very humble and free him from pride. Who can glory vainly in his Stewardship (for all we have is put into our hands as Stewards, who, I say, can glory vainly in his Stewardship) that always hears this voice sounding in his ears, Come give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer Steward. O how ill an account will they make when they are asked, what they have done with their riches? who must answer, We have been proud of them; who being asked, what have you done with your honor, must answer, we have been proud of it; who being asked, what have you done with your knowledge? must answer, we have been proud of it. These will be sad answers in the day of account, yet proud men (whatsoever they have done with their receipts) must make this answer, what other answer soever they make.

Fourthly, Consider that the more any one hath received (and it is the degree upon which pride riseth the more, I say the more any one hath received) in any kind whatsoever, the stricter will his account be; for the account will be proportionable to what the receipt is. ( Luke 12.48.) To whom soever much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more; where much is sown, there God looks to reap much. He looketh not only for improving, but for suitable, for proportionable improvement. If he that had received five talents ( Math: 25.) had brought only two talents more, and so made his five seven, this had not been proportionable; or if he that had received two, had made them three, this had not been proportionable; but he that received five, brought ten; and he that received two, brought four; This account was proportionable to the receipt; and therefore to these their Lord said, Well done good and faithful servants. God looks for doubling, (as I may say) that we should make his five ten, his two four. Therefore why should any man be proud of what he hath received, seeing the more he hath received, the more great and stricter will his account be.

Fifthly, That pride may be cured and hid from your eyes, I advise, That in the midst of your fullness, you would think of your emptiness, and in the midst of your perfections, of your deficiencies; think how much, and in how many things you are wanting, when any thought of pride ariseth concerning what you enjoy, or wherein you abound. He that thinks how much he is wanting, will not be proud how much soever be aboundeth; and indeed our wantings being a great deal more then our aboundings, and our imperfections then our perfections, should be to us greater matter of humbling, then our abounding or perfections can be an occasion of pride. To clear this further, Consider your deficiencies two ways; First, in yourselves; consider how low you are in knowledge, how low in grace, how low in duty; remember that there is a great deal of darkness in the best of your light, a great deal of water in the best of your wine, and a great deal of dross in the purest of your silver; remember these weaknesses in yourselves, and then say as blessed Paul (Phil: 5.22.) I count not that I have already attained; that is, that I have attained perfection, I am very much behind, very much below my duty, I am below what I might be and have attained to, both in the light of knowledge, and in the strength of grace. I am below what I might be attained to, both as to zeal for, and as to faith in God. O how many are our deficiencies when we have profited most! Secondly, Consider your deficiencies in reference to others; The Apostle saith (2 Cor: 10.12.) They who compare themselves with themselves are not wise. The reason why many think themselves over-wise, is, because they do not (as they ought) compare themselves with others, or if they compare themselves with others, they compare themselves only with those that are below, not with those who are above themselves. They who compare themselves with themselves, or with those only who are below themselves, are not wise, though they think themselves very wise. If we would compare ourselves with other men, who are above us, it would mightily keep down the pride of our spirits; for who is there but might see more in some, yea in many others then in himself? Now, as it is an excellent means to keep the soul from murmuring and discontent, to consider that many others are below us; so it is an excellent means to keep us from pride, to consider that many others are above us; so much above us, that our knowledge is but ignorance to their knowledge, our strength weakness, our faith unbelief, our patience unquitenesse of spirit, our very fruitfulness barrenness compared with theirs; or to speak allusively, that our fat kine are but lean to the fat ones of others, and our full ears but withered looked upon with their full ears. And as it is a good means to keep the soul humble or to cure it of pride, to compare ourselves with men who are much above us, so especially, if we would but remember how much God is above us in comparison of whom all our fullness is indeed emptiness, our strength weakness, our riches poverty, and our light darkness. And therefore when Job (Chap: 42.) began to compare himself with God, and to set God before him, then he was in the dust presently; though he spake over-valuingly of himself sometime, yet when once he came to set himself before God, then saith he, I have spoken once, but I will speak no more; I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. And when the Prophet Isaiah saw the Lord in his Glory, and compared himself with him, he cried out, I am undone, I am a man of polluted lips; all his graces, and all his gifts vanished into nothing, when he considered the Lord before whom he stood. Thus we may keep down pride by considering our deficiencies, and comparing ourselves with others who are above us, especially by comparing ourselves with God, to whom we are not so much as a drop of the bucket to the whole Ocean, nor the dust of the balance to the body of the whole earth.

Sixthly, For the hiding and keeping down of pride, often reflect upon your own sinfulness; our defects in good may keep our hearts low, but our abundance of sinful evils may keep them much lower. While we consider sin in a twofold notion, how should it humble us? First, as dwelling or abiding in us; Secondly, as acted and brought forth by us in either of these ways; look on sin, and the heart must needs come down; thus poison may expel poison, the remembrance of sin abiding in us and acted by us, may be a stop to the further acting, as of all other sins, so especially of this sin, pride.

Seventhly, Let us be much in the meditation of Christ humbling and abasing himself for us. What can kill pride, if the humblings of Christ do not? O how may we school and catechise our proud souls with the remembrances of Christ in his abasements! What! an humble Christ, and a proud Christian! an humble Master, and a proud Disciple! did Christ empty himself and make himself of no reputation, and shall we who are but emptiness be lifted up with a reputation of ourselves, or with the reputation which others have of us; did he abase himself to the form of a servant, and shall we lift up ourselves, as if we reigned as Kings! he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the Cross; and what have we to glory in but the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ( Gal: 6.14.) if we have anything to be proud of, 'tis the Cross of Christ, God forbid (saith Paul) that I should glory (or rejoice and triumph) save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby I am crucified to the world, and the world to me. Think often and much of the humblings of Christ, and then you will think of yourselves as mere nothings. This is the most effectual means, through the Spirit, to bring down the swellings of our hearts, and to hide pride from man. Thus much of the second design of Christ in speaking to man in dreams and visions of the night; the third followeth.

This verse holds out another gracious intendment of God, in revealing himself to man by dreams and visions of the night. He doth it thereby to give man warning and wisdom to prevent and escape that destruction which is ready to fall upon him.

Some refer this He to man himself, that is, when God hideth pride from man, then man keepeth his soul from the pit, that is, thereby man is both admonished and instructed how to keep his soul from the pit. They who avoid the mountains and precipices of pride, are most assured of escaping a down-fall into perdition. Solomon tells us ( Prov: 16.18.) Pride goeth before destruction, and a high mind before a fall; such a fall as Elihu here speaks of, falling into the pit; therefore turning from pride is the escaping of the pit.

But rather (as most Interpreters) the relative (He) refers to God himself, who both begins and perfects this great work of Grace; As he speaketh with a purpose to withdraw man from his purpose, &c. so he having effectually withdrawn him from it, and hid pride from him, he thereby humbleth him in the dust of repentance, and so keepeth back his soul from the pit.

The word rendered, keepeth back, notes a threefold keeping back; First, by force, as a man holds another from falling into a pit, or running into danger; he holds him whether he will or no. Secondly, there is a holding or keeping back by persuasion or entreaties, by seasonable advice and counsel; so Abigail kept David from shedding blood (1 Sam: 25.) Thirdly, there is a holding or keeping back by authority, when a Command or an injunction forbids a man from going on, and so stops his proceeding. Thus we see there is a keeping back, either by outward force, or by counsel, or by command. And there is a keeping back according to any of these three notions, two ways. First, such a keeping back, as hinders the very attempt, such a keeping back, as stops the first motions, or step into an undertaking. Secondly, there is a keeping back when a man is deeply engaged in an undertaking, when he is gone on and is near the journeys end of his own purpose. Thus David was kept back from destroying Nabal when he was far advanced in that enterprise; and Abimelech was kept back from taking Sarah Abraham's wife when the matter had made a very great progress in his spirit. Both these ways we may understand it here, though chieflly, I conceive, in the latter. Sometimes God keepeth man, either by his power, or by persuasions and commands sent to him, from setting so much as one foot forward in any sinful way leading to the pit; yet often he suffers him to go on a great way, and when he is advanced far towards, yea is near, very near to the pits brink, even ready to drop into it, then, then the Lord graciously keeps his soul from falling into it. This word is used • in the negative twice to set forth the high commendation of Abraham (Gen. 22.12.16.) When God had commanded Abraham to offer his Son, and he was so ready to do it, that presently God tells him, Now I know thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld (or kept back) thy son, thine only son from me. Abraham might have had many reasonings within himself to keep back and withhold his Son from being a Sacrifice, but, saith the Lord, thou hast not withheld or kept him back; There the word is used in the negative, as also upon the same occasion at the 16 verse of the same Chapter. And so by Job (Chap. 7.11.) Therefore I will not refrain (or keep back) my mouth. It is as hard a matter to keep back, or hold the mouth in, as it is to keep back a head-strong horse with a bridle. Therefore the Holy Ghost useth that Metaphor ( Psal. 39.1.) But saith Job, I will not refrain my mouth, I will not keep it back, let it take its course, I will speak in the bitterness of my spirit. The word imports powerful acting, take it either in the negative or affirmative. When the tongue is kept back, 'tis done by a mighty power of grace, and O how great as well as gracious is that power, which the Lord putteth forth to keep back a poor soul that is going, going apace too, from falling into the pit. He keepeth back

But doth the soul fall into the pit? I answer, first, The soul is often in Scripture (by a Synecdoche) put for the whole man; He keepeth back his soul, that is, he keepeth him from the pit; secondly, possibly 'tis said, he keepeth his soul from the pit, to teach us that man by running on in sin, ruins his best part, it is not only his body, and his skin that he destroyeth by sin, but his very soul. 'It is a mercy that God telleth us aforehand the worst of that danger, and the greatness of the hazard, or how great a matter we venture upon evil ways and works. He keepeth back his soul

What pit? The word is rendered variously. First thus, he keeps back his soul from corruption. The word is used for corrupting by sin ( Gen. 6.12.) And God locked-upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth; that is, all men were grown wicked and stark naught. In the very next verse ( verse. 13.) The same word is used to denote corrupting by punishment due to sin; Behold I will destroy (or corrupt) them with the earth; that is, I will destroy the face of the earth, or deface the beauty of the earth, and I will also destroy all men from off the face of the earth. Secondly, the Septuagint render, He spares his soul from death. Thirdly, the Chaldee Paraphrase (as we) He prohibits his soul from the pit; these three, corruption, death, and the pit are of near alliance; and the same word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth corruption, the pit, and death, The pit (or grave) is the place of corruption and the seat or house of death. We find the pit and destruction put together ( Psal. 55.23.) they shall go to the pit of destruction; So then the same word may well serve to signify a pit, corruption and death; because in the pit dead bodies or carcasses putrefy and corrupt. Yet David prophesying of Christ speaks his assurance of escaping corruption, though not the pit or grave. ( Psal. 16.10.) Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption, or the pit. It is this word; that is, thou wilt not suffer him to corrupt in the pit of the grave; though being dead was buried and laid in the pit, yet he did not see corruption in the pit. That is, corruption had no power, no mastery over him; for he loosed the bonds of death (it being impossible that he should be held by them) the third day, yea with the first of that day, or as soon as it might be truly said that it was the third day; Christ was buried in the latter part of the sixth day of the week, and arose early the first day of the week, even when it did but begin to dawn towards the first day of the week. (Math. 28.1.) And therefore seeing as naturalists (according to Scripture evidence, Joh. 11.39.) testify corruption doth not naturally take hold of the body till the fourth day after death. The dead body of Christ was altogether free from corruption, or Christ (as was fore-shown by David in the Psalm) saw no corruption.

Further, this word pit, is taken not only for death, the grave, and corruption; but for those contrivances and plots which are made and laid for any man's death or destruction. Thus David said of his malicious and subtle enemies ( Ps. 7.5. ) Into the pit which they have digged, themselves are fallen; that is, they are taken in their own plots; Those words of the Psalmist are an allusion to Hunters or Fowlers who make pits to ensnare birds or beasts; we must not imagine that there were pits literally made for David, but the pit was a plot or a contrivance to do him mischief, and he blessed God that as himself had escaped that mischief, so that the mischief-plotters and contrivers were taken with it themselves. We have David speaking again under the same metaphor ( Ps. 9.15.) The Heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made. And ( Psal. 35.7.) Without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause have they digged for my soul; that is, they have laid a plot to undo and destroy me. And if we take pit in this sense it may hold well enough with the scope of the Text; for what is the pit, into which pride and evil purposes thrust sinful man, but that mischief and misery which Satan is continually plotting against him? And from this mischievous plot it is that God delivereth man, while 'tis said by Elihu, he keepeth back

Some expound the word soul in this former part of the verse, in opposition to life in the latter part of it, and his life from perishing by the sword. Soul and life are sometimes taken promiscuously, or indifferently for the same thing; yet there is a very great difference between soul and life; the life is nothing else but the union between soul and body; but the soul is a spiritual substance distinct from the body while remaining in it, and subsisting itself alone when separate from it. That bond or knot which ties soul and body together, is, properly, that which Elihu speaks of in the next words.

As God keeps back his soul from everlasting destruction, so his life from temporal destruction. Though the soul be most precioua, yet life is very precious; skin for skin, yea all that a man hath will he give for his life (Chap. 2.5.) 'It is therefore no small mercy for God to keep back a man's life

The sword is put sometime for war, that being the principal instrument of war; some insist much on that sense here, as if the words contained a promise of being kept from perishing by the sword of an open enemy. But the sword is here rather put for any kind or for all kinds of hurtful evils; what ever doth afflict, vex, or destroy may be called the sword. The text strictly in the letter is thus rendered, and his life from passing by or through the sword, we say, from perishing by the sword; which passing by the sword is not to escape the sword, but to fall by the sword, Thus 'tis said of that idolatrous King Ahaz (2 Kings 16.3.) He caused his sons to pass through the fire, the meaning is not that he delivered them out of the fire, but consumed them in the fire; for he made them pass through the fire to Molech, which was a sacrificing of them to that abominable idol. It is also said (2 Sam. • 2.31.) when David took Rabba and destroyed the Ammonites, he made them pass through the brick-kilne, not to save them, but to consume them. Some conceive that this brick-kilne through which David made those captive Ammonites to pass was the fire or furnace of Molech, that infamous Idol of the Ammonites (with whose bloody and most cruel devotions the apostatizing Jews or people of God, were in after times ensnared) And if so, then they might see God turning their sin into their punishment; and declaring his fiery wrath against them in that, by which they had declared their foolish and abominable zeal. But that which I quote their punishment for, is only the form of its expression; He made them pass through the brick-kilne; that is, perish in it. Thus here, and his soul from passing by the sword, is rightly translated from perishing by the sword. The word rendered sword signifies also any missive weapon, or weapon cast with the hand, especially a dart; so Mr. Broughton translates, and his life from going on the dart. The general sense of this verse is plainly this;

The Lord withdraweth man from his purpose, and hides pride from man, that so he may in mercy preserve him from perishing both in body and soul, or that he may keep him not only from the first, but from the second death, which is the separation of the whole man from the blessed presence of God forever. 'It is a great favor to be kept from the pit where the body corrupts, or from the sword that wounds the flesh, but to be kept from that everlasting woe which shall overwhelm the wicked in that bottomless pit or lake of fire and brimstone, this is the highest favor of God to lost man. This is the pit, this the perishing from which (saith Elihu) the Lord keepeth back the soul and life of man.

First, from the emphasis of the word, he keepeth back, importing, that God, as it were by strong hand or absolute authority and command, keepeth the soul of man from the pit.

Note.

Man would tumble into the pit, at the very next step, if God did not keep him. The way of man naturally is down to the pit, and all that he doth of his own self is for his own undoing: And as he is kept back from the pit, so (as the Apostle Peter hath it, 1 Epist. 1.5.) he is kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.

Secondly, considering the season signified in the former verse, that when man is going upon an evil work, or walking in the pride of his heart, God is keeping him from the pit.

Note.

Every step in sin is a step to misery, and the further any man proceedeth on in sin, the further he wanders from God; and the further he wanders from God, the nearer he comes to misery. As the further we go from the Sun, the nearer we are to the cold, and the further we go from the fountain, the nearer we are to drought; so they that hast to sin, hast to sorrow, yea to hell. Solomon saith of such, they love death. There is no man loves death under the notion of death, there is no beauty, no amiableness in death; but all they may be said to love death, who love sin, and live in it. Every motion towards sin, is a hasting into the arms and embraces of death, sinners woo and invite death and the grave, yea hell and destruction.

Thirdly, note.

This is the great end of preaching the Gospel, the end also of pressing the terrors of the Law; both have this aim to keep man from perishing. When man is pressed to holiness, and when he is represt from the ways of sin, 'tis that he may not perish forever. God hath set up many ordinances, he hath employed many instruments to administer them; many thousands go up and down preaching to the world, and crying out to the sons of men, repent and believe, believe and repent; and why all this cry, but to keep souls from the pit, and their life from perishing by the sword? The Apostle Jude exhorts to save some with fear, and of others to have compassion, that is, terrify some that you may save them, make them afraid that they may not be damned; save them with fear, plucking them as it were out of the fire. Sinners are running into the fire, and do not perceive it; they are tumbling down to hell and consider it not; they must be pulled out of the fire, else they will burn in it forever. The great business of the Gospel is to pull souls like firebrands out of the burning.

Fourthly, note.

The wages of sin is death, and well are they that escape, that miss such wages. If a sinner turn from his purpose, from his sinful way, if his pride be subdued and he emptied of himself, then his soul if kept from destruction, and his life from perishing by the sword.

That particle which we render also, gives the text an emphasis (He is chastened also) For it imports, that here is a further addition or supplement of means, whereby the Lord doth awaken sinners to attend and obey his voice. The subject of these four verses, is a sick man, or, the sickness of man. A sorrowful subject. And the sickness of man is set forth in these four verses, by four sad symptoms or effects.

The first is pain, grievous pain, ver: 19. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain.

The second symptom of this sickness, is loss of appetite, and his nauceating all manner of food ( v. 20.) So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

The third symptom of his sickness is a general languishment or consumption all his body over ( v. 21.) His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.

The fourth and last symptom of this grievous sickness is fainting, swooning, or a readiness to expire and give up the ghost ( v. 22.) His soul draweth near to the grave, and his life to the destroyer; That is, he is sick, and even sick to death. All these are special symptoms of a sick man, or of the sickness of man. I begin with the first.

The word which we render to chasten, hath a twofold signification in Scripture.

First, to reprove or convince both by authority and reason ( Lev: 19.17.) Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, thou shalt in any wise rebuke him; or, reproving thou shalt reprove him; that is, Thou shalt surely reprove him. And in that famous Prophecy concerning Christ ( Isa: 11.4.) He shall reprove with equity; we put in the margin, He shall argue with equity, or convince by such reasons and arguments as shall carry the greatest equity in them. Thus when Christ had finished his Sermon on the mount, it is said ( Math: 7.28, 29.) The people (his Auditors) were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. This Sermon carrying so great a reproof of the Scribes and Pharisees, both as to their life and doctrine throughout, may well be expounded as a fulfilling of that ancient prophecy; It being confessed in another place of the Gospel, even by the Officers that were sent to attach him ( John 7.46.) Never man spake like this man. The words of Christ had so much evidence, so much equity in them, that they who came to take and catch him, were taken and caught, if not to conversion, yet to such a conviction, by what he spake, that they could not (though they highly displeased their Masters in saying so) but say, Never man spake like this man; As if they had said, Surely, the man that speaks thus is more then a man.

Secondly, The word often signifies to correct, which is also to instruct; correction is for instruction. Chastning is the most real reproving. And so we render it, He is chastened. Man is instructed not only by speech and counsel, but by stripes and corrections. Thus David prayed ( Psal: 6.1.) O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. The first word which we render rebuke, is that in the text; As if he had said, Lord do not rebuke me by angry afflictions, let me not find thee greatly displeased, and myself sorely chastened at once. He deprecates the same again, and how grievous the effects of such dispensations are, he showeth ( Psal: 38.1.) Rebuke me not in thy wrath. (Psal: 39.11.) When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity; (He means it not only of word-rebukes, but of hand-rebukes also, when thou with such doubled rebukes dost chasten man for iniquity) What then? The effects of it follow, even the staining of the glory of all flesh; Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth. And so some interpret that ( Psal: 105.15.) He reproved Kings for their sakes? (speaking of his own people) the Lord did not only speak to those Kings, but made them feel his hand, for his people's sake. Abimelech felt his hand for Abraham's sake. And so did Pharaoh that hard-hearted King in a whole decade of plagues for Israel's sake, whom he had oppressed and would not let go. We render the word in this second sense, for a rebuke by blows or by correction, which yet hath a language in it, and speaks with a loud voice to man. He is chastened

Paine is both the concomitant, and effect of sickness. The word noteth, First, the pain of the body, caused either by the violence of inward distempers, or from the outward stroke of a wound ( Gen: 34.) When the sons of Jacob had prevailed with the Shechemites to receive Circumcision, It came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, or pained with the wound of it, Simeon and Levi came upon them (Gen: 34.25.) Secondly, the word signifieth as bodily pain caused any way, so pain of the mind, which is grief or sorrow ( Psal: 69.29.) I am poor and sorrowful. Sorrow is always the effect of pain, either outward or inward, either of the flesh or spirit; yet the wounds of the spirit cause the greatest pain; for of that Solomon saith, ( Pro: 18.14.) Who can bear it? The same Solomon (Pro: 14.13.) speaking of a wicked man in his highest jollity, saith, In laughter the heart is sorrowful. His conscience aketh (if he have an awakened conscience) even while he laugheth; and surely while the heart is sorrowful and pained, laughter yieldeth little pleasure. We may take pain in this text in both senses, but specially in the former. The sick man is often pained in mind, but always in his body. He is chastened with pain

There he used to have rest, but being sick his bed becomes restless to him. To be upon the Bed, is a periphrasis of sickness; That of Christ ( Luke 17.34.) There shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken, and the other left, as it may be meant of any two Bedfellowes (especially of husband and wife) in their health, so some take it principally of two in a sick bed; Grace takes hold of one and not of another upon a sick bed. I insist not upon that sense, though it be a probable and a profitable one. But surely to say, A man is chastened with pain upon his bed, implieth, the man to be in extraordinary pain; as to say, such a man keeps his bed, implieth, he hath more then an ordinary sickness, or that he is very sick. We have three expressions in our language gradually setting forth the sickness of a person; First, we say, he keeps his house. He that is not well doth not go abroad, sickness houseth him. Secondly, we say, he keeps his chamber; that's a further degree, when sickness hath brought a man up stairs, and shut him in his chamber, he is sick indeed. Thirdly, we say, such a man keeps his bed; The meaning of which everyone understands to be, that he is dangerously or extremely sick. Thus when Elihu saith, He is chastened with pain upon his bed; we may conceive him so ill, that either he must not, or is not able to sit up. And Elihu in speaking thus, seems to have relation to what Job had said ( Chap: 7.13.) When I said my bed shall comfort me, and my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions. As if he had said, O Job, thou indeed hast had recourse heretofore, to thy bed for refreshing and comfort, in silent meditations and soliloquies with God, but he terrified thee with dreams, and spake to thee by scaring visions, to turn thee from thy purpose. And not only so, but finding thee deaf to those admonitions, or not regarding them, yea still continuing thy unquiet murmurings, he hath now even made thee bedrid, or unable to rise from thy bed. Though Elihu spake here in the third person, yet in all his speech he intended and pointed at, yea set forth and pointed out Jobs condition. He is chastened with pains upon his bed,

A man may have pain, yea many pains, yet no pain in his bones. Bones are to the body as beams and rafters, as posts and pillars are to a hovse. And when pain comes to the bones, when it shakes those posts and pillars, it must needs be a very strong pain. Satan said to God concerning Job, while he sought new trials for him, in the second Chapter of this Book ( verse. 5.) Touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And that he might be fully tried, the Lord suffered Satan to afflict him to the bone, nor did Satan leave a bone unafflicted; what Elihu spake here of man in General, was true of him, The multitude of his bones were chastened with strong pain. To have any one bone in pain is an affliction, much more to have many bones pained and aking at once. But when the multitude of a man's bones, that is, all his bones are pained together, that's grievous. And such a man is the while as it were upon a rack. That by the multitude of bones here spoken of, we are to understand, not only many, or a great many of his bones, but all his bones, may appear from ( Job 4.14.) where Eliphaz describing those terrible visions with which God sometime visited him, saith, A spirit passed before my face, the hair of my flesh stood up, &c. which made all my bones to shake. We put in the margin, The multitude of my bones. The multitude of his bones are all his bones, he hath not so much as one bone free. The whole system of his bones is as it were confounded and disjointed. The multitude of his bones is chastened

The word pain, is not expressed in the latter part of the verse; the Hebrew is, The multitude of his bones with strong pain. M ^r Broughton renders thus, And all his bones with a sore one. The word which we translate strong, signifieth two things; First, as we render, strength or might (Psal: 74.15.) Thou driedst up mighty rivers; God dried up the river Jordan for his people to pass through, yea and the red Sea. Secondly, the word signifieth perpetual lasting or continual. So some render that place in the Psalms, not strong or mighty rivers, but he dried up everlasting or perpetual rivers, such as had always run with a full stream, and were not like those deceitful brooks (spoken of in the 6 ^th Chap: of this book ( v. 15 ^th ) to which Job compared his Brethren) which in winter over-flow the banks, but in summer, what time they wax warm, they vanish when it is hot, and are consumed out of their place. Now, in this place, I conceive, we may take the word in either sense, either for strong and great or chronicall, and lasting pain. The man is so sick that he hath no good hours, no comfortable intermissions, his pain continueth. And because the word pain is not in the text, therefore it hath caused several renderings of these words, yet all meeting in the same sense.

First, Some join the word strong to bone, or make it an epethite of the man's bones. Though the multitude of his bones be strong, that is, though he were once a strong man, sound and perfect all over, or as we say, sound wind and limb, not crazy, not having the least flaw in him, yet he is chastened all over with pain.

Secondly, Others thus, in the multitude of his bones, or, in all his bones there is a strong one, that is, a strong pain or grief seizeth and possesseth all his bones.

Thirdly, Thus, The contention of his bones is strong; the word which signifieth a multitude, being alike in the letters with another which signifieth contention or strife, hath given occasion for this reading; that of David is near the same, There is no rest in my bones (Psal: 38.3. ) As if Elihu had said, the pain and anguish by which God doth contend with all his bones is strong, or God hath a strong controversy with his bones upon his sick bed.

Lastly, The vulgar translates, He maketh all his bones to wither, decay, and rott. When there is a consumption or a withering among the bones, how intolerable is the pain! Broken bones cause the acutest pains, but decaying bones the most constant pain. Withering bones are opposed to fatned bones in that promise made to him that fasts spiritually, not carnally only in abstaining from flesh ( Isa. 58.11.) The Lord will make fat thy bones; As if he had said, Do not fear that thou shalt pine by spiritual fasting, I will make fat thy bones. Which is true even in regard of that which is natural, the Lord reneweth bodily strength to those who humble themselves soul and body. The body shall not suffer in this service of the Lord, if the soul be truly afflicted in it. Yet when he saith, he will make fat thy bones, it respects especially their spiritual strength, that thrives best in a day of holy abstinence and fasting. Here, when 'tis said, their bones shall wither through pain, it notes the declining of the whole body, because as the bones are strong in themselves, so they are the strength and support of the whole outward man. When God smites the bones, then he shakes the pillars and rafters of our earthly house, and threatens the downfall of it. He is chastened with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain.

Taking these words in connection with the former, where Elihu spake of those dreams and visions by which God speaks to man, and supposing (as there he doth) that because the man is not well awakened by those dreams and visions from his security, therefore the Lord sendeth pain and sickness upon him, as a second means to humble him, and make him understand himself.

Observe.

They who will not take instruction, even in their sleep, shall be taught by that, which will keep them awake. Several Scriptures tell us of the Lord's proceeding with man from words to blows. And if the Lord proceeds from dreams (which are warnings in sleep) to blows, if when he hath spoken to us in a dream, we hearken not, he will chasten us with pain, even the multitude of our bones with strong pain. And then much more will he proceed from words to blows with them that are warned to awake, if they hear not and take warning. That's an awakening word to those who sleep waking ( Psal: 7.12, 13.) If he turn not he will whet his sword: He bath bent his bow and made it ready. If men will not return upon word-admonition and reproof, the Lord hath his arrows and his sword to reprove them with. Turn ye at my reproof, saith the Lord ( Pro: 1.23.) I give you warning to turn, but if you do not, then (as presently it followeth) I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh. As you have seemed to mock at my counsels, so I will mock at your calamities, that is, I will show you no pity, as you have shown me no respect. Thus the Lord deals with proud rebellious man, who casts off his yoke, yea sometimes he deals very severely with his own people (for they may put him to it) if words will not serve their turn (words in sleep, and words when awake) they may expect blows next; and be made to feel the hand of God, because they have not understood or not obeyed his will.

Secondly, From the manner of expression, He is chastened with pain upon his bed. The Spirit of God useth a word referring to instruction both by smiting and speaking, to show that there is a voice in the rod.

Hence note.

When God sends sickness and grievous pains, he reproves sinners from Heaven and chides them for the errors of their lives. The chastenings of the Lord are speakings. He speaketh by his rods beyond all the eloquence of words ( Mic. 6.9.) Hear ye the rod. The voice of God is in his rod; that speaks so loud from Heaven in many strokes, that the profanest sinners on earth are sometimes forced to hear and acknowledge it. As those Magicians were forced by the plain evidence of the fact to say ( Ez. 8.19.) This is the finger of God; So they must say, This is the voice of God. He speaks to us, and speaks to purpose in these afflictions: The voice of God in affliction, exceeds all the rhetoric and persuasions of mortal-men. The cross is a school, in which they who are dull at hearing what God speaks to them in his word, are wonderfully quickened up by his rod. The words of the wise (saith Solomon) are goads. And surely these goads of affliction are pricking piercing words, for the promoting and putting on of a lazy soul in God's work. Job had desired God to speak with him, Elihu answers, Why dost thou desire more answers or directions from God? Hath not God spoken to thee in these soars and sicknesses, in these chastisements, with pain upon thy bed? Is God wanting to thy instruction? hath he not clearly told thee his mind and thy duty? hath he not written, yea engraven his will upon thy diseased flesh? What are the pains, the corruption, the consumption, the strange deformity, and sad transfiguration of thy body, but as so many voices of God, speaking and speaking aloud to thee, repent and humble thyself? Therefore attend, hearken to and meditate upon the answers which he hath impressed or printed legibly upon thy head, face, and wrinkled forehead. Thou hast his answer his own way, therefore be satisfied, and do not stand defiring that God would answer thee after thy way, nor complaining because he doth not. And we may reply not only to obstinate sinners, but to many of the people of God, when they inquire what the mind of God is, or what he intends towards them. His providences give you many items and memorandums; which if you can spell out and read you may know his meaning. This lesson, the signification of the word offereth us as the connection of the words offered in the former.

Thirdly, learn hence.

Yea, he is not only subject to them, but he is the subject of them. His body is as it were a vessel of natural corruption, as his soul is a vessel of moral corruption. Man is called not only Adam, noting the matter of which he was made, earth, red earth; but he is called Enoch, that is, sorrowful, sighing, groaning man, he is a pined and a pining man: He is also called Abel, vanity, a poor vain man; which two latter Titles have befallen man since man fell from God.

Fourthly, (which may check the gross Atheism of many)

Observe.

They come not at all by chance, nor do they come altogether from natural causes. Nature hath somewhat to do in their coming, but somewhat else much more, even so much more, that in respect of that, natural considerations may be quite shut out, and the whole cause ascribed to that. But what is that? surely, nothing else but, and nothing less then the will of God. He is pleased to give commission to pains and sicknesses, and then they come. Elihu would teach Job (what he owned before) that God was the sender and orderer of all his afflictions, as of the losses he had in his estate and children, so of the pains and sicknesses which he felt in his body. Moses tells the children of Israel, not only that sword and captivity, but the Pestilence, Consumptions, Fevers, and burning Agues are sent by God himself, ( Deut. 28.21, 22.) What are diseases but the Lord's Messengers? When he pleaseth he can trouble the temper and cause the humors of the body to corrupt. He can make them contend with one another to the death, let Physicians do what they can to quiet and pacify them. Yea though some skillful Physicians have kept their own bodies in so due a temper, and to so exact a diet, that they could not see which way a disease could take hold of them, or have any advantage against them, yet sickness hath come upon them like an armed man, and carried them away to the grave.

Further, When Elihu saith of the sick man, the multitude of his bones are chastened with strong pain.

Note.

He that is strong as an Oak, and hath (as it were) a body of brass and sinews of iron; yet the Lord can make him as weak as water. The Lord hath strong pains for strong men, and can quickly turn our strength into weakness. Thus Hezekiah lamented in his sickness ( Isa. 38.13.) I reckoned till morning that as a Lion, so will he break all my bones. God can arm diseases with the strength of a Lion, who not only teareth the flesh, but breaketh the bones with his teeth. David saith ( Psal. 39.11.) When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth, surely every man is vanity. The word there rendered beauty signifieth desire, thou makest his desire, or that which is most desirable in him to fade away; we well translate beauty, because beauty draweth the desires of man after it, and is so much desired, yea lusted after by man. Now, as when the Lord doth but touch the body, he can make the beauty, so also the strength of it to consume away as a moth.

Sixthly, whereas it is said, He is chastened with pain

We learn.

He that being up is weary, weary with walking, riding or laboring, hopeth to find ease in his bed, yet then doth pain deny him rest there, and filleth him (as Job complained, Chap. 7.4.) with tossings too and fro unto the dawning of the day. The Lord can make the Stocks or a Rack easy to us, and our beds as uneasy to us as the Stocks or a Rack usually are.

Lastly, observe.

The Lord hath many designs upon man when he afflicts him, about all which he instructs him by affliction. He designs

First, To humble and break the stoutness of man's spirit; hence sicknesses and afflictions are called humiliations; and the same word signifies both to be afflicted and humbled.

Secondly, To make men taste how bitter a thing sin is; This is thy wick • dness (saith the Lord of his sore Judgments brought upon his people Israel (Jer: 4.18.) Because it is bitter. Ye would not taste the evil or bitterness of sin by instruction, therefore I will teach you by affliction.

Thirdly, To put sorrowful sinful man upon the search of his own heart, and the finding out of the error of his ways. While men are strong and healthful, they seldom find leisure for that work. And therefore they are confined by sickness to their houses, to their chambers, yea to their beds, that they may attend it, and read over the whole book of their lives ( Lam: 3.39, 40.) Wherefore doth the living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sin; Let us search and try our ways, and turn to the Lord. That's man's work upon his bed, and 'tis God's aim in binding him to his bed, that he may have liberty for that work.

Fourthly, Afflictions are designed by God to bring man out of love with sin, yea to stir up a holy hatred and revenge in him against it; as upon many other accounts, so upon this, because it rewardeth him so ill, and he finds such unsavory fruits of it. A little digging will discover sin to be the root of all those evil and bitter fruits, which we at any time are fed with in this world. Sin is the gall in our cup, and the gravel in our bread, and we are made to taste bitterness and find trouble, that we may both know and acknowledge it to be so.

Fifthly, The purpose of God in afflicting us, is to set us a praying to and seeking after him. We seldom know our need of him, till we feel it. ( Hos: 5.15.) In their affliction they will seek me early; affliction puts man upon supplication, yet every man who is afflicted, doth not presently seek God (many in their affliction mind not God, they seek to men, not to God, a cross without a Christ, never made any seek God) but affliction through the workings of the Spirit of Christ, is a means to bring the soul to God; and we see the effect of it at the beginning of the next Chapter in the same Prophet ( Hos: 6.1.) Come let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us, &c.

Sixthly, God is pleased to exercise us with crosses, for the exercise of our Graces, or to set grace awork; Grace hath most business to do when we are taken off from all worldly business, and are laid upon our bed, our sick-bed. Some work is not done so well anywhere else, as there. And many graces work best when 'tis worst with us; they would even stand s •• ll, and have nothing to do, if God did not bring us into straights, or keep us for a season in them. In a sick-bed the Lord shows us, and we may find work enough for all our graces, especially for faith and patience, and submission of spirit to his work and will. We may do better work (and do it better) in sickness then in health.

Seventhly, God brings many upon their fick-beds, to teach them the worth of health, and make them thankful for it. They who are seldom sick, are as seldom thankful for their health, and scarce reckon that for a mercy, the want whereof, they have never felt. 'It is rare that we prize what we have, till we have it not.

Eighthly, God exerciseth many with sickness, with a purpose to put men upon a holy purpose of improving their health better, and of doing more for God while 'tis well with them.

Lastly, not a few are afflicted, that God may have an opportunity to do his work, and declare his power. God himself would be hindered of much glorious work, in restoring and recovering them to health, did he not chasten them upon sick beds. The question was put about the blind man ( Joh. 9.3, 4.) Who did sin, this man or his Parents that he was born blind. Jesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. If there had not been a blind man in the world, how could the power of God have been made manifest in giving sight to the blind? if some were not extremely torturingly sick, how would the power of God be seen in healing the sick, and rebuking their pain? For all these purposes, Man is chastened with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain. We never profit by chastenings, till we answer the purposes of God in sending them, and unless we know what and which they are, we can never answer them. If we answer these nine touched upon, we shall either answer all, or, to be sure, we shall baulke or refuse none. Elihu having thus shown us the sick man in pain, proceeds to show us what further effect his pain and sickness wrought upon him.

This verse showeth the second effect of sickness. The former was pain, This is loss of appetite, or nauseousnesse.

That is, his living body; We may call the sick man's body a living body, though it be hard to say whether we should number him among the living or the dead. We read life put for the body which liveth, or whereby it liveth. ( Psal: 88.3.) My soul (saith Heman) is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave; that is, I am ready to die, and my body to be buried. He doth not say, he hath no great stomach to, but his life

The word here used is of a Syriac derivation; nor is it found anywhere in Scripture but here. The noun signifieth anything that is filthy, excrementicious or unclean; whence the verb is rendered to abhor, loath, or nauceate; because we abhor those things which are filthy or unclean. His life abhorreth

That is common food. Sometimes bread is put for all kind of diet; as David said to Mephibosheth (2 Sam: 9.10.) Thou shalt eat bread at my table. But because of that opposition in the text to dainties, by bread, we may here understand only ordinary food; His life abhorreth bread,

The Hebrew is, Meat of desire. Not only such meat, as men usually desire for the wholesomnesse of it, but such as curious palates desire for the pleasantness of it; such meat is here meant; Yea thirdly, such meat as the man had a desire to before his sickness for the suitableness of it to his own taste and appetite, he then abhorreth.

The turning of the stomach, and loss of appetite, are usual symptoms of sickness; Almost all sicknesses weaken the appetite, and some take it quite away, so that the patient not only hath no desire to, but loathes dainty meat, or meat of desire. This phrase or form of speaking is used ( Dan: 10.3.) I (saith he) ate no pleasant bread, or no bread of desires (as we put in the margin) neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth. 'It is used again (2 Chro: 32.27.) Hezekiah made himself treasuries for silver and gold, &c. and all manner of pleasant jewels; we put in the Margin, for all jewels of desire. So ( Amos 5.11.) Pleasant vineyards, or vineyards of desire. It was the manner of the Hebrews to express pleasant by desirable, because pleasant things are much desired. His soul abhorreth meat of desire, or dainty meat.

Hence note.

Many have meat, but cannot taste it. That which giveth the best taste to our meat, is a taste of the goodness of God in it (1 Pet: 2.1.) If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. It is sweet to taste meat and the goodness of the Lord together.

Secondly, Note.

Some abhor meat, because they have eaten of it long. The Jews did eat Manna and Quails till they loathed them ( Num: 11.20.) Others loath meat, because they have eaten over-much. A third sort, loath some meat by a natural antipathy against it. Fourthly, Others loath wholesome meat out of a curiosity, because it is not dainty enough. Lastly, Sickness causeth a loathing of all meat, even of the most dainty and desirable meat. And the Lord at any time can make that which was our desire, our loathing. We have a like description of a sick man ( Ps: 107.18.) His soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and draweth near unto the gates of death.

Thirdly, Note.

What can dainty meat do a man good, when he is sick and ready to die? Then gold and silver, lands and houses, which are the dainty meat of a covetous man, are loathsome to him. When a man is sick to death, his very riches are sapless and tasteless to him; wife and children, friends and acquaintance can yield little comfort in that dark hour, yea they often prove miserable comforters: When we have most need of comfort, these things administer least or no comfort at all to us. Is it not our wisdom then to get a stock of such comforts, as will hold and abide fresh with us, when all worldly comforts either leave us, or become tasteless to us? Is it not good to get a store of that food, which how sick soever we are, our stomachs will never loath? yea the sicker we are, our souls will the more like, hunger after, and feed the more heartily upon. The flesh of Christ is meat indeed (Joh: 6.55.) Feed upon him by faith, in health and in sickness, ye will never loath him. His flesh is the true meat of desires, such meat as will fill and fatten us, but never cloy us. A hungry craving appetite after Christ, and sweet satisfaction in him are inseparable, and still the stronger is our appetite, the greater is our satisfaction. And (which is yet a greater happiness) our souls will have the strongest appetite, the most sharp-set stomach after Christ, when, through bodily sickness, our stomachs cannot take down, but loath the very scent and sight of the most pleasant perishing meat, and delicious earthly dainties. Look, that ye provide somewhat to eat, that will go down upon a sick-bed; your sick bed meat is Christ; all other dainty food may be an abhorring to you.

Further, Not only are we to consider the sickness of the body, as the cause of this tastlesness and listlesness after bread. But we are to consider the sick man abhorring dainty meat, under the hideings of God's face, or in fears about his spiritual state; as appears by that which followeth, If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one of a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness • , or to set him right in his spiritual state, &c. The sick man for want of that as well as for want of health, can taste no sweetness in the rarest dainties.

Hence note.

If a man have never so much health, yet the appearances of divine displeasure will make him sick of his most pleasant things. Carnal men can eat and drink, and live upon pleasures, yea upon the pleasures of sin, and go on merrily with them a while, because they know not the meaning of the displeasure of God, nor do they know what the favor of God meaneth; they understand not what they want, yea they flatter themselves that they have enough, and are well enough, though they have nothing, and are nothing, that is of any worth. But if God once awaken them out of this dream, and show them their cursed condition, all will be gall and wormwood to their taste, or as gravel between their teeth. As the sense of divine favor makes bitter things sweet, and sorrowful things comfortable to us, the sour herbs of affliction dainties to us; So not only common but dainty meat, all the cates and viands of this world will be not only tasteless but bitter to us when God frowns upon us. An earnest in the love and favor of God is the good of all good things.

For the close of all, take these two Counsels, upon the occasion of these words.

First, Receive your bread and dainty meat with prayer and thanksgiving; you may quickly else come to abhor your bread, yea and your dainties. The word and prayer both sanctify and sweeten all creature-enjoyments.

Secondly, Take heed of abusing your meat; ye may quickly be brought to a loathing of it. When they who have given themselves up to luxury and intemperance lie upon their sick-beds and find their stomach turned from all their dainties, it will be most grievous to them to consider how they have abused their dainties to feed their lusts. As some who abuse the creatures are punished with the want of them, so others with an abhorrence and loathing of them.

So much for this second symptom of sickness, His life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. The third followeth, and appeareth in the general decay and languishment of the sick man's body.

In this verse and the next, Elihu still insists upon his description of the sick man's condition, and in them he gives us two other sad effects or symptoms of his sickness.

First, The general wast and consumption of the body ( verse. 21.)

Secondly, The utmost peril of life ( v. 22.)

Elihu describes the first effect of sickness (the first here but the third in order) by two things.

First, By the disappearing of that which used to be seen, and appear very fair and beautiful; the visible part grows (as it were) invisible, his flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen.

Secondly, By the appearing of that which used not to be seen; his invisible parts (not so in their own nature, but as to their place, I say, his invisible parts) grow visible, His bones which were not seen, stick out. Thus with much elegancy he sets forth the sorrowful and deplorable estate of the sick man.

As if he had said, Before his sickness he was full of flesh, fat and fair, but falling into sickness, he falls away, and is worn, (as we say) to skin and bones; his flesh is consumed. Flesh, in Scripture, is taken two ways.

• First, Improperly, and Tropically.
• Secondly, Literally or Properly.

In a Tropicall and Improper sense, flesh signifieth our sinful corruption ( Gal: 5.17.) The flesh evermore lusteth against the spirit, that is, the unregenerate part in man against the regenerate. These two are always contending and combating with one another in all those whom Christ hath conquered to himself. Happy are they that find their flesh, in this sense, consuming away; and 'tis that which every man is studying (who knows what godliness means) the consumption of this flesh, even the mortification of his lusts, of pride and earthliness, of wrath, envy, and unbelief.

Secondly, flesh by a figure is put for the whole natural body, consisting of many parts dissimilar to flesh. Thus the Psalmist complained in prayer, that, the Lord had given the flesh of his Saints, to the beasts of the earth (Psal. 79.2.) that is, he had exposed their bodies, through the rage and cruelty of their enemies, to the teeth and bowels of savage and ravenous beasts.

Thirdly, flesh is also put for the whole man consisting both of soul and body. ( Gen. 6.12, 13.) The Lord saw that all flesh had corrupted their ways. That is, all men (who are made up of a body and soul) had corrupted their ways by letting loose and acting their sinful corruptions.

Fourthly, flesh is sometimes put for that which is b • st in man, his greatest natural perfections, whatsoever in him is less then grace, whatsoever is highest in him, below the spirit, is called flesh in Scripture. When Peter (Math. 16.17.) had made that blessed confession which is the rock upon which the Church is built (thou art Christ the Son of the living God) presently Christ tells him flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, that is, the highest, and the most perfect piece of nature hath not taught thee this lesson; the Evangelist saith of all true believers (who have received this power (or privilege) to become the sons of God) they are borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh (Joh. 1.13.) that is, the best of the creature, contributes nothing to the bringing forth of new creatures, the sons of God.

Fifthly, flesh by a figure is put for all that in religion, or in the worship of God, which is outward, or open to the eye; whatsoever comes under any human observation, is but the flesh of Religion, or the flesh of worship. In this sense the Apostle puts the question ( Rom. 4.1.) What shall we say then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? What he means by the flesh, he tells us in the next words, he was not justified by works, that is, not by anything that did appear, not by anything done to him or done by him. He was not justified by Circumcision, or by the use of any external rite, he was not justified by his own righteousness, or obedience to the Law. The same Apostle also calls the very worship of the Gospel, as to the outward part of it, flesh (Phil. 3.3.) For we are the Circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. That is, in any outward work, or privilege which we have in our Gospel state. All this flesh likewise ought to be consumed in our apprehensions, that is, we must make nothing of it, nor reckon it anything in our account for justification in the sight of God or acceptance with him.

Secondly, Flesh properly taken is that integral and similar part of the body, which is opposed to blood and bones, to veins and sinews. When Elihu saith his flesh is consumed, we are to understand it either in this proper sense, or in the second figurative sense before named, as flesh is put for the whole body; his flesh is consumed, that is, his flesh in opposition to his bones spoken of before, or his flesh that is his outward man

The Original word signifies to wax old; for as when a man recovers from sickness, his flesh is said to return like the flesh of a child. So when he is under the extremity of any sickness, his flesh, as it were, waxeth old, or withereth like the flesh of an old man. Thus 'tis translated ( Lam • n. 3.4.) My flesh and my skin hath he made old; that is, though I am not old in years, or how young soever I am, yet God, by many sufferings, hath made me look like an old man; I am decayed and weak. David speaking of wicked worldly men, tells us, ( Psal. 49.14.) Their beauty shall consume in the grave; As death and the grave make a total and final consumption of the beauty of bad men, that is, of all that splendor and bravery wherein they lived, while they lived in the body; so pains and sicknesses do exceedingly consume the body, and eat out the flesh. As a tyrannical oppressor eats out the people under his government, in which sense this word is applied ( Dan. 7.25.) Or as a garment is worn out by time and using. The flesh is often in Scripture compared to a garment, and dying to uncloathing; because when we die we put off the flesh. The garment of the flesh, that beautiful garment waxeth old and wears out apace on a sick bed. Sickness not only staineth and abateth the beauty of it, but wasteth it deeply, so that, as it followeth

Or as Mr Broughton renders, his flesh wasteth away from sight, or he hath no flesh left to be seen.

Again, When it is said, his flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, some expound it thus; His flesh is so consumed away, that the seer withdraweth from it; or no man cares to see it, that is, the sick man is so discoloured and wasted, that visiters and spectators start and are almost frighted to look upon him. The flesh of man in a healthful and flourishing condition, is a lovely spectacle, and draws beholders, but the flesh of a very sick man is a gastly spectacle and a regreet to the beholder. We love not to see that which we do not like. Beauty attracts, deformity withdraws the eye. It is said of Jesus Christ himself, that he was so deformed by his sufferings ( Isa: 52.14.) that many were astonished at him (his vissage was so marred more then any man, and his form more then the sons of men) and ( Isa: 53.3.) We hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised and we esteemed him not; that is, he was so dis-figured by sorrow, that no man cared to look upon him. Thus 'tis often with the sick. And this is a profitable and a probable sense of the text in hand;