Exposition of Job 8-10
Memory or the act of remembering is improperly applied to God. For remembrance is of things past, but to God all things are present. Memory is the storehouse wherein we lay up several notions, and keep records of what hath been done, which by an act of the understanding we review and fetch out again. All things are ever open before God. He needs not turn leaves or search registers, he needs not so much as strain a thought to recall what is past; that which was from the beginning, and shall be to the end, yea, to that which hath no end, eternity, is always before him. God is said to remember, or to forget when he acts like a man, who remembers or forgets; but there is no act either of forgetfulness, or of remembrance in God.
Remembering implieth two things in God.
First, A serious attention to the person and consideration of the thing which he formerly seemed to slight, or lightly to pass by. We also remember by minding and thinking upon what is present, as well as by recalling what is past.
Secondly, To remember, notes a speedy supply of our wants, or actual deliverance out of dangers. God remembers us when he favors us, he remembers us, when he pities us, he remembers us, when he relieves us, Who remembered us in our low estate, Psal 136.23. that is, who brought us out of our low estate. The needy shall not always be forgotten (Psal. 9.18.) not always, no nor at any time, the Lord doth not at all forget any, much less such needy ones, as that Scripture intends. The meaning is, they shall not always be undelivered, their estate shall not lie forever unconsidered, and their cry unattended to. God will not deal with them, nor suffer others to deal with them, as if he had forgotten them. Hannah was long under that affliction of barrenness, and when the Lord gave her conception, it is said, He remembered Hannah (1 Sam. 1.19.) his thoughts were ever upon her, and upon her petition, but when he granted her petition, then he remembered her indeed. As we then remember God, when we obey his commands: so God remembers us then, when he fulfils our requests. Remember, I beseech thee.
As it is our duty to remember the Lord: so it is our privilege that we may put him in remembrance.
It is a privilege, and a very great one to be a remembrancer to the king of heaven. The Prophet describes such an office ( Isa. 62.6.) Ye that make mention of the Lord, or nearer the Hebrew, Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers, keep not silence, and give him no rest. Great Princes have an officer called their Remembrancer, and they need remembrancers. It is at once their honor and their weakness to have them. They cannot retain all businesses, and preserve a record within themselves of all affairs within their Kingdoms: It is an honor to God that he hath remembrancers, but it is his greater honor that he hath no need of them. Himself is the living record of all that hath been done, or is to be done. Knowledge is above memory, and he that knows all things is above remembrancers. God is willing we should speak to him after the manner of men: but we must not conceive of him after the manner of men. We must not think he hath forgotten us, though we may beseech him to remember us.
There are four things which the Saints usually move the Lord to remember.
First, His own mercies, Remember, O Lord thy tender mercies, was David's prayer ( Psal. 25.6.) Hath God forgotten to be gracious? was David's question and infirmity ( Psal. 77.9.) yet God acts sometimes, as if he had forgot his nature, or had need to be minded to do what he is. God can no more forget himself, then deny himself, no more forget to be gracious then cease to be: yet he gives his people leave, yea a charge, to move him to do, what he cannot but do, what he is resolved, yea what he is ready to do. Mercy pleaseth God so much, that he often appears displeased on purpose, that we may remember him of his mercy. He delights we should desire, what he delights to grant.
Secondly, The Saints usually mind God of his Covenant. God is ever mindful of his Covenant (Psal. 111.5.) yet he loves to be minded of it. His royal title is, The God that keepeth Covenant forever; yet he loves to be desired not to break it. Thus Jeremy begs for the Jews, the Covenant-people of God. Do not abhor us for thy name sake, Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory, remember, break not thy Covenant with us. Jer. 14.21. The Psalmist prays upon the same ground, Have respect to the Covenant, for the dark places of the earth, are full of the habitations of cruelty; As if he had said, Lord, Thou hast made a Covenant to preserve and protect thy people, but now they are oppressed; The dark places, that is, places full of ignorance and wickedness (which are spiritual darkness) are full of cruelty: Holy knowledge hath no such enemy as ignorance. Or the dark places are full, &c. may be thus understood, there is no such obscure corner or by-place in the land, but their malice searcheth it out for the vexation of thy people. We are so far from having liberty to serve thee publicly in the light, that we feel the cruelty of bloody minded men, though we do it secretly or in the dark. Now Lord it is time for thee to remember thy Covenant.
Thirdly, The Saints use to put God in remembrance of the rage and blasphemies of his and their enemies. Thus the Church of the Jews cries unto the Lord ( Psal. 137.7.) Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. When a man is wronged who intends revenge, he will say to the party wronging him, well, Remember this, or, I shall remember you for this. Revengefull men have strong memories: so hath the God to whom vengeance belongeth. He will certainly remember the sinful, revengeful cry of Edom against Jerusalem, though the sins of Jerusalem did cry to him for vengeance. The Psalmist is as earnest in another place, urging the Lord to remember for his own interest, as here for the interest of his Zion (Psal. 74.18.) Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy Name. As if he had said, Pray, Lord, take a note of this, make a memorandum of this, That the enemy hath reproached thy Name: God will remember it, if any of his servants are reproached, much more when himself is.
Fourthly, The Saints remember God of their own frailty, and that twofold. First, Natural, Secondly, Spiritual. Remember how short my time is, wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? (Psal. 89.47.) Man is a frail short-lived creature, and it is some comfort to him, that God knows he is so. That which Job puts the Lord in remembrance of, is his natural frailty; some understand it also of his spiritual, Remember, I beseech thee,
The LXX reads it, Thou hast made me clay. The word signifies cement or mortar, which are mixed of earth & water, Thou hast made me as tempered clay. When the original of man is described, it is said, The Lord formed man dust out of the ground, or, of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2.7.) here Job saith, Thou hast made me as the clay, or, Thou hast made me of the clay; the sense is near the same, whether we take clay for the matter out of which man was made, or for the similitude according to which man was made. Job speaks of himself with respect to creation: for, according to the ordinary course of generation, man is not made of clay. The first man was made of clay, and of him all men are. We derive our pedigree from the dirt, and are a kin to clay. Job might say, and so may any man, Thou hast made me of the clay. However Job was, and man now is made as the clay; that is, frail, brittle and weak. We are composed of materials, which will quickly crack and break. When the holy Ghost would describe how easily Christ can shatter to pieces all the opposites of his Kingdom, it is said, He shall dash them in pieces like a potters vessel: A potters vessel will not bear blows, especially not the blows of such an instrument, as is there spoken of, an iron rod: He shall break them with a rod of iron (Psal. 2.9.) we may break a potters vessel with a little wand, or a weak reed, how then should it endure the weight and hardness of an iron rod? The Spirit of God seems to delight in this allusion, and therefore takes it up often, Read, Isa. 45.9. Isa. 64.8. Rom. 9.21. We have the state of the Jews, described under this notion ( Jer. 18.4.) The Lord bids Jeremy go down to the potters house, he obeys, and found the potter working a work on the wheel, And the vessel that he made of clay, was marred in the hand of the potter, so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then, the Word of the Lord came to him, saying, Cannot I do to you as this potter? saith the Lord, Behold, as the clay is in the hand of the potter, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. I can form you, and I can break you, I can put you into what condition I please, and ye ought not to be displeased at it. A potters vessel is an emblem of the strongest Kingdoms, How much more of the strongest men?
That we are made of clay, intimates three things, at all which Job seemeth to aim, when he saith, Thou hast made me as the clay.
First, The excellency of man's frame. He is not thrust together like a rude lump or mass of earth, but curiously wrought (Psal. 139.15.) To make a vessel of clay is an artificial work, not a natural. It requireth much pains, but more skill. Whence Job argueth, Thou hast made me as the clay; Thou hast shown thy heavenly wisdom in shaping and contriving me, as a vessel of honor for thy use, And wilt thou bring me into dust again? The remembrance of that love and care which God hath laid out upon us in our constitution, is an argument moving him to pity and compassion, as was shown at the third verse.
Secondly, That God hath made us of clay, shows our utter inability to contend with God, and to stand against his strokes: It is, as if Job had said, Lord, Surely thou forgettest of what metal I am made, thou thinkest I am made of a hard rock, or of invincible Adamant, that I am compounded of iron, and other the strongest materials; Alas, Lord, there is no such matter, I am made but as the clay; A great deal of power and wisdom appeared in making me, but a little power will serve to ruin me; I am no sooner touched but cracked. Why then dost thou plant all thy Ordnance, and discharge so many volleys of shot against me? Lord, What am I? Am I a wall of brass, or a bulwark of stone? Thou knowest I am but a wall of clay, a paper wall, a potters vessel, a little moistened earth. Will any man prepare Cannon to batter a cottage, or a beetle to kill a fly? Thy providence needs not make such provision against me, or handle me so roughly: that which is weak calls for tender usage, and that which is weak may last long, if tenderly used; a glass with care will continue many ages. Deal gently with thy servant, Remember, I beseech thee, thou hast made me as the clay.
Thirdly, That we are made as the clay, shows our easiness to be overcome by temptation, and our obnoxiousness to sin. Sin is (in its kind) as spiritual, as grace is, yet our sinful corruption is figuratively called, the flesh. One reason (I conceive) of which may be this, because flesh, taken properly, is an occasion of sin. As the sensitive part is a servant, so a snare to the rational, much more to the spiritual. The flesh is at once the organ, and the burden of the spirit. The Apostle calling Saints to run the race of holiness with patience, gives a very suitable advice, Let us lay aside every weight, that is, all carnal comber; he that would show himself light of foot, will not take a burden upon his back, he casts off his very garments; to which the next words of the Apostle seem to allude, Cast off every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us: So a garment doth, especially a long garment, which in running daggles and folds about our heels. The reason why our sinful corruption is compared to such a garment, is, because it is so much assisted by this body of clay, the flesh, which is as a long garment to the soul, hanging about it, and besetting it, on every side.
From which sense Job seems thus to move the Lord, Suppose I have sinned (he had said, verse. 7. Thou knowest I am not wicked, but suppose I have sinned) and have had my failings, yet, Lord, Remember thou hast made me as the clay, I am not a pure spirit, as Angels are, I have a body of earth about me, which clogs and hinders me in every duty, which many ways endangers me unto every sin. God himself takes up this as an argument to spare sinful man ( Psal. 78.39.) when the people of Israel rebelled against him, He many a time turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. What staid him? The next words give a reason; for he remembered that they were but flesh; that is, weak and very subject unto sin. This argument prevails again ( Psal. 103.14.) Like as a father spareth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; Why? For he knoweth their frame, he remembereth that they are dust. As if the very matter out of which man was first made, though without sin, were some disadvantage to him in the resisting of sin. It was a disadvantage before man had any sin in him, how much more is it now, when most men have nothing at all in them, but sin, and the best have very much. That which is born of the flesh (saith Christ, John. 3.6.) is flesh. His meaning is, corrupt nature can produce none but corrupt acts. It is a truth also, that our pure nature, because it was constituted (as of other parts, so) of flesh (the soul like a sparkling diamond, being set in clay) was thereby rendered more prone to fleshly or sinful acts. Natural flesh (in its best state) is more apt to bring forth spiritual flesh (namely sin) then a spirit is. And that's a reason among others, which some give, why God was so irreconcilably angry with the Angels which fell, why he did never so much as mention them in a way of mercy, or discovered a thought of them for good since their fall (I say) one reason given is this, Because God could not remember that Angels were made as the clay, or formed out of the dust; They were created spirits, pure spirits, they had no clogs of flesh and blood about them, no fogs, no mists vapouring up from a sensitive part to cloud their intellectual. They had the more power to continue pure, because they were free from any earthly and elementary mixtures. Their sin was a compound of more evils, because their nature was so simple. Angels having no tempter without them, no flesh about them, turned themselves away from God, merely upon the freedom of their own wills. As every good action is by so much the better, by how much it hath a freer concurrence of our wills: so is every evil action so much the worse. The sin we commit is the greater, by how much we have had the less provocation to commit it. The sin of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit, was aggravated in itself, because God gave them such plenty and variety of other fruits to eat: but it was lessened in comparison of the Angels sin, because they had more provocations to sin, then the Angels had. The bait of the temptation against our first parents, was laid in their constitution, which being corporal and earthly, must needs be delighted with earthly objects. The forbidden fruit was pleasant to the eye, there the flesh took it, And it was pleasant to the taste, there the flesh took it again. These provocations man had over and besides that of the Angels, a hope or a desire to mend his condition, and to become like unto God. A body of earth hath a suitableness to all earthly allurements. Every like hath a natural tendency and motion towards its like. This moves the Lord to pity sinful man, though man must not hence plead impunity for sin. The measure and degrees of sin upon such actings are abated, but the acts do not therefore put off the nature of sin. A sinner in dust and clay cannot be excused, yet is not so much polluted, and more to be pitied then a sinning spirit. And that's a third notion in which we may expound Job, beseeching God to remember, that he hath made him as the clay.
I might write many things in this clay out of which man was made; but I have met with other passages already of the same subject, especially in the fourth Chapter, verse. 19. in those words, Whose foundation is in the dust; which Text being near of the same importance and interpretation with this in hand, I shall rather refer the Reader thither, then insist upon the same deductions and inferences a second time. Take only this in general. Our reflection upon the matter out of which we are extracted, should lesson us to low and modest thoughts of our selves: for what is lower then the earth. We say, He that lieth upon the earth, hath not whence to fall; It is as true, He that riseth out of the earth, hath nothing in himself whence he should be lifted up.
Remember that thou hast made me as the clay, and
To be brought to the dust, is first a circumlocution or description of death, Psal. 30.9. Shall the dust praise thee, shall it declare thy truth? That is, shall I praise thee when I am among the dead? What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Not that profit sure, I cannot bring thee in the tribute of praise, when my life's gone out.
Secondly, To be brought to the dust, is a description of any low and poor condition, Psal. 22.29. All they that be fat upon the earth (that is the great and mighty) shall eat and worship, All they that go down to the dust (that is, the mean and base) shall bow before him. As if he had said, rich and poor, high and low, the King and the beggar, have alike need of salvation by Jesus Christ, and must submit unto him, that they may be saved, for as it there follows, None can keep alive his own soul. The captivity of the Jews in Babylon is expressed under those notions of death, and of dwelling in the dust, Isa. 26.19. to show how low they were brought; even so low, that no power but his, who can raise the dead could work their deliverance.
Job saw himself brought to the dust of a low condition, of poverty and of disgrace, and he feared he should be brought to the dust of death, and of the grave. That's the meaning of this expostulating query, And wilt thou bring me into the dust again? He was not at all brought out of the dust of his affliction, and therefore he could not say of that, Wilt thou bring me into the dust again?
The words are read three ways.
- 1. As an Assertion.
- 2. As an Interrogation.
- 3. As an Admiration.
First, Many Interpreters give them as a plain assertion, Remember, that thou hast made me as the clay, and thou wilt bring me into the dust again.
Secondly, Others read them (as we) with an interrogation, Remember, that thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me into the dust again?
Thirdly, Some heighten them into an admiration, Thou hast made me as the clay, and (what?) wilt thou now bring me into the dust again! What a wonder is this? Could I have expected such a sudden change as this!
Take the words as a direct assertion, Thou wilt bring me into the dust again. So they may have reference to the decree of God concerning man, as those before had to the creation of man. As if he had said, By creation and natural constitution, I am frail and weak, made of the clay, by thy purpose and decree I am appointed unto death, Thou wilt bring me into the dust again, therefore spare me for the short time I have to live.
Some change the conjunction [And] into the adverb of likeness, so, to note a right, power, or privilege, and the text runs in this form, Remember, that as thou hast made me of, or as the clay, so thou mayest (it is thy privilege, none can contradict thee in it, and thou doest me no wrong in it, thou mayest) as thou hast purposed, bring me to the dust again. Though it be common and natural to all creatures mixed of elements, to be resolved and turned back into that out of which they were made, that is to die; yet to man it is more then natural; there is a decree upon it, besides the naturality of it: Man dieth by a statute-law of heaven. To die is a penalty inflicted upon man for sin, for he had not been under a necessity of dying, if he had not sinned. And therefore though God formed man (as the holy story informs us ( Gen. 2.7.) out of the dust of the earth, yet so long as man stood, he never said to him, To dust thou shalt return; God only put a supposition, that in case man did fall, he should surely die. But when man had fallen by sin, then he hears what he was, and what he must be, For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return (Gen. 3.19.) As if God had thus bespoken sinful man. Thy body was framed out of dust, and now I charge this burden upon thee, thou shalt return to the dust again.
It is a Question (and I shall touch upon it.) Whether death were natural to man or no? Whether man were made mortal, or whether he made himself mortal? Some affirm, That death was natural, not accidental or occasional to man-kind. They argue for this opinion,
First, thus, Adam died not the death of the body, or a natural death, when he had sinned, therefore the death of the body was not inflicted for sin upon his person, and his posterity, but was seated in, or a consequent of his nature.
I answer, Though Adam died not presently a natural death, yet he was presently made subject or liable unto death; the sentence was past upon him, though the sentence was not executed upon him. A malefactor who is cast at the bar, is a dead man in law, though he be reprieved from the present stroke of death.
Again, Though death itself did not instantly seize upon him, yet the symptoms of death, and tokens of mortality did. Fear and shame, pains and distempers, sweat and weariness quickly shown themselves as so many harbingers or forerunners of his approaching dissolution: we see and feel death in these, before we see or feel death itself. These bid us prepare our bodies for the grave, and our souls for heaven.
Secondly, Others reason thus, Christ hath delivered his people, the elect, from all that punishment, which the sin of Adam did contract and deserve; but Christ hath not delivered his elect, his own people, from turning to the dust. Godly men die as well as the ungodly, believers as well as infidels, therefore (say they) the death of the body was not procured by sin.
I answer, Whatsoever is an evil in death, Christ hath delivered his people from; he hath taken away all that from death, which is punishment or annoiance, though death be not taken away. Christ hath freed us from the effects of sin, as he hath freed us from sin itself, that is, from their prevalence and dominion over us, not from their presence or being in and upon us. Hence the Apostle (1 Cor. 15.) triumpheth over death, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? As if he had said, Death once had a power over man to sting him to death, death once had a victorious power, and would have been the great conqueror, riding in triumph over all the posterity of Adam: but now death hath neither sting nor sword to use against believers, it hath nothing of victory over the Saints. It is now but a sleep, a sleep in Christ, a rest from labor, a putting off the rags, the worn rags of mortality, that we may be dressed in the robes of glory. The evil of death is removed, and that which remains of death (the separation of soul and body) proves the greatest good to both, it being but a preparatory to their everlasting union.
Thirdly, It is argued, That death and corruption were natural to man, because the matter out of which man was made, was dying and corruptible; for that which is made, must follow the nature of that principle out of which it is made. The effect cannot be (say they) more noble then the cause, nor the subject constituted, more durable then that which goes into its constitution.
To clear up an answer to this, we must distinguish of a three-fold immortality.
1. A primitive, simple, independent, essential immortality; this is proper and peculiar to God, in which sense the Apostle affirmeth, He only hath immortality (1 Tim. 6.16.)
2. There is a derivative, dependant, essential immortality. Some substances have no seed of corruptibility, nor of death in them. Being either separate from all matter, which is the seat and root of corruption, as the Angels, or united to matter, yet so as not being produced from it, or having any affinity with it, such are the souls of men. Whole man in his creation was not immortal either of these ways; a part of man was, but man was not created immortal: Man was of a middle state and condition, neither altogether so mortal, nor altogether immortal, but capable of either.
3. There is an immortality by the power or gift, by the mercy or justice of God. The power and justice of God shall give an immortality to the bodies of the damned in hell, they shall ever live a dying life, who were dead all while they lived. They who have slighted the mercy of God, shall be upheld by his power, to endure his justice to all eternity; wicked men would have sinned with delight forever upon the earth, if they could have lived forever upon the earth, and they shall live forever with pain in hell to suffer for their sin.
The power, goodness and mercy of God, shall much more give immortality to the bodies of the Saints in glory; they who have had a will to delight in obeying God that short time they lived on earth, shall have a power to live forever in delight, praising God in heaven.
The body of man in the state of innocence had an immortality, by the gift of God; yet with condition, that he did submit to that rule which God gave him to live by. Do this and live, was the law of Adams life. Adam had not an impossibility to die, but a possibility not to die; This was the state of immortality in the state of innocence. Man had not fallen into the grave, if he had not fallen into transgression. His life was made as long as his obedience, if he had not turned from God, he had not returned to the earth. Death was convaied in by sin, and our possibility not to die, was not only lost, but changed into a necessity of dying. So then, man is brought to dust, not because his nature was subject to corruption, but because sin hath corrupted his nature. When he abused the liberty of his will, he was subjected to this necessity against his will. By an irreversible ordinance of heaven, It is appointed unto men once to die, Heb. 9.27. Job speaks, to that point of God's law concerning man, Thou hast made me as the clay, and thou wilt bring me into the dust again.
Thus the words are taken as an assertion of the power and privilege of God, to unmake and pull down man, whom he had made and set up.
If we read the words by way of interrogation or admiration: so Job seems to intend them as an allay to mitigate the present severity of the Lord's proceeding with him, Thou hast made me of the clay, but a while ago, and wilt thou bring me into the dust again? O spare me a little before I go hence, and shall be seen no more: It will not be long before there must be an end of me, O let me have a more comfortable being and breathing, while I am here.
When Satan provoked the Lord against Jerusalem, to destroy it, the Lord answered ( Zech. 3.2.) Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? As if he had said unto Satan, Art thou moving me to throw this people into that fire of affliction, out of which they were so lately snatched? Jerusalem was in the fire but awhile ago, and shall I cast it in again? Job pleads in the same form, though not in the same matter, I was clay but the other day, and Lord, shall I to dust again today? Let we see some quiet days, before I see the end of my days. Gild over this clay of mine with the shinings of thy face upon me, before thou renderest me dust again.
I have more then once had occasion to touch this argument, and shall therefore pass it here.
Job having thus set forth his natural constitution, in the matter of it, as he was made of clay, goeth on to describe himself more distinctly; first, in his conception of his whole body; secondly, in the formation and delineation of his parts.
Verse 10. Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
Under the modest shadow of this verse, that great natural mystery of man's generation and conception is contained. The former word signifies not only the pouring forth of liquids, but the melting and dissolving of the hardest metals, iron, brass, &c. that they may be fitted to run or be poured forth, Ezek. 22.21, 22. And as this signifies the softening and melting of that which is hard, so the next word (which we translate curdled ) signifies the hardening or thickning of that which is soft and fluid. Moses useth it in describing the miraculous dividing of the red sea, Exod. 15.8. The floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The Prophet Zephaniah useth it for the settledness and resolvedness of a people in sin ( Chap. 1.12.) The Lord (saith he) will punish the men that are settled (we put in the margin curded or thickened) on their lees. I might from these proprieties of the original words, illustrate that secret of man's original. But forasmuch as the Spirit of God hath drawn a curtain, and cast a veil of metaphors over it, therefore I intend not to open or discover it. Ancient Philosophers have spoken of these natural operations in a like language, and under these similitudes: I shall only say in general, that these two expressions; First, Thou hast poured me out as milk; secondly, And curdled me like cheese, are appliable to that special contribution, which God hath charged upon each parent, towards that great work, the continuation of their own kind, and the raising up of a posterity in their place, to serve himself and their generation. Learn hence,
Fitst, That man hath reason to be humbled at the meannes and manner of his original.
What hath he to be proud of in the world, who that he might be prepared for his coming into the world, was poured out as milk, and curdled as cheese. Let not man be high minded, whose beginning was so low and homely.
Learn secondly, Our natural conception is from God.
Men (in a strict sense) are called, The fathers of our flesh, and God the father of spirits (Heb. 12.9.) Yet God hath the chief title to the father-hood of our flesh, as well as the sole title to the fatherhood of our spirits, Thou hast poured me out as milk, and thou hast curdled me like cheese; here is no mention of his father, none of his mother, but as if the Lord had wrought all by an immediate power, he ascribes the whole effect to him. Thou hast poured me out as milk, &c. We are also his offspring, as the Apostle tells the Athenians out of their own Poets, Act. 17.28.
Thirdly, This gives caution to all whom the Lord hath called, or shall call to the state of marriage, to be holy in that estate. Marriage is honorable (Heb. 13.4.) and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge; no wonder if God have a respectful eye to the undefiled in that relation, and a revengeful eye upon the defilers of it; seeing as his own authority instituted it, so his own power acts so eminently in it. Our conception, our formation, our birth and production are all ascribed to, yea assumed by God himself. Of which second act the next verse gives us a noble and an elegant proof.
Verse 11. Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and fenced me with bones and sinews.
Job proceeds like a great Philosopher about the production of man. For when by that former work of nature, the matter is poured out and curdled. God by nature makes a further progress, and prepares for another work, the forming and fashioning of that unshapen lump into the parts and lineaments of an organical body. Some Naturalists undertake to tell us exactly what is wrought the first seven days, and what the next, when the brain, heart and liver are formed, and when the flesh, the bones, and sinews. The ancient and learned Physicians have distinguished this whole work of God in perfecting mankind into four periods. The first is, while the matter or principles out of which man is made being mingled together, retain their own form. The second is, when those principles are grossed into a rude fleshy mass. These two periods Job hath taught us long before Galen and Hippocrates in the former verse, under those notions of pouring out as milk, and curdling as cheese. The third period is, when a representation is made of those principal parts the brain, the heart, and the liver, together with the threads, and (as some allude) the warp of man's constitution, or as others, the lines and shadows of a man, such as a skillful artisan makes with a ruder pensil, when he is about to draw a curious picture. The fourth period is, when both the similar and organical parts, are completed and also beautified with proper and lively colors. These two later periods are described by Job in this verse, and in the beginning of the next.
The original word for skin, comes from a root signifying naked. We commonly say he is naked, who hath nothing upon him, but his skin. And Job who here saith, Thou hast clothed me with skin, said, Chap. 1.20. Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither: That is, with nothing but my skin. He that wears only skin and flesh hath no artificial clothing, but he hath a natural clothing. We are dressed in garments taken out of the Wardrobe of God and nature before the world puts a rag upon us. Thus man is born naked, yet clothed, unarmed, yet fenced.
Which some interpret in reference to the soul, which is covered over and enclosed with the skin and flesh.
But this clothing of skin and flesh refers rather to those inward, more noble and tender parts, the heart, liver, brain and bowels, these are enclosed with skin and flesh, lest they should take cold; these are fenced with bones and sinews, lest they should take hurt. Hence death is called an unclothing. Death strips us, not only to the skin, but of the skin, We that are in this tabernacle, do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, (2 Cor. 5.4.) that is, not that we would put off this garment of skin and flesh, this natural clothing, but we would have a supernatural clothing upon it, even a vest of glory put upon these vests of frailty. This Scripture in Job is of the same language with that of Paul, Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh.
It is said of the virtuous woman ( Prov. 31.21.) That she is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are all clothed with scarlet, or, double garments. The great and most wise God hath prepared such clothing for man's inward parts, that he needs not fear snow or cold, he hath provided double garments, two suits, skin and flesh. Flesh is an under garment, and skin is an upper garment: flesh covers the bones, and skin covers the flesh. Anatomists observe, That man hath two distinct coats of skin upon his flesh, or man's skin is a lined garment, yet differing from other garments, for here the lining is uppermost. This uppermost skin, or as some call it, the scarf-skin is without sense, you may thrust a needle thorough it without pain. There was great reason it should be so, that it might defend the skin under it from external injuries, as also attemper the exquisite sense thereof, and so become the medium or mean of touching: for all sensation is made by some mean, and is either altogether hindered, or much disturbed by the immediety of the object and the organ. Hence when this cuticle or scarf-skin is off or broken, the gentlest touch upon that bared part, breedeth much pain, but spoileth the true sensation. Under this curtain or scarf-skin, the true and proper skin lieth; The Greeks call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , because it may be flaied off, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a band, because it compasseth or knitteth together the whole body. This skin is a seamless garment, yet it hath divers out-lets made for the relief and ease of nature; some of which are obvious to sense, others called pores, are both innumerable and imperceptible.
To this double vesture of skin, flesh is added, as having according to Jobs philosophy, an immediate conjunction or contiguity with one another. But our Philosophers in their professed descriptions of man's anatomy, place two parts between the skin and the flesh, namely, fat and the fleshy membrane. Concerning which, they who please may consult the writings of learned Naturalists. I shall not step out into such digressions.
Further, As God hath given us a clothing of skin and flesh: so he hath given us armor under that clothing. Thou hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
The word which we translate fenced, is the same used, Chap. 1.10. where Satan tells the Lord that he had secured the state of Job, so, that he could not come nigh it, Hast not thou made an hedge about him? The devil made many assaults against Job, but he could not batter down that hedge, it was Cannon-proof. As the state, so the body of Job was fenced: if we look upon the skelleton of a man, we shall see the proportion of an armor, breast and back formed up with bones and sinews.
Bones are for strength and sinews for motion, bones being firm and stiff in themselves are moveable by the sinews. There are other parts of the body which concur to the making up of this armor, gristles, muscles, ligaments, membranes, all which serve for motion, fastening and defense, as well as bones and sinews: but these being the principal and most known are here expressed for all the rest.
Bones give the body stability, straitness and form. They are as the carcase of a ship, whereto the rest of the parts are fastened, and by which they are sustained. They are as the posts, pillars, beams and rafters of a house, by whose knittings and contignations the whole building is both proportioned and supported. And though the bones are for number very many, and in their forms exceeding various, some thick, some thin, some plain, some hollow, some of a greater, others of a lesser bore, yet are they so connected and fitted together by articulation or by coalition, by contiguity or continuity (as the Anatomists speak) that they all appear as one bone, or pack of bones,
Sinews or nerves derive their pedigree from the brain, and are the organs by which the animal spirits are conveyed, and flow into the whole body, and with them both sense and motion. Sinews have so much of strength in them, that the same word is put to signify both strength and sinews, and to do a thing strongly and vigorously, is to do it (nervose) sinewously. It is wonderful which Naturalists write of the conjugations and uses of the sinews, to whose labors I refer the studious Reader for further satisfaction. I have given enough to show, what this Text calls me to, That God hath indeed clothed man with skin and flesh, and fenced him with bones and sinews.
Some have quarrelled with the wisdom and goodness of God, for turning man altogether naked and unarmed into the world. This Scripture is enough to confute the unreasonableness of that quarrel. Job thankfully acknowledgeth, That he was both clothed and armed, though not in the sense of these complainers. It is more honorable for man to make himself artificial clothing and arms, then to have had none but natural; God hath given man reason to invent, hands to prepare, and a tongue to call for those things which by a Law of nature are imposed upon other creatures; the power of reason, and the skill of the hand are a better safeguard to man then any the beasts have, and can provide whatsoever man wants to secure him either from cold or danger. And though the body, as now it stands, be but (as it were) the sepulcher of that which God at first created, though we lie open to so many diseases and deaths, that the soul may well be said to inhabit an unwalled, and an unfortified City, yet man hath great cause forever to extol the bounty of God in those still continued ennoblements of this earthly mansion, his mortal body. Yea, The noble structure and symmetry of our bodies, invites our souls not only to thankfulness, but to admiration. One of the Ancients styleth man a great miracle. Another, The miracle of miracles: A third, The measure of all things: A fourth, The pattern of the universe, the worlds epitome, The world in a small volume, or a little world. They also have distinguished the whole frame of the body into three stories, in allusion to a like frame observable in the world. First, The superior, which they call intellectual or angelical, because they conceived it to be the habitation of Angels or Intelligences. The second or middle part they call celestial or heavenly, the seat of the Sun and stars. The third, Elementary, in which all corporeal creatures are procreated and nourished. This division of the world is eminent in man, for he also is a building of three stories. The head which is the seat of reason, the mansion, the tower of wisdom and understanding is placed highest: the breast or middle venter is the celestial part, wherein the heart, like the Sun is predominant; some have called the Sun, The heart of the world; and the heart, The Sun of man's body, by whose luster, beams and influences, all the other parts are quickened and refreshed; hence we say, when the heart fails all fails, and while the heart holds, all holds. The third part of the body, or the lower venter containing all parts necessary for the nutrition of individuals, or the propagation of the species, carrieth a clear resemblance with the elementary or lowest parts of the universe.
There are five things in particular, which as so many rounds of a lather, may help us to raise our thoughts higher in the duty of holy admiration about this work of God.
First, That God frameth up this goodly and beautiful fabrique out of such mean and improbable materials. To consider out of what stuff our bodies are made, advanceth the honor of him who made us. Man can make his work (except the form) no better then the matter out of which he formeth it. But as the form of man's body is better then the matter, so the matter becomes better then it was, before it received that form.
Secondly, The matter out of which God maketh man is originally homogeneal, or but of one kind, yet there is a strange heterogeny or variety in the very substance, as well as in the shape of the several parts; which are therefore divided by the survaiers of this building, into parts similar and dissimilar. Is it not incredible to mere reason, that one lump should be spread out into thin, tender skin, wrought into soft flesh, extended into tough sinews, hardened into strong bones; that one piece should make an outward jerkin or cassock of skin, an under garment of flesh, columns and rafters of bones, bands and ties of sinews; that the same should make veins like channels to carry, and blood like water to be carried into every part to moisten and refresh it? When an Artificer buildeth an house, he requires more materials then one, he must have stones and timber, iron, lead, &c. to complete his fabrique: but the Lord frameth all the parts, rooms and contrivances of the body out of one and the same mass. Thou dost not know (saith Solomon) how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child (Eccles. 11.5.) Who can know by a mere rational demonstration, how a solid substance should grow out of that which is so fluid? And that parts materially, as well as figuratively unlike, should arise out of a like matter?
Thirdly, The work of God in the framing of man is internal, as well as external. A statuary, or an engraver will make the image or portraiture of a man, but his work is all outward, he cannot make bowels, or fashion a heart within, he cannot cut out veins, bones and sinews. The greatest wonders of creation are unseen. God hath packed many rarities, mysteries, yea, miracles together in man's chest. All the vital instruments and wheels, whereby the watch of our life is perpetually moved from the first hour to the last, are locked up in a curious internal cabinet, where God himself prepared the pulleys, hung on the weights, and wound up the chime by the hand of his infinite power, without opening of any part; As our own learned Anatomist elegantly teacheth us in the Preface to his sixth book.
Fourthly, The dimensions, proportions and poise of man's body are so exact and due, that they are made the model of all structures and artificials. Castles, Houses, Ships, yea the Ark of Noah was framed after the measure and plot of man's body. In him is found a circulate figure, and a perfect quadrat, yea the true quadrature of a circle, whose imaginary lines have so much troubled the Mathematicians of many ages.
Fifthly, In every part usefulness and commodiousnesse, comeliness and convenience meet together. What beauty is stamped upon the face? What majesty in the eye? What strength is put into the arms? What activity into the hands? What music and melody in the tongue? Nothing in this whole fabrique could be well left out or better placed, either for ornament, or for use. Some men make great houses which have many spare rooms, or rooms seldom used; but as in this house there is not any one room wanting: so every room is of continual use.
Was ever clay thus honored, thus fashioned? Galen gave Epicurus an hundred years to imagine a more commodious situation, configuration or composition of any one part of the body; And surely if all the Angels in heaven had studied to this day, they could not have cast man into a more curious mould, or have given a fairer and more correct edition of him. This clay cannot say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? Or this work, he hath no hands, (Isa. 45.9.) The Lord hath made man so well, that man cannot tell which way to be made better; This work cannot say, He that wrought me had no hands, that is, I am ill wrought; as to say, you have no eyes, you have no ears, are reproofs of negligence and inadvertency, both in hearing and seeing. So when we say to a man, Surely you have no hands, our meaning is, he hath done his work, either slothfully or unskilfully. But this work of man's body shall not need to say unto God, he hath no hands, he hath given proof enough, that hands and head too were employed about this work. Let us make it appear that we have hands and tongues, and hearts for him, that we have skin and flesh, bones and sinews for him, that we have strength, and health, and life, and all for him; seeing all these are also derived from him, as appears in the next words, Thou hast granted me life and favor.
Job having thus described the natural conception and formation of his body, descendeth to his quickening and preservation. When God had formed man out of the dust of the earth, he then breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul; and thus when God hath formed man in the womb, given him skin and flesh, bones and sinews, then he gives life and breath and all things necessary, to the continuation of what he hath wrought up to such excellent perfections. Our divine Philosopher teacheth us this doctrine.
Verse 12. Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
This verse holds out to us the great Charter of God to man, consisting of three royal grants. First, Life. Secondly, Favor. Thirdly, Visitation. The bounty of God appears much in granting life, more in granting favor, most of all in his grant of gracious visitations. Thou hast granted me life, &c.
The letter of the Hebrew is, Thou hast made, or fitted for me life and favor. The soul is the ornament of the body, life the luster of our clay. Thou hast not thrown or huddled my life into my body, Thou hast put it in exquisitely and orderly. The frame of the body is an exquisite frame, but the frame, the faculties and powers, the actings and motions of the soul are far more exquisite. The inhabitant is more noble then the house, and the jewel then the cabinet. As the life is better then meat, and the body then (artificial) raiment (Mat. 6.25.) So the life is better then the body, which is to it a natural raiment.
Life is here put metonymically for the soul, of which it is an effect, as the soul is often put for the life, whereof it is a cause.
We translate in the singular number, life, the Hebrew is plural, Thou hast granted me lives. But hath a man more lives then one? Some understand Job speaking not only of corporal, but spiritual life; as our natural life is the salt of the body, to keep that from corrupting: so spiritual life, or the life of grace, is the salt of the soul, to keep that from corrupting.
Secondly, Thou hast granted me lives, that is, say others, temporal life and eternal life.
Thirdly, Lives may be taken for the three great powers of life. Man hath one life consisting of three distinct lives: For whereas there is a life of vegetation and growth, such as is in trees and plants: and a life of sense and motion, such as is in beasts of the earth, fowls of the air, and fishes of the sea: And a life of reason, such as is in Angels, whereby they understand and discourse; these three lives, which are divided and shared among all other living creatures, are brought together and compacted into the life of man. Whole man, is the epitome or sum of the whole Creation, being enriched and dignified with the powers of the invisible world, and of the visible put together, under which notion we may expound this Text, Thou hast granted me lives; a three-fold life, or a three-fold acting and exercise of the same life.
Observe hence, Life is the gift of God.
With thee is the fountain of lives, the well, or the vein of lives (Psal. 36.9.) The Psalmist alludes, either first to waters which flow from a fountain, and so doth life from God. Or, secondly, To metals, With thee is the vein of lives; as all mineral veins, the veins of gold and silver, of lead and iron, &c. lie (as it were) in bank, in the bosom and bowels of the earth: so doth life in God. There is not the lest vein of this quick-silver, in all the world, but comes from him. Or, thirdly, The Psalmist alludeth to the veins of the body, which as so many rivers and rivulets, derive their blood from tha • red-sea the liver. God hath a sea of life in himself, and all that live are filled with life from him. This is one of his royal titles, The living God; He is, The living God, not only subjective, because he liveth, but effective, because he enliveneth and quickeneth all living creatures, From him we receive life and breath (Act. 17.25.) In him we live, and move, and have our being, verse. 28. In him we live, &c. that is, by him, or thorough him, as the same Apostle teacheth ( Rom. 11.36.) The same power giveth us being, and maintains it. This is true, yet the context carrieth the preposition [In] further. For the Apostle having asserted, verse. 27. He is not far from everyone of us; subjoins this as a proof, For in him we live &c. implying, That man is, in a sense, contained in, or invested with God. The divine nature cannot be circumscribed with anything, yet circumscribeth all things: For which Paul refers the Athenians to Heathen Poets, who spake this truth in a carnal language, yet such as might be spiritualized by a sanctified understanding. The result of which is, That God is the author and conservatour of our lives. This glory is given also unto Christ, who is called, The Prince of life, because he hath life at command, The Son quickeneth whom he will. Christ hath the power, not only of natural, but of spiritual and eternal life, He is the Prince of lives. Job speaks in the language of Princes, Thou hast granted &c. As they make out grants of lands and offices, so God makes a grant of life. The civil godship of Kings and Magistrates appears much in this, that they can grant a forfeited life, either by reprieve for a time, or by pardon forever. It is ordinary with men, to grant others leases for their lives, but they cannot grant them life. Princes can grant an offender a lease of that life which he hath, but no Prince can grant life to those who have it not. That's God's peculiar, Thou hast granted me life,
The word signifieth the purest, sincerest, and most tender kindness, the fullest favor, the most courteous courtesy, Gen. 21.23. chap. 24.49. Exod. 15.13. Ruth 1.8. Hebricians tell us, That it noteth an exuberancy of kindness, such as breaks the bounds, and exceeds the ordinary laws of love. It is but a poor way of loving, to love only by rule and measure. There is no true love can act beyond the rule which God gives, but love quickly exceeds the rules of men. Hence the Jews call those Chasidim, who are not only just by statute, giving every man his right, paying every man his due, but noble, heroical, free-hearted and open-handed in their distribution of favors.
One Expositor by favor understands the seeds of grace and virtue, especially of charity and mercifulness, which (saith he) seem to have been connatural to Job.
Another interprets favor by free-will. But I pass these as perversions, not expositions of Scripture. And shall represent what is both safe and suitable.
First, Some restrain this favor to that which he received in the womb before he was born, or the favor which he had to be born, which is to be reckoned among very valuable favors. Thou art he that took me out of the womb, was David's thankful acknowledgement, Psal. 22.9. The womb is to all infants a temporary prison, and to some a grave. It is favor to have those gates unlocked, and the little prisoner set safe at liberty.
Secondly, We may interpret it as an adjunct, or an adverb, showing how the Lord granted him life; It is an usual Hebraism to put the later of two Substantives adverbially, Josh. 2.14. We will deal kindly and truly with thee, say the Spies to Rahab. The Original is, We will deal kindness and truth to thee; which is also rendered kindness in truth, or kindness truly, that is, thou mayest trust us: we do not flatter thee, and we will not deceive thee. So here, Thou hast granted me life and favor; That is, life by favor, or life favourably; importing, That the receipt of life, is the receipt of a great mercy; as if Job had said, I could not deserve that thou shouldest bestow life upon me: When I was firmed and fashioned in the womb, it was thy favor to quicken me: Mercy put breath into those tender principles, and first rudiments of my body. And seeing not only sense and motion, are brought in by life, but reason also, and all the noble operations of it, Job had reason enough to say, Thou hast granted me life, as a great, or with abundant favor. Hence observe,
Life is a special favor of God.
There are divers sorts of creatures which have not the favor of life bestowed on them, no not the lowest degree of life. The Lord hath given man not only l • fe, but the highest degree of life; this is a high favor. It was Satan's argument ( chap. 2.) Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life; As if he had said, What is a man's bo • y to his life? What are his estate, his lands, his gold and silver? What are all these dead commodities to his life? Life is the most p • ecious of natural bl • ssings. A worm (under this consideration) is a more noble creature then the Sun, because a worm hath life, which the Sun hath not. The lowest of a superior order, is better then the highest of an inferior; Though the Sun be the excellentest of all inanimate creatures, yet it moves (though in heaven) in a lower orb, then anything that lives groveling on the earth. A leaf is more excellent then a pearl or a diamond, because a leaf hath a life in it, which these have not; That opinion of voluptuous Atheists or Epicures, delivered us by the Preacher, hath a truth in it, A living dog is better then a dead lion (Eccl. 9.4.) For though (as that voice spake from heaven, Revel. 14.13.) Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, and though cursed are the living that live without the Lord: In which sense the poorest dead dog is better then the proudest lion alive; Yet, consider man only within the line and compass of natural life; Then he that lives in the worst condition, is better then he that once was in highest dignity, but now is dead. It is usual in Scripture by a dog to set forth the vilest estate of man, and the most excellent by a lion. When Mephibosheth would show how low he was in his own eyes, though the son of a noble Prince, he joins these two, Dead and a dog together, 2 Sam. 9.8. What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am? He calls himself not only a dog, as Christ did the woman of Canaan, and as she acknowledged herself to be, but to lay himself as low as lowness itself, he calls himself a dead dog, implying, That life giveth some honor, and casteth a luster upon every subject, which it inhabits, though it be the meanest. When Esau was near perishing with hunger ( Gen. 25.32.) he resolves thus, I am at the point to die, and what profit shall this birth-right do to me? As if he had said, Shall I keep my birth-right, and lose my life? My life is more precious. Thus he spake, and he spake profanely in it; yet there is some truth in what he spake; for if we take birth-right precisely in the notion of a civil privilege; so life is better then a birth-right; but he is called profane Esau, because there was a spiritual privilege in his birth-right, which he ought to have valued above his life. Any spiritual good thing is better then natural life, but life is the best of natural, and better then all civil good things. When the Prophet would express how great a blessing a King was to his people, he called him, The breath of their nostrils, Lam. 4.29. and, live forever, was the highest apprecation given the Babylonian Kings. The most noble imitations of art are about this piece of nature; It is the ambition of a painter to draw to the life, or to shadow the motions and actings of life. When we would commend a picture, we say, It is done to the life; How precious a favor is real life, the very shadow of which is of so great a price? He that layeth down his life, payeth the greatest debt, whether to justice or to nature. Christ went to the highest price for, and shown the greatest favor to sinners, when he parted with, and pawned this jewel for them, his precious life.
This should mind parents, as to pray for quickening after conceptions, so to give thanks when the embryon is quickened.
Now if this natural life be such a favor, What is spiritual and eternal life? Thou hast given me life and favor, or life as a favor.
Thirdly, By favor, in conjunction with life, we may understand the accidents of life; that is, those good things which accompany and accommodate our lives, Thou hast given me life, not a bare life, not a mere subsistence or being in the world, but with life thou hast also given me favor, many mercies and comforts to make my life sweet and pleasant to me.
Besides, favor takes in not only those outward comforts of health, strength, liberty, plenty, but those inward ornaments of life also; good education, and instruction in knowledge both human and divine. It appears Job had a fair portion of these favors. His was not a naked, but a clothed soul, a soul gilded and engraven all over with heavenly truths.
So that Job in this word reports the bounty and munificence of God towards him, in all the former additions and accomplishments of his life. Many have lives which they scarce look upon as a favor. Some accidents of life, are more worth then the substance of it. Our well-being is better then our being. It may prove a desirable favor to be rid of life. In which sense Job spake of himself at the first verse of this Chapter, My soul is weary of my life. His life was then a burden, but once a favor. Thou hast granted me life with favor.
Fourthly, Job may here intend spiritual and eternal favor. Chesed signifies the grace or favor of God in Christ ( Psal. 89.33.) My loving kindness will I not take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. If he fail in duty, I will chasten him in mercy, I will not remove mercy from him. The Vulgar translates, Thou hast given me life and mercy, which some expound of that special mercy, the pardon of his sin, and his washing from original corruption; As if Job had said, I partake not only of life, but also of that which is better then life itself, Thy favor or loving-kindness, Psal. 63.4. The favor of God in spiritual things, (in pardoning sin, in regenerating the soul, in sending the holy Spirit) is the perfection of his favor. What is man without that favor which makes him a son of God, but even a beautiful, or at most, a rational beast? as David calls him, Psal. 49.21. And should a man give thanks for outward favors only, without any reflection upon spiritual; a beast, could he speak might give such thanks. The life of sense and growth is a mercy, but beasts and plants live thus: The life of reason is a greater mercy, but wicked men live thus; many are in hell, unto whom God granted this life, and they would be glad God would call in his grant, and take it from them: But unto these three lives God adds a fourth to his elect, even a life of grace through Jesus Christ. This is the favor of favors, and the blessing of all our blessings, except this favor be granted with our lives, it were better for us never to have had a grant of our lives. It is more eligible not to have been born, then not to be born again.
There is a fifth Interpretation, taking the word Chesed for corporal favor, or the beauty of the body, we say, such an one is well favored, he hath an excellent feature; the favor of a man is seen in the feature of his face. Favor is the perfection of beauty. Some have a clear mixture of white and red, yet no favor. In this sense the word is used ( Isa. 40.6.) where the Lord makes a proclamation, The voice said, Cry, and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and the goodlin • sse thereof as the flower of the field; The word which we translate goodliness, is Chesed, All flesh is grass (man withers quickly) and Chesed, the goodliness thereof, all of man, his favor, beauty, strength, all these are as the flower of the field. Some read goodness for goodliness; the sense holds, if we take it so: the natural, the moral goodness of man is but a flower. As no goodlines, so no goodness of man, except spiritual, lasteth long, and that lasteth long and long, even forever. Grace is not as the flower of the field, that is durable substance: that (as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8.) shall stand forever. The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God, for his Word is the external seed or principle of grace. But all other goodness and goodliness of man, how good, how goodly soever, his other beauty, how beautiful soever, his strength how strong, his favor how well favored so ever, is but as the flower of the field, which is either cut down while it is green, or soon fades while it stands.
Take favor in this sense, and the sense of the whole verse is harmonious and sound. Thou hast granted me life; my body is formed and quickened, and more then so, Thou hast given me favor, my body is full of beauty and comeliness. The comeliness of the body is a favor received, and many receive favor, because they are comely. From either of which considerations we may call the comeliness of the body favor, and it is no common favor, God denies this to many; he grants them the life of nature, but not favor, yea, he grants many the life of grace, but not favor. Beautiful souls are often ill-housed; and filthy souls clearly housed; 'tis admirable when both beauties meet in the same man; Moses was a goodly child (Exod. 2.2.) and a good man. As grace in the inward man is the best favor, so favor is graceful to the outward man.
Thou hast granted me life and favor,
Here is the third benefit of this Royal grant, The visitation of God. One reads, Thy presence. A second, Thy assistance. A third, Thy inspection, thy over-looking or super intendency hath preserved my spirit. The Hebrew word signifies, The visitation of a superior over an inferior, as when masters inquire into their families, or governors into their Colleges and Hospitals, to see whether the statutes and orders appointed by the founders and benefactors be observed. There is a three-fold visitation of God held forth in Scripture.
1. A visitation of condemnation. God visits to take vengeance by destructive punishments, when warning is not taken, nor repentance shown after corrective punishments. Shall not I visit for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this? Jer. 5.9.
2. A visitation of correction ( Psal. 89.32.) If thy children forsake my law, &c. then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, &c, Though they break my laws, yet I will not break my Covenant, they shall smart for it, but they shall not perish for it. This is a fatherly visitation.
3. A visitation of consolation. And this twofold. 1. For deliverance out of an evil estate, and that either temporal, the Lord is said to visit his people Israel, when he delivered them out of Egypt (Exod. 4.31.) or spiritual and eternal, God hath visited and redeemed his people saith the blessed Virgin ( Luk. 1.68) that is, he hath visited his people, to redeem them from sin and Satan, death and hell, by Jesus Christ.
Secondly (Which is most proper to this Text) there is a visitation, for protection in a good estate. When God (having caused our line to fall in a fair place) draws his line of providential communication round about us; So M. Broughton translates, Life and loving kindness hast thou dealt to me, and thy providence preserveth my spirit. As if Job had said, Thou didst not only give me life and favor, but thou didst protect me for many years in the enjoyment of those favors. Providence was the hedge, not only of his outward, but of his inward estate, Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
The verb which we translate, hath preserved, signifieth to preserve, both by strength and watchfulness. The Noun expresseth a Watch-tower in Hebrew, because a watch-man standeth upon his Tower, and looks round about him, to espy and give notice of approaching dangers. The Lord preserveth both ways, by his watchfulness, and by his strength: his eye is wakeful enough, and his arm is powerful enough to preserve us. He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep (Psal. 121.1.) the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary (Isa. 40.28.) He that is thus wakeful can easily visit, and he that is thus powerful, can easily preserve those whom he visiteth.
But how did the visitation of God, preserve the spirit of Job? Or what are we to understand by his spirit, which was thus preserved?
The spirit of a man is taken three ways;
First, For life. Thus God keepeth us from death, while he preserves our spirits.
Secondly, For the soul. Thus God preserveth our spirits, while he keeps us from falling into, or from falling in temptation; while he keeps our corruptions from prevailing, and our graces from decaying.
Thirdly, The spirit of man is taken for his courage. Thus God preserveth our spirits, while he keeps us from needless fears, and cowardly despondencies. Doubtless Job had experience of the visitation of God preserving his spirit in all these senses, yet here he seems chiefly to intend the preservation of his life, which God had granted him with favor, or of those comforts which were granted him with his life.
Hence observe. First in general,
That what God granteth, he preserveth.
It is a part of his grant, that he will preserve. Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us, and leave us to the wide world, we should quickly loose all; God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason, who buildeth up a house, and then leaveth it to itself, or to the care of others. The Lord surveys what he builds, and keeps up what he sets up; all would come down else. Providence succeedeth Creation, or Providence is a continued Creation. As soon as ever the Lord had made man, and a garden, He took the man and put him into the Garden, which he had made, to dress it, and to keep it (Gen. 2.15.) God putteth the creatures under man's charge, yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge, and especially man: A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wilderness. And man without God to visit him, would soon be, or be in a wilderness, either out of order, or in danger. Achish promiseth David, I will make thee the keeper of my head forever (1 Sam. 28.2.) His meaning was, he should be Captain of his guard. Great Princes have their guards, they have keepers of their heads. The great King of heaven and earth is a guard to the meanest man, and the keeper of his head. God enquires of Cain for his brother Abel (Gen. 4.) Where is Abel thy brother? What is become of him? Cain was angry at the question, Am I (saith he) my brothers keeper? We ought to be one another's keepers; our mutual visitations should preserve one another's spirits. Some are apt to think themselves too good for the work: others, that the work is too hard for them. It is our comfort, and it may be our assurance, that God hath neither of these thoughts, The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The Sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the Moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; He shall preserve thy soul: The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for evermore (Psal. 121.5.) How large a writ or patent of protection is granted here? No time shall be hurtful, neither day nor night; which include all times. Nothing shall hurt, neither Sun nor Moon, nor heat nor cold. These include all annoyances. Nothing shall be hurt, Thy soul shall be preserved, thy out-goings and thy comings in shall be preserved. These include the whole person of man, and him in all his just affairs and actions. Nothing of man is safe without a guard, and nothing of man can be unsafe, which is thus guarded. They shall be kept, who can say, The Lord is our keeper. And they cannot be kept, no not by legions of Angels, who have not the Lord for their keeper. None can keep us, but he, and he hath promised to keep us for evermore. Some men are weary of their offices, and some are put out of office; God is neither. In that Prophetical curse against Judas, tis said, Let another take his office (Ps. 109.8.) What office? It is this word, and notes there the office of looking to, or of preserving the souls of others, we commonly call it, The cure of souls. Such is the office of all the Ministers of Christ, That's Episcopacy by divine right; this in the text is divine Episcopacy. That word which here in Job we translate visitation, and in the Psalm now cited, office, is called Episcopacy by the Apostle ( Act. 1.21.) Christ is the great Bishop or visitour both of our souls and bodies. He is the ecumenical Bishop. The whole world is his Diocese, He preserveth man and beast. See more of this point, Chapter 7.20.
Again, For as much as this visitation which extendeth to the whole man, is here in the letter determined upon the spirit. We may observe,
First, Taking spirit for life,
That as our well-being, so our being in the world is at the daily dispose of God.
The living God not only giveth, but maintaineth our lives. We live not by bread, while we are healthy, nor by medicines, when we are sick; but by the Word of God. His visitation doth all.
Secondly, Take spirit for the soul, then we are taught,
That our souls are not independently immortal or incorruptible.
As the life of the whole man is not, so neither is the life of the soul, of, or in itself, without support from God. The Angelical spirits who were never married to bodies of earth, stand not merely by Creation, but by Providence. The visitation of God preserveth those spirits, how much more the spirits of men, which are espoused to dust and clay.
Thirdly, As spirit signifieth the soul, not only in it's natural, but in it's spiritual state, or in the state of grace, We learn,
That our spiritual stook and treasure are in danger, and would decay, if the power and care of God did not preserve our spirits.
Grace cannot keep itself, if left to its self. We should loose, not only degrees of grace, but all grace, were it left in our own hands. But because it is grace, therefore it is not left in our own hands, and because grace is not left in our own hands, therefore it cannot be lost. So the Apostle clearly (1 Pet. 1.4.) We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. The word signifies to keep, as a City beleaguered without by a strong enemy, is kept by a Garison within. Man at the first had an excellent estate in spirituals; though it cannot be said (properly) that he had grace (for that is in the hand of a Mediator) yet he had the image of God, and perfect innocence, but because God did not visit his spirit by fresh assistances, he was stripped of all, and fell from the throne of his created glory. As God visits our souls by preventing grace, to give us what we had not: so he visits us by his preserving and persevering grace, to continue what he hath given.
Lastly, Forasmuch as (though God createth and careth for the whole man, yet) the visitation of God is expressed only, as to the spirit. We may observe,
That God doth chiefly take care of, and provide for the spirit or soul of man.
When God formed the body of man at first, out of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life, it is not said he became a living body, or a living man, But, man became a living soul. So here, the work of providence is not enlarged to the whole man, but restrained to his spirit; As if the Lord did scarce think our bodies either worth, or needing a visit in comparison of our spirits. And seeing God cares for nothing in us, so much, as for our spirits, should not our care be chiefly for our spirits? The soul is (upon the matter) all man, ought not man to be most of all for his soul? Shall the thoughts of God be most busied, his care and inspection most fixed upon our spirits, and shall not ours? While Christ in a manner dischargeth us of our outward man ( Mat. 6.25.) Take no thought for your life, what ye shall ear, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on, His meaning was, to charge us more deeply with the inward man; yet how many are there, whose outward man stands them in more cost and care, in more thoughts and visitations for one day, then their spirits or inward man doth for a whole year, yea, for their whole lives! Visitations are frequent and serious for the preserving of the body: but where shall we find serious thoughts of visiting the soul?
Take this word further, If it be the visitation of God which preserveth our spirits, we should often visit God with prayer, entreating him to continue these visitations. Prayer is our visiting God, as providence is God's visiting of us, & we should visit God by prayer, not only (as they, Isa. 26.) in trouble, but in our peace: we should desire him to visit our estates, our families, but especially our souls and spirits in their most flourishing condition. The Apostle useth it as an argument to keep us from distracting thoughts ( Phil. 4.2.) Let your moderation be known unto all men, The Lord is at hand; be careful in nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known unto God. The Lord is at hand, let not your hearts be troubled. Visit God in duty, who is at hand to visit you in mercy. Though there be an infinite distance between God and man, yet God is not far from any man, and he is ever near some men. Let not us be strangers to God, when we hear he maketh continual visits to us. Thy visitation doth preserve my spirit.
Verse 13. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart, I know that this is with thee.
Some read the first clause (which adds sharpness to it) with an interrogation. And hast thou hid these things in thine heart? Is it so with thee, or hast thou dealt so with me indeed?
The heart of God, is the will, purpose or decree of God; These are a vast repository, wherein all things are laid up.
What things? what is the antecedent to these things?
1. Some say, His afflictions, These things, that is, these afflictions, which thou hast now laid upon me, were hid in thine heart: thou hast shown me many favors, while in secret thou didst prepare rods for me.
2. The antecedent to these things is mercy, life, favor and visitation, spoken of before, say others; As if Job had spoken thus, This bill of bl • ssings now read, these privileges now reekoned up, were hidden in thi • e heart: thou hast had gracious intentions towards me, while thou hast been smiting me.
That is, Thou rememberest all this, and keepest a record of it by thee; The Vulgar makes this the text, I know thou rememberest all things, or all men.
Some (supposing the antecedent to be his afflictions) make out this harsh and unbecoming sense; As if Job had thus uttered his mind to God, I now perceive thou hast had coles of anger raked up in the ashes, while those warm beams of love did shine upon me. Thou hast held out mercy in thine hand, but somewhat else lay in thine heart. This interpretation, in the common understanding of it, is most unworthy of God. It is the wickedness of men to speak fair, and to do some courtesies, while cruelty and revenges are hid in their hearts. When Esau (Gen. 27.41.) saw himself defeated of the blessing by his brother, He said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, then will I slay my brother Jacob: Here's the character of malice, he gave neither brother nor mother ill language, but he said in his heart. The holy God never speaks good to them, to whom he intends evil. The Creator needs not daub or pervaricate with his creatures.
I grant indeed that the Lord giveth wicked men many outward favors, and speaks them fair in his works, but he never speaks them fair in his Word, Say, Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him (Isa. 3.11.) Men are apt to flatter, but flattery is much an abomination to the Lord, as it is below him.
I grant also, That the Lord giveth his own people many favors, and speaketh real kindnesses to them, while he hides affliction in his heart. What evil soever he brings upon them, he hath thoughts to do them good, and hath nothing but good for them in his thoughts.
We understand by those hidden things, the mercies which Job with his last breath had enumerated: then the words import two things:
First, An argument to move the Lord not to destroy him, or or to assure his own heart that he would not. As if he had said, Lord, I know thou rememberest well, what thou hast done for me, what cost thou hast been at in making me at first, and in preserving me hitherto; surely then thou wilt not pull all down in a moment.
Secondly, The words may import that the Lord in afflicting Job had used only a kind of sacred dissimulation. A dissembler carrieth himself, as if he had no intent to do what he is resolved to do; It is usual with men thus to dissemble hatred, and so have some their love. He that purposeth much good to another, hideth it sometimes under sour language and unkindest usage. Joseph had most endeared affection toward his brethren, yet he put a disguise of anger upon it, acting the part of a severe man, who lieth at catch to find out advantages and pick quarrels. Joseph used many stratagems of love, to entangle his brethren, and wrapped up his good will, in hard speeches and rough carriages: Nothing appearing less then what indeed he most was, A loving brother, forgetful of nothing but injuries; Job seems to have had such a conception of God, while he saith, These things hast thou hid in thine heart; And then his sense riseth thus, Lord, I know thou bearest favor and good will towards me still. The fire of thy love is not extinct but covered. Thou dost but personate an enemy, thou art my friend: thou drawest a cloud betwixt me and the light of thy countenance, but thy countenance is still as full of light towards me as ever, and though I see nothing but sorrows on every side, yet I know mercies are hid in thine heart. Thus the words are an assertion of Jobs faith and assurance, that God loved him, while his chastenings lay most heavy upon him. Hence observe, First,
That the Saints while they are strong in faith, are able to discern the favor of God through the clouds and coverings of his most angry dispensations.
This they can do, and when they can, they are arrived at a great height in grace. To maintain our interest in Christ through disadvantages, is strong faith. The woman of Canaan (Mat. 15.26.) knew her pardon and acceptance were hid in the heart of Christ, while he called her dog, and would scarce vouchsafe to cast an eye upon her. Faith did this, and faith can do the like at this day. But every true faith will not do it. There is a kind of miracle wrought in such believing: So Christ concludes with that woman ( ver. 28.) O woman great is thy faith. Truth of grace is not enough for every work of grace: some works will not be done without strength, as well as truth. Weak faith is ready to say, Mercy is lost, when it is but hidden, and that God means us no good, when we do not enjoy good. But the strong faith speaketh on this wise; Lord, I know there is mercy in thine heart towards me, though I see nothing in thy face but frowns, and feel nothing from thy hand but blows. Let God do what he pleaseth with me, I will not have a jealous thought of him, or suspect his intentions towards me, whatsoever his actions be. Secondly, observe,
We may gather arguments of support in our greatest sufferings from the apprehension of concealed mercies.
The skill and holy subtlety of faith can wind itself in God's bosom, and from what it finds lying secretly there for us, encourages us to bear what is openly laid upon us.
Lastly, Observe, A believer looks upon all his receipts, as coming out of the heart of God.
As he can look into his own heart, and see all the Commandments and revealed counsels of God hidden there, so he can look into the heart of God, and see all the comforts he wanteth hidden there. Men of the world, take their comforts only from the hand of God, Saints take theirs from the heart of God. It putteth the price upon every blessing, when we can look upon special love, as the spring of it. Look how much of the heart of our friend we can see in a courtesy, so much true value there is in it. Hence it is usual with man, when he would express his freeness to those who desire a favor at his hands, to say, Yes, Take it with heart and good will, you have it with all my heart: We read of one, who complained he had received but a golden cup, when he saw another receive a kiss from a noble Prince. A kiss is a better gift then a cup of gold. Love is the richest present. How happy then are they, who have the golden cup, and a kiss too? much from the hand, and all from the heart, from the love of God.
Job having thus revised and read over the particular of his former mercies received from the bounty and free love of God, revives his complaint about, and renews his desire of deliverance from present sorrows in his next address to God.
JOB Chap. 10. Vers. 14, 15, 16, 17.
If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
If I be wicked, woe unto me; if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head: I am full of confusion, therefore see thou mine affliction.
For it increaseth; Thou huntest me as a fierce lion, and again thou showest thyself marvelous upon me.
Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and encreasest thine indignation upon me, changes and war are against me.
THe connection of these words lieth somewhat in the dark, and this inevidence hath caused divers conjectures about it.
1. Some make the connection with the 13. verse, I know (said Job) that this is with thee; and here he declareth what was with him, namely, that, If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
2. The connection is made by others with the 12. verse, Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit, yet if I sin, thou markest me, &c. As if Job had said, Though thou hast been pleased to make so many grants of favor, and hast done all those things for me, which were hidden in thine heart, yet I know thou wilt not bear with, or connive at me, If I sin against thee: Thou hast not given me these mercies, that I should be imboldened to transgress the rule of thy justice; no, though thou hast done much for me, Yet if I sin, thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
3. A third goeth higher, and makes these words depend upon the third verse, where Job puts three Queries to God; the last of which is, Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest shine upon the counsel of the wicked? I know it is not, for ('tis like I might escape as well as another, yet) If I sin, thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity; If I be wicked, woe unto me. Mine own experience proves thee far enough from shining upon the counsel of the wicked. Behold clouds and darkness are upon me.
There is a fair sense in any of these connections; which to determine is not easy; I shall leave all three before the Reader.
Verse 14.
If I sin, then thou markest me.
Sin standeth here in opposition to wickedness; Thou wilt not shine upon the counsel of the wicked. And, verse. 15. If I be wicked, then woe unto me, for if I sin then thou markest me. Sin is any transgression against, or deviation (though but an hairs breadth) from the rule, if I fail be it never so little.
The Original hath four significations, which occasion as many different interpretations of the text:
First, To preserve, and that two wales; first, by protecting from those evils which others would bring upon us ( Psal. 141.9.) Keep me from the snare which they have laid. That is, Protect me from the danger which their snares threaten me with. So at the 12 th verse of this Chapter, Thy visitation doth preserve my spirit. Secondly, It is rendered to preserve by sparing, or not bringing those evils upon us, which our own sins have deserved. So the Vulgar here, who to make out his sense, puts the later part into the form of an interrogation, If I have sinned, and thou hast spared me for a time, Wherefore then dost thou not acquit me from mine iniquity? As if the meaning of Job were this. When in former times I sinned against thee, thou wast pleased to remit of thy severity, and deal gently with me, Thou didst spare me, as a father spareth a son that serveth him. Why is the tenor of thy dispensations so much changed from what it was, seeing thou art a God, that changest not, and I am but what I was, a weak and changeable man? Why am I now charged with sin, and not set free as sometimes (I have been) from sorrow, the fruit of it? Wilt thou deal with me, who sin out of infirmity, or against my will, as with those who are wicked, and have a will to sin?
Secondly, To prevent others from doing what they desire, or ourselves from what we fear ( Psal. 18.23.) I was upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity; As if he had said, I have maintained such a strict watch over my own heart, that I have prevented myself from falling into that sin which I was most subject to, and in danger of, both in regard of my constitution and temptation, Taking this meaning of the word, the whole verse is rendered thus, If, or, when I am ready to sin, thou (stoppest or) preventest me, Why then dost thou not acquit me from mine iniquity? As if he had said, Lord, wilt thou deal with me, as with a wicked man? Thou knowest that I am not wicked, for by thy preventing grace, thou hast kept me from all wickedness, and stopped me from many sins.
Whence note,
That the remembrance of the power of God in keeping us pure from greater sins, is an argument that he will spare us, though we have (through infirmity) fallen into sin,
He that holds us from iniquity, will not destroy us for iniquity. Some are stopped from sin, and storm when they are stopped, these have no reason to think, God will spare them, because he hath stopped them. Thousands are stopped from sin, who neither know what it is to sin, nor that they have been stopped from sin. These cannot plead this point: As it is no virtue to endure what is not grievous to us: so no grace not to do what is not joyous to us, when we do it. But to know we are stopped from a pleasing sin, and rejoice at it, to see how our corruptions have been prevented, and to bless God for it; this is a great degree of grace. As there is a preventing grace, which beginneth with us, while we are strangers from God, and are walking on in the ways of sin; so there is a preventing grace, watching over us after we are turned to God, lest we fall into sin. Experience of this may be a sweet support unto the soul, under the saddest afflictions, and in the darkest night of spiritual desertions.
Thirdly, The word signifieth to keep in prison, or in safe custody. The Noun is a prison in Hebrew. And thus the sense is given three ways, as an Assertion, as an Interrogation, as an Imprecation. First, as an Assertion, If I have sinned, thou wilt, or thou mayest imprison me, and not acquit me from mine iniquity. Whence note,
That the best and dearest of God's servants may look for straits, if they walk loosely.
The Lord will shut them up, if they presume and take undue liberty, or grow licentious. They shall be either humbled or destroyed, who turn the grace of God (that is, the manifestation of his grace, either by his word or by his works) into wantonness. God will not cocker his own children, and dandle them so, as to forget to correct them, if they forget him and their own duty. If Israel sin, Israel shall smart for it; and if Job sin, Job must look to be laid in prison for it. Thus he speaks, acquitting God from shining upon the counsels of wicked men, seeing he will not spare, no not his own children, if they sin against him.
Secondly, The sense is given by an Interrogation, If I sin, Wilt thou therefore shut me up in prison? Wilt thou not acquit me from mine iniquity? And so he pleadeth with God, as using too much severity and harshness against him, What, shall I be laid by the heels for every fault? Shall I be arrested and clapt up in irons for every sin? Wilt thou imprison me, and not acquit me from mine iniquity? They who are most wicked, deserve no worse then this, and shall I, if I do but sin, receive such measure? Where are thy compassions, and the sounding of thy bowels? are they restrained? It should seem so, else thou wouldest not thus restrain and imprison me.
Thirdly, As an Imprecation, If I have sinned, according as I am charged, imprison me as long as thou wilt, and do not acquit me from mine iniquity: If I am such a man as my friends judge me to be, I expect no favor; let me be poor and sick still, torture me, rack me, do what thou wilt with me. Like that of David, Psal. 7.4, 5. If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, &c. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it, yea let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust. I ask no favor, if I am such a man as mine enemies have represented me: or if I have done that for which they challenge me.
Fourthly, To observe and mark: and it importeth a critical, a curious observation; to mark exactly ( Psal. 130.3.) If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, who shall stand? But doth not the Lord mark iniquity? Doth not he take notice of every sin acted by any of the children of men, especially by his own children? Why then doth the Psalmist put it upon an If? If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquity. 'It is true, the Lord marks all iniquity to know it, but he doth not mark any iniquity in his children to condemn them for it: So the meaning of the Psalm is, That if the Lord should mark sin, with a strict and severe eye, as a Judge to charge it upon the person sinning, no man could bear it. Master Broughton translates, When I sin, thou dost watch me; watching is more then marking; as if the Lord had taken up a stand upon a high place, and did there compose himself to see what's done; or to make annotations upon the whole text of men's lives all the world over.
Whence observe,
That God takes notice of the sins and failings of his own people.
If I sin, then thou markest me; and in the 14 th Chapter, verse 16. Thou numbrest my steps, dost thou not watch over my sin? Thou numbrest my steps, What steps? He meaneth not the steps of his outward, but of his inward man: or the steps of his outward man in order to the inward. There is a moral walking, Walk before me, and be upright: walking is conversing or acting: so, Thou numbrest my steps, thou tellest my moral motions, the actings of my soul and body, what I do, and what I think, Dost thou not watch over my sin? And again ( Chap. 31.4.) Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? That is, how my conversation is ordered, both toward himself, and toward my neighbor? Thus the Lord counteth all our steps, we cannot step aside or tread awry, but he observes us. There are two that keep a record of our lives.
First, God, he followeth us up and down, as with pen, ink, and paper to write our actings.
Secondly, Our own consciences (which are as God within us) keep a record too, they write our lives, and count our steps. Many cannot read the book of conscience, and so know little that is in it: But a time will come (if conscience be not purged by the blood of Christ) when they shall perfectly read all their sins in the book of conscience. And if conscience, which is God's deputy, then, much more God, who is the Judge of conscience marketh us if we sin. God needs not judge upon information, but upon his own observation. He will reprove every man whom he doth not pardon: And is able to set before us in order, whatsoever any of us have done. How then do some say, That God sees not sin in his children? Job saith, That God marked his sin; but according to this doctrine, he should rather have said, If I sin, thou dost not mark me. Some through ignorance sin, and see it not, sin and perceive it not; but no man (among all the multitudes of men) can sin unseen, or unperceived by God. If I sin, then thou markest me.
Will not the Lord acquit? Why have we a Gospel then? What's the business of mercy? And where's the efficacy of Christ's blood? Doth not this purchase, and do not they offer acquittances from iniquity? The words are interpreted three ways.
First, That Job speaks from his unbelief, as if he could not see pardon through the thick cloud of his troubles, or have any evidence, that God had mercy in store for him, while he endured such plenty of miseries.
Secondly, That he speaks thus, upon a supposition of impenitency; As if he had said, If I sin and humble not myself, thou wilt not acquit me.
Thirdly, That by iniquity he means his affliction, putting the cause for the effect: So, Thou wilt not acquit me for mine iniquity, is, Thou wilt not take away these afflictions, which are counted as the proceed or issue of mine iniquity.
Hence observe,
First, Sin is a debt.
Every acquittance supposeth an obligation. All men, as creatures, are in a debt of duty to God, and when they fail in that, they are in a debt of penalty, as sinners.
Observe, secondly,
When sin is pardoned, the sinner is acquitted, his debt is taken off, and his bonds are cancelled.
Pardon is our discharge, our quietus est, sealed in the blood of Christ. All process at law, or from the law, is then prohibited: there's no more to be said, or done against us.
Again, The word signifies to cleanse and purge, as well as to acquit; Note from it,
That as sin defileth the soul, so pardon cleanseth it.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow, was David's prayer for pardon after his great defilement, Psal. 5.1, 7. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 Joh. 1.9.
Fourthly, Forasmuch as Job groaning under burdens of sorrow, speaks so often about the pardon of sin, we learn,
That while sin remaineth (to our sense) unpardoned, the soul seeth no way to get out of sorrows.
The removing of affliction is a sign that sin is forgiven, and the sense of our forgiveness, is an argument that affliction shall be removed.
Fifthly, Taking the former words in conjunction with these, If I sin (knowingly and wickedly, as they charge me) Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. Observe,
That a persisting sinner, is an unpardoned sinner.
There is abundant mercy for returning sinners, but I know of none for those that resolve to go on in sin. There is a promise of repentance, and a promise to repentance, but there is no promise which doth not either offer or require repentance, Repent and thou shalt be saved is the tenor of the Gospel, as well as believe and thou shalt be saved. Though many who are going on in their sins, are overtaken by grace, yet there is no grace promised to those who go on in their sins. The holiest are threatened with wrath, if they do; surely then, none are put into an expectation of mercy, if they do. The promises either find us repenting, or they cause us to repent. No sinner is pardoned for repentance, nor without it. Job speaks that language more clearly in the words following, which some make an exposition of these.
Verse 15.
If I be wicked, Woe unto me.
What it is to be wicked, hath been shown, and the difference between a wicked man and a sinner discovered, at the 7 th verse, upon those words, Thou knowest that I am not wicked.
The word is derived (saith one of the Rabbins) from a root signifying to howl: Great mourning is a kind of houling; and they who are in woe, are bid to howl ( Isa. 13.6. chap. 23.1, &c.) Wicked men howl rather then pray in their distress, because of their extreme worldly woe, They have not cried unto me with their hearts, when they houled upon their beds, Hos. 7.14.
There are legal woes, and there are evangelical woes. The Law cries woe, and so doth the Gospel: Gospel woes are the worser of the two; For if the Law say woe to us, the Gospel may say mercy to us; but if the Gospel say, woe to us (as it doth to hypocrites, who abuse, and to unbelievers, who refuse mercy) where shall we have mercy? All woes may be understood in this place, Law woes and Gospel woes, temporal woes and eternal woes, If I be wicked, then woe unto me. Hence observe,
Woe is the portion of wicked men.
Though they laugh, yet woe is their portion, yea they are therefore threatened with woe, because they laugh ( Luk. 6.25.) Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep. Some wicked men are as merry, as if mercy were their peculiar. But we may say to their mirth, What doth it? Or if we should ask them, What they do to make themselves so merry: David will resolve us what their course is ( Psal. 36.2.) The wicked flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. He that would be flattered, shall never want a flatterer, for if none will do it, he will do it himself. He speaks well of himself, and therefore he thinks all's well. But usually he hath some others ready enough to speak well of him too. The true Prophets complained of the false for crying peace, peace, when there was no peace, for saying all is well, when they should say all is woe. But though wicked men flatter themselves, and though they get their neighbors to flatter them, yea though Ministers flatter them, yet God will not flatter them; and at last their own consciences will not flatter them neither. Conscience will preach them a Sermon of woes at last, though possibly it hath been silent through ignorance, or silenced through malice for a long time.
As all the promises of grace and mercy, hang over the heads of the godly and sincere; which way soever they go, a cloud of blessings drops and distils upon them: So clouds of wrath and blood hang over the heads of wicked men, dropping upon them, yea dropping upon them when they suppose the Sun shineth upon them.
Secondly, Consider who speaks this; If I (saith Job) be wicked, then woe unto me.
Hence observe, That
A godly man may put the worst cases to himself.
The Scripture puts such cases to godly men, therefore they may put such to themselves ( Rom. 8.13.) If ye live after the flesh ye shall die, saith the Apostle, writing to the Saints. Though such a supposition cannot be resolved into this position, A godly man shall die, yet the supposition is true, If he liveth after the flesh he shall die. So the Apostle of himself, and his fellow-Apostles, yea of the Angels. If we or an Angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, then that which we have preached, let him be accursed (Gal. 1.9,) And as Paul prophesied a curse upon any, either Apostle or angel, who should preach a false Gospel, so a woe upon himself, if he should neglect to preach the true Gospel, 1 Cor. 9.16. They who are above all curses, may be threatened with a curse. And they who shall certainly be preserved from doing that which inevitably brings the curse, may be told of a curse in case they should do it.
They put dangerous suppositions opposite to these, who say, Let a godly man be never so wicked, yet it shall be well with him; let him sin as much as he will, yet it shall be well with him. The Spirit of God never puts such suppositions. As the Scripture speaks often to persuade; so sometimes to terrify the godly from sin, but never a tittle which may be an encouragement to sin. It speaks much to keep up their hearts in an assurance of pardon, in case they fall into sin, and much more to keep down their corruptions, and to preserve them from falling into sin. Though there be a truth in it, that how much so ever a godly man sinneth, he shall be pardoned; yet the Scripture useth no such language, and the form of wholesome words teacheth every man rather to speak thus, If I be wicked, then woe unto me,
These words stand in an elegant opposition against the former. Here are persons and states opposite: persons, The wicked and the righteous, If I be wicked, if I be righteous: states, Woe, and lifting up the head, If I be wicked, then woe unto me; If I be righteous, then will I not lift up mine head. He doth not say, If I be righteous I shall be happy, though that be a truth, but (which was more suitable to his purpose) If I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head.
Some put this into a dilemma, or double argument, by which Job would aggravate the greatness of his affliction; As if he had said, Let me look which way I will, my case is very said, if I be wicked then woe be to me; If I be righteous, yet I am so full of sorrows, that I am not able to hold up my head; But I rather interpret this later part of the verse, as a description of Jobs humility, in the best of his spiritual estate then as any aggravation of the ilnes of his temporal estate.
He speaks not as if he doubted whether he were righteous or no. Job had shown the settledness of his spirit in that assurance more then once before, but he puts the best of his case to show how low he was in his own thoughts, when he was at best. There is a twofold righteousness; First, of Justification. Secondly, of Sanctification, of sincerity or uprightness: and so his meaning is, Suppose I am such, as I have asserted myself to be, and as God himself hath testified me to be, perfect and upright, yet I will not lift up my head; Some read I cannot, others, I dare not lift up my head.
Not lift up thy head, man, if thou wert righteous? Why, who in the world shall lift up their heads, if the righteous shall not? Are there any that have such cause to lift up their heads as they? He might say indeed, If I were rich, or if I were honorable, yet I will not lift up my head, these are things which cannot, and therefore should not lift up any man's spirit an inch from the ground: but to say, If I were righteous, I would not lift up my head, seems a degradation or an abasement of righteousness. To clear this I shall open the phrase a little.
To lift up the head of another man, is to advance him. Thus Pharaoh lifted up the head of his chief Butler, Gen. 40.13. And the King of Babylon lifted up the head of Iehojakin King of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison. Jer. 52.21. In this sense David calls God, The lifter up of his head, Ps. 3.3.
To lift up our own heads, is to prevail, and to get above pressing evils victoriously, Judge. 8.28. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more: That is, Gideon routed and made so complete a conquest over the Midianites, that they were totally broken, and could no more insult over Israel. The victory of Christ over all our spiritual enemies, is thus described, Psal. 110.7. He shall drink of the brook in the way; that is, of the waters of affliction and sorrow, which either the wrath of God, or the rage of men gave him to drink, while he was in the way of perfecting the work of our redemption; and because he shall do this, Therefore shall be lift up his head, that is, he shall prevail by his passion, and overcome by dying, yea, he shall overcome death by a triumphant resurrection.
Again, There is a twofold lifting up of the head; First, a lifting up of the head with joy and consolation ( Luk. 21.28.) Secondly, A lifting up of the head with pride and ostentation, Psal. 83.2. Loe thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee have lift up the head; that is, they have proudly boasted and vaunted themselves. The later is Jobs sense, If I be righteous, I will not lift up my head in pride, he might and he did lift up his head in joy, because he knew himself righteous.
Once more, There is a lifting up of our heads in ourselves, and a lifting up of our heads in Christ. Job disclaims the former here, but he all along assumes the later. We cannot lift up our heads too high, in the thoughts of free grace, nor hang them down too low, in the thought of our own works.
Further, While Job saith, I will not lift up my head, he meaneth less then he speaketh. In Scripture there is sometimes less expressed then is intended, and sometimes more. That of the Apostle (1 Cor. 15.58.) Your labor shall not be in vain in the Lord, rises in sense higher then the expression, our labor in the Lord shall not only not be in vain, but abundantly advantageous. This of Job, I will not lift up my head, falls in sense below his expression, for his meaning is, I will abase myself before God, I will be so far from priding myself, or walking (as the daughters of Jerusalem are described by the Prophet, Isaiah 3.16.) with a stretched forth neck; that I will rather hang down my head.
To hang or hold down the head, in Scripture noteth humbling and sorrow; when Christ bids his people lift up their heads with joy, because the time of their redemption was drawing nigh, it implied that their heads would hang down with sorrow, wh • le that redemption was further off. The Jewish fasts are described (in part) by this posture of sorrow ( Isa. 58.5.) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bull-rush? Times of fasting are times of mourning, and then (it seems) they used to hang down the head, as a sign of mourning.
Hence observe. That a godly man how upright and holy soever he is, walks humbly with God.
The more holiness any soul hath, the more humility it hath. Humility is a great part of our holiness; much more then is it an argument of holiness. The Pharisee ( Luk. 18.) who thought that he was righteous, lifted up his head full high, he would not lose an inch of his commendation, and therefore commends himself. He is his own reporter of what he had done, and who he was; but the poor Publican durst not lift up his eyes to heaven, his spirit hung down as well as his head, yet he was the righteous man, and went home justified rather then the other. It is the scope and design of the Gospel to make and keep us humble. God hath set up the way of saving us by faith, that he might take away boasting, and that no flesh might glory in his sight.
Secondly, If Job would not lift up his head, though righteous, what shall we judge of those, who lift up and carry their heads so high, though they are wicked? There is no reason any man should be proud of his goodness, what a madness then is it for wicked men to be proud of, or in their naughtiness!
Thirdly, Though Job was very thankful for, and joyful in, yet he durst not lift up his head, or be proud of the white robes and costly raiment of imputed righteousness. What then shall we say of them, who are proud of the dirty rags and filthy raiment of their own inherent righteousness? A godly man walketh tremblingly, lest he should offend, therefore he saith, If I am wicked, woe unto me: and he walketh humbly, when he doth not offend, therefore he saith, though I am righteous, yet I will not hold up my head. Job hath often breathed out the humility of his soul in former passages, therefore I shall not insist upon it here.
I am full of confusion, therefore see thou mine affliction.
I am full.
That is, my mind is full. The spirit hath a stomach, or a capacious vessel for the receiving either of good or evil, of joy or sorrow. Jobs spirit had received in, as much evil and sorrow as ever it could hold, and more then he could well digest.
The word signifies shame and burning heat, because shame appeareth with a burning heat or blush in the face, which is also called confusion of face. Blushing puts the face into a flame. Some take confusion here for shame, rendering the text, I am full of shame, or of ignominy: which ignominy might arise two ways; Either from that reproach which his friends cast upon him, while they branded him for a wicked man, and an hypocrite, I am full of reproach; so full, that I might justly be ashamed, yea confounded, if I were such as they describe me. Or from that reproach which his afflictions cast upon him. Poverty is no shame to a beggar, who was born poor, but poverty is a shame to a man who hath been rich, and lived in honor. The original word holds this forth most properly, being opposed to that which signifies weightiness and honor, because honor is a weighty thing, as this signifies lightness and shame, because shame is a light thing, or a thing of naught.
Our Translatours rendering the word confusion, seem to intend somewhat else besides shame.
Confusion notes a disorder, and an uncomposednesse of spirit. When a man knows not what to do, or whose counsel to follow. When a man cannot make up his thoughts, or bring them to any issue: When the mind is like a skain of ravell'd silk which will neither wind nor draw, then we are in confusion. And this I conceive was it, which Job chiefly intends, when he saith, I am full of confusion.
Hence observe,
Great sorrows distract the mind, and bring a man to his wits end.
While we suffer much, we scarce know what to do. Trouble upon the sensitive part, troubles the understanding. Confusion upon our estates, makes a confusion in our minds; It is very hard to keep our spirits in order, while our houses and business are out of order: every affliction makes some confusion without us; and it is exceeding rare if affliction make not much confusion within us. I (saith Job) am full of confusion.
There is a twofold sight of affliction; First, By a bare intuition, discerning it. Secondly, By a gracious compassion, delivering us from it. The former sight God always hath of all our afflictions, neither our sins, nor our sorrows can be hidden from him. The later he sometimes suspends, and will not see, what he cannot but see. He will not see so as to relieve, what he cannot but see so as to observe. It is this second kind of sight, which Job entreats and prays for here, See thou my affliction, that is, pity me in my afflfction.
The word which we render affliction noteth weakness, and casting down, or that weakness which ariseth from casting down, an oppressing affliction, which like some great weight lies heavy upon us.
There are different readings; some thus, I am filled with affliction, and see my sorrows. The Chaldee thus, I will satiate myself with shame, and I will see my affliction. Man seeth his affliction by feeling it. Sight which is the chief sense, is put for any sense. And so the meaning is, Though I am righteous, yet I cannot hold up my head, or take any comfort, because I am so full of confusion, and see so much affliction; As if he had said, Can a man at the same time mourn and rejoice? Can a man lift up his head, while he hath such a load upon his heart?
Hence observe,
They who see much affliction, can hardly take in any consolation.
Come to a godly man, under great outward or inward troubles; tell him of the love of God, of the pardon of sin, of an inheritance among the Saints in light, as his portion; you can hardly fasten any of these things upon him: sorrow within, keeps comfort out. As till sin be cast out we cannot act holily: so till worldly sorrow, or the excess of godly sorrow be cast out, we cannot act joyfully. The Saints in a right posture of spirit, are joyous in all their tribulations; and Christ is able to make consolations abound, as tribulation doth abound, yet where there is abundance of tribulation, consolation is usually very scarce. Drops will hardly be received, where rivers are offered and poured forth.
Another reading of the words, representeth Job bespeaking God in prayer, mixed with complaining, If I were righteous, yet cannot I lift up my head, be thou satisfied with confusion, and behold my affliction. So M. Broughton. As if Job had said, Let it be enough, Lord let it now suffice, give me some ease, that I may lift up my head, a little before I lay it down for altogether. Thus David prayed ( Ps. 39.11, 12.) When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth, surely every man is vanity, O spare me, that I may recover st • ength, before I go hence & be no more. When Nehemi • h was humbling himself, and confessing his sin, and the sin of that people, he concludes according to this interpretation, (Chap. 9.32.) Let not all the trouble seem little before thee that hath come upon us, on our Kings, on our Princes, and on our Priests, and on all thy people; as if he had said, Lord, consider that now we have been greatly punished, though we have been punished less then our sins deserve. Thou mayest justly inflict more, but we are not able to endure more.
Thirdly, We read imperatively, Therefore see thou mine affliction: So his meaning is, Lord, take notice of my sad condition, I am full of trouble.
Hence observe,
That when sorrows are come to a great height, it is time for us to pray, that God would cast a compassionate eye upon them.
When we are past the cure and help of man, we are fittest objects for God. When the pressures of the people of Israel were greatly increased in Egypt, then the Lord himself saith, I have seen, I have seen (Exod. 3.7.) and when affliction is boil'd up to the height, then let us say, See Lord, see Lord. When the rage and blasphemy of Rabshakeh, both by speaking and writing, reached even unto heaven, Then Hezekiah went, and spread the letter before the Lord (2 King. 19.14.) As if he had said, Lord, do thou read this letter, Lord, bow down thine ear and hear, Lord, behold and see, we are full of confusion, See thou our affliction. And when the enemies of the Jews in Nehemiah's time fell to scoffing and jeering the work they had in hand, and them in the work, then that zealous Governor puts it unto God, Hear, O our God, for we are despised.
Secondly, Note, That when our afflictions are at the highest and greatest, thou the Lord is able to master and subdue them.
I am full of confusion, see thou mine affliction; As if he had said, It is in vain for me to show my diseases and my wounds to creatures, but I know I am not past thy cure, though I come thus late; or thus, I have shown my wounds and my diseases to the creature, I have made my moan to men, but they cannot help. Now I bring them unto thee, O see my affliction. All our ruins may be under the hand of God, he hath bread and clothing for us, he can be our healer, when none can either in heaven or earth.
Lastly, Observe,
When our afflictions are at the highest, then usually God comes to deliver.
When the waters of affliction swell over the banks, and threaten a deluge, then God turns the stream, when our sores fester, and are ready to gangrene, then God applies his balsome. He seldom appears in a business which others can do, or undertakes that which is man's work. As in the sore travel of women in child-bearing, other helpers undertake it not, till (as they speak) it be past women's work; so God seldom meddles eminently (he acts always concommitantly) till our deliverance is past man's work, that so the whole praise of the work may be his. When danger is upon the growing hand, then desire God to take deliverance in hand: then pray, and pray earnestly, that God would see your afflictions when you perceive them to be increasing afflictions. So it follows in the next verse. See thou mine affliction.
Verse 16. For it increaseth: Thou huntest me as a fierce lion, and again thou showest thyself marvelous upon me.
This verse with the next, are an elegant and pathetical description of Job's yet growing and prevailing sorrows: for having closed the 15 th verse with an Assertion, and a petition, I am full of confusion, therefore see thou mine affliction; he presseth and pursueth both in these words, For it increaseth: Thou huntest me as a fierce lion.
M. Broughton renders, How it fleeth up! The Hebrew word is taken sometimes in a good, and sometimes in an ill sense. In a good sense it signifies to be lifted up, or to be eminent in excellency. In an ill sense, it signifies to be lifted up, or exalted with pride. The word is applied also to things without life, and then it signifies to augment by addition or increase.
The Vulgar takes it in that ill sense, as noting pride and highmindednesse, translating by the Noun, thus, For pride thou dost catch me as a lion: or thou dost hunt me as a lion, because I am proud. A lion is a stout creature, and may be an emblem of pride.
Another gives a sense near that. When it lifteth up itself, then thou huntest me as a fierce lion. When what lifteth up itself? when my head lifteth up itself; he had said in the former verse, If I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head, for, if I do lift up my head in pride, then thou wilt hunt me as a fierce lion; I shall be sure to smart for every proud thought and high imagination. Both these translations render the meaning of Job thus, If I should plead my own righteousness and innocence before thee, as thinking therein to lift up my head, and so should wax confident in myself, I shall presently pay for it, for I perceive that thou art preparing thine instruments against me, as men do against fierce lions, and wild savage beasts, to hunt, catch and destroy me. Here is a truth in thesi, God doth resist the proud; if any head lifteth itself up against God, God can quickly lay such an head as low as the ground. But, in Hypothesi, or in Job's case, I cannot assent to it, as a truth suiting this Text.
A third translation puts it by an Interrogation, I am full of confusion, see thou mine affliction, Can it be lifted up? That is, Can my head be lifted up, when I am so full of sorrow and confusion? whatsoever my righteousness is, I am not in case now to stand upon it, 'tis no time for me to talk great words; Can I lift up mine head when thou pressest me with such a weight of affliction? Great afflictions will keep down the greatest spirits, or break them down. Affliction will make the stoutest heart stoop, and the highest head to bow.
But take the word according to our reading, as it referreth to his afflictions; it increaseth, that is, my affliction increaseth, and so a double exposition is given.
First, As if Job had spoken his wish or his desire, I am (said he before) full of confusion, see thou mine affliction, O that mine affliction might increase, and that I might be fuller of confusion! O that my troubles might be strengthened upon me, and that I might be weak enough to see an end of my troubles, I am yet too strong for death, O that thou wouldest quickly dispatch me, more weight, deeper wounds, harder blows would be welcome. As if here again Job had assumed and renewed that complaining desire mentioned ( Chap. 6.7, 8.) O that I might have my request! and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! (What was that?) Even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off! But I shall let this pass; Job hath spoken these wishes plainly, and in the letter too often; I will not charge him with another from a questionable interpretation.
Rather take the words declaratively, not for a wish of greater future afflictions, but for a manifestation of the greatness of his present afflictions: so we express them, I am full of confusion, See thou mine affliction, for it increaseth. This is a clear and a fair sense: Job intending to describe his estate more fully, showeth it still upon the increase, waxing worse and worse, greater and greater. As if he had said, mine are a pile or heap of afflictions, and still more are piled up, and heaped on.
There is an elegancy in it, as taken in the other sense, for pride or lifting up. See my affliction, it waxeth proud. For as the waves of the sea are called proud waves, when they swell and increase: So an affliction increasing and swelling may be called a proud affliction. Some afflictions like a great sea rise above us, and stand over us; or like a cruel master domineer and insult upon us. Jobs afflictions were proud ones, they came upon him with a kind of authority, as if they would lay him at their very feet. Hence observe.
They who have endured very great afflictions, may yet find their afflictions greatening and increasing.
He had said before, I am full of confusion, and yet here he saith, My affliction increaseth. When we have as much as we think, our backs can bear, yet (possibly) more weight may be laid on. When we hope our affliction is upon the declining hand, that those waters are upon an ebb, and the fire slacking, then they may flow higher, and the furnace may be heated seven times hotter then before. The Lord threateneth obstinate and rebellious sinners ( Levite. 26.) I will punish you yet seven times more for your sins: Though I have brought such calamities upon you, that ye have been ready to say, surely, now God hath done his worst, we are in as bad a case as we can be; no, saith the Lord (who hath infinite wisdom to find out ways of afflicting, as well as of showing mercy) I will punish you yet seven times more for your sins; no man knows how much more God can punish him; His judgments in the executing of them, as well as in the laying of them, are past finding out. We know not the beginning of them, neither do we know when they will end. Now as the Lord afflicteth some seven times more for the punishment of their sins, so others seven times more for the trial of their graces: Sufferings are sent in perfection, to make us more perfect thorough sufferings; Afflictions swell with pride, to abate the swellings of our pride, or to show how those swellings are abated into humility. God hath unsearchable riches and treasures of chastenings, as well as of wrath or of love. And as when we think we have received as much mercy as God can give us, he can yet give us more, and make our mercies seven-fold greater to our apprehensions then before; so also he can dispense himself in the matter of affliction.
This increase is set forth by an elegant similitude. Though similitudes prove nothing, yet they much illustrate what is already proved.
Thou huntest me as the ramping Shakall: So M r Broughton. The word Shakall, sig • ifies a fierce assaulting lion; or, as we speak, a lion rampant. Some translate a Lioness, others a Leopard, spoken of in the fourth Chapter. We may take it in general for any fierce, cruel and savage beast, of the one kind or of the other.
Thou huntest me as a fierce lion] For Thou, some render (it) referring to his affliction, For it increaseth and it hunteth me (my affliction hunteth me) as a fierce lion. Sorrows are compared to a fierce lion. Afflictions hunt and follow, they tear and destroy like a wild beast. Like as a lion, or like the young lion, roaring on his prey (as the Prophet speaks, Isa. 45.) when a multitude of shepherds is called out against him (Christ is compared to such a lion there) will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: Such were the afflictions of distressed, despised Job, they braved him to his very face, and would not with-draw or turn away from him, notwithstanding all the out cries and loudest lamentations which he made against them.
Secondly, The comparison is laid between the lion and Job, Thou huntest me as if I were a lion: So divers of the Ancients, and the Septuagint understand it; I am taken or catched like a lion; As if Job had said, Lord, Thou usest me as a wild beast, thou huntest me as thou wouldest hunt a lion or a bear, thou settest thy nets and toils, thou makest snares and pits (as Nimrods do in the hunting of lions, and other wild beasts) Thou dealest with me, as if there were no taking, no taming of me, but by severest and roughest ways: Thou dealest with me, as if in my prosperity I had been like a fierce lion, oppressing and preying upon the poor; or, as if in my affliction I had provoked thee to resolve, that thou wilt never leave off to afflict me, till thou hast destroyed me. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion; How are they hunted? Lions are not usually hunted to be preserved, 'tis rare to hunt lions so, but because they are hurtful and destroying creatures, therefore they are hunted that they may be destroyed, and do no more hurt; as if he had thus expressed himself, Thou, Lord, seemest to adjudge me not only as an unuseful and unserviceable creature, but also as a dangerous, and a noxious creature, as a natural brute beast made to be taken and destroyed (2 Pet. 2.12.) yet I cannot assent that Job (though under the darkness of a sore temptation) had such dark thoughts of God, as if he had no other end in afflicting him, but to make an end of him.
I rather expound him in a third sense, that the comparison is made between God and the lion; Thou, O God, like a lion, dost hunt me, Consent of Scripture is clearest for this interpretation, which often represents God in afflicting his people under the notion of a lion, as will appear in the proof of the observation arising from it; which is,
That the Lord seemeth sometimes to put off all pity and compassion towards his people.
So the Church complains ( Lam. 3.10.) He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. God threatened by the Prophet Hosea (Chap. 5.14.) I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah, I, even I, will tear and go away. I will afflict them fiercely and terribly. Again ( Hos. 13.7.) I will be unto them as a lion, as a leopard by the way will I observe them. Hez • kiah speaks the same language ( Isa. 38.13.) I reckoned till morning, that as a lion, so will he break all my bones. As when man dealeth cruelly with his brother, he is a wolf to him, or a lion to him ( Psal. 17.12.) (Mans acting of beastly lusts, is all the metamorphosis or change of men into beasts, which Heathen Poets have so much fancied, or the holy Scriptures so often mentioned.) Now, I say, as man acting cruelly upon man, is called a lion, so also is God. When God would show the abatements of his wrath, then he saith, I am God, and not man (Hos. 11.8, 9.) How shall I give thee up Ephraim? &c. Thus he debates, by and by he votes and resolves negatively, I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger: I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man. But when he would show the highest workings of his wrath, then he denies to show himself so much as man: Thus old Babylon and Chaldea are terrified, ( Isa. 47.1.) Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, &c. Why so? Babylon had set so long upon a throne, that she knew not how to think of sitting in the dust, yet she must; for ( verse. 3.) I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man: How then? I will meet thee as if I were a beast, or a lion, Thou shalt find no kind of humanity at all from me, not only not the kindnesses and mercies of a God, but not so much as the kindness and mercy of a man. Thus the Lord met with that literal Babylon, and so at last he will meet with mystical Babylon. And as he will be to all his proud enemies, a destroying and devouring lion: so he appeareth often to his own people; he saith even to Jerusalem, and to Zion, I will not meet you as a man, when you are carnal and walk as men. The usual dealings of God with his people are full of compassion, In measure (peck-peck) when it shooteth (or when thou sendest it) forth, thou wilt debate with it, He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East-wind (Isa. 27.8.) He will not bluster against, and storm his people, when their enemies storm against them; he also measures out their afflictions, and marks what is fit and proportionate to their strength, and for their good, as a Physician measures and weighs all the ingredients, which he mingles in a potion for his sick patient: so the next words intimate, By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. Yet at another time he afflicteth without measure, as if he intended to kill rather then to cure, and to take away their lives, rather then to take away their sins. I grant his greatest afflictions are as exactly measured and weighed as the least. God knows to an hairs breadth, the length and breadth, and to a grain the weight and burden of the longest, broadest, and weightiest affliction: but when he afflicts greatly, he is said to afflict without measure, because things unmeasurable, or which cannot easily be measured, are very great. And if ever the Lord afflicted any of his (in this sense) without measure, surely he afflicted Job so, who thus cries out, Thou huntest me like a fierce Lion,
And again thou showest thyself marvelous (or wonderful) upon me.
Again.
We render it as an Adverb; others, as a Verb, Thou returnest, and showest thyself wonderful upon me. The sense is the same in both, noting the continued or repeated acts of his affliction. Thou art still and still wonderful against me; As if Job had said, Lord, Thou no sooner ceasest, but thou beginnest again, thou no sooner takest off thy hand, but I feel it again; if thou grantest me a little breathing, and withdrawest from me, thou returnest again; if thou givest over the chase a while, thou pursuest it again, with as loud a cry, with as fierce assaults as ever; my sorrows know no intermission, my pains know not only no period, but no pause, I have storm upon storm, grief upon grief, here much and there much, I am all ways and everywhere again afflicted, though already half-dead with affliction.
Whence observe,
God doth often renew the same, or send new afflictions upon his choicest servants.
One would think that light should follow darkness, and day succeed the night, that though sorrow continue all the night, yet joy should come in the morning, that after wounding we should have healing, and after sickness, health. So they promised themselves ( Hos. 6.1.) Come, and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up: yet many have felt, wounding after wounds, and smiting after blows; darkness hath stepped after darkness, and their sorrow hath had a succession of greater sorrows. It was a special favor to Paul, when Epaphroditus was restored (Phil. 2.27.) He was sick nigh unto death, but (saith he) God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also; and why? Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. God would not do what some of his enemies thought to do, add affliction to his bonds; therefore he healed Paul's helper, and kept him alive, in whom he so much delighted. Sorrow upon sorrow is a mournful bearing, yet many a precious Saint hath born that coat. The promise to the Church is, That her peace shall be as a river, and her prosperity as the waves of the sea (Isa. 66.12.) When the Church shall come to her full beauty, and attain a perfect restauration, then her peace shall be a continued peace, she shall have peace upon peace, everlasting successions of peace; a river, being supplied, and fed with a constant stream, the waters that flow today, will flow again tomorrow; peace like a river is peace, peace, or perpetual peace. Zion's peace shall not be as a land-flood, soon up, and as soon down again, but as a river, and (which yet heightens it) her prosperity shall be as the waves of the sea. If the wind do but stir upon the face of the sea, you shall have wave upon wave, waves rolling and riding one upon the back of another. Such shall be the prosperity of Zion on earth for a time, and such it will be forever in heaven: there peace shall be as a river to eternity, and prosperity as the waves of the sea, joy upon joy, and comfort upon comfort, riding and rolling one upon the back of another. As it shall be thus with the peace of the Church at last: so it may be with the afflictions of the Church, or of any member of the Church at present. Their afflictions may be as a river, and their sorrows as the waves of the sea, coming on again and again, renewed as often as abated.
Both renderings are consistent with the original.
That is, thou dost not punish or afflict me in an ordinary way. Marvels are not every days work. Thou takest a new, a strange course to try me: such afflictions as mine have no parallel, such have scarce been heard of, or recorded in the history of any age. Who hath heard of such a thing as this? thou seemest to design me for a president to posterity, or to show in my example what thou canst do upon a creature, Thou showest thyself marvelous upon me. As Moses speaks concerning Korah, Dathan and Abiram, when they murmured, and mutined against him, and against Aaron, If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me; but if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, then, &c. The Lord to manifest his extreme displeasure against those mutineers, did (as it were) devise a new kind of death for them, If these men die the common or the ordinary death of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me; These men have given a new example of sin, and surely God will make them a new example of punishment. Job speaks the same sense, Thou showest thyself marvelous upon me; thou wilt not be satisfied in afflicting me after the rate or measure of other men; All the Saints should do some singular thing, and many of them suffer some singular thing. The Apostle assures his Corinthians (1 Cor. 10.13.) There hath no temptation taken you, but that which is common to man. Job seems to speak the contrary. A temptation hath taken me, which is not common to man.
Further, These words, Thou art marvelous upon me, have reference to God who sent those afflictions, as well as unto the afflictions, which he sent; As if he had said, Lord, thou actest now besides thy nature and thy custom; thou art merciful, and thou delightest in mercy; Thou art good, and thou doest good, how or whence is it then, that thou art so fierce against me, and pourest out so many evils upon me? I could not (knowing thee as I do) have believed, though it had been told me, that thou wouldest have been so rigorous and incompassionate; if a professed enemy had done this, he had done like himself, and had been no wonder unto me; But now as thou hast afflicted me, till I am become a wonder unto many, so thou, O Lord, art become a wonder unto me, and to all who hear how thou hast afflicted me. Meek Moses made himself a wonder, when he broke out in anger. Every man is wondered at, when he doth that which he is not inclined to do, or not used to do. Is it not a wonder to see the patient God angry, the merciful God severe, the compassionate God inexorable? Thus, saith Job, Thou showest thyself marvelous upon me.
Hence observe,
First, That some afflictions of the Saints are wonderful afflictions.
As God doth not often send his people strange deliverances, and works wonders to preserve them; so he sends them many strange afflictions, and works wonders to trouble them. And as many punishments of sin upon wicked men, so some trials of grace upon godly men are very wonderful. The Lord threateneth the Jews ( Deut. 28.59.) that he would make their plagues wonderful▪ he would make strange work among them. And he saith of Jerusalem, I will wipe it, as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it up-side down, or wiping it and turning it upon the face thereof, (2 King. 21.13.) To see a great City handled like a little dish, or a strong Nation turned topsie turvy (as we say) or the bottom upwards, is a strange thing. It is an ordinary thing to see cups & platters turned up-side down, but it is not ordinary to see Kingdoms and Nations turned up-side down. To wipe Jerusalem as a dish, was to do that which was never done before. Some expound that place of the frequency of affliction, that God would smite them again and again; as they that make clean a dish, wipe it over and over, that no filth may stay in it. The Seventy and the Vulgar translate, I will blot out Jerusalem as they use to blot out a table-book that is written all over; He that hath a table-book full of writing, and would write more, takes a cloth or a spunge, and blotteth out what was written: & that he may thoroughly wipe his table-book, he rubs it often with his spunge, to get the letters clear out. Thus God threatened to do with Jerusalem, He would wipe or blot out, her golden characters and honorable inscriptions, till nothing of Jerusalem but her shame, and her sin should remain unblotted out. Was not the judgment brought upon Jerusalem a wonder? when the Prophet saith ( Lam. 4.12.) The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed it. The Apostle speaks thus of his own, and of his fellow-Apostles afflictions (1 Cor. 4.9.) We are made a spectacle (as upon a theater) unto the world, and to Angels, and to men. All begin to wonder at us, what the matter is, what strange creatures we are, whom the Lord suffers to be thus used. The people of God are often a gazingstock to the world in regard of what they do, and, not seldom in regard of what they suffer.
Secondly, Observe,
That when God doth greatly afflict his own people, he goes out of his ordinary way.
He shows himself marvelous or wonderful: a man is never marvelled at, when he goes his old pace in his old path. God loves to have his hand in the honey-pot, therefore it is strange to see him give his people a bitter cup to drink, or feeding them with wormwood and with gall. Judgment is the strange work of God ( Isa. 28.21.) The Lord shall be wrath in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. And if every work of judgment be his strange work, a work he delighteth not to be conversant in, what then are great and sore judgments? Though the Lord be infinitely pleased in the executions of judgment, yet because (if a more may be conceived in infinity) he is more pleased with mercy, therefore judgment is called his strange work, his strange act. To see a Prince renowned for clemency and pity, passing a severe sentence, is a strange sight. We say, he hath shown himself marvelous, he hath gone against both his practice and his nature, his custom and his inclination. To see any man do what he useth not, hath somewhat of wonder in it; much more, to see God do so. When he taketh up his rod we begin to start, how much more when he taketh up his sword, when he hunts those like a lion, whom he dearly loveth, and uses those as wild beasts, who are his precious children; when he smites them with rigor, whom he carrieth in his own bosom. These, these are acts which represent him to admiration: as many acts of his power and mercy, cause the Saints to cry out, admiringly, yet joyfully, Who is a God like unto thee? So some acts of his visible severity cause others of them to cry out admiringly, yet sorrowfully, Why, O God, dost thou act, in appearance, so unlike thyself?
Verse 17. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me (or thou bringest new witnesses against me) and encreasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
This 17 th verse is but a further amplification of what he had spoken before, setting forth the greatness and frequent returns of his trouble.
The first day of the month is called Chodesh in the Hebrew from the word here used, because then there was a new moon, or a change of the moon; so, Thou renewest, thou makest a change, I have many new moons, but they are all and always at full in sorrow, Thou renewest
The Septuagint saith, Thy examinations; so it is an allusion to the trial of a malefactor, who is examined by the Judge, and if he deals not plainly in confession, then his examination is renewed. Thus, saith Job, Thou sendest (as it were) new examiners with more articles and additional Interrogatories, as if I had concealed somewhat, and had not told thee my whole heart.
We translate (and so the word most properly beareth) witnesses; the sense is the same. As some malefactors are often examined, so more evidence and new witnesses are brought against them: though in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established, yet where there are more witnesses, then two or three, there is more establishment.
Again, As they who are of a wrangling and unquiet disposition, will never sit down in a suit; when by the examination of some witnesses, they have brought the matter to a trial, and are cast, yet this doth not satisfy them, they will have their writ of error, and bring the matter about again, in another Court. Thus (saith Job ) as if the Lord were resolved, this suit should never have an end, He reneweth his witnesses against me. When I think all is concluded and agreed between us, I am as much to seek as ever: he brings all about again. So that after all my travel, I am as far from an end, as I was at the beginning, I am where I was, and am like to continue there, for I see the Lord renewing his witnesses against me still.
The doubt is, What or whom he meaneth by these Witnesses?
One saith, These witnesses were devils. Satan accused him at first, and he is not alone, either in tempting or accusing, he can soon have a legion to join with him in any design of wickedness. But I pass that opinion.
Secondly, Others say, The Witnesses were Job's three friends, they all testified against him, Eliphaz began and Bildad was his second, Zophar stood ready to follow; all against Job.
Thirdly, By Witnesses, most (and they most clearly) understand his afflictions, Thou renewest thy witnesses; that is, thou bringest new troubles to testify against me. When one affliction hath spoken at thy bar against me, thou callest for the testimony of another, and of another, and when there will not be another, I know not, unless it be, when I am not. When Naomi was become Marah, (her former pleasures being turned into bitterness) she saith ( Ruth 1.21.) The Lord hath testified against me. Job is very express in the point at the sixteenth Chapter of this book, and the eighth verse, which may be a Commentary upon this, Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me, beareth witness to my face. Afflictions bring in evidence, and testify many ways.
They sometimes witness for us, evidencing our graces, our faith, patience, sincerity and submission to the hand of God, they are witnesses also of our adoption or spiritual sonship ( Heb. 12.8.) If you be without chastisement whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. It is no good sign to be free from sufferings. Hear ye the rod, saith the Prophet Micah: as we ought to hear it, calling us from sin: so we may hear it calling us sons. Chastenings speak our privileges, as well as our duties.
They often witness against us;
First, That sin is seated in us, and hath been acted by us. If we had no sin, we should know no sorrow. Though some afflictions are not sent out directly against sin, yet every affliction is both a consequent and a testimony of remaining sin. The bundle of rods at our backs, saith, there is folly and sin bound up in our hearts: and when once we are purged from all sin, we shall hear no more of any affliction, of any rod. We shall be past suffering, as soon as we are past sinning.
Secondly, They are witnesses in special, of that great sin, the pride of our hearts and lives. If there were not swellings and impostumations of pride in our spirits, we should not feel such lancings. Paul himself acknowledges that they were growing upon him, if God had not taken a severe course to keep them down, Lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me (2 Cor. 12.7.) Hence afflictions are called humiliations, both because an afflicted person is humbled, or laid low by the hand of God, as also, because afflictions are sent to humble, and lay us low in ourselves. Now, if one special business which affliction hath with us, be to humble us, then doubtless affliction witnesseth that there is pride in us. That which is sent to remove an evil, shows the presence of it.
Thirdly, They are witnesses, by bringing to our remembrance the acting of forgotten sins. Affliction is a help to memory. That which we forget we have done or spoken, witnesses coming in, make us remember; so also do our troubles. When the brethren of Joseph had been put in ward three days, and heard him demand one of them to be left, as an hostage in prison, till they brought Benjamin: This distress caused them to say, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear, therefore is this distress come upon us (Gen. 42.21.) The guilt of that sin was about twenty years old, but they felt not the smart of it, till themselves smarted for it; their imprisonment set their memories at liberty, and when they saw themselves in danger to become bond-men to the Egyptians, they had witness enough of their selling Joseph for a captive to the Ishmaelites.
Fourthly, Afflictions witness obstinacy and resolvedness in the ways of sin, or, that afflicted persons or Nations turn not for sin. Every wound will open it's mouth as a witness, and every stroke will bring an evidence against the impenitent. The troubles which God brought upon Ahaz witnessed emphatically (2 Chron. 28.22.) This is that King Ahaz, who in the time of his distress, did trespass yet more against the Lord. If we are not bettered by our distresses, our distresses testify that we are naught, how much more when we are worse in our distress? As all good things which we have received, so all evils which we have suffered, will rise up in judgment against those who still continue evil.
Fifthly, Afflictions witness two things concerning God: First, That he hath an eye upon us, and care of us. He will not let us want anything that is needful for us, no not affliction. Due chastisement given a child, is an argument that his father loveth him, and looks to him. Secondly, They are witnesses of God's fatherly displeasure. Some say, God cannot be displeased with his children, because his love is everlasting. But will any man say, A father doth not love his child, because he corrects him? yet a father never correcteth his child, but when he is displeased with him: Parents may not strike unprovoked, and 'tis rare that God doth so. A man may be much displeased with, and much love the same person at the same time, and 'tis very usual for God to do so. Afflictions never testify any the least hatred of God against his people, but they often testify some, and sometimes great displeasure, against his people.
Lastly, Afflictions upon the godly are reckoned very sufficient, and credible witnesses by the world, that either they are not godly, or that surely some great ungodliness hath been acted by them. How many precious men have been cast upon this evidence, for traitors and rebels against God. Job's friends took this for proof enough that he was wicked. They could not be persuaded he was good, because he endured so many evils. As the high Priest cried out against Christ, what further need have we of witnesses? behold now ye have heard his blasphemy, so said Job's friends concerning him, What need have we of further witness? Behold we have seen his misery. What do these losses in his estate, and ruins upon his family? What do these sores upon his body, and sorrows in his soul, but publish unto us (what he hath kept close and concealed) the profaneness of his spirit, and the hypocrisy of his former profession. Job perceiving his friends making use all along of this proof, as of their chiefest and strongest medium, might well complain to God, upon the renewal of every days affliction; Thou renewest thy witnesses against me.
In the beginning of the verse his own afflictions did increase, but here the indignation of God. Indignation is more grievous then affliction, and the indignation of God is the most grievous indignation.
The word signifies wrath, displeasure, fierce, fiery wrath, hot, consuming displeasure.
There is a double increase here noted. First, Extensive. Secondly, Intensive; an increase both in multitude and magnitude; As if he had said, I have more troubles in number, and more in weight.
Indignation is here put for the effects of indignation; neither the wrath, nor the love of God do ever increase in him, but in their exertions or in the putting of them forth towards us.
Observe from it,
First, That a godly man may conceive himself under the indignation of God.
The Church stoops to it ( Mich. 7.9.) I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him.
Secondly, Observe,
That the more we see of the indignation of God in any affliction, the sorer is the affliction.
As the love and smiles of God comfort the Saints, more then all the outward comforts he heaps upon them, a little with much sensible love, is to us huge mercy. So the disfavour and frowns of God, trouble the Saints more then all the troubles, which he heaps upon them. A little with much sensible disfavour, is to us a heavy cross. Let trouble increase, yet if displeasure abate, the spirit of a man will bear and stand under it, though his flesh and outward man fall under it. Though the furnace should be heated seven times hotter, yet if the Lord do but let down one beam or ray of his love into the soul, all that burning fire will be but like a warm Sun. But when the scorchings of indignation mingle with affliction, this is dreadful. The anger of a fool (saith Solomon) is very heavy; yet that is not so much as a feather to a millstone or a mountain, compared with the anger of God. And though believers are freed from that anger and indignation which he darts upon his enemies, yet they to sense, yea & to their present opinion, may be dealt with as enemies. And though the indignation which God pours upon his own people, and that upon the wicked, be as different as their states are; yet the one may be under as much temporary pain and sorrow as the other is. For as an hypocrite may for a time taste as much of the goodness of God, and feel as much joy in his service, and sometimes more, then a man who is godly and sincere, so also may one who is godly and sincere, taste more of the displeasure of God for a time, and feel as much sorrow in his sufferings, and sometimes more, then a wicked man.
Job concludes with the same thing, in a different habit of words. Changes and war are against me. I have variety of afflictions, a multitude of afflictions, and afflictions in their strength, these three things are implied in those two words, Changes and war; He had variety of afflictions, for changes were upon him. He had many and strong afflictions, For war was upon him. One strong man cannot make a war, nor many weak ones. And it is as strange that this should be called a war, which was but against one weak man. The Roman stories cry up the honor of a man, who alone upon a narrow pass made a stand against a whole army, till supplies came, what shall we say then of Job, who single and alone maintained his standing against many armies, and held out a long war? Changes and war are upon me.
The first word which signifies changes, signifies also destruction or cutting off. Some render it so here, excision or cutting off (by which he meaneth death) is upon me. The other word which we translate war, noteth also a set or an appointed time, as was shown at the first verse of the 7 th Chapter, Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? So some translate it here, putting all together thus, Excision (or death, the cause being put for the effect) is upon me, and a determined time of my life.
M. Broughton translates, Changes and stayed army have I. Taking in both interpretations of the word, so his sense may be expressed in this tenor, Lord, have not I a settled and determined time to die? Why then are such extreme afflictions prepared against, and charged upon me, as if by those thou wouldest hasten my death, and bring me to my grave sooner then thou thyself hast appointed? I shall die at the time thou hast determined, though thou shouldest not distress my life, and even force out my breath with such pressing extremities.
Further, Taking the later word for a prescribed time: some conceive Job carrying an allusion to those who are surprised with fevers and agues: they have changes, some well days, and some sick days, yet the fever returns upon a set time, or in a constant recourse, till the distemper is checked; As if he had said, My afflictions are like fever fits; though I have some intermission, yet I find a regression, the fit comes upon me again; Changes, at set times, are upon me.
But rather, according to the letter of our translation, Changes and war are against me, that is, I am exercised with variety of wars. The word imports any kind of change, change of times or change of things, it signifies also change of garments. ( Judge. 14.12) That notion of the word, hath an elegancy in it in reference to Jobs condition. He was a man clothed with affliction, sorrow encompassed him as a long mourning cloak, and Job had changes of this raiment, he went not always in one suit, though his suits were still of one color, for he went always in blacks.
Again, We may interpret this change, of his change from one estate to another, from joy to sorrows, from peace to trouble, from plenty to want, from costly robes to filthy rags. Time was when Job went in scarlet, and fine linen, and, if he pleased, might have fared deliciously every day, but when he spake this, he was in another state and habit, clothed with sackcloth, and lying in the dust. It is said of wicked men ( Psal. 55.9.) Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. Every creature is subject to change, and hath some changes every day; God only is unchangeable. Yet some men seem to have no changes, & though they cannot be free from natural changes one moment, yet they may be free from many years civil changes: they maybe so far from such changes as Job felt, from good to evil, that all the changes they are acquainted with, may be only from good to better, from strong to stronger, from rich to richer: that's the intent of the Psalm; They have no changes from joy to sorrow, from health to sickness, from riches to poverty, from honor to disgrace, therefore they fear not God; their hearts were hardened, because their estates prospered.
So then, these changes import, either divers sorts of afflictions, or divers returns and charges of the same afflictions. The second word carrieth that allusion, Changes and war are upon me; that is, such changes as there is in war, when first one regiment charges, and another seconds, and so regiment after regiment, company after company, file after file, now the right wing, and then the left, at last the reserve. Thus the Lord seemed to bring up his bands and troops of afflictions to assault Job in turns and changes, till his whole army had assaulted and skirmished with him. Those military terms of shooting and warring, are frequent figures in Scripture, showing how God conflicts with sinful, weak man, after the manner of men. Observe hence,
First, That afflictions are at the command of God.
He marshals and disposes them, as armies are by their Generals in times of war. He can say to one affliction, as the Centurion to his soldiers, Go, and it goeth, to another, Come, and it cometh, to a third, Do this, and it doth it. All armies of sorrow are led by God in chief. They charge whom he pleaseth, and where he pleaseth, high or low, person or nation: if he gives the word they fall on presently, nor will they return till he orders their retreat.
Secondly, Note, That the Lord hath variety of ways and means to afflict and try his people.
Changes and war are against me. The Physician hath variety of medicines for his sick patient, if one removes not the distemper, he changes, and tries a second. There is nothing so full of changes, as war, not only in regard of the uncertainty of events, but variety of means, new forces being raised, and new stratagems used, from day today. Hast thou but one blessing? said Esau to his father Isaac; the hand of man may be straightened to one blessing, or one blow, but the hand of God is never straightened. As he hath store of blessings, so of blows, and can give both out, both in degree and kind diversified; if one army of evils doth not humble and conquer us to his obedience, he can quickly levy a new one. All creatures will come in to his help, if he do but set up his standard, or give command to beat his drum. He changed his armies ten times against Pharaoh; Pharaoh had indeed changes and war upon him, yet no change wrought in him: therefore the war was changed, till he was destroyed. This war with • ob was not a destroying one, but it was a terrible one, so terrible that he cries out in the language of his former complaints, Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?
JOB Chap. 10. Vers. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? O that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
I should have been as though I had not been, I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death;
A land of darkness, as darkness itself, and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
THese five verses are the conclusion of Jobs reply to Bildad; there are four things remarkable in them.
First, He complaineth that ever he lived a day or an hour in the world, at the beginning of the 18 th verse, Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?
Secondly, He wisheth that he had died speedily: seeing he could not have that (supposed) happiness not to be born into the world, his next request is, that he might not have stayed long in the world; he would not have appeared as a man, no nor as a child, but that birth and burial might have been contiguous, not knowing the distance of a day, verse. 18, 19. O that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been, I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
Thirdly, He showeth, that however he had been disappointed of both those votes, yet he could not live long; As if he had said, Though I have found much trouble in the world, yet I shall not much trouble the world, the time of my departure is at hand, I have lived most of my days already, and all my days are not many, verse. 20. Are not my days few?
Fourthly, He entreateth and sueth that the few days of those few days which he had to live, might be good days, Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go whence I shall not return, &c.
The 18 th and 19 th verses carry a sense very like to that which hath been opened at the third Chapter of this book, where Job complained of his birth, and was troubled that he had the favor of a being, (because he found such an il-being) in the world. His passion runneth out here into a vehement expostulation,
ver. 11.
Job puts the Question, and demandeth an account of God, Why he came out of the womb? There are three sorts of questions.
First, Such as arise from a desire of necessary information; 'It is good to ask that we may learn.
Secondly, Such as arise from a needless curiosity. 'It is not good to ask what no duty enjoins us to learn.
Thirdly, Such as arise from pure passion, or rather, from mudded perturbation, not so much desiring information from others, as to vent ourselves. 'It is very ill to ask when we care not to learn. Such is the question here put (say some) a passionate question, arising from the fume and vapors of a distempered mind, desiring to ask, rather then to be answered, Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? As if he had said, Was I born only to be an object of evil? Came I into the world to be made a sad spectacle to the world, to Angels and to men? Have my days been lengthened out on purpose, that my troubles might be lengthened? Such a troubled sense there is in these words. The complaints of Saints may sometimes look like the blasphemies of wicked men.
Job complaineth of his birth, and seems forgetful of all former benefits.
Hence observe,
When we want the mercies we would have, we grow angry with the mercies which we have had.
David speaks it to the praise of God, Thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers womb (Psal. 22.) Job speaks it as a damage to himself, Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?
Secondly, observe,
We are ready to think we live to no end, if we have not our own ends.
That's the voice of nature, and so far as nature prevails in us, it speaks in us.
Thirdly, Man is apt to say, there is no reason for that, of which he seeth not the reason.
When we are at our wits end, and at our reasons end, we think there is an end of all wisdom and reason, as if neither God nor man could give an account beyond ours, or answer, when we are non-plust.
Yet we may conceive Job had a further sense, which yields a more mollifying meaning of these words, for though he (as all the Saints in the Old Testament) was much in the dark about the benefit of sufferings, which the Gospel hath now more clearly revealed to us, and called us unto; yet he might have some other intendment in these expostulations: We may charitably suppose him troubled that he was in a condition of life, which (as he conceived) hindered the main end of his life, the glorifying of God, Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? As if he had said, Lord, I am in a state, wherein I know not how to honor thee, and then what is my life worth unto me? Thy justice is greatly obscured towards me, many are ready to say, for my sake, that surely thou art a hard Master, leaving them to reap evil who have sowed good, and paying thy faithful and most active servants their wages in sufferings. And as for mercy, I taste little of that; comforts are dainties with me: my cup is bitter, my sorrows are multiplied: Now when neither justice nor mercy move visibly towards me, how shall I glorify thee? And wherein can my life be useful or advantageous to thee? Am I not like a broken vessel, a vessel wherein there is no pleasure? Wherefore then was I brought forth out of the womb?
This exposition teaches us, That
A godly man thinks he liveth to no purpose, if he do not live to the praise and glory of God.
God hath made all things for himself, and it is the design of the Saints to be for him. While that end is attained they can easily part with all their own; and where that is crossed, they cannot be pleased in the attainment of any of their own. The interest of Christ is not only their greatest, but all their interest. Any stop of, much more a disservice to this, causeth an honest heart to cry out with Job, and ('tis easy to conceive) it caused Job to cry out, Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?
The original signifies usually a gentle and an easy kind of death; Giving up the ghost, is not a pulling or a violent rending of life away from us, but our laying it down, our surrender or willing resignation of it. Some read this clause, not as we optatively, O that I had given up the ghost! but declaratively, Wherefore hast thou brought me out of the womb? for then I had quickly given up the ghost. But rather take it as a wish, O that I had given up the ghost!
That is (say some) I would I had died before I had been born, for then no eye had seen me. Or more generally thus. O that I had died speedily, so speedily that I might have gone out of the world, before I was observed to have been there: Who delights to see the dead? especially a child dead-born, or dying as soon as born? Sarah was the delight of Abraham's eyes, whiles she lived, and yet as soon as she was dead, he gives any money for a sepulcher to bury her out of his sight. Or again, Job that he might show how little he regarded life, disregards that which is most desirable in life. Man naturally desires, To see, and to be seen, to know, and to be known. That which carries a great part of the world, is an affectation to be pointed at, and taken notice of, as Some-bodies in the world. He that liveth unseen in the world, is as a man out of the world, or as one buried alive. To be in prison is a great punishment, because a prisoner liveth out of view; he cannot freely see or be seen. Job wishes no eye had seen him, rather then his eyes should have seen so much evil, or that others should have seen him in the midst of so many evils.
Hence note,
First, That undue and unreasonable questions, are usually followed and fruited with undue and unreasonable wishes.
Having put the question, Wherefore hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? See what a wish comes upon it, O that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! He that takes undue liberty to speak or do, knows not where he shall restrain himself. They who always act as far as they may, shall often act beyond what they ought. And they who act at all beyond what they are directed, are often carried beyond what themselves intended.
Secondly, Observe, Man had rather not be seen at all, then to be seen miserable.
To be seen is a great part of the comfort of this life, but who would not gladly exchange it for ease in obscurity? It is an honor to be seen, but who would be seen clothed with dishonor? When Christ is prophesied of, as the great pattern of patience and self-denial, it is said, He hid not his face from shame and spitting, Isa. 50.6. To be a spectacle of misery, is to some worse then their being miserable. They would count it a piece of their happiness, to be unhappy in a corner; and their troubles half removed, if they might steal their troubles. As to be in a good estate, and to know that we are so, makes our estate better to us: So to be in an ill estate, and to be known that we are so, makes it to some tempers a great deal worse. As the hypocrite hopes when he sins, that no eye sees him: so many wish when they suffer, O that no eye had seen me!
Verse 19. I should have been, as though I had not been, I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
Some read this verse also as a wish; O that I had been, as though I had never been! O that I had been carried from the womb to the grave.
He confirms what he had said, by a further declaration of his condition, in case he had not been brought forth out of the womb, or had died before he had been seen in the throng of the world; Why, what then Job? Then, I should have been as though I had not been, and my afflictions should never have had any being: so speedy a death had quitted me of all the evils of my life. I should not have sipt or tasted, much less have drunk so deep of this cup of sufferings. It is said of Abortives who die in the womb, and of such as die immediately after they are born, They are, and they are not; they who live but a moment in nature, shall live forever. A life here less then a span long, will be eternity long: yet as to the world, such a life is no life, such a being no being. Lawyers say, They who die before, or as soon as they are born, are reckoned as unborn; they make no change in states, they never had a name, or an interest in the world, and so they go for nothing in the world. The Prophet Obadiah (verse 16.) threatens Edom, That they shall be as though they had not been; that is, they must perish, and their memorial with them. Some are so thrust out of the world, that they shall be, as if they had never been; and some come into the world so, that their being was, as if they had never been.
A short life is by common estimation no life.
As in heaven, where we shall live forever, we shall be, as if we had ever been: So on earth, some live so little, that they are as if they never were: That which hath an eternal duration, and shall never end, is as if it had ever begun; and that which is but of a short duration and ends quickly, is as if it had never begun. The reason why the fruit of sin goes for nothing, is, because the pleasure of sin is but for a season, and that a very little season, What fruit have ye of those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? That is, Ye have no fruit, or your fruit was nothing: we may say of all the pleasures of sin, their cradle is their grave, or more near Job's language, they are carried from the womb to the grave. So he speaks next of himself,
I should have passed without noise or notice. There would have been little trouble with me in the world, I should have made but one journey, and that a short one. The speech is proverbial: From the womb to the grave, is the motto of Infant-death. The Septuagint read it as an expostulation, Wherefore was I not carried out from the womb to the grave? It would have been a happiness to me, either not to have been at all, or to have had a being but equivalent (in common account) to a not being. And thus it had been with me, if my first step out of my mothers womb, had been into the womb of that grandmother the earth. Job is often upon the same point, renewing his desires after death: he did so (as hath been touched) at the third Chapter, and at the sixth, and now he is as fierce and fresh upon it as ever.
A godly man may often discover the same infirmity.
Whilest the same stock of corruption remains in us, it is productive of the same corrupt fruit. There is a seminal virtue in the earth, look how often it is plowed and sowed, so often it sends forth a crop; there is a seminal virtue in the earthly part of man, which makes him to put forth evil, as often as occasion plows, and temptation soweth his heart.
Verse 20.
Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little.
There is a difference in the reading: Many translators join the verb Cease, with this clause: so that whereas we read, Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone; they read, Will not my few days cease? then let me alone that I may take comfort a little. M Broughton, and he hath a second, varieth yet further, Will not he leave off a little in my days? Instead of applying the word few unto days, Are not my days few? they (taking in the verb) join it to the act of God, Will not he leave off a little in my days? That is, Will not God forbear a little to trouble me? Will not he give me a breathing time in my days, which are but few? Surely he will, he will not be so strict with me, I doubt not of a gracious answer to this humble petition.
But rather follow our sense, and let the first clause be a question, Are not my days few? And then the next words are an inference or use which he makes from it, Cease then, and let me alone, &c.
Are not my days few?] The question doth affirm, Yes, my days are few. The sense may be made out one of these three ways, and not unprofitably by all three,
First thus, As a justification of his former wishes and desires to die: Have I not upon good reason wished that I had never lived? Who can be in love with a short life, and a long trouble? Are not my days few? Or
Secondly, As an answer to such as objected against him for wishing he had not lived: Do you know (said they) what you have said? Is life such a small matter with you? Or do you understand what you desire, when you desire death? Is deformed death become a beauty in your eye? What ever you think of it, life is a precious jewel? Yes (saith Job) I know very well what life is, and I know of I had died before I was born, I had not lost much life; What's the life of a few daiis? The life of eternity is worth the having and esteeming; but why should you think I have wished away a matter of moment, when I wished away this life? For are not my days few?
Whence observe, The loss of a whole life in this world, is no great loss.
We cannot lose a great deal, when all is but a little, nor many, when we have but a few in all. He looseth but a few days, who dieth the first day; then, what have we got, when we have lived according to the calculation of nature, many days? Job makes this an argument to satisfy others about his wish, that all his days had been cut off: May not we satisfy ourselves by it, when a piece, or a part, an end, the worst end of our days is cut off? What if we have abated ten or twenty of those years which possibly we might have lived; Twenty years are but a few days; for, a whole life, consisting of three twenties and ten, is but a few days. This we are sure of, that the few days we loose on earth, shall never be missed in heaven; it will be no abatement to our comfort there, to think we lived but a little here; all the sorrows of this life will be swallowed up in the next, and so will our sudden parting with this life.
Thirdly, The clearest sense of these words [Are not my days few?] is, that they are the ground of a petition for the mitigation of his troubles; As if he had said, Lord, I have but a while to live in the world, my days are few, therefore do not think much that I should have a little comfort and refreshing in these my days; Consider my life is short, O that thou wouldest slack thy hand, and yield me some ease and comfort in this short life. He had used this argument at the seventh Chapter, verse 16. Let me alone for my days are vanity; here, Let me alone, for my days are few. The fewness of our days is one of the vanities of our days.
The Hebrew is, Is not fewness of days mine? Yes, That's my portion. Abstracts often increase, and sometimes they diminish the sense. Here the sense is diminutive; as if he had said, My days are so far from many, that they are fewness itself: Mine are not increasing and growing, but declining and abating days. My days are going down, they are brought into a lesser, and a narrower compass every day. The Chaldee renders, Are not my days ceasing? My days fade and wear out every day, Shew me how short my life is (closer to the original) how soon ceasing I am, or as others, What, or of what quantity mine age is, how transitory, how temporary I am.
Some read it in the third person, Therefore let him cease from me, and let me alone; we in the second, Cease then, and let me alone. Job looks upon himself as one besieged and straitened with afflictions: Now (saith he) I beseech thee raise thy siege, and draw off thy force from me: or if thou wilt not make a final peace with me, yet grant me a cessation, let me have a truce for a limited time, let me not have such continual alarms, or be forced to stand armed continually; Let me rest, saith the Septuagint; Issachar stooped to burdens, because he desired rest. Some are so burdened that they cannot rest, how much soever they desire it. Job desires God to give him rest, because his days were few.
Hence observe,
First, It is an argument moving the Lord to forbear sending us many troubles, because we have but few days.
Thus David prays ( Psal. 89.47.) Remember how short my time is, wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? Lord, I have but a few days, and shall my days be nothing but clouds and darkness? The same argument is used, Psal. 39. ult. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. I shall soon be gone, let me have some ease, while I stay here. Observe,
Secondly, That except the Lord withdraw his hand, nothing in the world can give us ease.
Cease then, and let me alone that I may take comfort; as if he had said, If thine hand be upon me, in vain do friends comfort me; creatures offer me their help in vain, Cease then, and let me alone.
From the matter of his argument, Observe,
The life of man is short.
It is a common theme, and every man thinks he can declaim upon it, and speak to it; but there are very few can live to, or act by it. A multitude of instructions arise to us from the fewnes of our days: And did men know indeed that their days are few, their evil deeds would not be so many, and their good would be more.
Again, That man's days are so few, yields us not only many instructions, but many wonders. Is it not strange that we who have but a few days in our lives, should have so many afflictions in our lives? That we should have few days and many sorrows? Is it not strange that we should have few days in our lives, and many cares about our lives? Many cares and few days, yea many cares upon one day! Thou art careful about many things, saith Christ to Martha. Is it not strange that we should have so few days, and so many sins? Few days and innumerable sins, so many sins as no man can number them, and so few days that a child may number them? And is not this a wonder above all the rest, that we should have but a few days, and yet be gravel'd and puzl'd so as we are in numbering them? A little human learning will serve to number our days, but we need a great deal of spiritual learning to number them. A little study in the Mathematics will do it, but we need more then study, experience in Divinity before we can do it, and yet neither study nor experience can do it, unless God himself be our Tutor, He only can teach us so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. We shall commence fools at last, if we have not one wiser then the wisest upon earth, to teach us this truth.
The word which we translate to take comfort, signifies such comfort as they find, who being heated extremely, and extreme thirsty, come to drink at a fountain of sweet waters. The Vulgar readeth it, Let me alone that I may mourn a little; yet taking in the former sense, He seems thus to explain himself: If the Lord would let me alone. I would go and ease myself with complaining, the waters of my head, the fountain of mine eyes would be a refreshing to my wearied soul. Sorrows are sometimes joyous, and moderate mourning gives the mind a reviving.
But rather, Take it in the general, Let me alone that I may comfort myself, and that these sorrows may abate; I desire to rally, and recollect my scattered thoughts a while, and so take in somewhat of the sweetness of this life before I die, Cease from me for some refreshing, saith M. Broughton. I do not expect much, Lord, let me have some before I go, whence I shall not return.
Here observe one common principle of nature,
Man desireth his own good. A well-being, as well as a being. What is there in life for nature to prize, if there be nothing but sorrow in it?
Secondly, Observe, That great sufferings make us very modest in our demands.
Job was in great affliction, and now a little comfort would go a great way with him. When the people of Israel were in bondage under Pharaoh and his task-masters, and had heavier burdens laid upon them, they do not so much as move for a total release from their task, but modestly complain, There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick; As if they had said, Let us have straw, and we are willing to make brick. A poor man cries out for a half-penny, for a farthing, not for hundreds or thousands. He that is ready to starve will not ask good cheer, or a plentiful feast, but let me have a crust of bread, or a little water. When Dives was in hell, what did he desire of Abraham? Did he beg to come into his bosom? Doth he say, Lazarus is in a good place, let me come too? No, he desired but a drop of water, and what was a drop of water to flames of fire? O how would it delight the damned in hell to think of a cessation, but for one hour from their pain! What a joy would it be unto them, if it should be told them, that a thousand, or ten thousand years hence, they should have one good day, or that they might be let alone to take comfort a little! They who are low, make low demands. Think of this ye that enjoy much comfort, and swim in rivers of pleasure. Let not the great consolations of God be small to you, when you hear Job thus instant and importunate for the smallest, Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little.
But why is he in such haste for a little comfort? One ground is in the former words, My days are few; and he backs it with a second in the next. If it come not quickly, it will come too late. I am ready to take my last journey, Therefore let me take a little comfort.
Verse 21.
Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death.
That is, before I die. Death is a going out of the world: Christ intimates his death under this notion ( Joh. 16.7.) If I go the Comforter will come. And, I go from you, &c. Dying is a journeying from one region to another. Death is a changing of our place, though not of our company. Before I go; Whether?
That's a strange journey indeed. That which pleaseth us in our longest journeys while we live, is a hope of returning to our own homes again. But when we die we take a journey from whence there is no returning. Not return? Shall not man return when he dieth? Is death an everlasting departure, an eternal night? No, Man shall return, but he shall not return to such a life or state as he had before. He is gone forever out of this world, and out of all worldly interests. Job believed a resurrection, or a returning from the grave by the power of God, and he knew there was no returning by the power of nature, or by the help of any creature: In that reference, we go, whence we shall not return. So David speaks of his dead Infant, I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me, 2 Sam. 12.25. When once we are shut up in those chambers of death, and made prisoners in the grave, though all the Princes in the world send warrants for our release, we cannot get released. The pertinency and stiffness of the grave is such as yields to none. We are fast shut up when we are shut up there. Love and the grave will hardly part with that, which they have closed with, and are possessed of. The grave is one of those three things which are never satisfied, or say it is enough, Prov. 30.15. And as it is insatiable in receiving, so it is as close in keeping, it will part with nothing. A grave is the Parable of a covetous man; he is greedy to get, and watchful to hold: when his money goes into his purse, he saith it shall not return: The grave hath a strong appetite to take down, and as strong a stomach to digest. Till God (as I may so speak) by his mighty power gives the grave a vomit, and makes the earth stomach-sick with eating man's flesh, it will not return one morsel. At the resurrection this great Eater shall cast up all again. And as they who take strong vomits, are put into a kind of trembling convulsion, all the powers of the body being shaken; such will the prognostics be of the resurrection; there was an earth-quake when Christ arose, God made the earth shake, and commanded it to give back the prisoner, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. And when God speaks the word, it will not be possible for the grave to hold us prisoners: till then it will. It was usual among the Ancients, to say of a dead friend, He is gone, and he will come again, intimating a resurrection. Heathens not knowing nor believing it, call earth, An eternal leave-taking or farewell, never to meet again.
Observe from this description of the grave,
That the statutes of death are unrepealable.
Death is an everlasting banishment from the world, I shall go • whence I shall not return. This may lie very sad upon their spirits, who have not a better place then the world to go to, when they go from the world. To go whence we shall never return, and yet where we cannot endure to be a moment, is deepest misery: Such a man cannot choose but set out with a sad heart. And that's the reason why wicked men, whose consciences are awakened, go so unwillingly to this sleep, they know whither they are going, only they know they cannot return. Make ye friends ('tis Christ's counsel) of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations (Luk. 10.9.) Mammon of unrighteousness, that is, say most Interpreters, Mammon gotten unrighteously; but surely Christ would not teach any to make men our friends, by that which makes God our enemy. They translate better, who render it, Make ye friends of the false or unfaithful Mammon, that is, of that Mammon which will deceive and leave you shortly, therefore make you friends of it, while you have it; that when ye fail, that is, when you die or go out of the world, they may receive you, that is, ye may be received into everlasting habitations; leave not this habitation, till ye have got interest in a better. The Saints arm themselves against death by this argument, We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hand, eternal in the heavens (2 Cor. 5.1.) We know there is no return to buildings made with hands, we must leave our houses forever, our lands forever, and our relations forever, but we are assured of a building of God, an house not made with hand, eternal in the heavens. This supported their hearts, when their earthly houses were falling.
Job having thus described death itself, proceeds to describe the grave, which is the place of death, or the Black- • all of the King of terrors. Would you know what this place is, from whence there is no returning? It is, saith he (in the close of this verse) even the land of darkness, and the shadow of death. And in the last verse,
Verse 22. A land of darkness, as darkness itself, and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
This is the place where death dwells, or the seat of death, and here's a description of it, which exceeds the fancy of Poets, and the rhetoric of all Heathen Orators. The Spirit of God riseth to the height of eloquence, in discovering that unpleasant region.
This subterranean Geography, gives a double character of it. 1. A land of darkness. 2. A land of the shadow of death; both which are aggravated by their additions. It is a land of darkness, but not of any ordinary darkness, It is a land of darkness, as darkness itself. It is a land of the shadow of death, not of an ordinary shadow of death, but of the shadow of death, 1. Without any order. 2. Where the light is as darkness.
That is, abounding with darkness, a land where darkness is the staple, and the only commodity to be had. Darkness is the hangings and ornament of the house of death. The grave is elsewhere called, A land of forgetfulness (Psal. 88.12.) because there all things are forgotten. We read ( Jer. 12.5.) of a land of peace, that is, a land where peace abounds, a land in every corner whereof peace springs and groweth up. Canaan (Deut. 8.8.) was called, A good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, that spring o • t of the valleys and hills, A land of wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates; A land of oil olive, and of honey: That is, a land where these good things were natural and plentiful. A land where neighbor Nations might furnish themselves, and freight their ships with those commodities. In such a sense Job calls the grave, A land of darkness; As if he had said, Would you know what the merchandize of the grave is? I will tell you, it is darkness, there you may have darkness as much as you desire, and besides that nothing, how much so ever you desire it.
This shows the terror of death to a mere natural understanding. Many are afraid to be at all in the dark, how much more to be always in darkness: As light is put for joy, so darkness for sorrow. Darkness, whether spiritual or natural, is afflictive. Dark houses are unpleasant, what then is a land of darkness? The face of a man is darkened with sorrow, and joy is the light of it. It hath been observed that some great Princes have had light beaming out from their eyes. Augustus had so sparkling an eye, that few could look upon him: his eye cast forth rays like the Sun, dazzling the beholders. Good, gracious Princes cast out beams of favor upon their people, which refresh them as the light. Death & the grave have no light in their faces. Death looks black and grim, hell is extremist darkness, and the pains of hell are chains of darkness.
There is more then the shadow of death in the grave, death itself dwells there. The words sound an abatement of the sense, but indeed they heighten it. The shadow of death is thick darkness, thickest darkness, the very strength of darkness. This shadow is the substance of death, or death with addition of greatest deadlines.
Job having given the land this dreadful name, A land of darkness, and of the shadow of death, makes it yet more dreadful by this further explication.
A land of darkness, as darkness itself] Or, A land of darkness, which looks like darkness. The word signifies weariness, restlessenesse, and vexation of spirit. To be in a dark condition, is to be in a wearisome condition. The Vulgar reads it, A land of misery. Some darkness hath a degree of light mingled with it, but this is pure or unmixed darkness, darkness in it's proper hue, darkness itself. When a man of skill acts skillfully, we say, he acts like himself; and when a wicked man doth very wickedly, we say, he doth like himself. The darkness of the grave looks like nothing but itself.
Every evil the more like it is to itself, the worse it is. When the Apostle would show sin in its colors, he calleth it sinful sin (Rom. 7.13.) Sin by the commandment became exceeding sinful, the commandment caused it to look like itself. Sorrowfull sorrow, and painful pain are the worst of pains and sorrows. There is sorrow which may consist with some joy and pain, which may cohabit with some ease: but he that hath sorrow like sorrow itself, and pain like pain itself, hath the extremity of both. Thus also every good, the more like it is to itself, the better it is; holiness like itself, is the purest holiness; grace like itself, is the sweetest grace. When a holy man works like himself, his work is best. God is ever like himself in all he doth, and everything we do is then best, when it is done most like to what God doth.
The word which we translate order, is frequent in the Rabbins: the holy Text hath it only in this place, and here in the plural number, A land of darkness, and the shadow of death, and without any orders, a land unordered. Ther's no government, no method in the grave. And if it hath no order, then it hath nothing in it but confusion, nothing but disorder. That the grave, or the state of death is without any order, may be understood two ways,
First, Without order, because it hath no changes, or vicissitudes in it, there is no difference in the grave between night and day, winter and summer, hot and cold, wet and dry, between the rising and setting of the Sun: This is the order which God hath set in nature; and when the flood had put all things into a kind of confusion, God promised, That seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night should not cease, that is, there should be an everlasting order continued in the creature. The dead know none of those changes and vicissitudes; as much of the vanity, so some of the comforts of this life consist in changes; but all is alike in death.
Secondly, There is no order in going to the grave; men do not keep to a rule in dying, nor observe their ranks. The old go not always first, and then the young; the great before, and the mean following after. Death hath no master of the Ceremonies; but takes promiscuously, here a child, and there a man, here a rich man, and there a beggar. And as there is no order in going thither, so none when we are there: the grave mingleth the dust, and bones of one with another. We cannot distinguish the rich man's dust from the dust of the poor, nor the bones of Kings from those of the lowest subject. Though rich men are buried in more eminent places, and Kings under stately Monuments, though their Tombs differ from their inferiors, yet their bones do not. An old Philosopher was observed searching a caemitery, and prying busily among the Tombs, and being asked, what he looked for, answered, I come to see if I can find the dust of rich men, and the bones of Princes, but I cannot see which is which; the dust of the rich and of the poor, of Princes and pesants, are all alike to my eye.
And seeing Job makes this an aggravation of the misery of death, that it is without order; We may observe,
That order hath an excellency, and a beauty in it.
The less order there is in any place or state, the worse it is, and where is no order, there it is worst of all. Civil order is the beauty of Common-wealths, and spiritual order is the beauty of the Church. The Apostle rejoiced to behold the order of the Colossians, as well as their faith ( Col. 2.5.) His charge to the Corinthians is, Let all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14.40.) He had warned them ( ver. 33.) to take heed of disorder, because God is not the God of confusion, but of peace; where order is not kept, the peace cannot be kept. Death is evil, and that's without order; hell is worst of all, and there is no order at all. It is a kind of death to see any disorder, and a very hell to see all in disorder.
Some read by the verb, where it shineth like darkness, or thus, where it lighteth like darkness. The Vulgar paraphrases rather then translates, Where there is everlasting horror. Job said before, it was a land of darkness, and of darkness, like darkness itself: yet now he seemeth to affirm, that there is light in the grave, and if there be, how is that darkness like darkness itself? His meaning is, that which looks most like to light in the grave, is darkness, and it is therefore darkness, like darkness itself, because if you can imagine anything to have a show of light in the grave, that very light is as darkness. When the Apostle would invincibly argue the infinite wisdom and strength of God, he saith, The foolishness of God is wiser then men, and the weakness of God is stronger then men (1 Cor. 1.25.) God is only wise, only strong, how then speaks this Apostle of the foolishness or weakness of God? His meaning is, look what act soever of God appears to man, as having foolishness or weakness in it, even that foolishness is wiser, and that weakness stronger then men. In what sense