An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the booke of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...

Vers. 10. Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding.

Elihu like a cunning Orator often stirr'd up his auditors to at∣tention, and made frequent insinuations to winde himselfe and what he had to say into their good opinion. Here he bespake not the promiscuous multitude or common sort of hearers, but wise men, or men of understanding, such as are most fit to judge the weight and strength of those arguments and reasons, by which any poynt is proved and confirmed.

Hearken unto me, ye men of understanding.

The Hebrew is, ye men of heart, so the Margin hath it; As the heart is the principle of naturall life▪ so the principles & powers

of the rationall life are often ascribed to the heart. Job told his friends (Chap. 12.3.) I have a heart (we render, I have an under∣standing) as well as you;* 1.1 and in good Authors a hearty man signifies not only a man of courage, or a man of spirit, but a man of know∣ledge and understanding, a man more then ordinarily wise, a man of the highest Elevation for wisdome, is called a hearty man. Naturalists have ascribed the moving of severall passions, to seve∣rall internall parts of the body; laughter (say they) riseth from the spleene, anger from the Gall, love from the liver, but to the heart they give more then a passion, understanding, which is the noblest faculty of reason. Here Elihu calls upon men of heart, or of understanding to hearken to him.

Hence note.

First, The best may need to have their attentions quickened.

Some will not heare at all, they are like the deafe adder (Psal. 48.4, 5.) that stoppeth her eare, which will not hearken to the voyce of the charmtr, charming never so wisely; The Prophet reproves such (Jer. 6.10.) To whom shall I speak and give warn∣ing, that they may heare; behold their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken; behold, the Word of the Lord is to them a reproach, they have no delight in it; they cannot hearken, that is, they will not; or they cannot hearken, that is spiritually and obediential∣ly, though they have a naturall, yet they have not a gracious eare, as the same Prophet (chap. 11.6, 7, 8.) upbraided them; yet they obeyed not, nor enclined their eare. This sinfull deafnesse the Lord complained of also, (Psal. 81.8.) Heare O my people, (saith God) and at the 11 verse, My people would not hearken to my voyce; Now as bad men will not heare at all to purpose; so the best seldome hear so well or to so good purpose as they ought and might. Men of heart or of understanding are sometimes slow of hearing, and may need to have their eare awakened.

Secondly, note.

It is an incouragement in speaking to have understanding hearers.

When a people have not only eares, but hearts to heare, then the word is heard indeed. We may suppose understanding men will probably prove the best hearers; the Prophet was in hope

to find it so, though he failed of his hopes. (Jer. 5.4.) Surely these are poore, they are foolish (men of low parts, and thin in∣tellectualls) for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judg∣ment of their God. I will get me to the great men and will speake un∣to them, for they have knowne the way of the Lord, (they are wise surely and understanding) yet he was disappoynted in his re∣course to them, as it followeth in the same verse, but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. There is a naturall wisdome which hindereth the hearing of the word, there∣fore the Apostle saith; Not many wise men after the flesh are cal∣led, that is, savingly called; the word hath its full effect upon few of them, they are not prevailed with to beleeve and obey; they are called, but they come not. Though wisdome be an ad∣vantage to profitable hearing, yet all naturall wise men doe not hear profitably, nor indeed can any, by all the wisdome of na∣ture.

Thirdly, note.

A man without understanding is a heartlesse man.

Headlesse men are heartlesse men. It is said (Hos. 7.11.) E∣phraim is like a silly dove without a heart. All the people of God are or should be innocent doves, like doves for innocency and gracious simplicity; but how unbecoming is it that any of them should be doves for sillinesse or silly doves without a heart; that is without any spirit or courage for God, and the things or wayes of God. To be without a heart is to be without a due apprehen∣sion of the mind of God, or any true conformity thereunto; 'tis to have no knowledge either to doe good, or to be good; all such are silly doves without a heart, without understanding, and all such are yet unfit and unprepared hearers. Hearken to me ye men of understanding,

Farre be it from God that he should doe wickedly.

The Septuagint turn the sence of the words into another chan∣nell;* 1.2 as if Elihu spake here in his own vindication, and not in Gods; and so they render the Text personally of Elihu; Farre be it from me that I should do wickedly before God; or, that I should pervert Justice before the Almighty; as if Elihu had said; I am now to speake before God, or in Gods presence; God being my wit∣nesse,

therefore I had need look to it while I am speaking before the righteous God, that I speake righteously, and while I speak before the God of truth, that I speak according unto truth; farre be it from me that I should doe wickedly before God; there is a truth in this translation. But this is not a true translation according to the He∣brew; nor is it the truth of this place. Elihu speaking in so weighty a matter might well say farre be it from me to pervert justice so much as in a word, because I speake before God, and am in the presence of the Almighty. We should not speak a word amisse in his sight or hearing, who seeth and heareth what all men doe and say, whatsoever they are doing or saying, especially, when they are doing or saying that which is of neare concernment to himselfe. This rendring gives us a usefull caution. But doubt∣lesse Elihu's purpose here was not to shew with what reverence of God, himselfe was about to speak, but that he was about to speak for the vindication of the righteousness of God, which he thought Job had wronged by that assertion when he said, (vers. 9.) It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. Hereupon Elihu with some heat of spirit turnes upon him in these words,

Farre be it from God that he should doe wickedly.

The word rendred God forbid is often used in Scripture, im∣plying the greatest detestation and utter abhorrence of that which is extreamly offensive to us;* 1.3 the root of it signifieth any thing that is prophane, filthy, or polluted; because all prophane things and persons are farre from God, that is, such as he utterly abhor∣reth. Further, the verbe signifieth as to pollute, or to prophane, so to offer violence, to wound and kill uniustly or murtherously; which sence complyeth fully with the businesse in hand. Job had complained that his innocency, at least that he being innocent, was sorely afflicted and wounded, and lay as it were weltring in in his gore and blood. Hereupon Eiihu stands up to vindicate the righteousnesse and justice of God, Farre be it from God, &c. When a Judge doth unrighteously he offereth violence to the Law, and viciates that chast Virgin Justice, committed to his care and keeping. All acts of injustice are therefore farre from God, even the abomination of his soul, because polluted and filthy in them∣selves, as also such as pollute and defile all those that use them.

Thus Abraham spake to God (Gen. 18.23, 25.) Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked, that be farre from thee, &c. He spake of it with indignation as a thing most unworthy of God, to wrap up good and bad in the same common calamity. When all Josephs brethren as one man (Gen. 44.17.) offered to be∣come his prisoners, God forbid (said he) that I should doe so, ye shall not all suffer for one mans sault; let that be farre from me, he that is found in fault only shall be my prisoner. Thus E∣lihu would remove the remotest suspicion of unrighteousnesse from God when he saith, farre be it from God that he should doe wickedness.

Hence note.

We should reject all unworthy thoughts of God with indignation and detestation.

The Apostle shewed a spirit full of this fire (Rom. 3.5, 6.) Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) that is, naturall or carnall men are apt to think so, but God forbid, or, let it not be once named by those who name (that is, profess) the name of God. If every one who nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity (2 Tim. 2.19.) woe to those who say that Christ himself closeth with any iniquity. As God himself puts all evill farre from him, so should we put the least thought of it farre from God. What can be more unjust then to have so much as the shadow of a thought that God doth any injustice! away with such blasphemous suggestions, can he who is the very rule of righteousnesse doe unrighteously? To throw this dirt into the face of God hath as much absurdity and irrationallity as blas∣phemy in it. None but they who know not God, can have such apprehensions of him. To doe wickednesse is farre from God, and therefore let man be farre, even as farre as the east is from the west, from saying or thinking that he doth any. Farre be it from God

That he should doe wickedness.

* 1.4The Text is, farre be it from God from wickedness, we render that he should doe wickedness. The word signifieth wickedness of the worst sort; that wickedness which does not only break the Law (so every the least sin doth) but slights it, and denyeth it

any reverence or regard. It is farre from a godly man to sin at this rate, to doe wickednesse. Then, O how farre is it from God that he should doe wickedness,

And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

Elihu useth two Titles or Names of God, First, the strong God, the mighty God. Secondly, Almighty, the Allsufficient God; farre be it from the Allsufficient that he should doe any iniquity. He that hath all things in his power, and can command Heaven and Earth, heart and hand, he that is able to supply all deficien∣cies in the creature by his allsufficiency, farre be it from this Allmighty God that he should commit iniquity towards man. Strength without goodnesse is alwayes unprofitable, and often hurtfull. Goodness without strength is very unusefull because so weake. But where both strength and goodness meere and center in the same person, as he is able to doe much good, so he hath no will to doe evill or offer injury to others. How then should the Allsufficient commit iniquity?

The word rendred iniquity signifies any crookedness or per∣versnesse, any distortion of right and justice. Now right or justice is distorted many wayes, chiefly these five.* 1.5

First, by a flat denyall of it. Secondly, by a tedious delaying of it. Thirdly, by punishing where there is no fault. Fourthly, by not rewarding where there is desert. Fifthly, Justice or right is distorted, by giving the same or a-like award to those who are un∣like, or (in their acts or deserts, whether good or bad) not the same. To doe any of these perverse or crooked things is the do∣ing of iniquity, or the perverting of Justice. All these Elihu remo∣veth farre from God, while he saith, Farre be it from the Almigh∣ty that he should commit iniquity. God will not, cannot commit ini∣quity, either by denying or delaying justice, either by not puni∣shing or rewarding where there is cause, or by dealing out alike to those in whose doing and dispositions there is an utter unlike∣ness. Farre be it from the Almighty, that he should commit any of these iniquities.

Hence note.

First, To doe any act of injustice is wickednesse.

Elihu taxed Job, for complaining of Gods Justice (v. 9.) And

here he saith, Far be it from God, that he should doe wickednesse. Injustice is wickednesse against God, who commandeth us to be just, and it is wickednesse against man, who is alwayes wronged by injustice.

Secondly, As to that particular which Elihu chargeth Job with.

Note.

If the Lord should not reward those that serve him, and delight in him, he were uxrighteous.

(Heb: 6.10.) God is not unrighteous to forget your labour of love; He is not unrighteous to forget it, that is, not to recom∣pence it; by forgetting it, he doth not meane the letting of it slip out of his mind, but the not making a due returne to it, or the not giving it a just reward. It is unrighteousnesse in God not to reward those who serve him, because he hath promised to reward them. Say to the righteous, it shall be well with him (Isa: 3.10.) The promises run to it, all the Scripture over; and as it would be unrighteousnesse in God not to reward those that do well; so not to pardon them that have done ill when they confesse their evill deeds, because he hath promised to pardon them; and therefore the Scripture saith (1 John 1.9.) If we confesse our sins, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins. The Scripture doth not say, he is mercifull to forgive us our sins, (though mercy act to the highest in the forgiveness of sin) but he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins; and the reason why the Scripture saith so, is because forgiveness of sin (in case of confession) is under a pro∣mise. To come short of our promises, is to be unrighteous; promi∣ses are bonds upon the promiser, and oblige to performance.

Thirdly, Note.

The strong God, the mighty God, neither doth nor can doe any unrighteousnesse or iniquity.

I say, he neither doth nor can doe iniquity. God can doe no ini∣quity, because in him there is none. He is my rocke (saith David, Psal: 92.15.) and there is no unrighteousnesse in him. As none can doe righteousnesse, but they that are righteous, so he that nei∣ther is nor can be unrighteous, cannot doe any unrighteousnesse. That in the Psalme is very considerable, that while he saith, There

is no unrighteousnesse in God, he immediately before said, He is my rocke; implying that God can no more be moved or removed from doing righteously, then a rocke can be removed out of its place. We find Moses also giving God the same attribute, when he spake of his indeclinableness in justice (Deut: 32.4.) He is a rocke, his worke is perfect, all his wayes are Judgement. The wayes of God are not all judgement, as Judgement is opposed to mer∣cy; some of his wayes are mercy, and others of them are Judge∣ment; but all his wayes are judgement, as Judgement is opposed to injustice or unrighteousnesse, that's the signification of Judge∣ment, when Moses saith, All his wayes are Judgement, he is a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. The Apostle puts this denying question with much vehemency (Rom: 9.14.) What shall we say then, is there unrighteousnesse with God? God for∣bid. And 'tis very considerable that the Apostle put this questi∣on with so much abhorrence, presently after he had spoken of that Act of God which is so much quarrelled at by the sons of men, as unrighteous and unjust; Esau have I hated, and Jacob have I loved, and that, when they had done neither good nor evill (v. 11.) What (say some) will God doe thus? will he hate or love, be∣fore ever men doe good or evill? yeas, such acts of love and ha∣tred, of election and rejection are gone out from God. And be∣cause Paul foresaw, that men (according to their narrow appre∣hension) would be ready to say, surely God is not right in this; therefore he subjoynes, What shall we say then? is there unrighte∣ousnesse in God? As if he had sayd, I know some men will be rea∣dy enough to say so, and thinke they have reason enough to say so; They all must needs say so, who measure God by their shallow braines, (such are the deepest braines compared with God) and therefore Arminius, with his followers, (that they may avoyd this difficulty) carry the interpretation of this Scripture to another poynt, as if it had nothing to doe with the eternall purpose of God concerning man, but only respected his dealings with them about temporalls, or his dealing out temporalls to them. I urge that text because it hath occasion'd (through mans corruption) great contending and quarrelling about the righteousness of God; yea some have presumed, there can be no maintaining that opinion of the absolute decree, without fastening unrighteousnesse upon God. But the Apostle by the Spirit foreseeing this fleshly obje∣ction,

hath forelayed and prevented it, concluding, O man, who art thou that replyest against God, shall the clay contend with the potter, &c.

Now, as in this act of eternal Election, so in all providentiall acts, the Lord is infinitely unmoveably and unspottedly just and righteous; he not only doth righteous things, but he cannot doe any thing that is unrighteous. And this seeming impotency is the reall power of God; and his most glorious perfection. For, as 'tis from the weaknesse of man that he can doe iniquity, so 'tis from the power of God that he cannot. That God cannot lye, that he cannot doe any unworthy thing, is an argument of his omnipo∣tence. God can no more doe iniquity, then he can cease to be God; his righteousnesse, his justice is himselfe; the Justice of God is the just God, the righteousnesse of God, is the righteous God; he hath not only a principle of righteousnesse in him, as man may have, and every Godly man truely hath, but he is righteous∣nesse.* 1.6 A Heathen Poet had this apprehension of his Idol Gods; They love not unrighteousnesse, but honour Justice. But Jehovah the true, the living God, doth more then affectionately love and ho∣nour Justice, He is is essentially Just. That man who is in a state of righteousnesse, loves to be doing and will doe righteous acts; things and persons are in their working as they are in their being; He that doth righteousnesse is righteous, (1 John 3.7.) God is righteous, infinitely righteous, in his being, or nature, therefore he cannot but doe that which is righteous; to doe an unrighteous act were to offer violence to himselfe, to destroy himselfe.

Againe, God doth not worke by a rule without him, as men doe (and therefore men often goe beside the rule, and doe amisse, or act unrighteously, because the rule is one thing, and they are another, the rule is without them) but God himselfe is the very rule of all things, and hence it followeth undeniably, that every thing is righteous and just which he doth, even because he doth it; 'tis enough to prove that right which is done, if we can prove God hath done it. The proud Monarch Nebuchadnezzar, was at last brought to this confession (Dan: 4.34, 35.) At the end of the dayes (namely, of his seven yeares banishment to the beasts) I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine under∣standing returned unto me, and I blessed the most high, &c. Who doth according to his will (there is the rule with him) in the Army

of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, nor say unto him, what dost thou? Which is true upon a double account, First, as to his soveraignty and dominion, he is supreame Lord, and none can give him a check or countermand; Who may say unto him, what dost thou? Secondly, with respect to his righteousnesse. As he can doe what he will; so he will doe nothing, yea he can doe nothing but what is right, or what he may; Who can say unto him, thou hast done amisse? Who can see a fault, in any of his workes? If God hath done a thing, there is no query to be put about it whether it be right or no? for he is righteous∣nesse it selfe.

Abraham useth another argument to shew that God can doe no unrighteousnesse (Gen: 18.25.) Shall not the Judge of all the earth doe right? God (saith he) is the Judge of all men, there∣fore he neither will nor can doe wrong to any man. Abraham did not plead there, as if he doubted that God might goe wrong, unlesse he by his intercession did take him off; but he brings an argument whereby he was assured that God would doe right, yea could not but doe right. He is the Judge of all the earth. So (Rom: 3.6.) assoone as the Apostle had sayd, Is God unrighte∣ous that takes vengeance? I speak as a man; he subjoynes, God for∣bid, how then shall God judge the world? God is Judge of all the world, and the universality of his power puts him above all possi∣bility of error in the exercise of his power. The very reason why God doth not, cannot exercise his power beyond or besides the limits of justice, is because his power is altogether unlimited.

Fourthly, Elihu here speakes of God under the notion of a Judge; Shall he doe wickedly? shall he commit iniquity?

Hence note.

It is an abomination for Judges to doe unjustly.

Judges have justice, as it were, in their keeping, they have the charge of justice; is it not an abomination for the keepers or pro∣tectors of Justice to violate it! Elihu having thus denied unrigh∣teousnesse or any iniquity in God, proceeds to the proofe of it. To deny had been enough in this matter, but he gives a demon∣stration; as severall have been held out already in prosecuting the former observation, so the following text holds out another.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Egregiè corda∣tus homo. i. e. valde sapiens. Cic: 1. Tuscul:
• * 1.2

  Absit a me co∣ram domino im∣pie ager•• &c. Sept:
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 profa∣num aut pollu∣tum esse. A deo procul est omne profanum. Af∣fectionem indi∣cat animi, qui scelus aliquid a se, vel ab alio deprecatur et horret. Sanct:
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifi∣cat quodvis peccati genus, quod contra ae∣quitatis sit nor∣mam, omnique careat legis ratione. Bold:
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fraudem aliquando innu∣it. Et generali∣ter diutur de omni injuria omni{que} malo contra leges.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Homer: