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. 11. He putteth my feet in the stockes, he marketh all my paths.

We had these words expressely (Chap: 13.27.) there they have been opened already, Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my pathes. That which hath been said as to the Generall sence and scope of that text, may serve for this; And therefore I referre the reader thither. I shall only adde two or three notes from the metaphor; He put my feet in the stocks, that is, he presseth me with very close and sore afflictions.

Hence Observe.

First, To be in affliction, is to be in a painfull condition; there is little ease in the stocks.

No chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous (Heb: 12.11.) To be under a crosse is be under a burden.

Secondly, Afflictions keepe us under restraint. He hath little liberty as well as little ease that is in the stocks: afflictions hold us in, they are as a prison to us. Afflictions are a restraint two wayes; First, to our corruptions; yea, through the grace of God, afflictions are more then restraints to corruption, they become the death of corruption, they are appoynted (among other ser∣vices) for the mortifying of corruption, that it may not live in us, much more are they a restraint to corruption, that it may not get out, nor worke in us as before. Many times, when a good man hath the world at will, his corruptions thinke to have their will too; and when he is at liberty, lusts would grow licentious: Therefore God seeth it necessary to put his servants in the stocks, that their lusts may be in the stocks too. Thus he told the Church (Hos: 2.6.) Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thornes, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths. The thorne-hedge was as a stocks to stop them that they should not walk disorder∣ly, nor act inordinately as they had done. This course God takes

with many, he puts them in the stocks, that he may keepe them from the wayes of sin, or give check to some unruly affection. When we need this discipline, we may looke for it, and 'tis a mercy to be under it. Will you not keep order? (saith God) then you shall to the stocks. Secondly, afflictions are a restraint to our comforts, as well as to our corruptions. As this expression notes the taking of lusts short, so the taking of us short as to lawfull liberties and enjoyments. Sickness upon the body sowres all that this world hath, to us, and will not suffer us to use much of it, how much soever of it we possesse. Many have enough to eate, who never eate in pleasure, as Job sayd (Chap: 21.25.) And when in our prosperity we run out and take unlawfull li∣berty, God sends an affliction, as his stocks, to hold us from our lawfull liberties. When we have had vaine out-goings and ex∣cesses of spirit, all going well with us and comfortably in the world, we may expect the stocks next, or that things should goe ill with us, yet for our good.

Thirdly, To be in the stocks is a disgracefull thing; it is not only a paine and a restraint, but it is a reproach; He that is in the stocks, or in the pillory, is exposed to shame, every one poynts at him, and many revile him. Affliction as to the eye of the world, carrieth a disgrace with it, or, at least, subjects the person afflicted to disgrace; And it hath been shewed from severall pas∣sages of this booke, how Job's afflictions were interpreted to his disgrace; and he lookt upon, as I may say, like a vagabond in the stocks, that God had brought him thither, and clapt him by the heeles for his misdemeanours. Though afflictions diminish no mans honour or esteeme with God, or with his people (an afflicted Saint is as precious and honorable in their eyes, as when in the greatest prosperity; The clouds of trouble cannot ec∣clipse the glory of Grace, nor render the gracious contemptible to those who know them such) yet, as to the eye and opinion of worldly men they doe. Job sayd his afflictions were a witness a∣gainst him, as if all were not right with him, yea, as if he had been very unrighteous. The stocks are a witness against a man, that surely he hath done some ill thing. Thus you see there is paine in affliction, restraint in affliction, disgrace in affliction, especially in the opinion of the world, and therefore to be in af∣fliction is to be as in the stocks. He putteth my feet in the stocks.

He marketh all my paths.

Which some expound, as if when the Lord had let him out of the stocks, yet he was but like a prisoner with his keeper at his heels; He marketh all my paths. I have spoken to this also be∣fore; I shall now only Note.

There is no stepping out of the eye or sight of God.

He markes all our paths, not only our open paths, but our se∣cret paths; not only what paths our feet walke in, but paths our hearts walke in. He marketh what our thoughts are, what our scope is, what our aymes and ends are. He marketh not only our day-paths, but our night-paths; He watcheth all our paths. Take this Caution from it;

As the Lord marks all our paths, so it will be our wisdome to mark our owne paths.

If the Lords eye be so strict over all our wayes, shall we be carelesse of our wayes? If he look upon our walkings, shall not we look to our walkings? There are many arguments (from love, from returns of thankfulness for received benefits) which should provoke the people of God to heed and marke their own wayes; but surely this ought to be a very cogent argument, because God marks them, He marketh all our paths. Therefore as the Apostle gives counsel and admonition (Eph: 5.15.) See that ye walke circumspectly, not as fooles but as wise. What our wisdome is, yea whether we have any wisdome, whether we are wise or fooles will be seene by our walkings. Some can talke and discourse ve∣ry wisely, who yet walke very foolishly, and whose whole course is folly.

So much for the opening of this charge brought by Elihu a∣gainst Job, his over-justifying of himselfe, and his reflecting upon the goodnesse and love of God. Elihu proceeds yet further to deale with and refute him, as also to answer for God. Behold, in this thou art not just, &c. This I charge thee with and will prove it, thou hast spoken sinfully and unbecommingly of God and of thy selfe in all this.