An exposition of the book of Job being the sum of CCCXVI lectures, preached in the city of Edenburgh / by George Hutcheson ...

Vers, 13. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keepe me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

14. If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change c••m••.

15. Thou shalt call, and I will answere thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

The fourth Argument (propounded in these verses, and amplified and enlarged to the end of the Chapter) is taken from the great perplexities and strange wishes to which his trouble drave him; in so much that, though he see somewhat of a black cloud in death in the foregoing verses, yet, here, he would be content of something like it for a time. The sum of the Ar∣gument (whereof the Antecedent is expressed in his strange with and conflicts about it, from whence the Consequent may be drawn from the scope of the whole discourse) i••, He thinks God should pity him under his affl••ctions, considering how hardly they pinched him, and did put him upon strange and irre∣gular desires, which he could hardly wrestle against, or get suppressed.

For clearing of the words, wherein this Argument is contained; if we put, v. 14. in a Parenthesis, and read, v 15. thus; (which the Original will bear, as well as the present Translation) Thou shouldest call, and I would answer; Thou shouldest have a desire to the worke of thine hands. If (I say) we thus read the words, the sense will run very clear and smooth. For the words contain these three.

1. The wish to which his trouble did drive him, v. 13. The meaning whereof is, in sum; The ap∣prehension of Gods displeasure at this time was so dreadful to him; that it would be sweet unto him, and was his earnest desire, he might he hid even in the grave, till it were past, and till a set time should come, wherein God would remember him with favour, and bring him out again.

2. The correction of this wish (interjected, v. 14) as being absurd that a man should expect after death to return to this life again; And therefore he not only condemneth that wish in his judgement, but in his practice resolves submissively and patiently to wait for his ordinary change by death.

3. The resuming and prosecuting of his wish again, v. 15. For albeit the words; as they are translated, may be understood of his expectation of favour at the Resurrection, after that change by death, v. 14. Yet considering that he doth not abide by that submission v. 14. but returns to his complaint, v. 16. where he regrets what God doth now, in opposition to what he desired: I encline (according to the other reading) to joyn it with, v. 13. as being a prosecution of what he had there propounded, which his reflexion upon the absurdity thereof had made him reject; v. 14. and now his present distress makes him resume it again. In the proposal of his wish, v. 13. as he had insi∣nuated the greatness of his trouble, and his sad appre∣hension of Gods displeasure, in that it made him wish to be hid from it for a time, in the grave: So, he had insinuated his faith, in that he could not but wish and expect that his hiding should be but for a set time, after which God would remember him. Now here he prosecutes this his confidence, and dwells upon the thoughts of his sweet and comfortable con∣dition, if his desire were granted. For whereas now his steps were numbered, and his sin watched over, v. 16. if he were hid till that tempest were over, it would be far otherwise. Then God would certainly respect him as his own workmanship (not only by Creation, but especially, by grace) and consequently, would miss and desire after him, and seek and call for him to do him good; And he should come out of his grave and answer, and partake of the sweet fruits of that reconciliation. Compare Chap. 7.21. where we have some expressions of his confidence like unto those, though uttered to another purpose.

In his wish and desire, v. 13. it cannot be denyed that there is much passion, and distemper and weak∣ness yet much honesty, and that which is sound, appears in it also. And therfore I shall remark both what is commendable, and worthy of imitation in it; and what may be gathered, for instruction and cauti∣on, from his weakn••ss and failings;

And so we may Learn,

1. Wrath from the Lord is very terrible, especially to them who have tasted of his love, and do feel and know the power of his anger; Psal 90.11. For, Job reckons, That to be hid in the grave and keept secret there, till wrath were past, were a sweet lot. See, Psal. 6.1, 2, &c. & 38.1, 2, &c. And if wrath be thus sad to Saints, what shall be the condition of the wicked, who are Trees dried to be fewel to the fire? See Isai. 2 19. Rev. 6.15, 16, 17, It is our duty to fear the displeasure of God, and it is a good evidence of honesty in men to attain it, provided it be done in time, and they do so fear and apprehended it, as they endeavour to get out of its way.

2. Such as have obtained grace to believe that God is not dealing, in wrath, when he afflicts them, may yet be driven, by sense and extremity of trouble, to fear it again; For, notwithstanding Job's confi∣dence, Chap. 13.16, 17. and elsewhere, he is now driven upon the apprehension of wrath. Then, he would appear, now, he would be hid, We should not stumble, though we be thus tossed after believing; and, from his example, we should learn to beware of complaining which wakened his tentations and appre∣hensions.

3. Trouble, and apprehensions of Gods displea∣sure, will bring out great weaknesses; and will much distemper Saints in their Prayers, and draw them to very passionate and irregular desires: As here Job is driven to press an absurd desire, that he might be hid and keept secret in the grave, till a set time. We have have need of much caution and sobriety in our Prayers and Desires, when we are in trouble. And parti∣cularly, those weaknesses may be observed, in Job's propounding of this desire, for our admonition.

1. It distempered him that he apprehended God angry, when he was not; As, ordinarily, it is our

fault that our own spirits become a spirit of bondage to us, when the Spirit of Adoption is our allow∣ance.

2. It was his weakness to think that any conditi∣on, even the granting of this strange wish, were better, and more fit, for him then his present lot, which was carved out by God. It is our presumpti∣on ordinarily, to reflect upon Gods guiding of us, and to reckon that any thing were better then what he doth.

3. It was his mistake to think that such a change of his condition was needful, to bring him ease and relief; seeing a change of his condition within, (like that, v. 14.) would afford him more certain and speedy help. We often toil our selves, seeking ease in the change of our outward lots, when it might be found nearer at hand, in getting our spirits in a right frame.

4. It was his fault to wish this out-gate, which was impossible by the ordinary course of Nature established by God (as himself judgeth of it, v. 14.) and that ordinary appointed comforts will not sa∣tisfie him. It is a sure evidence that we are in a distemper, when the Consolations of God are small with us, and we cannot be satisfied, unless God do some extraordinary and singular thing for us.

Doct. 4. In the saddest confl••cts of tentation and sense, faith and honesty will still kyth, in some measure, in Saints; As appears from this very wish of Job: wherein,

1. All his apprehensions of wrath make him not quit his confidence that it shall not be thus for ever, but that a set time will put an end to it. Thus also doth the Psalmist rowze up his confidence un∣der tentations, Psal. 77.8, 9, 10. which is worthy of imitation.

2. He desires not death desperately, as it is only a back-door to shun present trouble; but he pro∣pounds this extraordinary desire in a way of believing, and bodeing well of God in the issue. This many do forget in their passionate desires, when they cast away all confidence.

3. It flowed from his desire of Gods favour, and to have it cleared toward him, for encouragement to all others to walk in the ways of holiness, that he de∣clines to go away for ever in a cloud, and would be remembered and appear again, when wrath is passed, that others, seeing the end of the Lord, might be incouraged, as well as himself would be refreshed. And here (whatever his failings were) his general scope is good, to desire to enjoy Gods favour above all things, Psal. 4.6, 7. and that others be not stumbled nor discouraged, Psal. 69.6.

4. As he doth not proudly think he is able to stand out this storm; So neither doth he flee from God, or to Hills and Mountains (Rev. 6.15, 16, 17.) to be hid from this apprehended wrath: But, know∣ing that God alone can hide a man from his own in∣dignation, he fleeth to him for that effect, O that thou wouldest hide me, &c. Which is a practice well be∣seeming Saints, that (whatever anger they appre∣hend in God) they still flee to himself for suc∣cour.

Doct. 5. The perplexities and hard shifts to which Gods people are put, is an argument of help, especi∣ally, when somewhat of sincerity appears in the midst of them; For, as Job's particular scope in this wish, is, that he may be satisfied in this desire; so, his general scope, in propounding the whole matter to God, by way of Plea and Argument, in this debate and complaint, is, to plead for pity and moderation toward a man who was thus perplexed. And though it be a mans fault and weakness to be thus distem∣pered, yet if we take with it, and lay it before God as our weakness (as Job doth here, v. 14.) it will plead pity, Isai. 57.16, 17, 18. Namely, in so far as is for our good, though yet he will humble us, that we may know our weakness, and will not suffer us to want needful exercise.

In his correcting of his wish, v. 14. (wherein, as hath been said,

1. He corrects it in point of judgment, as think∣ing it absurd to expect that a man, once dead, should return to this life again.

2. He corrects it in his practice, resolving to wait submissively and patiently, till his great and final change by death shall come.)

We may Learn,

1. Such is the Lords mercy towards his tossed Children, that their hottest fits of distemper will have sweet cools and abatements; As here Job re∣tracts and condemns his former wish.

2. A special mean to calm distempered spirits, is, when they do not persist rashly in their passionate apprehensions and humours, as Jonah 4.4, 9. but do re∣flect upon, and examine, their own frame and desires; and when (finding that they are wrong) they make use of their light and judgment, to argue and reason themselves out of their distempers, however their af∣fections be pestered. Thus doth Job reflect, and make use of his light to argue against his own wish, If a man die, shall he live again? See Psal. 42.5.

3. It is not to be approved in our selves, that Gods means and comforts will not satifie us, unless impossi∣bilities and wonders be shewed for us, and to us; For, Job finding his desire impossible, doth reject it with indignation, as his Question imports.

4. When our imagined issues fail us, there is a nearer and surer issue to be found, in Patience, Submission and Hope; All those are comprehended under waiting, which Job fixed upon, after he hath found his own desire to be absurd; I will wait, saith he. See 1 Cor. 10.13. 2 Cor. 12.7, 8, 9, 10.

5. Such as resolve to find an issue of their trouble in patient submission, must let patience have its per∣fect work, Jam. 1.4. They must not fix their own time, how long they will wait upon God, and no longer, as 2 King. 6.33. but must submit that God be the appointer of the time of their patience and ex∣ercise; For, saith he, All the days of my appointed time will I wait.

6. As it is at death that Saints get a complete relax∣ation & case of all their troubles; so they must resolve, if it be Gods will, to wait all their life in a continual warfare, without a satisfactory issue of their troubles; For, Job resolves to wait till his change come, even all the days of his appointed time, or life, and that in a warfare, as the word tendered, appointed time, also signifies.

7. It may encourage Saints to wait thus long, that death unto them is not a destruction, but a change; as here he calleth it. And, indeed, it is a

great change (as in many respects common to all men; in that it turns an animated body to a rotten carcase; that it is a change wherein a man is fixed everlastingly in that state of his person wherein it finds him; that it levels the greatest of men with the meanest; Job 3.13, 14, 17, 18, 19. Ezek. 32.17.—32, &c. So,) Particularly to the godly, in that then they are delivered from sin, misery, toil, and discomfort, Rev. 14.13. and then they will have the better of the wicked, who trampled upon them in the world, Luke 16.25. which will be made manifest in the Resurrection, Psal. 49.14.

From v. 15. (wherein he resumes his former wish, and expatiates upon the advantages he expected, if it were granted.) Learn,

1. Passions may be strong in exercised Saints, that they will not be permitted to continue in their resolutions of submission; For, here, after he had corrected and rejected his own wish, v. 14. he falls upon it again. We must not mistake such tos∣sings; For submission must be a new gift every mo∣ment.

2. Passions and Tentations are, oft times, fed and cherished with many pleasing fancies of happiness, if we got our will in our desires; As here those sweet apprehensions, how it would be with him if God would hide him till the storm were over, drew him to his wish, and to hearken to the tentation again. Then, saith he, thou wouldest call, and I would answer, &c. whereas now it is far otherwise, v. 16. Herein he failed, in thinking his own way of guiding would be far better than that which God took; in fancying those advantages which God had never promised, on his terms; and, in fancying them to come in a way of his own, when he might have expected them, with more advantage, in Death, and at the Resurrection. This doth warn us, never to promise our selves any good out of Gods way, and to limit our expectation of comforts and issues to Gods Promises, lest our lo∣ving fancies breed us much trouble, if they be not satisfied.

3. Though Job timed his expectation of those ad∣vantages ill; yet here are held out sweet Truths and Consolations of Saints, which they may expect will be accomplished and made out to them at the last day; and, it may be, sooner, though God will not be limited, far less will he condiscend to such a way of it as Job proposed. And,

1. It makes a sweet time indeed, when God, after frowning, begins to smile again upon his people; As Job here supposeth it would be, when Gods wrath is is past, v. 13. Thou wouldest call, and I would answer, &c. See Jer. 31.20. Isai. 40.1, 2. & 54.7, 8.

2. Albeit Saints were so low, as one in a grave, that they could not help themselves, not get a look of God; yet then the kindness will begin on his side; For, Thou wouldest call, (saith he) by a voyce of Omnipotency, upon dead Job. So Chap. 7.21. Thou wilt seek me.

3. When God but speaks and calls on a Saint, to comfort him, he will be made to answer, were he in his grave; For, saith he, Thou wouldest call, and I should answer thee. Here his faith goeth further then it did, Chap. 7.21. where he said, Thou shalt seek me, but I shall not be: though he spake more truly then, as to Gods ordinary way by the course of Na∣ture.

4. When God hath wrought a work of grace in any, he will respect that, and have a care of them as his own workmanship, were they even in a grave; For, Thou would have a desire to the work of thine hands. See Chap. 10.3.