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

Vers. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him, and ••e at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

Followeth the Second Part of the Chapter, wherein Eliphaz, having endeavoured to convince Job that he was wicked, doth now (as he had done in his

first discourse) sweeten this sharpness with an Ex∣hortation to be converted and repent, pressed upon him by many encouragements. The Exhortation is propounded in several branches, with some encou∣ragements intermixed, v. 21, 22, 23. Unto which other encouragements are expressly subjoyned, v. 24, &c. Concerning this part of the Chapter it is to be marked, in General.

1. That the Exhortation contains sound Doctrine, concerning the way of an unrenewed man, or hy∣pocrites, conversion and turning unto God; But it is ill directed and applyed to Job, as if he had been an hypocrite before, and ought now to cast away the testimony and evidences of his former in∣tegrity.

2. As for the Arguments, or, Encouragements, espe∣cially these promises of temporal prosperity upon his repentance; whatever truth be in them, that such Promises are put in the Believers Charter, to be performed as God seeth good, 1 Tim. 4 8. Yet they hold not true in Eliphaz's sense, that prosperity will be heaped upon every penitent and godly man. For, the Scriptures, and Experience in all Ages, do bear wit∣ness to the contrary.

In this verse we have,

1. An Exhortation in two Branches, that Job should acquaint himself, or, become familiar, with God, and be at peace; which is a good counsel, when given to the fit person.

2. A General Encouragement subjoyned, that he shall reap good, and advantage by so doing.

Obs. 1. It may be one of the godlies tryals un∣der affliction, to have all their Piety judged to have been hypocrisie, and that they must begin of new, as if they had never done any thing in sin∣cerity before; For, so is Job dealt with here. And godly m••n may be tempted to yield to this, both on the left hand, by rough usage, wherewith Job hath been essayed in the former part of the Dis∣course, and on the right hand, by soft and smoo••h insinuations, wherewith he is assaulted here.

Hence,

1. It is the duty of men, to expect that their state will be tried, and that their integrity (real, or, supposed) will be assaulted, when tryals come; as the winds and ra••t••y how the house is builded, Mat. 7.24, 27.

2. It is acceptable service in the truly godly to stand fast in this tryal, and not to rase the founda∣tions, whatever infirmities and miscarriages they see cause to acknowledge; For, it is sent to be a tryal, wherein they ought not to faint.

3. They are very cruel, and do try sharply, who call the grace of godly men in question in the day of their tryal.

Obs. 2. Greatest sharpness against mens persons and faults, ought to be seasoned with sweetness and love; As here Eliphaz subjoyns sweet insinuations to his former sharp discourse (though he had omit∣ted it in his last discourse, Chap. 15.) and falls a be∣seeching acquaint thy self now, or, I beseech thee. Sharp rebukes ought to be mixed with love, to make them take; For, it is no easie art to reprove men aright, but requires much honesty, tenderness, and love.

Obs. 3. Afflictions do never speak rightly to men, but when they press Reconciliation with God upon them▪ either to secure it by renewed evi∣dences and assurances, if they be already reconci∣led, or, to make it up, if it be otherwise; For, in this sense his Doctrine is sound, though it must not be granted that every afflicted man is unre∣newed, and hath the friendship to begin. But otherwise, whatever afflictions seem to say from God to us, yet it speaks love in God, and safety to us, if our afflictions lead us to God-ward, to make sure his favour, and to have all our losses made up by it; and to run away f••om God in afflictions speaks our condition to be very deplorable, Isa. 1.5. Jer. 5.3.

Obs. 4. It it a sweet encouragement to seek to God, that it is never unseasonable, within time, to seek to have our peace made up with him. But when we are not only sinful, but wicked, and sadly smitten for it, yet we are allowed to turn to God, and it is to good purpose so to do; F••••, though Eliphaz suppose Job to be wicked, and that he is plagued for it; yet he exhorts h••m now to come to God. See Jer. 3.1. Lev. 26.21, 22, — 40, 41, 42. God will make sinners welcome who come to him, after they have wandered long and far, and when all other doors are shut upon them. And his rods are sent forth to drive us to his mercy, and do say unto us, Why will ye die? Ezek. 18.31. See Hos. 2.5, 6, 7.

Obs. 5. The first Exhortation is, Acquaint thy self with him, or, converse habitually and famili∣arly with him (as a servant attends upon his Ma∣ster, and a friend converseth with his friend) and reap the profit of Reconciliation, as the word signi∣fieth also to profit, v. 2. and frequently. And so it may be understood in opposition to what is said, v 2. That though his righteousness could not profit God, nor his counterfeit righteousness profit himself. Yet he would do well to take a tryal how much ad∣vantage his real acquaintance with God should bring unto him. It points out,

1. A chief cause of mens continuing in a state of distance from God, is, their ignorance and want of acquaintance with him; He is an unknown and mi∣staken God, and therefore his service and way are also mistaken and sleighted. See Psal. 9.10. Isa. 40.27, 28, &c. and 51.12, 13. Rev. 15.4. Sleighte••s of God and his servic•• do proclaim their ignorance. And hence it is, also, that Saints do mistake his frown∣ings, his not answering of their Prayers, his afflicting of them, &c. In all which his counsels and thoughts are very deep.

2. The Lord approves of no pretence of Conver∣sion or Reconciliation, when men are not habitual in their converse with him; Nor will he be pleased with the going about of his service in fits, unless they be constant; For, so much doth the word import here. See Psal. 78.34.37. & 106.12, 13. This constancy, and that we have still somewhat to do with God, the receipt of one mercy discovering our need of another, will both prove and entertain our friendship with God: and if God be our choice and happiness, we cannot but desire and delight thus to converse and walk with him,

3. The good and advantage of Piety will be bet∣ter discerned when men have persevered in it, than

they can at first attain to know and feel; For, by this acquaintance and habitual converse, they find the pro∣fit of it, as th•• word signifieth. See Hos. 6.3. Mat. 15.22.—28. God may have many words to these who seek him, before he speak warmly and comfortably to them; and they need much to prepare them for his Consolation. And therefore whatever our success be, yet if we live in an habitual and constant depen∣dence upon God, it is well. For, we may be ex∣ercised with delays, that we may stay the longer with God.

Obs. 6. He saith, acquaint thy self with him, that is, with God, whom he thus designs, though he had not mentioned him long before in his speech; not only because the purpose would easily lead Job to understand it of God, but to evidence that God was so much in his mind, as he speaks of him, as one he had been immediately speaking of be∣fore. And it points out, how much God ought to be in the hearts of his people; which made the Bride design Christ, him whom my soul loveth, Cant. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. and made Mary speak of him as one who, she thought, might be known and esteemed by every one, as he was by her self, If thou have born him hence, saith she to the supposed Gardner, John 20.15.

Obs. 7. The Second Exhortation is, be at peace; which though it may import an encouragement taken from the fruit of acquaintance with God, which will be peace, Yet, it is here pressed as Job's duty to be at peace. For, in the following words it is subjoyned, thereby, or, (as it is in the Origi∣nal) by these, (namely these two, acquaintance and being at peace) good shall come unto thee. And by peace we are not only to understand that peace which is the fruit of justification, Rom. 5.1. (which though it be Gods gift, yet it is our duty also to at∣tain it, in so far as by following of duty, and by making and keeping acquaintance, we come to it, and we ought to assure our own hearts of it) but also that peace, which consists in meekness, calm∣ness, and submission (which certainly it is our duty to seek after) opposite to that murmuring and im∣patience, whereof Job was indeed guilty.

It teacheth,

1. No true peace, or quietness, or patience, and meekness, will be attained (especially under affli∣ction) let us turn us where we will, but in and by acquaintance and familiarity with God; For, the one followeth here upon the other, Acquaint thy self with him, and be at peace. Otherwise, men do forget their resting place, Jer. 50.6. And do seek peace where it is not be found, like feverish persons, who seek case in the change of their Beds.

2. Acquaintance with God tends to, and is the ground of true and solid peace; As this connexion also imports. See Rom. 5.1, 3, 4. & 8.38, 39. and such as converse with God are deprived of their al∣lowance, when they want this peace.

3. It is our duty, to be active in promoving this our allowed peace; For, he is exhorted to it here. Partly, we ought to be sensible, how our distance keeping with God, our not conversing more con∣stantly with him, and our untender walking, ob∣struct our peace, and should study to remove these impediments. Partly, when we have right to it we ought to perswade and assure our own hearts of it before God, 1 John 3.19. Partly, when we have attained it, we should be so tender of it, as to do no∣thing which may over-cloud it, or take away the sense and comfort of it; but should confess and repent of sin, meekly stoop under cross dispensations, digest injuries, avoid distractions, &c. that our peace be not interrupted. See Cant. 2.7.

4. A right way of making and keeping acquain∣tance with God, and a fruit of his being at peace with us in Justification, is, when we become peaceable, and do quit our weapons whereby we fight against God, and do give over murmuring, and put on meekness and patience: For, this also (if not chiefly) is intended here. So that there is no true acquaintance, nor right conversing with God, so long as we live like Rebels under a pre∣tence of friendship. And passion, murmuring and fretting, are the fruits of our desertion and di∣stance from God; and the sting of all our crosses. For, righteousnes and meekness, Zeph. 2.3. would cu••e all our distempers and grievances. Righteousness (that of Christ imputed to us, and witnessed by a righteous Conversation) will secure the state of our persons; meekness of disposition will hide us from the evil and hurt of all cross dispensations; And if we begin first at the study of righteousness (as the order there is) and to be secured of the favour of God; meekness will be the more easily attained.

Obs. 8. The encouragement subjoyned, is, By these good shall come unto thee, which is a truth, though not in his sense, as hath been cleared.

It teacheth,

1. Although an unreconciled man may receive things which are good in themselves, yet they prove not good, but snares to him, so that the more good things he hath, it is the worse for him; For, it is only upon acquaintance with God, that good cometh. See Tit. 1.15.

2. Reconciliation with God makes all things (whatever they be in themselves) prove good to the reconciled man; as here is promised. See Rom. 8.28. So that we ought not to judge of our lot by our sense (as Gideon judged of Gods presence, Judg. 6.13.) but by our state be∣fore God.

3. Peacableness and meekness is a mean to bring about good to us, and to make our lot good to us, whatever it be; For, be at peace, saith he, there∣by good shall become unto thee. Otherwise, passion and bitterness calls for more crosses, Yea, pas∣sion will look upon that as evil, which meek∣ness will see to be good, and make it prove good to us.

4. Such as are acquainted with God, and at peace, need not to be solicitous for good things; For, good shall come unto thee. God will watch over such for good, and will come over all their un∣worthiness, and do what is best for them, and in the fittest season.