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

Vers. 17. Shall mortal man be more just then God? shall a man be more pure then his maker?

Followeth the Revelation it self, or, the Doctrine

which God revealed to him by this still voice; con∣sisting of an Assertion, or, Challenge, v. 17. and a con∣firmation thereof, ver. 18,—21. In the Explica∣tion whereof, we need not insist to remark any false Principles or mistakes, such as we find in Eliphaz's former Arguments. For (as we said before) this is a divine Oracle, sent by God to clear this case; and according to which God himself deals with Job at last. Only Eliphaz mistaking it, doth press it upon Job as an argument and proof of his wickedness; in which sense Job rejects it with the rest of his doctrine, till God cometh to calm his passion, and tell him more fully his fault; and then he takes with all that is here asserted, by way of reproof of his miscar∣riage.

Hence, in the entry, we may Observe,

1. It may please God to suffer Saints to meet with no smaller tentations, then if God in his Word, or speaking from Heaven, were condemning them; For, here Eliphaz chargeth Job as a man condemned by God in this Vision. And this is no small tryal, if we consider, either that Gods sentence in his Word is unrepealable, not to be rescinded nor contradicted by our dreams and delusions; or, the tenderness of Saints, whose property it is to tremble at the Word of God.

2. A chief cause of raysing groundless tentations and fears from the Word, is, when men do not di∣stinguish betwixt the standing state of their per∣son, and their present condition or carriage. Seeing they may be faulty in this last, when their state of Reconciliation stands firm. And therefore, when faults are reproved, men ought not to conclude that their persons are condemned, which doth hinder repentance and amendment of faults, by crushing discourage∣ment; For, herein did Eliphaz wrest this Vision, and render it a tentation and tryal to Jobs faith, that he mis-applyed this reproof of his fault, to the con∣demning of his state and person.

3. It is a commendable exercise of faith, when Saints have made sure their peace with God through Jesus Christ, as not to hearken, though even a voice from heaven should seem to contradict the Word on which they have builded, 2 Pet. 1.18, 19. Gal. 1.8, 9. So not to hearken to every sentence of Scripture which may seem to brangle that confidence which they have founded upon Christ, as he is revealed in the Covenant, and general current of the Scriptures: As knowing, That Satan can wrest Scriptures, as he did in tempting Christ, Matth. 4. That he can abuse our weakness, in a time of tryal, by tempting us to apprehend that to be the mind of God in Scripture, which he never intended when he gave it to the Church; and, That no particular sentence of Scri∣pture ought to be expounded contrary to the scope of the whole Scriptures; which is, to invite all to come to Christ, in the due order, and to deter none who are willing to come; and to assure such as flee to Christ that he well-pleased with them, how-ever he may correct them for their faults; and exercise their faith by sharp tryals. Upon these grounds, albeit Job failed in not taking with what God reprehended in him, yet he very safely rejects even this Vision (as it is mistaken and misapplyed by Eliphaz) as not be∣ing sent to condemn him in the matter of his in∣tegrity.

The sum of the Assertion in this verse is, That no man can be more pure and just then God. Where the comparison is instituted betwixt mortal, frail, man, (a•• the first word signifieth) and the strong Lord; and betwixt the strongest of men (as the next word is) and his Maker. And the truth of the Assertion is so clear, that God appeals even to man himself; Whe∣ther himself will not confess that God ought to be a∣bove him in those? and whether it be not just ground of challenge (as the Question also imports) if a man should presume to compare with God, as his Superior in purity and justice? The meaning of all this is not barely this, That no man can stand just and righteous before God, without a remission; But that, Let a man be never so just or sincere, yet there ought no com∣parison be made betwixt his righteousness and Gods. Nor yet doth this import that men do directly insti∣tute any comparison, or pronounce themselves more pure and righteous then God: But many do it indi∣rectly, when they reflect upon the Lords Purposes or Providences, and call him to the Bar of their cor∣rupt Reason, to give an account of his proceedings. And particularly, when godly men do bitterly com∣plain of God and his Providence, because of their afflictions. Which is, in effect, an extolling of their own righteousness, as if it should exempt them from trouble; and an extenuating of Gods righteousness, as doing wrong in afflicting them. And so this do∣ctrine is a very just check to Jobs complaint, (Chap. 3.25, 26.) that his Piety had not prevented afflicti∣on. Which (with other the like complaints) are ex∣pounded to amount to no less then a condemning of God, that he might justifie himself, both by Elihu, Chap. 35.2. and by God himself, Chap. 40.8. To ob∣viate which presumption this Doctrine is very sea∣sonable; wherein the Lord doth not require that he should quit his righteousness, because a righteous God had afflicted him; but that he should be sober in his complaints, and not reflect on God.

From this purpose, thus cleared, Learn,

1. God is most righteous, pure and holy, both in himself, and in his administrations; so that he can do no wrong, nor ought to be challenged by any: For, this comparison imports that God, our Maker, is just and pure. See Psal 51.4. Rom. 3.4. Psal. 145.17. Sufficient Arguments are not wanting whereby to clear this righteousness of God in all his dealing, and particularly, in his afflicting godly men, and suffer∣ing the wicked to prosper: But when we consider his absolute Dominion and Soveraignty, and his holiness in himself, it will put the matter beyond all debate, though we dip no further into the parti∣culars.

2. This righteousness and holiness of God is so infinitely transcendent, that the holiness of the best of men cannot compare with it; but it be∣comes impurity, except he look on them in a Media∣tour: For, so doth this comparison expresly teach us, See Isa. 6.5. & 64 6.

3. Though God be thus just and holy, and that in∣finitely above the best of men; Yet men are not wanting, in many cases, to reproach and reflect upon the righteousness of God, yea, and to cry up their own worth and holiness, to the prejudice of his righ∣teousness: For, this assertion, and comparison be∣twixt God and man, being revealed upon weighty

cause, doth import that some are ready, in their practice, to go contrary to it. And this should warn us to ponder how deep many of our distempers draw, that we may be afraid of reflecting upon, or re∣proaching of, God, when possibly we do not appre∣hend it.

4. An impatient complainer under affliction, (espe∣cially because he is a righteous man, and hath a good Conscience, and yet is afflicted) doth, in effect, wrong God and his righteousness, and sinfully extol his own holiness; For, this was, in particular, Jobs fault, which the Lord reproves here, as a preferring of his own righteousness to Gods. Whence we may ga∣ther, that God looks upon the complaints, even of afflicted Saints, as more sinful then themselves con∣sider.

5. Whatever liberty men take to vent their passi∣ons, and to judge harshly of God and his dealing; and whatever their passion suggest for justifying thereof, As Jonas 4.9. Yet mens own Consciences and Reason, in cold bloud, will tell them that their sentence is unjust, and that their carriage deserves a sharp rebuke and challenge: For, in this debate, the Lords sets the man himself to be judge, Shall mor∣tal man be more just then God? Intimating, that when the passionate man should come to himself, he would pass sentence in Gods favours, and be a most severe censurer of his own folly.

6. Mens f••ailty and mortality bear witness against them, that they are not perfectly pure; (the fruits and consequences of sin proving the remainders thereof to be yet in them) and that they may not compare with God: For, so much is intimated in this, Shall mortal man be more just then God? Which teacheth us that man bears about with him visible badges of his imperfection, which it is a wonder he should for∣get in his passion.

7. Man, considered not only in his frailties, but even in his strength and best endowments, is infinite∣ly inferiour to God; as being but man still, who may not compare with God: So much is imported in the next Question; Shall a man (even a strong man) be more pure, &c?

8. If men consider that God is their Creatour and Maker, and consequently, that they have no degree of perfection which is not from God; they will find it an high presumption to compete with Him, in the point of perfection; For, Shall a man be more pure then his Maker?