An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

There is one thing further to be observed from this word (for it is a very elegant word, and therefore I spend a little the more time upon it) In thoughts from the visions of the night; The word signifies, not only a bough, but the highest bough, the top bough of a tree: A tree hath some under-boughs, and some top boughs, as the Prophet speaks (Isa. 17. 6.) Two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough: it is the same word, which here in the text, we translate thoughts; as if Eliphaz should say, in my very uppermost, or highest thoughts, in those very top-branches of my budding fancy, which I had from the visions of the night. The highest, the top-branches which grow from the soul of a godly man, are for, or about the highest mercies, top-mercies, for Heaven and heavenly things. A wicked mans highest and uppermost thoughts are for the earth, his thoughts for the earth, outgrow all his other thoughts: But a godly mans thoughts, for Heaven and spirituals▪ outgrow all his other thoughts, his thoughts for Heaven, are the highest and uppermost branches of his soul. We have this word used, in the 1 Kings 18. 21. How long (saith Elijah) will you halt between two opinions? That word which we there translate opinions, is here translated thoughts; hence some render that in the Kings thus, How long do ye halt between two top-thoughts, or high thoughts? As if this were the thing, which Elijah reproved in that people, that they had high thoughts, both of God and of Baal, top-thoughts of both: and they (as it were) set Baal, a dumb Idol, as high in their thoughts, estimations and opinions, as they did the living God. Why do ye halt between two uppermost opinions, highest thoughts, or thoughts of equal height, concerning God and Baal? Your thoughts of your Idol, are as high as of God himself. What! will you make an Idol, equal with God? An Idol is a base thing, a low thing, a thing below upon the dung-hill (therefore called a dunghill god) The true God, is on high, he is in the highest Heavens, he is higher than the Heaven ⟨p. 82⟩of Heavens, and do you debase him thus, by halting between two thoughts of equal height, concerning Him and Baal? They who set up an Idol, make it equal unto God. All false worship is a setting of our posts by Gods posts, and of our threshold by his threshold, a making both, of equal height and worth.