An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…

Thirdly, A mans judgement is said to be taken away, when the ground, or cause, of Gods proceeding with him in judgement, is hid, or unmanifest; Judgement, as to us, is not, when the reason of it doth not appear to us, or when we see not the reason of it. To feel Judgement and not to see the cause of it, turns it into a torment; we say commonly, Things that appear not, are as if they were not. When the reason or ground of our sufferings is not understood, 'tis as if we suffered without any ground of reason.

Thirdly, A mans judgement is sayd to be taken away, when the ground, or cause, of Gods proceeding with him in judgement, is hid, or unmanifest; Judgement, as to us, is not, when the reason of it doth not appeare to us, or when we see not the reason of it. To feel Judgement and not to see the cause of it, turnes it into a torment; we say commonly, Things that appeare not, are as if they were not. When the reason or ground of our sufferings is not understood, 'tis as if we suffered without any ground of reason.

When Job complained, God hath taken away my Judgement, we are not to understand him, as if Elihu intended it in the first or grossest sense, that God had subverted his judgement, or had done him wrong. Elihu could not suspect he had any such blasphemous opinion of God; for, that had fulfilled the Devils prophecy of him, He will curse thee to thy face. But when he said, God hath taken away my Judgement; he meant it according to the two latter interpretations, either that God deferred long to restore him, and answer his prayer, or that God had hid from him the reason of his dealing with him, so that he could not make it out, how, or why he was so sorely and grievously handled. Job knew well his own innocency, but he did not well consider Gods sovereignty, which alone answers enough for him, how much soever he in this world afflicts the innocent. And therefore for as much as God held him long in that sad condition, and in the mean time hid his judgement, or the reason of it from him, this was Jobs grievance, and the burden of it pressed him to cry out, God hath taken away my Judgement. In this he was too bold with God, and therefore he justly fell under this censure of Elihu: As if he had said, It doth not at all become thee, O Job, as a creature, as a man, much less as a new creature, or as a godly man, to cry out (as thou hast done) that God hath taken away thy Judgement; because he doth not give thee an account, nor tell thee, why he judgeth thee; therefore humble thy self that ever thou hast said (and take heed thou say it no more) God hath taken away my Judgement.