Taking this sense, Elihu here begins to assign the reason why the oppressed are not delivered. As if he had said, 'Tis true, there are a multitude of pressures and oppressions, and they transport all manner of men with passion; the oppressed cry, they make much ado, when they suffer, against them, under whom they suffer: But few or none are so wise, in such a case, as to recollect themselves, and make serious application to God, putting him in mind of his own gracious nature towards the work of his hands, to have mercy upon it, and in faith to seek to him for remedy and comfort, as being only able to relieve and glad the heart in great extremities; they look not to the hand of God, when they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty: they only toil and tear themselves with complaints, they cry out of this and that man, of this and that instrument; but, alas, they find neither redress nor deliverance, because they say not, Where is God my maker? That is, they are more forward to complain of wrong done them by men, than to remember what good, or what favours God hath done them; They do not particularly and specially apply themselves ⟨p. 64⟩to God in their trouble, they do not seek nor enquire early after God,1 nor humble themselves before him, or under his mighty hand, neither do they consider what God is to them, nor whether he be with them, and in them; and if they find not God near them, not in them, they consider not how they may be united to him, or get him near them. We find God, when we hear his voice speaking to us by his Word and Spirit, and hearken to his voice; we find God when we are at peace with him, trust upon him confidently, and rejoice in him comfortably. The oppressed considered not these things.
Taking this sense, Elihu here begins to assigne the reason why the oppressed are not delivered. As if he had said, 'Tis true, there are a multitude of pressures and oppressions, and they transport all manner of men with passion; the oppressed cry, they make much ado, when they suffer, against them, under whom they suffer: But few or none are so wise, in such a case, as to recollect themselves, and make serious application to God, putting him in mind of his own gracious nature towards the work of his hands, to have mercy upon it, and in faith to seek to him for remedy and comfort, as being only able to relieve and glad the heart in great extremities; they look not to the hand of God, when they cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty: they only toyle and teare themselves with complaints, they cry out of this and that man, of this and that instrument; but, alas, they find neither redress nor deliverance, because they say not, Where is God my maker? That is, they are more forward to complain of wrong done them by men, than to remember what good, or what favours God hath done them; They do not particularly and specially apply themselves ⟨p. 64⟩to God in their trouble, they do not seek nor enquire early after God,1 nor humble themselves before him, or under his mighty hand, neither do they consider what God is to them, nor whether he be with them, and in them; and if they find not God near them, not in them, they consider not how they may be united to him, or get him near them. We find God, when we heare his voyce speaking to us by his Word and Spi•it, and hearken to his voyce; we find God when we are at peace with him, trust upon him confidently, and rejoyce in him comfortably. The oppressed considered not these things.
- 1Non habet cogitationem deliberationem, propositum quaerendi deum, neque agnitionem aestimationemque beneficiorum ejus; sunt [Greek or Hebrew]. Coc:Non habet cogitationem deliberationem, propositum quaerendi deum, neque agnitionem aestimationemque beneficiorum ejus; sunt 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Coc:
