An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of the book of Job being the substance of thirty-five lectures / by Joseph Caryl ...
Joseph Caryl 1602–1673London: printed by M. Simmons, 1664
[6], 650, [21] p. · 281k words · Wing C776 · ESTC R15201
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
With the Lord is praise. The Psalmist every where s•ts fo th ⟨p. 611⟩the praise-worthiness of God, and presseth this duty upon us. I shall not stay upon it, only remember, with the Lord is praise, that is, he is to be praised. And from the attribute of his prai•e, or that, with the Lord is terrible praise,
Note Secondly; Even in those things which the Lord doth most graciously for us, and is to be highly praised by us (even in th•se) he is to be feared, dreaded, and reverenced.
God is to be praised, not only with joy and thankfulness, but with fear and reverence; for with him is terrible praise. It is the express word of Moses, in his song after the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea (
.) Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises? We should not be afraid to praise God, no, we should be most forward to praise him, but we should have a holy fear upon our hearts, when we praise him. Praise is the work of heaven, from whence fear shall for ever be banished; there will be perfect love, and perfect love Casts out fear, (
.) What-ever fear hath torment in it (as all fear out of Christ hath) we shall have nothing to do with in that blessed life: And even in this life, praise, which is the work of heaven on earth, should be performed with such a spirit of love, & joy as is without all base, tormenting fear; we should have so much love to God in, and for all the good things he doth, for our souls especially, yea and for our bodies too, in dealing out daily mercies, that it should cast out all that fear which hath torment in it. Yet there is a fear which should possess our spirits while we are praising God, a fear of reverence I mean, which fear (I doubt not) will remain in heaven for ever; Glorified Saints shall praise God with that fear, that is, having an everlasting awe of the Majesty of God upon their hearts. He is fearful in praises; and therefore let us so praise him, as remembering our distance, so praise him, as to be afraid of miscarrying in the duty, and so instead of praising, displease him, in stead of honouring, grieve him. This duty of praise is very dreadful. The Psalmist saith, there is mercy, or forgiveness, with thee, O Lord, that thou mayst be feared (
.) Not only is the Lord to be feared in his wrath, and in the executions
⟨p. 612⟩
of his justice, but he is to be feared in his mercy, & in that greatest expression of his favour towards us, the forgiveness of our sins. When we are in the highest exaltations of the mercy of God, and of the God of our mercies, yet then should our hearts be affected with his fear. It is both our duty and our commendation so to fear God, as not to sin against him, or to be kept from sinning against God by the fear of God, that is, lest God should punish us for our sins, and give us to eat the bitter fruit of our own evil doings:
God is to be praised, not only with joy and thankfullness, but with fear and reverence; for with him is terrible praise. It is the express word of Moses, in his song after the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea (Exod. 15.11.) Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holines, fearful in praises? We should not be affraid to praise God, no, we should be most forward to praise him, but we should have a holy fear upon our hearts, when we praise him. Praise is the work of heaven, from whence fear shall for ever be banished; there will be perfect love, and perfect love Casts out fear, (1 Joh. 4.18.) What-ever fear hath torment in it (as all fear out of Ch•ist hath) we shall have nothing to do with in that blessed life: And even in this life, praise, which is the work of heaven on earth, should be performed with such a spirit of love, & joy as is without all base, tormenting fear; we should have so much love to God in, and for all the good things he doth, for our soules especially, ye and for our bodyes too, in dealing out daily mercies, that it should cast out all that fear which hath torment in it. Yet there is a fear which should p•ssess our spirits while we are praising God, a fear of reverence I mean, which fear (I doubt not) will remaine in heaven for ever; Glorified Saints shall praise God with that fear, that is, having an everlasting awe of the Majesty of God upon their hearts. He is fearful in praises; and therefore let us so praise him, as remembering our distance, so praise him, as to be affraid of miscarrying in the duty, and so instead of praising, displease him, in stead of honouring, grieve him. This duty of praise is very dreadful. The Psalmist saith, there is mercy, or forgiveness, with thee, O Lord, that thou mayst be feared (Psal. 130.4.) Not only is the Lord to be feared in his wrath, and in the executions ⟨p. 612⟩of his justice, but he is to be feared in his mercy, & in that greatest expression of his favour towards us, the forgivness of our sins. When we are in the highest exaltations of the mercy of God, and of the God of our mercies, yet then should our hearts be affected with his fear. It is both our duty and our commendation so to fear God, as not to sin against him, or to be kept from sinning against God by the fear of God, that is, lest God should punish us for our sins, and give us to eat the bitter fruit of our own evil doings:
But to fear God, because we hear, and are assured, that he is ready to pardon our sins, especially, to fear him when he hath given us a comfortable assurance, that our sins are pardoned; or, even t•en to be filled with the fear of his great and reverend Name, when we are actually praising him, and magnifying his free grace in Christ, for the pardon of them; this shows a truly gracious spirit indeed. With God is terrible Majesty, and with God is terrible praise; he is at once to be praised and feared. All this Elihu would fix upon the heart of Job, from the consideration of the works of God, his providential works, in the Air; how much more should this fear affect us, when we behold his terrible works of providence upon the Earth? turning the world, as it were, upside down, by the wonderful vicissitudes and revolutions which his hand brings to pass, respecting either Persons and private Families, or whole Kingdoms and Nations. With God is terrible Majesty.
But to fear God, because we hear, and are assured, that he is ready to pardon our sins, especially, to fear him when he hath given us a comfortable assurance, that our sins are pardoned; or, even t•en to be filled with the fear of his great and reverend Name, when we are actu•lly praising him, and magnifying his free grace in Christ, for the pardon of them; this shewes a truly gratious spirit indeed. With God is terrible Majesty, and with God is terrible prais•; he is at once to be praised and feared. All this Elihu would fix upon the heart of Job, from the consideration of the works of God, his providencial works, in the Air; how much more should this fear affect us, when we behold his terrible works of providence upon the Earth? turning the world, as it were, upside down, by the wonderful vicissitudes and revolutions which his hand brings to pass, respecting either Persons and private Familyes, or whole Kingdomes and Nations. With God is terrible Majesty.
JOB, Chap. 37. Vers. 23, 24.
23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out; he is excellent in Power, and in Judgement, and in plenty of Justice: He will not afflict.
24. Men do therefore fear him: He respecteth not any that are wise of heart.
Thirdly, Of his Righteousness, he excels in Judgement, and plenty of Justice. But though he is thus full of Justice, yet he is also very Gracious, and therefore,
Thirdly, Of his Righteousness, he excells in Judgement, and plenty of Justice. But though he is thus full of Justice, yet he is also very Gracious, and therefore,
Fourthly, We have the Doctrine of his Mercy and Tenderness towards the Creature in the last words of the Verse, He will not afflict. God is infinitely above man in Power and in Wisdom, yet he never useth either the one or the other to the oppression or wrong of any man; He will not afflict. This is a very suitable peroration of the whole Narrative or matter declared, which Elihu had so long insisted upon.
And having laid down this four-fold Doctrine concerning God, he shows us the use of it in the 24th verse, where we have a practical Inference from what was before asserted concerning God; Men do therefore fear him, or, therefore men ought to fear him. As i• he had said, Seeing God is thus incomprehensible, thus powerful, seeing he is thus excellent in Judgement, & in plenty of Justice, as also in Goodness and Mercy; therefore good men do, and all men should fear him This is a very natural and undeniable Inference, yet Elihu doth not leave it bare, but adds a strong enforcement ⟨p. 614⟩in the close of the verse, why all men, the greatest of men, the wisest of men should fear God, For he respecteth not any that are wise in heart. The wisest, the greatest of men cannot carry it with God, by their wisdom or policy, by thei• g••a•ness or power, therefore let them fear him. This is the sum and scope of these two verses.
And having laid down this four-fold Doctrine concerning God, he shews us the use of it in the 24th ve•se, where we have a practical Inference from what was before asserted concerning God; Men do therefore fear him, or, therefore men ought to fear him. As i• he had said, Seeing God is thus incomprehensible, thus powerful, seeing he is thus excellent in Judgement, & in plenty of Justice, as also in Goodness and Mercy; therefore good men do, and all men should fear him This is a very natural and undeniable Inference, yet Elihu doth not leave it bare, but adds a strong inforcement ⟨p. 614⟩in the close of the verse, why all men, the greatest of men, the wisest of men should fear God, For he respecteth not any that are w•se in heart. The wisest, the greatest of men cannot carry it with God, by their wisdom or policy, by thei• g••a•ness or power, therefore let them fear him. This is the sum and scope of these two verses.
That is, He is unsearchable and incomprehensible. The Original strictly read, i•, The Almighty, we cannot fi•d him out. The Almighty, 1is a Nominative absolute, as Grammarians speak; we supply that word (Touching) As if he had said, should we enter upon a discourse of the Almighty, we cannot find him out. Touching the Almighty. That, God is Almighty, and what the word Shaddai, here rendered Almighty, doth import, hath been showed and opened already in other places of this Book, especially in the fifth Chapter at the 17th verse, and in the eighth Chapter at the 3d and 5th verses; thither I refer the Reader for further satisfaction in that matter, and pass from it here; Touching the Almighty We cannot find him out.
That is, He is un•earchable and incomprehensible. The Original strictly read, i•, The Almighty, we cannot fi•d him out. The Almighty, 1is a Nominative absolute, as Grammarians speak; we supply that word (Touching) As if he had said, should we enter upon a discourse of the Almighty, we cannot find him out. Touching the Almighty. That, God is Almighty, and what the word Shaddai, here rendred Almighty, doth import, hath been shewed and opened already in other places of this Book, especially in the fifth Chapter at the 17th verse, and in the eighth Chapter at the 3d and 5th verses; thither I refer the Reader for further satisfaction in that matter, and pass from it here; Touching the Almighty We cannot find him out.
This also I shall pass over in a word, having spoken to it more fully (Chap. 11.7.) where Zophar puts this Question, Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find him out unto perfection? In which Questions, Zophar challenged Job, or any man else, to set their understandings upon the tenters, to put all their abilities to the utmost stretch, to find out God if they could, being assured they could not find him out unto perfection. So then, this assertion in the Text, We cannot find him out, bea•ing the same sense with those Questions, I shall not stay upon it. Only,
This also I shall pass over in a word, having spoken to it more fully (Chap. 11.7.) where Zophar puts this Question, Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find him out unto perfection? In which Questions, Zophar challenged Job, or any man else, to set their understandings upon the tenters, to put all their abilities to the utmost stretch, to find out God if they could, being assured they could not find him out unto perfection. So then, this assertion in the Text, We cannot find him out, bea•ing the same sence with those Questions, I shall not stay upon it. Only,
