Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/59

Rh law, of nature. [1.] Nothing more firm than the mountains: when we speak of removing mountains, we mean that which is impossible; yet the divine power can make them change their seat; he removes them, and they know not; removes them whether they will or no; he can make them lower their heads; he can level them, and overturn them in his anger; he can spread the mountains as easily as the husbandman spreads the mole-hills, be they ever so high, and large, and rocky. Men have much ado to pass over them; but God, when he pleases, can make them pass away. He made Sinai shake, Ps. lxviii. 8. The hills skipped, Ps. cxiv. 4. The everlasting mountains were scattered, Hab. iii. 6. [2.] Nothing more fixed than the earth on its axle-tree; yet God can, when he pleases, shake that out of its place, heave it off its centre, and make even its pillars to tremble; what seemed to support it, will itself need support, when God gives it a shock. See how much we are indebted to God's patience; God has power enough to shake the earth from under that guilty race of mankind, which makes it groan under the burthen of sin, and so to shake the wicked out of it; (ch. xxxviii. 13.) yet he continues the earth, and man upon it, and makes it not still, as once, to swallow up the rebels. [3.] Nothing more constant than the rising sun, it never misses its appointed time; yet God, when he pleases, can suspend it. He that at first commanded it to rise, can countermand it. Once the sun was bid to stand, and another time to retreat, to show that it is still under the check of its great Creator. Thus great is God's power; and how great then is his goodness, which causes his sun to shine even upon the evil and unthankful, though he could withhold it! He that made the stars also, can, if he pleases, seal them up, and hide them from our eyes; By earthquakes, and subterraneous fires, mountains have sometimes been removed, and the earth shaken: in very dark and cloudy days and nights, it seems to us as if the sun were forbidden to rise, and the stars were sealed up, Acts xxvii. 20. It is sufficient to say, that Job here speaks of what God can do; but if we must understand it of what he has done in fact, all these verses may perhaps be applied to Noah's flood, when the mountains of the earth were shaken; ahd the sun and stars were darkened. The world that now is, we believe to be reserved for that fire which will consume the mountains, and melt the earth with its fervent heat, and which will turn the sun into darkness.

(2.) As long as he pleases, he preserves the settled course and order of nature; and this is a continued creation. He himself alone, by his own power, and without the assistance of any other, [1.] Spreads out the heaven; (v. 8.) not only did spread them out at first, but still spreads them out, that is, keeps them spread out; for otherwise they would of themselves roll together like a scroll of parchment. [2.] He treads upon the waves of the sea; that is, he suppresses them and keeps them under, that they return not to deluge the earth; (Ps. civ. 9.) which is given as a reason why we should all fear God, and standin awe of him, Jer. v. 22. He is mightier than the proud waves, Ps. xciii. 4.—lxv. 7. [3.] He makes the constellations; three are named for all the rest, (v. 9.) Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and, in general, the chambers of the south: the stars of which these are composed, he made at first, and put into that order, and he still makes them, preserves them in being, and guides their motions; he makes them to be what they are to man, and inclines the hearts of men to observe them, which the beasts are not capable of doing. Not only those stars which we see and give names to, but those also in the other hemisphere, about the antarctic pole, which never come in our sight, called here the chambers of the south, are under the divine direction and dominion. How wise is he then, and how mighty!

2. Evidences are here fetched from the kingdom of Providence, that special Providence which is conversant about the affairs of the children of men. Consider what God does in the government of the world, and you will say, He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength.

(1.) He does many things and great, many and great to admiration, v. 10. Job here says the same that Eliphaz had said; (ch. v. 9.) and, in the original, in the very same words, not declining to speak after him, though now his antagonist. God is a great God, and doeth great things, a wonder-working God; his works of wonder are so many that we cannot number them, and so mysterious that we cannot find them out. O the depth of his counsels!

(2.) He acts invisibly and undiscerned, v. 11. He goes by me in his operations, and I see him not, I perceive him not; his way is in the sea, Ps. lxxvii. 19. The operations of second causes are commonly obvious to sense, but God doeth all about us, and yet we see him not, Acts xvii. 23. Our finite understandings cannot fathom his counsels, apprehend his motions, or comprehend the measures he takes. We are therefore incompetent judges of God's proceedings, because we know not what he doeth, or what he designeth. The arcana imperii—secrets of government, are things above us, which therefore we must not pretend to expound, or comment upon.

(3.) He acts with an incontestable sovereignty, v. 12. He takes away our creature-comforts and confidences, when and as he pleases, takes away health, estate, relations, friends, takes away life itself; whatever goes, it is he that takes it; by what hand soever it is removed, his hand must be acknowledged in it; the Lord takes away, and ''who can hinder him? Who can turn him away?'' Marg. Who shall make him restore? So some. Who can dissuade him, or alter his counsels? Who can resist him, or oppose his operations? Who can control him, or call him to an account for it? What action can be brought against him? Or who will say unto him, What dostdoest - as per 1811 London edition and KJV [sic] thou? Or, Why dost thou so? Dan. iv. 35. God is not obliged to give us a reason of what he doeth. The meaning of his proceedings we know not now; it will be time enough to know hereafter, when it will appear that what seemed now to be done by prerogative, was done in infinite wisdom, and for the best.

(4.) He acts with an irresistible power, which no creature can resist, v. 13. If God will not withdraw his anger, (which he can do when he pleases, for he is Lord of his anger, lets it out, or calls it in, according to his will,) the proud helpers do stoop under him; that is, He certainly breaks and crushes those that proudly help one another against him; proud men set themselves against God and his proceedings; in this opposition they join hand in hand. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, to throw off his yoke, to run down his truths, and to persecute his people; Men of Israel, help, Acts xxi. 28. Ps. lxxxiii. 8. If one enemy of God's kingdom fall under his judgment, the rest come proudly to help that, and think to deliver that out of his hand: but in vain; unless he pleases to withdraw his anger, (which he often does, for it is the day of his patience,) the proud helpers stoop under him, and fall with those whom they designed to help. Who knows the power of God's anger? They who think they have strength enough to help others, will not be able to help themselves against it.

14. How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? 15. Whom, though I were righteous, yet