^ ' De Job et Christo specialiter exemplificat, Job in Veteri Testamento, Christus in Novo, quorum uni reddita sunt temporalia, alteri scfccrna. Sufferentiara Jobi audistis, quanta sustinuit a Diabolo, a prsedonibus, ab uxore, ab amicis ; et fidem Domini vidistis, oculis scilicet vestris, in cruce pendentem, longanimiter patientem,' &c. — Thomas, in locum.
432 AN EXPOSITION', WITH NOTES, [JaS. V. 11.
.agree to the former sense, to wit, tliat God is ])itifiil, nnd of tender mercy ; but with this latter sense it fitly suiteth ; the end that the Lord made with him, because he is of great mercy, &c. The former arguments may be easily answered : — (1st.) To the first : We nmst not teach the'ajjostles how to reason, or what instances to bring. Possibly the example of Christ's patience is purposely omitted, because the main thing in question, wherein their constancy was assaulted, was their belief in Christ, and therefore, it was not so necessary to propound his example so much as that of other holy men who were afflicted ; that they might not be scandalised at the cross, and from their great afflic- tions suspect the way which they professed. To all this I may add, that the sufierings of Christ are mentioned, ver. G, as we cleared before. (2d.) To the second argument, whicli is grounded upon the change of the verb, heard and seen, I answer — Both words, implying the acts of the outward sense, are put for acts of knowledge and understanding ; and seen, which is the clearer way of perception, is used in the latter clause, because God's recompense was so ample, and tar more visible tlian Job's patience. And let not the i)hrase seem too curt, there being special reason why the issue of Job's afflictions should be called the end of the Lord. The points are these : —
Ohs. 1. That the afflictions of God's children must not be considered in their nature and beginning, but in their issue and end : Heb. xii. 11, 'No affliction for the present seemeth joyous, but grievous.' There are two words emphatical, tt/jo? fikv to irapov, for the present, and ov hoKei, seemeth ; they are smart in the apprehension of the flesh, and smart only for the present. It is but childish to judge of afflictions by present sense ; always it is worst with Christians in the present time: see liom. viii. 18; 1 Cor. xv. 19 ; 2 Cor. iv. lG-18. Well, then, do not measure afflictions by tlie smart, but by the end of them ; besides our everlasting hopes, usually that end which is seen and liable to common observance is glorious. When Israel was dismissed out of Egypt, it was with gold and ear-rings, E.xod. xi. ; so the Jews were dismissed out of Babylon with gifts, jewels, and all necessary utensils, Ezra i. ; so ' When the Lord turned the captivity of Job, he gave Job twice as much as he had before, and every one of his friends brought him a piece of money and an ear-ring of gold,' Job. xlii. 10, 11. Oh! wait for the end then; the beginning ia usually Satan's, but the end is the Lord's ; at the beginning the power of darkness may have an hour, but at the end the Lord will be seen.
Obs. 2. The Lord nmst give a happy end to all afflictions. (1.) A temporal end ; man may begin, but God must make an end. ' The beginning of strife (saitli Solomon) is as the opening of the waters ; ' a fool may pull u}) the sluices, but tliere is no turning of the stream : Penes rer/es est inferre helium, 2)enes aiUem Deum terminare — when man beginneth, the Lord will exercise his own dominion and sovereignty ere the end cometh. (2.) A gracious end : ' The fruit of it is to take away sin,' Isa. xxvii. 9. Now this is God's work ; God's rod", as well as God's word, doth nothing without his blessing, <^»therwise they are both poor, dead, and useless means : ' I am the Lord that teacheth them to profit/ Isa. xlviii. 18; that is, by
JaS. V. 11.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 433
afflictions. (3.) A glorious end ; it is the Lord's gift, not our merit. Oh ! then, let us do duty, and God will not be wanting ; let us wait upon him with Job's patience, and he will give Job's end.
That the Lord is very lyitlful, and of tender mercy. — This clause ex})resseth partly the cause, partly the manner of God's appearance in Job's end. (1.) The cause why Job had so good an end of his troubles was God's mercy, not his own merit ; it was his happiness that he had to do with a pitiful and merciful God. (2.) The manner of God's appearance in the end of afflictions. You will find God merciful and pitiful, whatever the flesh saith to the contrary ; in the beginning you think him cruel, but in the end you find him merciful. Here are two words that ex])ress God's goodness : the first is, very piiiftd, in the original irdkvcnfKa'yx^o'i^ of much or many bowels. These are the tender parts in which we feel a commotion upon every strong affection, as the mother's bowels were said to yearn to the infant Avhen he was to be divided, 1 Kings iii. 26 ; therefore we are bid to put on bowels : Col. iii. 12. The next word is, of tender mercy, oiKTip/xwv. It is the word which is opposed to the hard heart, and therefore we do not render it * the merciful,' but * of tender mercy.' Now the proper use and distinction of these words in this place may be conceived thus : — (1.) The one hath respect to our miseries, the other to our sins ; pitiful in feeling our miseries, merciful in pardoning our sins. (2.) The one noteth affection ; the other acts suitable,^ inward and outward mercy. From hence you may observe several notes.