To the Christian Reader, To Those Especially of This City, Who Have Been the Movers and Promoters of This Work
This Book of JOB bears the image of these times, and presents us with a resemblance of the past, present, and (much hoped for) future condition of this nation. As the personal prosperity of Job, so his troubles look like our national troubles; and why may not the parallel be made up, by a likeness in our Restoration? Job was the most flourishing, the greatest man, of all the men of the East. We are the greatest, and lately were the most flourishing nation, of all the nations of the North. Our oxen (like his) were strong to labor, our sheep brought forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets, our garners were full, affording all manner of store; our sons (like his) as plants grown up in their youth, our daughters as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace. There was no breaking-in nor going out, no complaining (in reference to outward wants) in our streets. We washed our steps with butter, and the rock poured us out rivers of oil. The candle of God shined upon our heads, and the secret of God was upon our tabernacles: our roots were spread out by the waters, and the dew (of blessings) lay all night upon our branches. To us the nations gave ear and waited, and kept silence at our counsel; after our words, they spoke not again, and our speech dropped upon them; if we laughed on them, they believed it not: our glory was fresh in us, and the light of our countenance they cast not down: we chose out their way, and sat chief and dwelt as a King in the army, as one that comforts the mourners. Surely, a happy people were we, being in such a case, indeed most happy were we, having the Lord (many ways declaring himself) for our God. And had we (as these mercies did oblige us) filled up, or labored to fill up the other part, the better part of Job's character? Had we been a people perfect and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil? We might (according to the promised, and often experienced tenor of God's dealing with his people) have continued and increased in all that happiness to this day.
But we (herein unlike to Job, and) like a foolish nation and unwise, have ill-requited the Lord, indeed, we have requited the Lord with evil, for, and in the midst of all this goodness. Our provocations have been many, and our backslidings have been multiplied. Our sins have put a sword into the hand of God: and God in justice, has put a sword into the hands of unjust men, men skillful to destroy. He has made Babylonians the rod of his anger and the staff of his indignation against us. He has given commission to Chaldeans and Sabeans, who rob and spoil us. Our young men are slain by the edge of the sword, and the stink of our camps comes up into our nostrils. How many sad messengers have hastened to us (as to Job) with the reports of cities surrendered and plundered, of towns fired and pillaged, of villages and countries laid waste, and almost desolate. Now seeing all this is come upon us, is it not time for us (with Job) to rend our garments (indeed our hearts with godly sorrow) and falling upon the ground, worship God and say, The Lord has (freely) given, and the Lord has (justly) taken; blessed be the name of the Lord. Our sins have brought these sorrows, let not our sorrows bring in more sin, by causing us to murmur against, or charge God foolishly.
God never sends such troubles upon a nation, (he does sometimes upon a person and did upon Job) without cause; that is, without respecting sin as a cause. Job might say (in one sense) My uprightness and my integrity have procured these things to me; but we must say, our way and our doings have procured these things to us: this is our wickedness.
Yet (though all this evil has been done by us, though all these evils are come upon us, yet) there is hope in our Israel concerning this thing, indeed, I believe, there is mercy in and from all these evils, to us and all the Israel of our God. Only, what integrity we have, let us still hold it steadfastly, what evils are (and what evils almost are not?) among us, let us reform them speedily; without this, at least, without hearty desires, and faithful endeavors after this, we may presume, but we cannot believe or hope our deliverance. I grant, that whenever God restores us, he must restore us freely, and must both make us good, and do us good, for his own name's sake, in Jesus Christ: for as he has punished us less than our sins deserve, so whenever, or in whatever degree he restores us, it will be more than any, or all our repentings and reformings can deserve: yet he commands us to repent and reform, that we may be restored. God never delivered any people for their repentance, and rarely any (if any) without repentance. Indeed I may say it plainly, that he never delivered any (in mercy) without repentance, for either he gave them repentance, before they were delivered, or repentance (which is far the greater blessing of the two) with the deliverance. Better have our troubles continue, than our sins continue. To have peace return and our hearts unturned, were infinitely worse than war.
And as repentance is better than peace, so it will be an argument, that we shall have peace: may we not well conclude that God is upon the giving-hand, when he gives a new heart? And that he has somewhat else to give, when he has given a love to, and a longing after his truth?
When God feeds us with (and we have a right taste of) this manna in our wilderness, we may rest assured that God has humbled us all this while (and all the while his wisdom shall see fit to humble us yet, will be) only to prove us, that he may do us good at our latter end, and make this nation (at least) like Job, in the end, which he will make.
You have heard of the patience of Job, and what end the Lord made? Could we but hear of the repentance of England, all the world (I am persuaded) should hear and wonder at the end, which the Lord would make: even such an end as he made for Job, if not a better; he would give us twice as much in temporals, double riches, double oxen and sheep, double bracelets and earrings, double gold and silver, double sons and daughters: and he would give us (which is not specified in the inventory of Job's repair) sevenfold more in spirituals, sevenfold more knowledge of his truth, purity in his worship, order in his house; he would make the light of our moon to be like the light of the sun, and the light of our sun to be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day, in which he binds up our outward breaches, and heals the stroke of our wound. Thus, we may look to be restored (not only as Job) to more in kind, but to better in kind, I am sure to better in degree: we may look, that, for brass we shall have gold, or our gold more refined; that, for iron we shall have silver, or our silver more purified; that, for wood we shall have brass, or our brass better polished; that, for stones we shall have iron, or our iron better tempered; we may look, that, our officers shall be peace, and our exactors righteousness, that violence shall no more be heard in our land, wasting nor destruction within our borders, but men shall call our walls salvation and our gates praise.
When these glorious issues of our troubles shall be, is in his hand, who held Job's estate in his hand, so fast, that Satan could not touch a sheep nor a shoelace, till himself willed: and who, when his time came, restored Job's estate double, to a sheep and a shoelace, whether Satan and his Sabeans would or no. We have already seen, in Job, an epitome of our former prosperity and of our present troubles, the good Lord hasten the latter part of our national likeness to him, in the doubled (and O that it might be a sevenfold) restoration of our peace and truth.
In the mean time these meditations upon this Scripture, well digested and taken in, may be (through the blessing of God upon them) a help to our patience, in bearing these afflictions upon the land, a help to our faith in believing, and to our hope in waiting for the salvations of the Lord. Whatever things were written formerly, were written for our learning (but this book was purposely written) that we through patience and comfort of this Scripture might have hope. Nor do I doubt, but that the providence of God (without which a sparrow falls not to the ground) directed my thoughts to this book, as (not only profitable for all times, but) specially seasonable for these times. It is a word in season, and therefore should as a word upon the wheels, making a speedy passage into all our hearts: and how should it not? While we remember that these wheels are oiled with blood, even with the heart-blood of thousands of our dearest friends and brethren.
I find, that this is not the first time, that this book has been undertaken by way of exposition, in such a time as this. Lavater a faithful minister of the Tigurine Church, opened this Scripture in preaching, and printed it in the German tongue, which was afterwards published in Latin by Hartmanus Sprunglius (as himself expresses in the title) to support and refresh the afflicted minds of the godly in that last (as he then supposed) and saddest declining age of the world.
Ferus (a Popish Friar, but very devout according to the devotion of that religion) Preacher at Mainz, chose this Scripture in the time of war and public calamity, (as the title also of his book holds forth) to comfort his citizens. In his fourth sermon he makes this observable digression. You know (says he to his hearers) that I began to expound this history of Job, to the end I might comfort and exhort you to patience in these troublesome times. This was and is my intent, this moved me to handle and explain this book. But now in my very entrance upon it, the storm grows so black, that I see you amazed, dejected, and almost desperate: some are flying, others are preparing to fly; and in this great calamity, no man is found to comfort his brother: but every one increases his neighbor's fear, by his own fearfulness. He prescribes (as far as their principles will admit) cordials for the reviving of their spirits, and medicine for the cure of these distempers. The whole book of Job, is a sacred shop, stored with plenty and variety of both: that you may open your hearts to receive, and with wisdom to apply the consolations and instructions here tendered from this part of it, is, (and through the strength of Christ) shall be, the desire and prayer of
November eighth, 1643. Your very loving friend and servant for the help of your faith Joseph Caryl.