Job 21

2. If we love our pleasures more than God, we make a God of pleasure (2 Timothy 3:4): [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩]: lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Many let loose the reins, and give themselves up to all manner of sensual delights, they idolize pleasure (Job 21:12-13)…

Then follows that dismal sentence (Matthew 25:41): Ite Maledicti, Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He that said to God, Depart from me (Job 21:14), and to religion, Depart from me, must now hear that word pronounced from his…

How then does God say, he will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children? Response: Though the son be not damned for his father's sin, yet he may be severely punished (Job 21:19). God lays up his iniquity for his children.

The wicked have the waters of a full cup wrung out to them (Psalm 73:10), as if they had a monopoly of happiness; they have all they can desire; indeed, they have more than heart can wish (Psalm 73:7). They steep themselves in pleasure (Job 21:12); they take the timbrel, and har…

Homines capiuntur voluptate ut pisces hamo, Cicero. Pleasure is the sugared bait men bite at, but there is a hook under; (Job 21:12) They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ: And a parallel Scripture, (Amos 6:4) That lie upon beds of ivory, that chan…

Though they have an enemy in the field that is always laying of snares or shooting of darts, yet they do not stand sentinel or get their spiritual artillery ready. They put on their jewels, but not their armor (Job 21:12). They take the timbrel, and harp, and rejoice at the soun…

But be they what they will, they cannot pity as God, relieve and succor as he. And often times we may say with Job (Job 21:4), As for me, is my complaint to men? and if it were, why should not my spirit be troubled? That is to say, what great advantage can I get by these complai…

Only he would (to say so) have your consent to, and your approbation of what he does for the greater peace and tranquility of your own minds. Surely therefore it is meet, meekly and submissively to be said to God, whenever and however he chastises, I have borne chastisement, I w…

Answer: The thing in question is not concluded; we say not we are to pray for the salvation of none but believers only, and that Christ died for none but those that already believed: we are to pray for all ranks, believers or unbelievers, as Christ died for thousands of both, bu…

These men are far from having the Lord Jesus, and life in him; they are so far off from seeking the Son, as that they do not so much as seek those mercies and benefits which in Christ are conveyed to their souls, they neither have him nor none of his. They say to the Almighty de…

Secondly, our common people are deceived, who think because they deal truly, and justly before men, that they are in as good a case, as they that hear all the sermons in the world: as though true happiness stood in civil conversation. Thirdly, this doctrine serves to beat down a…

Of such Children, that Scripture, Psalm 49:19 will one day be verified, except they repent, They shall go to the generation of their fathers, where they shall not see light. (2.) And how many families are there, though not so prophane, who yet breed up their Children vainly and…

A man builds with timber that has a fire in it, that lays the foundation of his estate by sin, he lays up iniquity for his children. And so does God (Job 21:19). It is commonly said likewise, Dives aut iniquus aut iniqui haeres.

Verse 3. Your two breasts are like two young Roes that are twins. The two breasts (which is the fifth part here commended) are spoken to in this third verse: They were spoken of (Song of Solomon 4:5) with the same commendation, and we conceive the same thing hinted there, is aim…

The Greek word may be rendered, seeing you shove it away with your shoulders. As if a sick [reconstructed: man] should bolt out the physician, lest he should cure him (Job 21:14): Who say to the Almighty depart from us. God is loath to [reconstructed: be] gone; he woos and besee…

Others blaspheme the attributes of God, that charge the all-seeing eye with blindness, saying, the Lord shall not see (Psalm 94:7), that charge the eternal mind with forgetfulness, saying, God has forgotten (Psalm 10:11), that charge the almighty arm with impotency, saying, can…

Those that listen to the counsel of the ungodly, and stand in the way of sinners, as willing to walk with them, will come at length (if Almighty grace prevent not) to sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). Let us therefore abide by that which Job and Eliphaz, even in the h…

Who are they that say to God, Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways, but such as take the Timbrel and Harp, and rejoice at the sound of the Organ, and spend their days in wealth? Job 21. 11, 12, 13. Pleasures do not so much delight the flesh, as they endanger…

It is his Blessing that makes good men rich, and his Permission that makes wicked men rich. That Maxime came from Hell, Quisque fortunae suae faber: Every man is the Contriver of his own Condition: Certainly, The good of man is not in his own hand, Job 21. 16. Promotion comes no…

It may be learned from his constant way in governing the world; notwithstanding all provocations; yet he does good to men, causing his sun to shine upon them, sending them rain and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness. From this it was easy for them to c…

Because there is not so much as a word of it for the time (so the word is) this greatens, and fills the heart of man, and makes it big to do evil. And not only is the Lord's long suffering mistaken by the ungodly, but even by his own, that should understand him better, and know…

And that nobleman who saw plenty in Samaria, but could not taste of it (2 Kings 7:19). So (Job 21:23), One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet: When he has gotten abundance of worldly comforts about him, death seizes on him of a sudden. 6. God yet is furthe…

IT shews us that it is not in Vain to serve God. The Wicked who know not God, think him an hard-master, and say as they, Job 21:15. What profit should we have if we pray to him?

As if God had made them to be like the Leviathan who plays in the Sea. Job 21:13. They take the Timbrel and Harp, and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ.

1. David a man after God's own heart makes this prayer: the more love any have to God, the more they desire to know his ways. Carnal men are of another spirit, they say (Job 21:14), Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways. The more ignorant, the more quiet; they…

Most wicked men are mad when their lusts are set a working; and there are some whose constant frame of heart it is, who make haste, who march furiously as if they were afraid of coming to hell too late, bear down conscience, word, and all before them, that set themselves to do e…

So many that shine now in the pomp and splendor of worldly accommodations, and are merry and jocund as if all would do well; alas poor creatures where are they going? (Job 21:12-13) They take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ; they spend their days…

Shall we sit as judges upon his actions, and think that might have been prevented, this might have been better ordered either for God's interest or our own comfort? Men will be teaching God how to govern the world: for we prescribe to him as if he did not understand what were fi…

So long till all their fears are over. (Job 21:9) "Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them." And their oppressions are multiplied.

But not to will, though we have no power, and much more not to will when we have power, is a sin. The reason why the wicked bade God depart from them, was, because they had no mind nor desire to be acquainted with his ways (Job 21:14); so also (Romans 1:28), they did not like to…

It strives with, and fights against God; and if its power were as great as its will is wicked, it would not suffer God to be. God is a troublesome thing to sinners, and therefore they say to him, depart from us (Job 21:14), and of Christ Jesus, let us break his bonds asunder, an…

How many does it send from the cradle to the grave, so that they have run their race before they can go? Others die in their full strength, (beside the havocs it makes by war, etc.) as some do always eat their bread in darkness (Job 21:23). Man no sooner begins to live, but he b…

As God upbraids Israel of old, that they changed their glory for that which did not profit, and (worse than that great King who sold his Kingdom for a draught of water) they leave and part with a fountain of living waters, for a cistern, an empty cistern that has none, yes, for…

The punishment (which is worthy of a remark) does answer to, and is called by the name of sin; What is sin? but a departure from God: And what the doom of sinners? departure from God; as if God should say to them, you liked departing while you lived, now depart from me; you woul…

Surely no, but now this people call upon God always, they seek him daily, certainly these are no hypocrites. 3. Says God, They delight to know my ways — sure this frees them from the suspicion of hypocrisy, for (Job 21:14) they say to God depart from us, we desire not the knowle…

This also appeared in Adam's sin: out of the folly of his own deluded thoughts, he would have dethroned the Almighty, and hoped by Satan's counsel to set himself in the room of God: "You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3), and he saw it to be good to get knowle…

And what is worst is a willful ignorance — there is a difference between not knowing and not wanting to know. Many are in love with ignorance; they hug their disease (Job 21:14; 2 Peter 3:5). Ignorant minds are impure; there is no going to heaven in the dark.

Instead of mourners, we have those who revel. They take the timbrel and harp; they spend their days in wealth (Job 21:13). They do not mourn in soul, but indulge the flesh.

These sighs and groans are stirred up by the Spirit of God; by the beating of this pulse, judge of the life of faith in you. A wicked person has none of these breathings after Christ (Job 21:14): they say to God, depart from us. If the heart moves toward Christ, the Spirit as a…

It reproves those who, instead of running the race of God's commandments, spend all their time in jollity and mirth, as if their life were more a dance than a race. Job 21:12-13: They take the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ; they spend their days in mirth…

Far less has it any truth that a real mercy can be removed in wrath from Infants in Jesus Christ, in whom the Nations are blessed. And we see in Deuteronomy 28, the blessing of an observed Covenant and the curses of a broken Covenant are extended to the fruit of the body, to the…

Where is the man whose heart is dilated in love to God? Many court him, but few love him: People are for the most part eaten up with self-love; they love their ease, their worldly profit, their lusts, but they have not a drop of love to God: Did they love God, would they be so w…

Or what profit should we have if we Pray to him? Job. 21.14, 15. see Rom. 1:28. Chap. 8. 7, 8.

Secondly, prosperity meeting with a graceless heart, makes it wholly sensual, and entirely swallows up its thoughts and affections: earthly things transform and mold their hearts into their own similitude and nature: the whole strength of their souls goes out to those enjoyments…

So to go over their own actions, in a review of them, and read the blurred writing of their hearts, and to commune with them, at night in the end of the day (as David did, Psalm 119:59) men are as loath to do this, as schoolboys are to peruse their lessons, and the false Latins…

So much mischief as he can do within the compass of his chain, the Lord permits him to do; but when he is come to His Day, then all his thoughts and projects perish with him. Excellently has holy Job stated the point, with whom I mean to conclude, Their good, says he, is not in…