--- title: "John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible" author: "John Wesley" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 129 of 398 url: https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/129/ cite: "John Wesley, John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible, section 129. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/129/" --- # John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible *John Wesley* Wesley's short, plain notes on the Old and New Testaments, verse by verse. ## 129. Job · 13 of 17 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/129/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/john-wesley-notes-on-the-whole-bible/129/#p-N [¶0] Him - My judge, or adversary. My steps - The whole course of my life. A prince - With undaunted courage and confidence. [¶1] Cry - Because I have gotten it by fraud or violence. [¶2] Without money - Either without paying the price for the land, or by defrauding my workmen of their wages. Life - Killing them that I might have undisturbed possession of it, as Ahab did Naboth. [¶3] Because - So they said: but they could not answer him. [¶4] The Buzite - Of the posterity of Buz, Nahor's son, Gen 22:21. Ram - Or, of Aram; for Ram and Aram are used promiscuously; compare 2Kings 8:28 2Chron 22:5. His pedigree is thus particularly described, partly for his honour, as being both a wise and good man, and principally to evidence the truth of this history. He justified - Himself not without reflection upon God, as dealing severely with him, he took more care to maintain his own innocency, than God's glory. The word Elihu signifies, my God is he. They had all tried in vain to convince Job: but my God is he who both can and will do it. [¶5] No answer - To Job's arguments as to the main cause. Condemned - As a bad man. [¶6] 'Till Job - And his three friends. [¶7] Afraid - Of being thought forward and presumptuous. [¶8] Spirit - The spirit of God. Giveth - To whom he pleaseth. [¶9] Judgment - What is just and right. [¶10] Convinced - By solid and satisfactory answers. [¶11] Left - God thus left you to your own weakness, lest you should ascribe the conquering or silencing of Job to your own wisdom. God - This is alleged by Elihu, in the person of Job's three friends; the sense is, the judgments which are upon Job, have not been brought upon him by man originally, but by the hand of God, for his gross, though secret sins: but, saith Elihu, this argument doth not satisfy me, and therefore bear with me if I seek for better. [¶12] Bottles - Bottles of new wine. [¶13] I know not - The more closely we eye the majesty of God as our maker, the more we dread his wrath and justice, the less danger shall we be in of a sinful fearing or flattering of men. [¶14] My words - I will not speak passionately or partially, but from a sincere desire to do thee good. Clearly - What I speak will be plain, not hard to be understood. [¶15] Life - I am thy fellow creature, and am ready to discourse with thee upon even terms, according to thy desire. [¶16] Behold - I will plead with thee in God's name and stead, which thou hast often wished, and I am God's creature like thyself. [¶17] Clean - Not absolutely, for he often confesses himself to be a sinner, but no such transgression, as might give God just occasion to punish him so severely, as is implied, where he blames God for finding occasions against him, implying that he had given him none by his sins. And thus far Elihu's charge was just, and herein it differs from the charge of Job's three friends, who often accuse him, for asserting his own innocency; although they did it, because they thought him an hypocrite, whereas Elihu does it upon other grounds, even because Job's justification of himself was accompanied with reflections upon God. [¶18] Marketh - He narrowly prys into all my actions, that he may find matter against me. [¶19] Not just - Thou art in the wrong. Greater - Not only in power and majesty, but also in justice, and wisdom, and goodness, and therefore thou dost foolishly, in censuring his judgments, thou castest off that awe and reverence which thou shouldest constantly maintain towards thy sovereign Lord. [¶20] He - Useth not to give an account to his creatures of the grounds and reasons of his judgments or dispensations as being the supreme governor of all persons and things, in whose will it becometh all men to acquiesce. [¶21] Yet - Although he doth not give men an account of his matters, yet he doth that which is sufficient for them. Twice - When once speaking doth not awaken men, God is graciously pleased to give them another admonition: though he will not gratify men's curiosity in enquiring into his hidden judgments, yet he will acquaint them with their duty. God speaks to us by conscience, by providence, and by ministers, of all which Elihu here treats at large, to shew Job, that God was now telling him his mind, and endeavouring to do him good. He shews first, how God admonishes men by their own consciences. [¶22] Sealeth - He imprints those instructions upon their minds. [¶23] Pride - And God by this means is said to hide pride from man, because by these glorious representations of his Divine majesty to man, he takes him off from the admiration of his own excellency, and brings him to a sight of his own weakness, and to an humble and ready submission to his will. [¶24] Keepeth - By his gracious admonitions whereby he leads him to repentance. [¶25] Pain - The second way whereby God instructs men and excites them to repentance. [¶26] The destroyers - The pangs of death, here called the destroyers, are just ready to seize him. [¶27] A messenger - A prophet or teacher. To expound the providence, and point out the design of God therein. One, &c. - A person rightly qualified for this great and hard work, such as there are but very few. To shew - To direct him to the right way how he may please God, and procure that mercy which he thirsts after; which is not by quarrelling with God, but by an humble confession. and supplication for mercy through Christ the redeemer. [¶28] He - God. A ransom - Although I might justly destroy him, yet I will spare him, for I have found out a way of ransoming sinners from death, which is the death of my son, the redeemer of the world, and with respect to which I will pardon them that repent and sue for mercy. Observe how God glories in the invention! I have found, I have found a ransom; a ransom for poor, undone sinners! I, even I am he that hath done it. [¶29] Render - He will deal with him as with one reconciled to him through the mediator, and turning from sin to righteousness. [¶30] Life - His life which was endangered, shall be restored and continued. Yea, farther, God shall Deliver his soul from going into the pit of hell: and his life shall see the light, all good, in the vision and fruition of God. [¶31] Lo - All these ways God uses to convince, and save sinners. [¶32] To bring - That he may save men from being forever miserable, and make them forever happy. "Lord, what is man, that thou shouldest thus visit him? This should engage us, to comply with God's designs, to work with him for our own good, and not to counter - work him. And this will render those that perish inexcusable, that, so much was done to save them, and they would not he healed." So Mr. Henry. Excellent words! But how much did God do to save them? Did he ever do any thing to save them? Did he ever design to save them? If not, how does that which was never done, no nor designed, "render them inexcusable?" [¶33] Ear - The ear, is put for the mind to which things are conveyed by it. [¶34] Let us - Not contend for victory, but for truth and equity. Know - Let us shew one another who hath the best cause. [¶35] Said - I am so far righteous, that I have not deserved, such hard usage from God. Had taken - So Job had said, chap.27:2, he denies me that which is just and equal, to give me a fair hearing. [¶36] Should I lie - So Job had said in effect, chap.27:4,5,6, should I falsely accuse myself of sins of which I am not guilty? Without transgression - Without any such crying, sin, as might reasonably bring down such terrible judgments upon my head. [¶37] Like water - Abundantly and greedily: who doth so break forth into scornful expressions, not only against his friends, but in some sort against God himself. [¶38] Who goeth - Although I dare not say, that he is a wicked man, yet in this matter he speaks and acts like one of them. [¶39] He said - Not in express terms, but by consequence; because he said that good men were no less, nay, sometimes more miserable here than the wicked. [¶40] Pervert - As Job hath affirmed. [¶41] Who - Who or where is his superior that made the world, and, then delivered the government of it to God? God himself is the sole creator, the absolute Lord of all, and therefore cannot do unjustly: because the creator and Lord of the world must needs have all possible perfections in himself, and amongst others, perfect justice. Disposed - Or, committed, to him, to be governed by him, in the name, of his Lord, to whom he must give an account. [¶42] All - The design of this and the foregoing verse is the same with that of ver.13, namely, to declare God's absolute and uncontrollable sovereignty over all men. [¶43] Shall he - That is unrighteous. Govern - Elihu's argument is the same with that of Abraham, Gen 18:25, and that of St. Paul, Rom 3:5,6. If God be unrighteous, how shall he judge or govern the world? And the argument is undeniable: if God were unjust, there would be nothing but injustice and confusion in the world, whereas we see there is a great deal of justice administered in the world, and all this must proceed from him who is the fountain of all justice, and rule, and authority. And he that makes men just, shall he be unjust? Most just - God, who hath given so many clear and unquestionable evidences of his justice, in giving just and holy laws, in encouraging and rewarding righteous persons in this life, and inflicting dreadful judgments upon tyrants and oppressors. [¶44] Wicked - Though a king may be wicked, yet his subjects neither may nor dare call him so.