Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/45

Rh , so the word is. Peace is the house in which they dwell, who dwell in God, and are at home in him; "Thou shalt visit," that is, "inquire into, the affairs of thy habitation, and take a review of them, and shalt not sin." First, God will provide a settlement for his people, mean, perhaps, and moveable, a cottage, a tabernacle, but a fixed and quiet habitation. "Thou shalt not sin," or wander, that is, as some understand it, "thou shalt not be a fugitive and a vagabond," (Cain's curse,) "but shalt dwell in the land, and verily, not uncertainly as vagrants, shalt thou be fed." Secondly, Their families shall be taken under the special protection of the Divine Providence, and shall prosper as far as is for their good. Thirdly, They shall be assured of peace, and of the continuance and entail of it; "Thou shalt know, to thine unspeakable satisfaction, that peace is sure to thee and thine, having the word of God for it." Providence may change, but the promise cannot. Fourthly, They shall have wisdom to govern their families aright, to order their affairs with discretion, and to look well to the ways of their household, which is here called visiting their habitation; masters of families must not be strangers at home, but have a watchful eye over what they have, and what their servants do. Fifthly, They shall have grace to manage the concerns of their families after a godly sort, and not to sin in the management of them. They shall call their servants to account without passion, pride, covetousness, worldliness, or the like; they shall look into their affairs without discontent at what is, or distrust of what shall be. Family piety crowns family peace and prosperity. The greatest blessing, both in our employments, and in our enjoyments, is, to be kept from sin in them. When we are abroad, it is comfortable to hear that our tabernacle is in peace; and when we return home to visit our habitation, with satisfaction in our success, that we have not failed in our business, and with a good conscience, that we have not offended God.

[8.] That their posterity should be numerous and prosperous. Job had lost all his children; "But," says Eliphaz, "if thou return to God, he will again build up thy family, and thy seed shall be many, and as great as ever, and thine offspring increasing and flourishing as the grass of the earth," (v. 25.) "and thou shalt know it." God has blessings in store for the seed of the faithful, which they shall have, if they do not stand in their own light, and forfeit them by their folly. It is a comfort to parents to see the prosperity, especially the spiritual prosperity, of their children; if they are truly good, they are truly great, how small a figure soever they make in the world.

[9.] That their death shall be seasonable, and they shall finish their course, at length, with joy and honour, v. 26. It is a great mercy, First, To live to a full age, and not to have the number of our months cut off in the midst. If the providence of God do not give us long life, if the grace of God give us to be satisfied with the time allotted us, we may be said to come to a full age. That man lives long enough that has done his work, and is fit for another world. Secondly, To be willing to die, to come cheerfully to the grave, and not to be forced thither, as he whose soul was required of him. Thirdly, To die seasonably, as the corn is cut and housed when it is full ripe; not till then, but then not suffered to stand a day longer, lest it shed. Our times are in God's hand; it is well they are so, for he will take care that those who are his die in the best time: however their death may seem to us untimely, it will be found not unseasonable.

In the last verse, he recommends those promises to Job, 1. As faithful sayings, which he might be confident of the truth of: "Lo, this we have searched, and so it is. We have indeed received these things by tradition from our fathers, but we have not taken them upon trust, we have carefully searched them, have compared spiritual things with spiritual, have diligently studied them, and been confirmed in our belief of them, from our own observation and experience; and we are all of a mind that so it is." Truth is a treasure that is well worth digging for, diving for; and then we shall know both how to value it ourselves, and how to communicate it to others, when we have taken pains in searching for it. 2. As well worthy of all acceptation, which he might improve to his great advantage! "Hear it, and know thou it for thy good." It is not enough to hear and know the truth, but we must improve it, and be made wiser and better by it, receive the impressions of it, and submit to the commanding power of it. Know it for thyself, so the word is; with application to thyself, and thy own case; not only This is true, but This is true concerning me. That which we thus hear and know for ourselves, we hear and know for our good, as we are nourished by the meat which we digest. That is, indeed, a good sermon, which does us good.

CHAP. VI.

Eliphaz concluded his discourse with an air of assurance; very confident he was that what he had said was so plain and so pertinent, that nothing could be objected in answer to it. But though he that is first in his own cause, seems just, yet his neighbour comes and searches him. Job is not convinced by all he had said, but still justifies himself in his complaints, and condemns him for the weakness of his arguing. I. He shows that he had just cause to complain as he did of his troubles, and so it would appear to any impartial judge, v. 2..7. II. He continues his passionate wish, that he might speedily be cut off by the stroke of death, and so be eased of all his miseries, v. 8..13. III. He reproves his friends for their uncharitable censures of him, and their unkind treatment, v. 14..30. It must be owned that Job, in all this, spake much that was reasonable, but with a mixture of passion and human infirmity. And in this contest, as indeed in most contests, there was fault on both sides.

UT Job answered and said, 2. Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! 3. For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. 4. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 5. Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? 6. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? 7. The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

Eliphaz, in the beginning of his discourse, had been very sharp upon Job, and yet it does not appear that Job gave him any interruption, but heard him patiently, till he had said all he had to say: they that would make an impartial judgment of a discourse, must hear it out, and take it entire. But when he had concluded, he makes his reply, in which he speaks very feelingly.

I. He represents his calamity, in general, as much heavier than either he had expressed it, or they had apprehended it, v. 2, 3. He could not fully describe it, they would not fully apprehend it, or, at least, not own that they did; and therefore he