Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/48

40 world, cannot see much to invite their stay in this world, or to make them fond of it. That, if it be God's will, we may do him more service, and may get to be fitter and ripe for heaven, is an end for which we may wish the prolonging of life, in subserviency to our chief end; but, otherwise, what can we propose to ourselves in desiring to tarry here? The longer life is, the more grievous will its burthens be, (Eccl. xii. 1.) and the longer life is, the less pleasant will be its delights, 2 Sam. xix. 34, 35. We have already seen the best of this world, but we are not sure that we have seen the worst of it.

VII. He obviates the suspicion of his being delirious; (v. 13.) Is not my help in me? that is, "Have I not the use of my reason, with which, I thank God, I can help myself, though you do not help me? Do you think wisdom is driven quite from me, and that I am gone distracted? No, I am not mad, most noble Eliphaz, but speak the words of truth and soberness. Note, Those who have grace in them, who have the evidence of it, and have it in exercise, have wisdom in them, which will be their help in the worst of times. Sat lucis intus—They have light within.

14. To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 15. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; 16. Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid: 17. What time they wax warm they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. 18. The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish. 19. The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. 20. They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. 21. For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.

Eliphaz had been very severe in his censures of Job; and his companions, though as yet they had said little, yet had intimated their concurrence with him: their unkindness therein poor Job here complains of, as an aggravation of his calamity, and a further excuse of his desire to die; for what satisfaction could he ever expect in this world, when those that should be his comforters, thus proved his tormentors?

I. He shows what reason he had to expect kindness from them. His expectation was grounded upon the common principles of humanity; (v. 14.) "To him that is afflicted, and that is wasting and melting under his affliction, pity should be showed from his friend; and he that does not show that pity, forsakes the fear of the Almighty." Note, 1. Compassion is a debt owing to those that are in affliction. The least which those that are at ease can do for those that are pained and in anguish, is, to pity them, to manifest the sincerity of a tender concern for them, and to sympathize with them; to take cognizance of their case, inquire into their grievances, hear their complaints, and mingle tears with theirs; to comfort them, and do all we can to help and relieve them: this well becomes the members of the same body, who should feel for the grievances of their fellow-members, not knowing how soon the same may be their own. 2. Inhumanity is impiety and irreligion. He that withholds compassion from his friend, forsakes the fear of the Almighty. So the Chaldee. How dwells the love of God in that man? 1 John iii. 17. Surely those have no fear of the rod of God upon themselves, who have no compassion for those that feel the smart of it. See Jam. i. 27. 3. Troubles are the trials of friendship. When a man is afflicted, he will see who are his friends indeed, and who are but pretenders; for a brother is born for adversity, Prov. xvii. 17.—xviii. 24.

II. He shows how wretchedly he was disappointed in his expectations from them; (v. 15.) "My brethren, who should have helped me, have dealt deceitfully as a brook." They came by appointment, with a great deal of ceremony, to mourn with him, and to comfort him; (ch. ii. 11.) and some extraordinary things were expected from such great men, such good men, such wise, learned, knowing men, and Job's particular friends; none questioned but that the drift of their discourses would be to comfort Job with the remembrance of his former piety, the assurance of God's favour to him, and the prospect of a glorious issue; but, instead of this, they most barbarously fall upon him with their reproaches and censures, condemn him as a hypocrite, insult over his calamities, and pour vinegar, instead of oil, into his wounds, and thus they dealt deceitfully with him. Note, 1. It is fraud and deceit not only to violate our engagements to our friends, but to frustrate their just expectations from us, especially the expectations we have raised. 2. It is our wisdom to cease from man; we cannot expect too little from the creature, nor too much from the Creator. It is no new thing even for brethren to deal deceitfully; (Jer. ix. 4, 5. Mic. vii. 5.) let us therefore put our confidence in the Rock of ages, not in broken reeds; in the Fountain of life, not in broken cisterns. God will outdo our hopes as much as men come short of them.

This disappointment which he met with, he here illustrates by the failing of brooks in summer.

(1.) The similitude is very elegant, v. 15··20. [1.] Their pretensions are fitly compared to the great show which the brooks make, when they are swelled with the waters of a land-flood, by the melting of the ice and snow, which makes them blackish or muddy, v. 16. [2.] His expectations from them, which their coming so solemnly to comfort him had raised, he compares to the expectation which the weary thirsty travellers have of finding water in the summer there, where they have often seen it in great abundance in the winter, v. 19. The troops of Tema and Sheba, the caravans of the merchants of those countries, whose road lay through the deserts of Arabia, looked and waited for a supply of water from those brooks: "Hard by here," says one, "A little further," says another, "when I last travelled this way, there was water enough, we shall have that to refresh us." Where we have met with relief and comfort, we are apt to expect it again; and yet it does not follow: for, [3.] The disappointment of his expectation is here compared to the confusion which seizes the poor travellers, when they find heaps of sand where they expected floods of water. In the winter, when they were not thirsty, there was water enough; every one will applaud and admire those that are full and in prosperity: but, in the heat of summer, when they needed water, then it failed them, it was consumed, (v. 17.) it was turned aside, v. 18. When those who are rich and high, are sunk and impoverished, and stand in need of comfort, then those who before gathered about them, stand aloof from them, who before commended them, are forward to run them down: thus they who raise their expectations high from the creature, will find it fail them then when it