Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/63

Rh which leaves no room for such a complaint as this.

(3.) That the terrors of God, which set themselves in array against him,, put him into such confusion, that he knew not how to address himself to God with the confidence with which he was formerly wont to approach him; (v. 34, 35.) "Beside the distance which I am kept at by his infinite transcendency, his present dealings with me are very discouraging. Let him take his rod away from me:" he means not so much his outward afflictions, as the load which lay upon his spirit from the apprehensions of God's wrath; that was his fear which terrified him: "Let that be removed, let me recover the sight of his mercy, and not be amazed with the sight of nothing but his terrors, and then I would speak, and order my cause before him. But it is not so with me, the cloud does not at all scatter, the wrath of God still fastens upon me, and preys on my spirits, as much as ever; and what to do I know not."

From all this let us take occasion, [1.] To stand in awe of God, and to fear the power pf his wrath. If good men have been put into such consternation by it, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? [2.] To pity those that are wounded in spirit, and pray earnestly for them, because in that condition they know not how to pray for themselves. [3.] Carefully to keep up good thoughts of God in our minds, for hard thoughts of him are the inlets of much mischief. [4.] To bless God that we are not in such a disconsolate condition as poor Job was here in, but that we walk in the light of the Lord; let us rejoice therein, but rejoice with trembling.

CHAP. X.

Job owns here that he was full of confusion; (v. 15.) and as he was, so was his discourse: he knew not what to say, and perhaps sometimes scarcely knew what he said. In this chapter, I. He complains of the hardships he was under; (v. 1..7.) and then comforts himself with this, that he was in the hand of the God that made him, and pleads that, v. 8..13. II. He complains again of the severity of God's dealings with him, (v. 14..17.) and then comforts himself with this, that death would put an end to his troubles, v. 18..22.

Y soul is weary of my life: I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; show me wherefore thou contendest with me. 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? 4. Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? 5. Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days? 6. That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? 7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thy hand.

Here is,

I. A passionate resolution to persist in his complaint, v. 1. Being daunted with the dread of God's majesty, so that he could not plead his cause with him, he resolves to give himself some ease by giving vent to his resentments. He begins with vehement language, "My soul is weary of my life, weary of this body, and impatient to get clear of it, fallen out with life, and displeased at it, sick of it, and longing for death." Through the weakness of grace, he went contrary to the dictates even of nature itself. We should act more like men, did we act more like saints; faith and patience would keep us from being weary of our lives, (and cruel to them, as some read it,) even then when Providence has made them most wearisome to us; for that is to be weary of God's correction. Job, being weary of his life, and having ease no other way, resolves to complain, resolves to speak: he will not give vent to his soul by violent hands, but he will give vent to the bitterness of his soul by violent words. Losers think they may have leave to speak; and unbridled passions, as well as unbridled appetites, are apt to think it an excuse for their excursions, that they cannot help it; but what have we wisdom and grace for, but to keep the mouth as with a bridle? Job's corruption speaks here, yet grace puts in a word: 1. He will complain, but he will leave his complaint upon himself: he would not impeach God, nor charge him with unrighteousness or unkindness; but, though he knew not particularly the ground of God's controversy with him, and the cause of action, yet, in the general, he would suppose it to be in himself, and willingly bear all the blame. 2. He will speak, but it shall be the bitterness of his soul that he will express, not his settled judgment. If I speak amiss, it is not I, but sin that dwells in me, not my soul, but its bitterness.

II. A humble petition to God. He will speak, but the first word shall be a prayer, and, as I am willing to understand it, it is a good prayer, v. 2. 1. That he might be delivered from the sting of his afflictions, which is sin; "Do not condemn me, do not separate me for ever from thee. Though I lie under the cross, let me not lie under the curse; though I smart by the rod of a Father, let me not be cut off by the sword of a Judge. Thou dost correct me, I will bear that as well as I can, but O do not condemn me!" It is the comfort of those who are in Christ Jesus, that, though they are in affliction, there is no condemnation to them, Rom. viii. 1. Nay, they are chastened of the Lord, that they may not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. xi. 32. This, therefore, we should deprecate above any thing else, when we are in affliction; "However thou art pleased to deal with me, Lord, do not condemn me; my friends condemn me, but do not thou." 2. That he might be made acquainted with the true cause of his afflictions, and that is sin too; Lord, show me wherefore thou contendest with me. When God afflicts us, he contends with us; when he contends with us, there is always a reason. He is never angry without a cause, though we are, and it is desirable to know what the reason is, that we may repent of, mortify, and forsake, the sin for which God has a controversy with us: in inquiring it out, let conscience have leave to do its office, and to deal faithfully with us, as Gen. xiii. 21.

III. A peevish expostulation with God concerning his dealings with him. Now he speaks in the bitterness of his soul indeed, not without some ill-natured reflections upon the righteousness of his God.

1. He thinks it unbecoming the goodness of God, and the mercifulness of his nature, to deal so hardly with his creature, as to lay upon him more than he can bear; (v. 3.) Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress? No, certainly it is not; what he approves not in men, (Lam. iii. 34··36.) he will not do himself. "Lord, in dealing with me, thou seemest to oppress thy subject, to despise thy workmanship, and to countenance thine enemies. Now, Lord, what is the meaning of this? Such is thy nature, that this cannot be a pleasure to thee; and such is thy name, that it cannot be an honour to thee; why then dealest thou thus with me? What profit is there in my blood?" Far be it from Job to