Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/76

68 to a poor petitioner with more mildness, patience, and condescension, than the servants will. Job would rather argue with God himself than with his friends. See here, 1. What confidence they have toward God, whose hearts condemn them not of reigning hypocrisy: they can, with humble boldness, appear before him and appeal to him. 2. What comfort they have in God, whose neighbours unjustly condemn them: if they may not speak to them with any hopes of a fair hearing, yet they may speak to the Almighty, they have easy access to him, and shall find acceptance with him.

III. He condemns them for their unjust and uncharitable treatment of him, v. 4. 1. They falsely accused him, and that was unjust; Ye are forgers of lies. They framed a wrong hypothesis concerning the Divine Providence, and misrepresented it, as if it did never remarkably afflict any but wicked men in this world; and from thence they drew a false judgment concerning Job, that he was certainly a hypocrite. For this gross mistake, both in doctrine and application, he thinks an indictment of forgery lies against them. To speak lies is bad enough, though but at second hand, but to forge them with contrivance and deliberation is much worse: yet against this wrong neither innocency nor excellency will be a fence. 2. They basely deceived him, and that was unkind. They undertook his cure, and pretended to be his physicians, but they were all physicians of no value; "idol-physicians, who can do me no more good than an idol can." They were worthless physicians, who neither understood his case, nor knew how to prescribe to him; mere empirics, who pretended to great things, but in conference added nothing to him—he was never the wiser for all they said. Thus, to broken hearts and wounded consciences, all creatures, without Christ, are physicians of no value, on which one may spend all, and be never the better, but rather grow worse, Mark v. 26.

IV. He begs they would be silent, and give him a patient hearing, v. 5, 6. 1. He thinks it would be a credit to themselves, if they would say no more, having said too much already; "Hold your peace, and it shall be your wisdom, for thereby you will conceal your ignorance and ill-nature, which now appear in all you say." They pleaded that they could not forbear speaking; (ch. iv. 2.—xi. 2, 3.) but he tells them that they had more consulted their own reputation, if they had enjoined themselves silence. Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose, or that which tends to the dishonour of God, and the grief of our brethren. Even a fool, when he holds his fieace, is counted wise, because nothing appears to the contrary, Prov. xvii. 28. And as silence is an evidence of wisdom, so it is a means of it, as it gives time to think and hear. 2. He thinks it would be a piece of justice to him, to hear what he had to say; Hear now my reasoning. Perhaps, though they did not interrupt him in his discourse, yet they seemed careless, and did not much heed what he said; he therefore begs they would not only hear, but hearken. Note, We should be very willing and glad to hear what those have to say for themselves, whom, upon any account, we are tempted to have hard thoughts of. Many a man, if he could but be fairly heard, would be fairly acquitted, even in the consciences of those that run him down.

V. He endeavours to convince them of the wrong they did to God's honour, while they pretended to plead for him, v. 7, 8. They valued themselves upon it, that they spake for God, were advocates for him, and had undertaken to justify him and his proceedings against Job. And being (as they thought) of counsel for the Sovereign, they expected not only the ear of the court, and the last word, but judgment on their side. But Job tells them plainly, 1. That God and his cause did not need such advocates; "Will you think to contend for God, as if his justice were clouded, and wanted to be cleared up, or as if he were at a loss what to say, and wanted you to speak for him? Will you, who are so weak and passionate, put in for the honour of pleading God's cause?" Good work ought not to be put into bad hands. Will you accept his person? If those who have not right on their side, carry their cause, it is by the partiality of the judge in favour of their persons; but God's cause is so just, that it needs no such methods for the support of it. He is a God, and can plead for himself; (Judg. vi. 31.) and if you were for ever silent, the heavens would declare his righteousness. 2. That God's cause suffered by such management. Under pretence of justifying God in afflicting Job, they magisterially condemn him as a hypocrite and a bad man. "This" (says he) "is speaking wickedly," (for uncharitableness and censoriousness are wickedness, great wickedness; it is an offence to God to wrong our brethren,) "it is talking deceitfully, for you condemn one whom yet perhaps your own consciences, at the same time, cannot but acquit. Your principles are false, and your arguings fallacious; and will it excuse you, to say, It is for God?" No, for a good intention will not justify, much less will it sanctify, a bad word or action. God's truth needs not our lie, nor God's cause either our sinful policies or our sinful passions. The wrath of man works not the righteousness of God, nor may we do evil, that good may come, Rom. iii. 7, 8. Pious frauds (as they call them) are impious cheats; and devout persecutions horrid profanations of the name of God, as theirs who hated their brethren, and cast them out, saying, Let the Lord be glorified, Isa. lxvi. 5. John xvi. 2.

VI. He endeavours to possess them with a fear of God's judgment, and so to bring them to a better temper. Let them not think to impose upon God as they might upon a man like themselves, nor expect to gain his countenance in their bad practices, by pretending a zeal for him and his honour. "As one man mocks another by flattering him, do you think so to mock him and deceive him?" Assuredly, those who think to put a cheat upon God, will prove to have put a cheat upon themselves; Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

That they might not think thus to jest with God, and affront him, he would have them to consider both God and themselves, and then they would find themselves unable to enter into judgment with him.

1. Let them consider what a God he is, into whose service they had thus thrust themselves, and to whom they really did so much disservice, and inquire whether they could give him a good account of what they did.

Consider, (1.) The strictness of his scrutiny and inquiries concerning them; (v. 9.) "Is it good that he should search you out? Can you bear to have the principles looked into, which you go upon in your censures, and to have the bottom of the matter found out?" Note, It concerns us all seriously to consider whether it will be to our advantage or no, that God searches the heart. It is good to an upright man, who means honestly, that God should search him, therefore he prays for it; Search me, O God, and know my heart. God's omniscience is a witness of his sincerity; but it is bad to him who looks one way and rows another, that God should search him out, and lay him open to his confusion.

(2.) The severity of his rebukes and displeasure against them; (v. 10.) If ye do accept persons, though but secretly and in heart, he will surely reprove you; he will be so far from being pleased with your censures of me, though under colour of