Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/94

86 if Christ be an advocate for me?" Rom. viii. 32, 33. Christ is the Surety of the better testament, (Heb. vii. 22.) a Surety of God's appointing; and if he undertake for us, we need not fear what can be done against us.

III. The good use which the righteous should make of Job's afflictions from God, from his enemies, and from his friends, v. 8, 9. Observe here,

1. How the saints are described. (1.) They are upright men, honest, and sincere, and that act from a steady principle, with a single eye. This was Job's own character; (ch. i. 1.) and, probably, he speaks of such upright men especially as had been his intimates and associates. (2.) They are the innocent; not perfectly so, but it is what they aim at, and press toward. Sincerity is evangelical innocency, and they that are upright are said to be innocent from the great transgression, Ps. xix. 13. (3.) They are the righteous, who walk in the way of righteousness. (4.) They have clean hands, kept clean from the gross pollutions of sin, and, when spotted with infirmities, washed with innocency, Ps. xxvi. 6.

2. How they should be affected with the account of Job's troubles. Great inquiry, no doubt, would be made concerning him, and every one would speak of him and his case; and what use will good people make of it?

(1.) It will amaze them; Upright men shall be astonished at this; they will wonder to hear that so good a man as Job should be so grievously afflicted in body, name, and estate; that God should lay his hand so heavy upon him, and that his friends, who ought to have comforted him, should add to his grief; that such a remarkable saint should be such a remarkable sufferer, and so useful a man laid aside in the midst of his usefulness; what shall we say to these things? Upright men, though satisfied, in general, that God is wise and holy in all he does, yet cannot but be astonished at such dispensations of Providence; paradoxes which will not be unfolded till the mystery of God shall be finished.

(2.) It will animate them. Instead of being deterred from, and discouraged in, the service of God, by the hard usage which this faithful servant of God met with, they shall be so much the more imboldened to proceed and persevere in it. That which was St. Paul's care, (1 Thess. iii. 3.) was Job's, that no good man should be moved either from his holiness, or his comfort, by these afflictions, that none should, for the sake hereof, think the worse of the ways or work of God. And that which was St. Paul's comfort, was his too, that the brethren of the Lord would wax confident by his bonds, Philip i. 14. They would hereby be animated,

[1.] To oppose sin, and to confront the corrupt and pernicious inferences which evil men would draw from Job's sufferings, as, That God has forsaken the earth, That it is in vain to serve him; and the like; The innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite, will not bear to hear this, (Rev. ii. 2.) but will withstand him to his face; will stir up himself to search into the meaning of such providences, and study these hard chapters, that he may read them readily; will stir up himself to maintain religion's just, but injured, cause against all its opposers. Note, The boldness of the attacks which profane people make upon religion, should sharpen the courage and resolution of its friends and advocates. It is time to stir, when proclamation is made in the gate of the camp, Who is on the Lord's side? When vice is daring, it is no time for virtue, through fear, to hide itself.

[2.] To persevere in religion. The righteous, instead of drawing back, or so much as starting back, at this frightful spectacle, or standing still to deliberate whether he should proceed or no, (allude to 2 Sam. ii. 23.) shall, with so much the more constancy and resolution, hold on his way, and press forward. Though, in me, he foresees that bonds and afflictions abide him, yet none of those things shall move him, Acts xx. 24. Those who keep their eye upon heaven as their end, will keep their feet in the paths of religion as their way, whatever difficulties and discouragements they meet with in it.

[3.] In order thereunto, to grow in grace. He will not only hold on his way notwithstanding, but will grow stronger and stronger, and, by the sight of other good men's trials, and the experience of his own, he will be made more vigorous and lively in his duty, more warm and affectionate, more resolute and undaunted: the worse others are, the better he will be; that which dismays others, imboldens him. The blustering wind makes the traveller gather his cloak the closer about him, and gird it the faster. They that are truly wise and good, will be continually growing wiser and better. Proficiency in religion is a good sign of sincerity in it.

10. But as for you all, do you return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you. 11. My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 12. They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. 13. If I wait, the grave is my house: I have made my bed in the darkness. 14. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister. 15. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? 16. They shall go down to the bars of the, pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Job's friends had pretended to comfort him with the hopes of his return to a prosperous estate again; now he here shows,

I. That it was their folly to talk so; (v. 10.) "Return, and come now, be convinced that you are in an error, and let me persuade you to be of my mind; for I cannot find any wise man among you, that knows how to explain the difficulties of God's providence, or how to apply the consolations of his promises." Those do not go wisely about the work of comforting the afflicted, who fetch their comforts from the possibility of their recovery and enlargement in this world; though that is not to be despaired of, it is, at the best, uncertain, and if it should fail, as perhaps it may, the comfort built upon it will fail too. It is therefore our wisdom to comfort ourselves, and others, in distress, with that which will not fail, the promise of God, his love and grace, and a well-grounded hope of eternal life.

II. That it would be much more his folly to heed them; for,

1. All his measures were already broken, and he was full of confusion, v. 11, 12. He owns he had, in his prosperity, often pleased himself both with projects of what he should do, and prospects of what he should enjoy; but now that he looked upon his days as past, and drawing towards a period, all those purposes were broken off, and those expectations dashed. He had had thoughts about enlarging his border, increasing his stock, and settling his children, and many pious thoughts, it is likely, of promoting religion in his country, redressing grievances, reforming the profane,