dark cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not ; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven," unob- servant of his creatures' ways^.]
2. To order our paths ?
[This is strongly exemplified in our text. " They say, With GUI' tongue will we prevail : our lips are our own : Who is Lord over us ? " It is painful to observe with what daring impiety men will " cast God's words behind them*^." Declare to them the commands of men, and they will have an ear to hear ; but speak to them of the commands of God, and they reject it with scorn : they reply, in heart at least, if not in word also, " As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee ; but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth '^." Pharaoh, it is true, was hardened beyond the generality of men : but his answer to Moses is still that of the generality amongst ourselves, " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice ? I know not the Lord ; neither will I obey his voice ^."]
3. To supply our wants ?
[Whatever be the wants of an ungodly man, he will look to himself, or to the world, to supply them. He has no idea that God is observant of them, or will humble himself so low as to regard them. Now, this is a part of that same disposi- tion which we have before noticed ; and is no other than a denial of God. Job says, " If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold. Thou art my confidence ; this were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge ; for then I should have denied the God that is above ^."]
4. To call us to an account ?
[Men imagine that what is past is all forgotten, and that they shall never hear of it any more. This is what the Psalmist so justly reproves : " They say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye brutish among the people : and ye fools, when will ye be wise ? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear ? He that formed the eye, shall he not see ? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct^?" Elihu, also, conceiving it to be indulged by Job, utters a similar rebuke : " Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him : therefore trust thou in him'\"
Now, though in none of these particulars, perhaps, will
^ Job xxii. 13, 14. '^ Neh. ix. 26. ^ Jer. xliv. 16, 17.
e Exod. V. 2. f Job xxxi. 24, 28. s Ps, xciv. 7—10.
^ Job XXXV. 14.