This, to the carnal mind, presents a difficulty not easy to be explained —
[There is in the mind of man a general idea that the Governor of the universe will testify by his present dispensa- tions his love for virtue, and his hatred of iniquity. The friends of Job carried this notion so far, that, without any other evidence than what arose from his peculiar trials, they concluded, that he must of necessity have been a hypocrite and deceiver, whom justice at last had visibly overtaken. Nor could Job himself understand, how it should be, that the pro- sperity of the wicked should be so great, whilst he, who had walked in his integrity, was so overwhelmed with troubles1. Even the Prophet Jeremiah, who might be supposed to have a deeper insight into divine truth than Job, was stumbled at the same thing"1: and therefore we must not wonder that it operates as a temptation in the minds of the generality.
Under the Mosaic dispensation, the difficulty of accounting for these things was certainly very great : for all the sanctions of the Law were almost, if not altogether, of a temporal nature: temporal prosperity was promised, and that too in very general and unqualified terms, as the reward of obedience ; and temporal judgments were threatened as the punishment of disobedience: and consequently, when the wicked prospered and the righteous were oppressed, it seemed as if the providence of God were in direct opposition to his word. Nor did Moses alone give ground for such expectations: even David himself had said, that " they who sought the Lord should want no manner of thing that was good11." Nay more, the same language is used in the New Testament : If we " seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all earthly comforts shall be added unto us." And again, " Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth0." Now it may be asked, How can this consist with
h ver. 7. * ver. 8, 9. Mark the language of ver. 9.
k ver. 11. i Job xxi. 7 — 13. m Jer. xii. 1.
u Ps. xxxiv. 10. and lxxxiv. 11. ° Matt. v. 5. and vi. 33.