yielded pmitantial eubmiesion, God would ere now have interposed for his deliveranctl, and reacued him from the mouth of distress, inciting him forwa.rd till he had rea.ohed a broad ple.oe where, literally, whose" beneath" (ground) would ha'Ve been no straitness, nn<l where the letting down of his table, i.e. the food set thereon, should have been full of fatness (ver. 16). So God engages to do for nll who humbly trust his grace and power (1) t-0 deliver them in time of trouble (2 Kings x.x. 6; Ps. xxxlv. 19; :r.11. 1; xci. 14; xcvii. 10), as he snatched David from the ja.ws of the lion and the bear (1 Sam. nii. 37; Ps. x\'iii. 16, 17); (2) to establish them in ease and comfort, setting them dmrn in large places, as he did David (Ps. xviii. 19) and a later Hebrew bard (Ps. CH"iii. 5), ns he did with Israel when he brought her out of Egypt first into the wilder- ness and then into Canaan (Exod. iii. 8; J udg. x'Viii. 10), and as he does with believers when be frees them from condemnation a.ad introduces them into the liberty of the children of God; and (3) to provide for them a table in the wilderness, as again he did for lsrael (I's. lxxviii. 19) and for David (Ps. xxiii. 5), as he has done for all the world in the gospel (Isa. xxv. 6; Matt. xxii. 1), and for Christ's people in the Holy Supper (1 Cor. x. 21; xi. 20). 2. The sin h£ had committed. Job had" fulfilled the judgment of the wicked" (ver. 17); i.e. like the wicked, he had pronounced a judicial sentence upon God and his dealings. Instead of humbly acquiescing in the Divine dispensations, he had, according to another rendering of the previous verse, suffered himself to be seduced from listening to the voice of affliction by his boundless prosperity and by the ease of bis table, which was foll of fatness (Ewald, Dillmann, Canon Cook), so that he bad filled up the measure of his iniquity like a common evil-doer. It reveals a terrible declension on the part of a good man when be can behave no ·better under God's chastisements, and think no better of God because of them than on ordinary sinner. Yet good men, if left to themselves, may come to this. Therefore let us not be bigh- minded, but fear. 3. 1'he danger he had, incwrred. In con..<>equence of Job's insensate obstinacy and impenitent censoriousness towards God, "justice and judgment had taken hold on him;" he was now really undergoing snch punishments as were due· to wicked men from the even hand of justice. If good men by their ill behaviour place them- selves amongst the wicked, it need not surprise them if God should beat them, i.e. judge and punish them, as the wicked. Such judging as Job had been guilty of bordered close upon, and was commonly followed hard by, the judgment of God. The only judging that a good man can with safety perform is upon himself (1 Cor. xi. 31, 32). 4. The admonitior,s he required. (1) .Against declining into infidel scoffing. "Because there is anger [sc. in thy heart], let it not entice thee to scorning" (ver. 18). Of this he bad indeed been accusec..l by Zophar (eh. xi. 3), and not entirely acquitted by Elihu (eh. x..n:iv. 37), who now, however, solemnly adv,irtises him that that would be the certain issue of it if he yielded to his passionate feelings against God. The scorner's chair is the common terminus of such as begin by walking in the way of the ungodly. (2) Against undervaluing the Divine wrath. "Because there is wrath" (ac. with God), beware "lest he take thee away with a stroke." "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Eccles. viii. 11). Dut the wicked man has no guarantee that the Dinne indignation against sin may not flame forth suddenly against him, as it did against Cain, the antediluvians, the cities of the plain, Pharaoh, Korab, Dathan, and .A.hiram, Haman, Herod, and others. (3) Against trusting to any self-provided ransom or atonement. "Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee" (ver. 18), Neither wealth (ver. 19) nor suffering (ver. 18) can avert the Divine wrath. Only one Ransom has sufficient merit t-0 turn aside the sword of judgment. (4) Against thinking that either wealth or a.ny personal efforts can secure salvation. "Shall thy riches pla.ce ·thee beyond distress, and all the efforts of ihy strength?" (ver.19). No; nothing will except repentance and faith. (5) Against longing for a speedy death. "Desire not the night, whe □ people are cut off in their place" (ver. 20). Of this verse, of which a commentator (Schultens) givei; fifteen different explanations, the sense clearly is that Job had better be careful of foolishly indulging in any such wish ae that God should cut him off (oh. vi. 9 ; vii. 16), since God nught take him at his word and remove him from his place below, i.e. from the earth (Delitzsch), or to a place below (Carey). Death remo-,ed whole peoples, and wonld have no difficulty in removing him. And Job might find bis expectation disappointed.. Instead of going up to an ameliorated condition, he might on. XXXVI. 1-33.] THE BOOK OF JOB. 583
rather at death descend into a worse (Umbreit), No man tba.t knows what death is will desire it sooner than God is pleased to send it. (6) Against preferring wickedness to mi!ery. 11 'l'a.ke heed, reg~rd not iniquity; for thi~ ha.et thou chosen rather than afB1ctlon" (ver. 21). 1'hat 1s, rather than endure with meekness God's chasteninc, hnnd, Job had sinfully desired to die, independently altogether of whether or not ft wa.e God's will. A common temptation to saints no less than to ordinary men, to choose sin rather than suffering. 'l'o ekct to die rather than sin is the triumph of grace. Learn: 1. 'l'he true dignity of a gospel minister as one who speaks for God nnd Christ. 2. 'l'ho special business of a gospel minister, viz. to vindicate the wa,·s of God with man. 8. The binding duty of a gospel minister, to give himself to reading and meditation. 4. The lofty aim of the gospel minister, always to. speak from personal conviction. 5. The supreme glory of the Godhead, as combining infinite justice and intinite mercy, infinite greatness and infinite condescension. 6. The extreme anxiety God manifests to bring men to repentance and salvation. 7. The undoubted c2r- tainty tba.t the impenitent e.nd unrighteous will ultimately perish. 8. The abwlute impossibility of salvation for those who despise the divinely provided ransom. 9. 'l'he great danger of indulging in wrath against either God or his dispensations. 10. The deep delusion of those who imagine death. to be a blessing to any but God's people.