or design of God in his sufferings, and the honour of religion might be secured. (Chap. x. 2, 3.) Is it good unto thee, that thou shouldest - shine upon the counsel of the wicked? who from my case take occasion to reproach and vilify true religion, and to confirm themselves in their wicked and idolatrous practices. (Chap. viii. 20—22.; xi. 17-20.; xvi. 9-11.)

8. He could only affirm his integrity, but could give no special satisfactory reason, why God should afflict him in a manner so very extraordinary, and beyond all preceding cases that were ever known in the world. This very much perplexed and embarrassed his mind, and laid him under a great disadvantage in the dispute. And for one thing, it is on this account that he is so earnest to come to a conference with God, to know his mind and meaning (chap. x. 2.); Show me wherefore thou contendest with me? He knew very well he could not absolutely justify himself before God. (chap. ix. 2-17.) For he breaks me with a tempest, he multiplieth my wounds without a cause, or without any apparent reason. (chap. vii. 12. 20.) The whole twenty-third chapter relates to this point; in which he wishes he could come to the dwelling-place of God (ver. 3.), and spread his case before him, and argue about it at large (ver. 4.), for he had turned his thoughts every way, and could make nothing of it (ver. 8, 9.), only he was sure God knew he was an upright man. (ver. 1012.) But (ver. 13.) he is in one TN, or in unity, supreme above all others, absolutely entire, keeping his mind and designs to himself; and none can turn, or oblige him to alter his resolution. All that we can say is, that he doth whatever is agreeable to his own wisdom. For (ver. 14.) what he hath resolved to inflict upon me he hath accomplished; and many such things he doth, of which he will not give us the reason. To the same purpose understand chap. xxvii. 2 -4. 14. and chap. xxviii. 2. He hath taken away my judgment, i. e. the rule by which I might judge of the reason of my afflictions. This point, in reference to God, Elihu tells him (chap. xxxiii. 13.) he had urged to no purpose, seeing he gives no account of his matters, or will not reveal to us the secrets of his providence.

9. In such a noble performance, if any thing seems to be said not in consistency, or not in character, we should rather suspect our own judgment, than the good sense of the author. The fault is not in the book, but in our understanding.

10. That sense which best agrees with the subject, or the point in hand, or which stands in the best connection with the context, should always be judged the best sense.

IX. Nothing, perhaps, has contributed more to render the poem of Job obscure, than the common division into chapters and verses; by which, not only the unity of the general subject, but frequently that of a single paragraph or clause, is broken. The commentators, critics, and analysts indeed are not agreed as to the exact number of parts of which it consists: thus Heidegger and the elder Carpzov institute two leading divisions, with a multitude of subdivisions; Van Til divides it into four leading parts, and Moldenhawer into three, with a number of subordinate heads. Dr. Good divides it into six books

1 See Bishop Patrick's Paraphrase on Job x.2—8.

or parts; and Dr. Hales into five parts, independently of the exordium and conclusion: but as these are requisite to the unity of the book, it does not appear that they should be excluded from the arrangement. The poem then, may be conveniently divided into six parts: The first of these contains the exordium or narrative part (ch. i. ii.); the second comprises the first debate or dialogue of Job and his friends (iii.-xiv.); the third includes the second series of debate or controversy (xv.-xxi.); the fourth comprehends the third series of controversy (xxii.-xxxi.); in the fifth part Elihu sums up the argument (xxxii.-xxxvii.); and in the sixth part Jehovah determines the controversy; Job humbles himself, is accepted, and restored to health and prosperity. (xxxii.-xlii.)

PART I. The exordium, containing the narration of Job's circumstances, and trials (ch. i. ii.), which is written in prose.

SECT. 1. The situation and circumstances of Job. (i. 1—6.)

SECT. 2. The first trial of Job by Satan, with divine permission, in the loss of his property and children; the integrity of Job declared. (i. 7-22.)

SECT. 3. The second trial of Job by Satan, in the severe affliction of his person (ii. 1—10.), and the visit of his friends to console him.

PART II. The first dialogue or controversy between Job and his friends. (iii.-xiv.)

SECT. 1. The complaint of Job on his calamitous situation, which is the ground-work of the following arguments. (iii.)

SECT. 2. The speech of Eliphaz, in which he reproves the impatience of Job, and insinuates that his sufferings were the punishment of some secret iniquity. (iv. v.)

SECT. 3. Job's reply, in which he apologises for the intemperance of his grief by the magnitude of his calamities, prays for speedy death, accuses his friends of cruelty, and expostulates with God, whose mercy he supplicates. (vi. vii.)

SECT. 4. The argument of Eliphaz resumed by Bildad, who reproves Job with still greater acrimony, and accuses him of irreligion and impiety. (viii.)

SECT. 5. Job's rejoinder, in which, while he acknowledges the justice and sovereignty of God, he argues that his afflictions are no proof of his wickedness, and in despair again wishes for death. (ix. x.) This passionate reply calls forth,

SECT. 6. Zophar, who prosecutes the argument begun by Eliphaz, and continued by Bildad, with still greater severity; and exhorts him to repentance, as the only means by which to recover his former prosperity. (xi.)

SECT 7. The answer of Job, who retorts on his friends, censuring their pretensions to superior knowledge, and charging them with false and partial pleading against him, and appeals to God, professing his hope in a future resurrection. (xii.—xiv.)

PART III. The second dialogue or controversy (xv.—xxi.); in which we have,

SECT. 1. The argument renewed, nearly in the same manner as it

had been commenced by Eliphaz, who accuses Job of impiety in justifying himself. (xv.)

SECT. 2. Job's reply, who complains of the increasing unkindness of his friends, protests his innocency, and looks to death as his last resource. (xvi. xvii.)

SECT. 3. Bildad, going over his former line of argument, with increased asperity applies it to Job, whose aggravated sufferings, he urges, are justly inflicted upon him. (xviii.)

SECT. 4. Job's appeal to the sympathy of his friends, and from them to God; professing his faith in a future resurrection, he cautions his friends to cease from their invectives, lest God should chastise them. (xix.)

SECT. 5. Job's appeal is retorted upon himself by Zophar (xx.); to whom the patriarch replies by discussing at large the conduct of divine Providence, in order to evince the fallacy of Zophar's argument of the short-lived triumph of the wicked. (xxi.) PART IV. The third debate or controversy (xxii.—xxxi.); in which, SECT. 1. Eliphaz resumes the charge, respecting Job's vindication and appeal as displeasing to God; contends that certain and utter ruin is the uniform lot of the wicked, as was evinced in the destruction of the old world by the deluge; and concludes with renewed exhortation to repentance and prayer. (xxii.) SECT. 2. In reply, Job ardently desires to plead his cause before God, whose omnipresence he delineates in the sublimest language, urging that his sufferings were designed as trials of his faith and integrity; and he shows in various instances that the wicked frequently escape punishment in this life. (xxiii. xxiv.) SECT. 3. The rejoinder of Bildad, who repeats his former proposition, that, since no man is without sin in the sight of God, consequently Job cannot be justified in his sight. (xxv.) SECT. 4. The answer of Job, who, having reproved the harsh conduct of Bildad, re-vindicates his own conduct with great warmth and animation, and takes a retrospect of his former character in the relative situations of life, as a husband, as a master, and as a magistrate; and concludes by repeating his ardent wish for an immediate trial with his calumniator before the tribunal of God. (xxvi.-xxxi.)

PART V. Contains the summing up of the whole argument by Elihu ; who, having condemned the conduct of all the disputants, whose reasonings were not calculated to produce conviction (xxxii.), proceeds to contest several of Job's positions, and to show that God frequently afflicts the children of men for the best of purposes, and that in every instance our duty is submission. He concludes with a grand description of the omnipotence of the Creator. (xxxiii.— xxxvii.)

PART VI. The termination of the controversy, and the restoration of Job to his former prosperity. (xxxviii.—xlii.); containing, SECT. 1. The appearance of Jehovah to pronounce judgment; who addresses Job, out of a whirlwind, in a most sublime and magnificent speech, the substance of which is nearly a counterpart to that of Elihu. In it are illustrated the omnipotence of

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God, and man's utter ignorance of his ways, and works of creation and providence. (xxxvii.-xli.)

SECT. 2. The submission of Job, which is accepted, his restoration to his former prosperity, and the increase of his substance to double. (xlii. 1-10.)

SECT. 3. A more particular account of Job's restoration and prosperity. (xlii. 11-17.)1

X. Independently of the important instruction and benefit which may be derived from a devout perusal of the book of Job, this divine poem is of no small value, as transmitting to us a faithful delineation of the patriarchal doctrines of religion; that confirms and illustrates the notices of the patriarchal religion contained in the book of Genesis, an outline of which has been given in a former volume.2 On this account, we trust, the reader will not be reluctantly detained if we take a brief retrospect of the patriarchal creed, more especially as some very learned men have denied that it contained any reference either to fallen angelic spirits, or to a future resurrection of the body from the grave, and consequently to a future state of existence.

The two grand articles of patriarchal faith, from the earliest days, according to St. Paul (Heb. xi. 6.), were, 1. That there is a God; and, 2. That he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. These articles are particularly contained in Job's declaration,

I know that my Redeemer liveth,

And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

But there are several other important points of doctrine either directly stated, or which may be legitimately inferred from different parts of this book: they may be reduced to the following nine articles.

1. The creation of the world by one supreme, omnipresent, and eternal Being, of boundless wisdom, irresistible power, indescribable glory, inflexible justice, and infinite goodness. This first great principle of what is usually called natural religion, is laid down throughout the whole book as an incontestable truth; but it is particularly illustrated in the speech of Jehovah himself, in Job xxxviii.-xli.

2. The government of the world by the perpetual and superintending providence of God. This article of the patriarchal creed is particularly noticed in Job i. 9. 21.; ii. 10.; v. 8—27.; ix. 4—13.; and in almost every other chapter of the book: in every instance, this doctrine is proposed, not as a matter of nice speculation, but as laying mankind under the most powerful obligations to fear and serve, to submit to and trust in their Creator, Lord, and Ruler.

3. That the providential government of the Almighty is carried on by the ministration of a heavenly hierarchy, (i. 6, 7.; iii. 18, 19.; v. 1.;

1 Dr. Hales is of opinion that the last six verses of this chapter, 11-17. (which particularise the increase of Job's family, the names of his daughters, who, according to primitive usage, were made co-heiresses with their brothers, together with the number of years during which he survived his trial) form an appendix; which was probably added in later times from tradition, either by Moses, who resided so long in his neighbourhood, or by Samuel, or by the person (whoever he was) that introduced the book into the sacred canon. Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. book i. p. 101.

2 See Vol. I. Chap. V. Sect. I. § 1. pp. 383 384.

xxxiii. 22, 23.), which is composed of various ranks and orders, possessing different names, dignities, and offices.1

4. An apostacy or defection in some rank or order of these powers (iv. 18.; xv. 15.); of which Satan seems to have been one, and perhaps chief. (i. 6—12. ; ii. 2—7.)

5. The good and evil powers or principles, equally formed by the Creator, and hence equally denominated "Sons of God;" both of them employed by him in the administration of his Providence; and both amenable to him at stated courts, held for the purpose of receiving an account of their respective missions.2 (v. 6, 7. ; ii. 1.)

6. That Zabianism, or the idolatrous worship of the stars was a judicial offence, cognisable by the pelilim or judges; who were arbitrators, consisting of the heads of tribes or families, appointed by common consent to try offences against the community, and to award summary justice.3 Such was the case of the Transjordanite tribes, who were suspected of apostacy, and were threatened with extirpation by the heads of the ten tribes on the western side of Jordan. (Josh. xxii. 16-22.)4

7. Original sin, or "that corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam." "It is certain," as Bishop Burnet has well remarked, "that in Scripture this general corruption of our nature is often mentioned:"6 and it is not to be supposed that this article of doctrine, however repugnant to the pride of man, should be omitted in the book of Job. Accordingly, we find it expressly asserted in chap. xiv. 4. ; xv. 14—16. and xxxv. 4. 8. The offering of sacrifices to placate the divine anger, and render the Almighty propitious (i. 5. xlii. 8.), and the mediation and intercession of a righteous person. (xlii. 8, 9.) In his intercession for his friends, Job is generally regarded as a type of Him "who ever liveth to make intercession" for transgressors. If any evidence were wanting to prove sacrifices of divine institution, the declaration in xlii. 8. alone would be sufficient."

9. That there will be a day of future resurrection (xiv. 7—11. with verses 12-15. of the same chapter), judgment (xix. 25-29.), and retribution to all mankind. (xxvii. 8. xxxi. 13, 14.)

The passage, in which Job expresses his firm faith in a Redeemer (xix. 25-29.), has been greatly contested among critics; some of

1 As obedim, servants; malachim, angels; melizim, intercessors; memitim, destinies or destroyers; alep, the miliad or thousand; kedosim, SANCTI, the heavenly SAINTS or hosts generally. Good's Introd. Diss. to his Version of Job, p. lxv. See ch. iv. 18. xxxiii. 22, 23. v. i. xv. 15. of his Translation, compared with p. lxxiv. of his Dissertation, and his notes on the passages cited.

2 Ibid. p. lxv.

3 Job xxxi. 26-28. Dr. Hales, to whose researches we are indebted for the sixth article of the patriarchal creed, translates the 28th verse thus:

Even this would be a judicial crime,

For I should have lied unto GOD ABOVE

4 Dr. Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. book i. pp. 105, 106.

5 Article ix. of the Confession of the Anglican Church.

6 Burnet on Art. ix. p. 139. Having cited several passages at length, he thus concludes: "These, with many other places of Scripture to the same purpose, when they are joined to the universal experience of all mankind concerning the corruption of our whole race, lead us to settle this point, that in fact it has overrun our whole kind, the contagion is spread over all."

7 Archbp. Magee has collected all the evidence on this important subject with great ability. Discourses on the Atonement, vol. ii. part i. pp. 25–46.