Job and his three friends; yet we think it neceffary, as the conference opens in this chapter, to give them a more adequate idea of fo important an article in this place, by laying before them an epitome, or an analyfis, as it were, of the whole question in difpute, upon which hinge this facred hiftory principally turns, and which is warmly carried on through several of the fubfequent chapters, before we enter upon our Remarks on the Text itself, pursuant to our plan. Job's three friends, then, having ftood filent during his long foliloquy, and repeated execrations recorded at large in the preceding chapter, were much divided between compaffion and refentment. They were fincerely forry, it is true, for his misfortunes; but were angry, and through their zeal for the glory of God, thoughtthey had just grounds to be fo; fince they found him so restless and impatient under his afflictions. Being unable therefore to contain themselves any longer, they enter into a very long and warm dispute, in which they themselves are opponents, and Joв refpondent at last they come to a determination, which is first entered upon by Elihu, a younger, but wifer man, than either of the other three, and at length concluded in Job's favour by God Almighty himself, who acted in this grand controverfy as their abfolute judge, and impartial moderator, The subject-matter of their debate was this important problem; namely, how the justice and goodness of the Almighty could be reconciled, whilft the wicked enjoyed. all the good things this life can afford, without interruption or controul; and at the fame time the righteous were too often overwhelmed with forrows, and in the eye of the world the objects of his difpleasure. In this controversy there are four principles, very warmly debated; in three of which, indeed, they are all unanimously agreed; but in the last, the friends are unanimously Job's antagonists; and Job is equally refolute, and determined to live and die in the support of it. The three articles, or pofitions, in which they all agree are these :-First, that whatever afflictions befal mankind, they are within the inspection and knowledge of the Almighty. Secondly, that God Almighty is the author, efficient cause, and director of those afflictions.-And thirdly, that in regard to his fovereignty over all his creatures, he neither does, nor is capable of doing any act of injuftice by. them, whatever their calamities may be, or however long they may last.—In purs fuance of these three principles, each of them expatiates very largely, and talks in a very rhetorical and elegant manner on the power, wisdom, juftice, and goodnefs of God; in which, however, holy Job by far excels them all. The fourth principle, in which the three unanimously, agree, and Job so vehement, ly opposes, is grounded on the two following fuppofitions.-First, that whoever is fincerely upright, and does all the good that lies in his power, that man fhall immediately meet with a reward proportioned to the measure of his actions: and on the other hand, whoever is a hypocrite, and is guilty of wicked actions, fhall receive an immediate punishment due to his demerits.-Secondly, that in cafe a wicked man Chould at any time be in flourishing circumstances, his enjoyments are, at best, but very very tranfitory, and foon turn, even in this life, to vifible judgments. And, on the other hand, though a righteous perfon fhould be accidentally overwhelmed with miffortunes, yet the scene would foon be changed, and his forrows, even in this life, be converted into visible bleflings.-It is on these two fuppofitions, that all their batteries against Job's innocence are entirely raised.-The force therefore of their arguments runs thus whoever is overwhelmed with miferies, either in mind, body, or eftate, and continues for a long time under the weight and preffure of them, ought to be deemed a wicked perfon, though no other evidence, or testimony, be produced, or alledged against him.-The peculiar opinion of Eliphaz, Job's first opponent, is this; that all the misfortunes which befal a man in this life are the pure refult of his own tranfgreffions; and for that reason, as God is infinitely just, he that plows iniquity, and fows wickedness, fhall reap the fame.-As to Bildad's opinion, Job's fecond antagonist, who is not altogether fo rigid as the former, he grants indeed, that a variety of woes may attend even the righteous; but then he may expect, without any prefumption, a happy iffue out of all his afflictions: If, however, the perfon fo ina diftrefs should not, after a confiderable interval, be restored to his former state of peace and tranquility; then fuch unfortunate perfon may justly be suspected, nay farther, peremptorily pronounced an abandoned finner. -Zophar, Job's third opponent, differs in this grand controverfy from the fentiments of both: for he affirms, that the true reafon for all the miferies which the fons of men labour under, is to be refolved: into the abfolute will and pleafure of the Almighty; that we are not to pry too. curiously into his divine attributes, fince all his fecret counfels are unfearchable, . and all his ways paft finding out. Thus upon this fourth principle, though in. fome measure diverfified, they all pafs fentence of condemnation on their long afficted friend, numbering him amongst the wicked, and uncharitably affigning him. the reward of an hypocrite, or fecret finner.-As this is the fum and fubftance of the whole charge against holy Job, we come, in the next place, to enquire into his fentiments on a concern of fo great importance, and to fhew you how manfully he acquits himself, and vindicates his innocence even in the opinion of the Almighty-Job then, though he readily affents, as before observed, to the three first principles, in, direct terms oppofes the laft, the ground-work of this important contest, which he refutes throughout as abfolutely unfound, as an uncomfortable position, and directly repugnant, in fhort, to the daily experiences of God's most faithful fervants. -He affirms therefore, with the utmost intrepidity, that the providence of God difpenfes, not only the good things of this life, but bodily afflictions, so promifcuously on the righteous and the ungodly, that no juft judgment can poffibly be formed of any one's fpiritual state and condition, either from his affluent fortune, or his fufferings in this tranfitory life.-In full dependance on this facred truth, our patriarch boldly withstands the fierceft attacks of all his antagonists, and determines to maintain it to the last moment of his life, let his cruel friends afperse him ever fo much, and let the all-wife God either continue to chaftife him, or reftore him to his former ftate 2 ftate of peace and profperity, as he in his great goodness should see most meet.-That he was a finner he readily grants; but that he was an hypocrite he abfolutely denies : he allows, that God was juft in all his dealings with him, but peremptorily denies, that he was a wicked man, because he was diftreffed: That though he was not righteous enough to juftify himself before the imaculate God, yet he was capable of vindicating his caufe before any human, impartial judge.-To conclude, it must be acknowledged, that through the anguifh of his foul, his agonizing pains, and the provocations of his cenforious friends, he fuffered fome unguarded expreffions to drop from him, for which Elihu very feverely reproved him; of which he as fincerely repented, and upon which God Almighty, we find, at laft, as freely fealed his pardon; and, as a juft reward of his uprightness and integrity, conferred upon him a double portion of his divine favours. Having thus given you a fhort, yet I hope a fatisfactory view of the whole point in controverfy, I fhall proceed to my animadverfions on the text according to the method I have hitherto pursued. VER. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. NOW A THING WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT TO ME, AND MINE EAR RECEIVED A LITTLE THEREOF. IN THOUGHTS FROM THE VISIONS OF THE NIGHT, WHEN DEEP SLEEP FALLETH ON MEN, FEAR CAME UPON ME, AND TREMBLING, WHICH MADE ALL MY BONES TO SHAKE. THEN A SPIRIT PASSED BEFORE MY FACE, THE HAIR OF MY FLESH STOOD UP. IT STOOD STILL, BUT I COULD NOT DISCERN THE FORM THEREOF: AN IMAGE WAS BEFORE MINE EYES; THERE WAS SILENCE, AND I HEARD A VOICE. THOUGH God Almighty made ufe of various ways and means to communicate his mind and will to mankind, yet the most usual methods, were by vifions, by dreams, by voices, and by infpiration. The Jewish doctors, who treat of divine Revelation, have been very curious in their observations on the difference of the feveral kinds abovementioned: the plaineft, however, and most obvious diftinction appears to us to be this. That vifion was the reprefentation of fome important affair to mankind, when they were awake, in oppofition to dreams, which were reprefentations made to them, when, as the text expreffes it, deep fleep fell upon them; that voices were either God's calling to men from on high, as he did to St. Paul, when he was on his journey towards Damafcus; or elfe his immmediate converte with them, as with Mofes, face to face, even as one man fpeaketh to his friend; and that laftly, infpiration was an inward excitement of the foul of man by the operation of the Holy Ghoft, without any bodily perception or fenfation.-Though it is true, indeed, that fome perfons may may be very confident in imaginary infpirations and vifions; and though there are fome who think that to be the very cafe in regard to Eliphaz in this place, yet we shall fhew hereafter, that fuch a conjecture is altogether groundless; and that he was far from being an impoftor. And in order to our forming a juft idea of any infpiration being true or falfe, we ought maturely to confider with ourselves the expectations we have from the person who pretends to be fo infpired, and then strictly to obferve whether he answers them or not. Now, as a Revelation is a mark of divine favour, we may reasonably expect, that the perfon who lays claim to it be one, who is virtuous, wife, and honeft; one, who is calm and fedate, and not with cafe to be deceived himself, or any ways in the leaft inclined to delude another; one, who has no designs to promote, no felf-interested views to serve; one, who has no ambitious aims to gratify; one, who looks on worldly pomp and grandeur with an eye of contempt; one, in a word, who propofes nothing to himself, but the glory of God, and the good of mankind. And as we may justly expect the perfon infpired to answer this character, so likewife we may reasonably expect that the Revelation, so pretended to be fent from God, fhould be confonant to the ideas we entertain of the divine attributes, and conducive to the happiness and inftruction of mankind. And lastly, we may expect, that he fhould give fome teftimony of his delegation, by fome extraordinary performance. And where these are concurring, we must acknowledge the revelation to come from God, as it carries the confpicuous stamp of his authority upon it. Naturalifts have obferved, that when a fudden tremor feizes upon a man, his blood hurries, or flies in a flutter to his heart; by which means the external members grow ftiff and cold; and the skin, in which his hair is rooted, is more compreffed than usual, which occafions fuch hairs, though of themselves but very weak excrefcencies, to ftand erect. This natural confequence of horror is most beautifully defcribed by the Ghost in SHAKESPEAR's Hamlet. But that I am forbid To tell the fecrets of my prifon-house, I cou'd a tale unfold, whofe lightest word Wou'd harrow up thy foul, freeze thy young blood, And each particular hair to ftand on end HAMLET, A& I. Sc. 8. There are divers expofitors of great repute, who confidently affert, that this was no true vifion fent from God, but a mere fiction, or pious fraud of Eliphaz's own invention, in order to give his arguments a greater fanction.-There are others again, who who carry this point ftill farther; and maintain, that it was an illufion of the Devil, in order to induce Eliphaz to be more zealous in the oppofition of holy Job-It must be acknowledged, indeed, that many have pretended to have visions from God, when in reality they have received none; yet we are induced to believe this of Eliphaz to be real for the following reasons. And first, the description of it exactly comports with thofe, of which there is no room to doubt, but that they were the oracles of God: and when a thing is done in the manner that God directs, it is to be fuppofed, that he hath done it. This reafon, however, we readily allow, is not abfolute demonstration; because Satan may poffibly transform himself into an angel of light; and our own hearts are too apt to counterfeit holy things in order to promote our own wicked defigns. Our fecond reafon, however, will carry more, weight with it. Eliphaz was, doubtless, a good man, and zealous for the glory of God, though he was mistaken in his notions, and did not speak the things of him which were right and, if it be granted, that his intentions were good, it cannot fairly be fuppofed, that any righteous man would boast of a falfe Revelation. And lastly, it was a true vifion, because it was a confirmation of a facred truth: and when vifions from God are falfly pretended, they are vainly boafted of with no other view, but to confirm fome human device or illufion of the Devil.-Having premised thus much, we prefume, that the spirit which paffed before Eliphaz's face was an angel, that had affumed fome vifible form, or image; for a naked spirit is not obvious to human fight. It was thus that angels ufually appeared to the ancients; and then they were called fpirits. Thus when Christ, after his refurrection, appeared to his difciples, they thought they had seen a spirit. They were not fo abfurd as to imagine, that a spirit in itself, a naked, abstracted fpirit, could be seen, but they called it a fpirit: because they thought it nothing more than the reprefentation, form, or image of his body; and not his real perfon; and for that reason they called it a fpirit, notwithstanding he appeared to them in a human shape. VERSE XVII. SHALL MORTAL MAN BE MORE JUST THAN GOD? SHALL A MAN BE MORE PURE THAN HIS MAKER? "THE important inftructions conveyed in this divine vifion are; the absolute rec❝titude of God, the exceeding imperfection of human virtue, and the impiety of "arraigning the justice of his moral government." SCOTT. DR. YOUNG has given us, in ten lines only, a tranfient idea of the whole debate begun in this Chapter, and carried on between Job and his four friends to the close of the thirty-feventh. At which time God Almighty himself condefcends to resume the controverfy, wherein, though he fufficiently humbles Job, he vindicates him from the afperfions of his too cruel friends. The |