Job 36

Notes

Ver. 2. Patiently permit me to inform thee a little further, for I have yet something more to speak on God's behalf. 3. While I treat of distant matters, and fetch my arguments from the inspiration of God's Spirit, or from his wonderful works, I will maintain the justice of God in all his proceedings, and give him the glory thereof. 4. And assure thyself I will not attempt to baffle thee with sophistical arguments; but as I have thoroughly studied the point, I will make use of no reasoning but what is sincere and solid. 5. Behold, such is the infinite power and wisdom of God that he never despises any, however mean! 6. He will bestow no solid happiness upon wicked men, but will do justice to the humble, poor, and afflicted. 7. He never ceases his special care of the righteous; but sometimes advances them, however poor, to the highest stations; and continues, establishes, and exalts them therein. 8-10. Or if they be brought into and fixed in sore troubles, he by that means makes them to consider their ways, discern their sinfulness, and turn from it to himself. 11. If their afflictions effect their reformation to piety and virtue, great and manifold shall be the blessings and comforts bestowed upon them here and hereafter. 12. But if, notwithstanding their troubles, they continue obstinate in wickedness, they shall be cut off by some fearful calamity, and shall perish in their ignorance, folly, and sin. 13, 14. Thus hypocrites heap up treasures of wrath for themselves; they neglect to implore God's help and deliverance in their troubles; therefore their life is early cut off, in a fearful storm of his wrath, by some exemplary judgment in death; and through eternity he reckons them with, and punishes them as, the cursed and abominable. 15. But he delivers the poor and humble in their affliction, and teaches them to know and practise their duty under it. 16. And hadst thou behaved thyself aright under thy pressures, he would even now have delivered thee from thy pressing and tormenting troubles into a state of freedom and affluence, in which there should be nothing to straiten thee; and that which fell from heaven upon thy table should be full of fatness. 17. But thou hast earnestly pleaded the cause of the wicked, and justified their reproachful murmurings against the providence of God: therefore his just indignation has already seized thee, and holds thee fast in bonds of fearful affliction. 18, 19. Since he is manifesting his hot displeasure against thee, take heed lest he cut thee off without remedy; and then no ransom, however great, can redeem thy life again; nor will all the united power and virtue in the world be able to deliver thee, if God resolve to destroy thee. 20. Never wish for a period of awful judgments, in which multitudes of men are often destroyed amidst all their comforts and enjoyments. 21. Never give way to sinning, particularly to rash and intemperate speeches concerning God's providential procedure. Thus shalt thou be chosen in, and plucked out of, the furnace of affliction. But, alas! hitherto thou hast preferred rash censuring of God's ways to a patient bearing of thy afflictions. 22. It is God alone who can effectually deliver and exalt men; and none can cast down, scourge, instruct, or govern like him. Pretend not therefore to direct him. 23. None hath directed him how to govern the world, or can call him to account for his management. None can charge him with anything unjust or imprudent. Never therefore rashly complain of him. 24. Instead of censuring, always admire and speak honourably of his works of creation and providence, which men cheerfully behold, and should cordially celebrate. 25. There are scarcely any so ignorant but they must observe these, and acknowledge his greatness and excellency in them. 26. Behold, such is the unbounded perfection of God, that we can never comprehend it; and such his eternal duration that we cannot search it out. How unfit are we then to judge of and censure his conduct? 27, 28. It is he who exhales from the sea, and forms the drops of rain which fall from the clouds. 29. How incomprehensible are his spreadings of the thick clouds all along the face of the heavens, and the crashing thunder of his cloudy residence! 30. How marvellously he extends the flashing lightning all over the sky, makes it penetrate to the bottom of, or vails it with the rainy waters exhaled from the sea! 31. By such rains, thunder, and lightning, he punishes wicked men for their sins; and by rendering the earth fruitful, makes liberal and magnificent provision for his creatures. 32. By his hollow clouds he conceals the thundering flash as well as the bright and scorching sun, and restrains it by their interposing influence. 33. Its crashing noise informs concerning it: as a red flaming treasure of wrath it hangs over the proud; or the noise of the clouds, as well as the motions of animals, portends the approach of the rain formed of vapours exhaled from the sea by the sun.

Ver. 7. [Good translates the first part thus:—'He withdraweth not his eyes from the judge, nor even from kings on the throne.' The authorized version, however, seems more consonant with Ps. 34. 15, and those promises of exaltation which are not given to kings, as such, but to the righteous of whatever rank, Ps. 89. 16; Ja. 1. 9; 1 Pe. 5. 6, and also perfectly accordant with fact, for even when the righteous are not on the throne in person, they are there by influence. See Mar.6.20. C.]

Ver. 18. ['Because of anger rebel not against his stroke; let not the greatness of the ransom (which you may be able to offer) tempt thee to sin.' P.]

Ver. 27. [Because rain is so common, men seldom calculate the power exhibited in its production and distribution. Yet, lo! without hand, it waters and fructifies the whole earth, while all the men of the world could not so irrigate a single kingdom. C.]

Ver. 31. [Judgeth he the people. The old world with the deluge; Sodom and Gomorrah with lightning, thunder, &c. Yet by them he also fructifies the earth and provides food for every living thing. So various are the purposes for which his wisdom employs the same natural agency. C.]

Reflections.—Plain and important speeches for God deserve the most fixed attention. Faithful souls are always zealous to vindicate God's dispensations from men's foolish and sinful aspersions; and truth and simplicity of speech always become such as profess themselves teachers of God's good ways. It is proper that we should always retain exalted thoughts of God: that he thinks none below his notice, however mean; countenances none of the wicked, however great; is always ready to redress the injured; takes a peculiar pleasure to protect those that are good; and brings special ruin on hypocrites, as the treacherous enemies of his government. If God exalt me to honour, let me exert myself for the welfare of mankind, and prepare for giving my account to him. If he afflict me, let me thankfully believe it done to discover my past sins, and to dispose me to receive his sanctifying instructions; fully persuaded that deliverance and comfort shall appear whenever his merciful end is gained. If my deliverance be delayed, my continued sin is the cause. But if I am not bettered by his rod, let me fear, lest my stupidity and dissimulation should issue in the suffering of his everlasting judgment. In affliction let me never be secure or make light of his stroke. Let me never hope to find out ways of my own to withstand or avoid it. Let me never dare to persevere in self-vindication or quarrelling with God;—never dare to prescribe to him who is an absolute ruler, an incomparable teacher, and unexceptionably just in all his procedure; and with whom neither riches can bribe nor darkness conceal. In the glory of his works let me discern the perfections of his nature. If he makes the clouds fountains to the lower world and vails to the upper, let me view everything formed in them—rain, hail, snow, or thunder—as his workmanship. And while I am here, let me live by faith, not by sight. Whom, having not seen, let me love; and in whom, though now I see him not, let me rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.