was so much afflicted with the sins of the old world, that "he repented that he had made man upon the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Doubtless that is somewhat to God, which grieves him thus, and goes to his very heart. And let us take heed of thinking sin is nothing to God; though Elihu saith here to Job, "What dost thou unto him if thou sinnest? Sin hath done all the mischief to man that ever was done him, nor can any thing do him a mischief but his sin and though God, as Elihu argueth truly, be above the reach of any mischief that sin or sinners can do him, yet upon trial they will be found guilty of, and cast for, doing much, and that very mischievously against God: and therefore, for answer to the objection, observe, the glory of God may be considered two ways; first, in itself; secondly, in its manifestations. Or, we may consider God, first, in his essential glory and blessedness; secondly, in his manifestative glory and blessedness. The glory and majesty of God in itself, or his essential glory, is always the same, and receives neither increase nor dimunition; for it is infiniteand perfect, or infinitely perfect; and that is the definition of perfection, or defined perfection, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken. So then, consider God in himself, and it is true, our sins are nothing to him, they hurt him no more than the stars are hurt by throwing stones into the air at them, or the sun is hurt by casting darts at it. We can no more hurt or hinder that good or glory of God by our sins, than sun, moon, and stars in heaven are hurt or hindered in their course by such angry assaults from earth. But the manifestations of the glory of God are hindered by sin: that is the meaning of all those scriptures, where it is said, “ his name is profaned, dishonoured, blasphemed;" the present manifestations of his glory, which break out every where, are clouded and eclipsed by sin: and this their sins do who profess his name: professors should, wherever they come, hold out the favour and excellence of his name: but a learned writer thus renders the words: Thou saidst, says Elihu to Job, what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin?' He charges Job with talking like a modern philosopher; but adds, I will answer thee, and thy friends with thee. Look unto the heaven and see, and behold the firmament, it is too high for you. If thou wouldst atone for thy sin, what task wilt thou perform for him? When thy sins are multiplied, what wilt thou do unto him? If thou wouldst justify thyself, what wilt thou give him? or what

shall he take from thy hand? On a man, as thou art, is thy sin; and to the son of man is thy justification; that is, thou canst no more justify thyself than measure the height of heaven.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Elihu having largely reproved Job for some of his unadvised speeches, which Job had nothing to say in vindication of, here comes more gene rally to set him to rights in his notions of God's dealings with him, His other friends bad stood to it, that because he was a wicked man, therefore his afflictions were so great and so long; Elihu saith, no, the affliction was sent for his trial, and therefore it was lengthened out because Job was not as yet thoroughly humbled under it. And many reasons he urgeth, taken from the wisdom and righteousness of God, his care of his people, and especially his greatness and almighty power, with which in this and the following chapter, he persuades him to submit to the hand of God. Here we have, (1.) His preface, ver. 2-4. (2.) The account he gives of the methods of God's providences towards the children of men, according as they carry themselves, ver. 5-15. (3.) The fair warning and good counsel he gives to Job thereupon, ver. 16-21. (4.) His demonstration of God's sovereignty and omnipotence, which he gives instances of in the operations of common providence, and which is a reason why we should all submit to him in his dealings with us, ver. 22-23. This he prosecutes and enlarges upon in the following chapter.

VER. 2. "And I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf."-These words shew the authority of Elihu, that he speaks as one having a commission, or authorised by God to speak for the honour of his name, for his per fections, and his right to deal in a sovereign way with men,

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Elihu here goes on to extol the wonderful power of God in the meteors and all the changes of the weather: if in those changes we submit to the will of God, take the weather as it is, and make the best of it, why should we not do so in other changes of our condition? Here he observes the hand of God, (1.) In the thunder and lightning, ver. 1 -5. (2.) In the frost and snow, the rains and wind, ver. 6-13. (3.) He applies it to Job, and challengeth him to solve the phænomena of these works of nature, that confessing his ignorance in them, he might own himself an incompetent judge in the proceedings of divine providence, ver. 14-22. And then, (4.) Concludes with his principle which he undertook to make out, that God is great and greatly to be feared, ver. 23, 24.

VER. 14. "Hearken unto this, O Job."]-This shews that God's works of nature, of grace, and providence, are all wonderful; that the saints ought to hearken to his voice in them, to behold them with admiration; not with a single glance or thought, but with the mind filled with delight and pleasure, in order to praise God for them, and to glorify him in them, Psalm cvií. 43.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

In most disputes the strife is who shall have the last word: Job's friends had in this controversy tamely yielded it to Job, and then he to Elibu: but after all the wranglings of the counsel at the bar, the judge upon the bench must have the last word; so God had here, and so he will have in every controversy, for every man's judgment proceedeth from him, and by his definitive sentence every man must stand or fall, and every cause be won or lost. Job had often appealed to God, and had talked boldly how he would "order his cause before him, and as a prince would he go near uuto him;" but when God took the throne, Job had nothing to say in his own defence, but was silent before him. It is not so easy a matter as some think to contest it with the Almighty: Job's friends had sometimes appealed to God too; O that God would speak! chap. xi. 5. And now at length God doth speak, when Job by Elihu's clear and close arguings was mollified a little, and mortified, and so prepared to hear what God had to say. It is the office of ministers to prepare the way of the Lord. That which the great God designs in this discourse is to humble Job, and bring him to repent of, and to recant his passionate indecent expressions concerning God's providential dealings with him; and this he doth by calling upon Job to com pare God's eternity with his own time; God's omniscience with his own ignorance, and God's omnipotence with his own impotency. 1. He begins with an awakening challenge and demand in general, ver. 2, 3. 2. He proceeds in divers particular instances and proofs of Job's utter inability to contend with God, because of his ignorance and weakness; for, (1.) He knew nothing of the founding of the earth, ver. 4-7. (2.) Nothing of the limiting of the sea, ver. 8—11, (3.) Nothing of the morning light, ver. 12-15. (4.) Nothing of the dark recesses of the sea and earth, ver. 16-21. (5.) Nothing of the springs in the clouds, ver. 22—27. nor the secret counsels by which they are directed. (6.) He could do nothing towards the production of the rain, or frost, or lightning, ver. 28, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, Nothing towards the directing of the stars and their influences, ver. 31, 33. Nothing towards the making of his own soul, ver. 36. And lastly, he could not provide for the lions and the ravens, ver. 39-41. If in these ordinary works of nature Job was puzzled, how durst he pretend to dive into the counsels of God's government, and to judge of them? In this, as bishop Patrick observes, God takes up the argument begun by Elibu, who came nearest to the truth, and prosecutes it in inimit. able words, excelling his, and all other men's, in the loftiness of the stile, as much as thunder doth a whisper.

VER. 1. "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said."]-These words shew that the Lord had before spoken to Job by Elihu, but now he speaks in a more solemn and awful way to him, to convince him of his power, glory, and authority. Dr. Gill observes, that it was Jehovah, the Soff, the eternal Word, that spake to Job, who, very probably, appeared in the human form; for there was a visible appearance, chap. xlii. 5. which was doubtJess very solemn and glorious, and his voice humbled Job for all his unmeet speeches before the Lord; therefore he put such strong interrogations to Job that he was not able to

answer.

Ver. 7. "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."]-Which words, if taken literally, are to be understood of the stars of heaven praising the power and perfections of God in his wonderful works; but they are rather to be taken figuratively of angels, who are the sons of God by adoption: and doubtless it points forth that universal joy, triumphs, and songs of praise, upon the discovery of the wisdom, love, power, and grace, in our redemption by Christ: for when the Messiab, the God-man, was revealed to them, all the angels shouted for joy, to see their security in him, as the head of elect angels, and the glory that was to be accomplished by him; then all heaven rang with Immanuel's praises.

Ver. 31. "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades."]-That is, canst thou bind together the constellations of the stars as I have done? or, canst, thou bind or withhold their influences from the earth in their seasons? This question the Lord asked Job, to shew him his power, sovereignty, and authority over all things in heaven or in earth. This shows, that if none can bind the power of the stars, then much less can any bind or hinder the influences of the Spirit, when God is pleased to send his Spirit to work upon the heart of man.

First, to enlighten, or to give the light of the knowledge of his own glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Who can hinder God, when he purposeth thus to instruct and teach the ignorant, and make them wise unto salvation, wiser than their teachers; who can hinder it?

Secondly. To convert, to work faith and repentance, together with love, humility, &c. These graces are distilled, and drop down from the Spirit of God upon the soul; and who can hinder the Spirit from working them in the most

hardened and unbelieving souls, in the most proud and presumptuous soul? The most barren wilderness or dry heath (such are persons unconverted) are made fruitful by the influences of the Spirit.

Thirdly. To refresh and comfort. There are unspeakable influences of joy distilled from the Spirit upon believers, and when God will let them down from heaven, who can stop them, or what can stop them? All the troubles and sorrows, all the pains that men can invent or inflict upon a believer, cannot bind these influences of the Spirit, or hinder joy in believing. The greatest evils of this life can neither shut up nor shut out that comfort which the Spirit speaketh. The soul grows green, like a garden in the spring; the soul buds, blossoms, and brings forth these blessed fruits abundantly, when fed by these dainties of the Spirit. Those floods of trouble and persecution, which the serpent casts out of his mouth, cannot prevail against the least drop of consolation, wrought in the heart by the Spirit's influence. Paul and Silas were bound in prison; but there their persecutors could not bind the sweet. influences of the Spirit from comforting them, nor daunt them by any terror from triumphing in Christ; they could sing in prison, yea, they sang at midnight,

CHAPTER XXXIX.

God proceeds here to shew Job what little reason he had to charge him with unkindness, who was so compassionate to the inferior creatures, and took such tender care of them; or to boast of himself, and his own good deeds before God, which were nothing to the divine mercies: be shews him also what great reason he had to be humble, who knew so little of the nature of the creatures about him, and had so little influence upon them, and to submit to that God on whom they all depend. He discourseth particularly, (1.) Concerning the wild goats and the binds, ver. 1-4. (2.) Concerning the wild ass, ver. 5-8. (3.) Concerning the unicorn, ver. 9-12. (4.) Concerning the peacock, ver. 13. (5.) Concerning the ostrich, ver. 13-18. (6.) Concerning the horse, ver. 19-25. (7.) Concerning the hawk and the eagle, ver. 26–30.

VER. 27. "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command?"]-The design of this question, and many of the same nature which the Lord enquired of Job, was to convince him of his weakness and darkness; that if he