security they joined themselves to them. It is folly to think of contending with the God of Israel, but spiritual wisdom to be brought to submit to him.

CHAPTER IX.

We left two royal edicts in force, both given at the court of Shushan, one bearing date the thirteenth day of the first month, appointing, that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month then next ensuing, all the Jews should be killed; and another bearing date the twenty-third day of the third month, impowering the Jews, on the day appointed for their slaughter, to draw the sword in their own defence. Great expectation there was no doubt of this day, and the issue of it. The Jews' cause was to be tried by battle, and the day fixed for the combat by authority. Their enemies resolved not to lose the advantages given them by the first edict, in hope to overpower them by num bers; the Jews relied on the goodness of their God, and justice of their cause, and resolved to make their utmost efforts against their enemies. The day comes at length, and here we are told, (1.) What a glorious day it was that year to the Jews, and the two days following; a day of victory and triumph, both in the city Shushan, and in all the rest of the king's provinces, ver. 1-19. (2.) What a memorable day it was made to posterity, by an annual feast, in commemoration of this great deliverance, called the feast of Purim, ver. 20—32.

VER. 18. "And made it a day of feasting and gladness."]-The deliverance of God's people, either in providence or in grace, fills their hearts with gladness; and this feast, or memorial of gladness, was instituted to be kept or observed yearly from generation to generation by the Jews, in remembrance of this wonderful work, which God had wrought for them; that the children "which might be born might know it, and declare it to their children," for the honour of God, to shew his kind protection of his people, his care of them, and to encourage his church in all ages, and under all their distresses and sorrows, to trust the wisdom, power, and goodness of God for their deliverance, that ages yet unborn may praise his name.

CHAPTER X.

This is but a piece of a chapter. The rest of it beginning at ver. 4. with six chapters more, being found only in the Greek, are rejected as

apocryphal. In these three verses, we have only some short hints, (1.) Concerning Ahasuerus in the throne, what a mighty prince he was, ver. 1, 2. (2.) Concerning Mordecai, his favourite, what a mighty blessing he was to his people, ver. 2, 3.

VER. 3. "For Mordecai, the Jew, was next to king Ahasuerus."]-Mordecai's name signifies myrrh, or bilter contrition, and he was eminently raised up to be a deliverer of the people of God; in which respect he may be considered as a type of Christ, who was ordained and appointed by God to save and redeem bis people, whose name is compared to myrrh, Cant. i. 13. and the sorrows of his soul were exceeding grent "even unto death." And as Mordecai was next to the king, so Christ as man is exalted at "God's right-hand," and has a name given him "above every name that is named." And as Mordecai was great among the Jews, so Christ is great among his people, in his name, person, glory, and righteousness, on which account he is reverenced and adored by them. And as Mordecai

was accepted of the multitude of his brethren," so Christ's church and his people are his brethren, for he is their elder brother, and by them he is accepted, received by faith, loved in their hearts, adored in their thoughts; and they trust in his person, name, and righteousness, as their Lord, and their God.

"Seeking the wealth of his people."]-Which was literally true of Mordecai; and this points him out as a singular type of Christ, who in infinite wisdom and love seeks in his counsels, covenant, and promise, the wealth, peace, and prosperity of his people: likewise the ministration of the word, the ordinances of his house, and the dispensations of his providence, are all ordained for the spiritual prosperity of his people.

"Speaking peace to all his seed."]-Christ's seed are his church, or people, who are the election of grace, whom the Father has given him; and this seed are often in trouble and tribulation; but the design of Christ's engagements, his incarnation, death, and resurrection, is to speak peace to them as their "Prince of peace,' by the blood of his cross; which peace he speaks to them by the word of his grace, by the promises of his lips, by the blessings of his covenant, and the seals of the Holy Ghost to their souls: and he has left peace as his dying legacy for them, and sealed it with his own blood, "which makes the promise sure to all his seed." See John xiv. 27.-xvi. 33.

A

Spiritual Exposition

OF THE

BOOK OF

JOB.

SCRIPTURE KEY.

THIS book is called The book of Job, as it chiefly reveals the different conditions of Job, namely, his prosperity, his adversity, and his wonderful deliverance out of all his distresses. And it may be remarked that this book is wrote in a peculiar style, which is very majestic, comprehen. sive, figurative, and poetical. Who Job was, is matter of enquiry, and that question is not easily answered; some think that he was descended from Abraham's brother Nahor, and that he was the son of Uz, who was the son of Nahor, Gen. xxii. 21. and the name of the land was called Us, from his father's name. But some think it most probable that Job was descended from Esau, and was the same with Jobab, the son of Zerah, mentioned Gen. xxxvi. 33. who was king of the Idumeans, and that the name Jobab might be changed into Job, from the custom of the Hebrew tongue, which frequently changes one letter for another; or it might be changed from his condition, as was the case of Abram to Abraham, or of Naomi to Marah, Gen. xvii. 15. Ruth i. 20.

The chief part of this book is taken up with a conference between Job and his three friends, which is managed with much eagerness and vehemence on both sides: Job's

friends observing some impatient expressions, and considering his severe and great afflictions, charge him with hypocrisy; and maintain, that God punishes or afflicts such only as are wicked, which is not strictly true; for it is evident, that many of the afflictions of the righteous are not immediately for sins or any particular iniquity, but for the trial of their faith, the revival of their hope, and for the display of God's faithfulness and loving-kindness through the afflictive dispensations of his providence.

The sum of this book, and the substance of the discourse between Job and his three friends, may be reduced to this one syllogism: he that is afflicted, and greatly afflicted, and continues long under his affliction, is certainly either a great sinner, or a notorious hypocrite; but so it is with thee, Job; therefore thou art such an one.

But Job denies the proposition, or what his friends charged him with, though he owned and knew himself to be a sinner, yet he strongly denies that he was an hypocrite: he readily grants that God was righteous in all his dealings with him, yet he firmly denies that these dealings of God with him prove him to be a hypocrite or unrighteous: he disclaims his own righteousness in point of justi fication before God, yet he firmly justifies himself in point of uprightness, integrity, and sincerity.

Eliphaz's opinion appears to be, that all the outward evils that befal man, are the fruit of his own sin and the displeasure of God's justice, chap. iv. 8. and applies it to Job, chap. xxii. 5, 6.

Bildad speaks next, and appears not so severe; he grants that afflictions may befal a righteous person, but urges that they are not of long continuance, as he speaks, Job viii. 5, 6, 20, 21.

Zophar in some measure differs from the two former, and declares (in which he is right) that the reason of all those afflictions which befal the children of men is to be resolved into the absolute will and pleasure of God, which is unsearchable and uncontrolable. Thus he delivers his mind, chap. xi. 7, 8, 12. yet he condemns Job, chap. xx. 29.

But Job, on the contrary, maintains that God dispenses outward prosperity and adversity indifferently, both to good and bad; and that no certain judgment was to be formed of his spiritual state from the appearance of his temporal condition. This he lays down positively, chap. ix. 22, 23.

Elihu appears as an umpire, or moderator, between them, and he condemns Job for his too passionate com

plaints of God's afflictive providence which seemed to be justifying himself rather than God, chap. xxxii. 2. Likewise he rebukes Job's three friends because they had condemned Job, but had not answered Job's allegations.

In this discourse he distinguisheth between persons that are under the hand of God; some are truly righteous, and through divine grace are kept close to God under their affliction; and these are they that see the faithfulness and love of God to them under all their afflictions; and it is the Lord's pleasure sometimes to restore them to a prosperous state, while the ungodly are hardened by their afflictions.

He likewise discourses concerning the works of nature, the rains, thunder, snow, winds, &c. chap. xxxvi. 37. and infers that if man cannot comprehend them, much less is he able to fathom the depths of God's purposes in all his works of providence, chap. xxxvi. 23, 24.

We likewise find that God himself appears to Job to end the controversy, and to convince him how ignorant and weak he was in himself, and how unable to contend with the Almighty: which shews the sovereignty, kindness, and condescension of God, and his tender care of his people under all their afflictions.

Hereupon Job was convinced, humbled, and acknow ledged his folly before the Lord, and the Lord declares Job's integrity, and brings him from his deep afflictions to a greater state of prosperity than he was before; which shews that though "many are the afflictions of the righteous, yet the Lord delivers them out of them all."

It is thought that the time wherein these things were transacted was before Moses: but it is very uncertain who was the penman of this book; whether Job himself, as some think; or Elihu, as some gather from chap. xxxii. 15, 16. or Moses, as others conjecture.

CHAPTER I.

The history of Job begins here with an account, (1.) Of his great piety in general, ver. 1. and in a particular instance, ver. 5. (2.) Of luis great prosperity, ver. 2, 3, 4. (3.) Of the malice of satan against him, and the permission he obtained to try his constancy, ver. 6-12. (4.) Of the surprising troubles that befel him, the ruin of his estate, ver. 13–17. and the death of his children, ver. 18, 19. (5.) Of his exemplary pati ence and piety under these troubles, ver. 20-22. In all which he is set forth for au example of suffering affliction, from which no prosperity