Job 28

Job 28:1-11

Baton-Chron 1700. are metavers in nature as well as providence, unfourchable by the depot philosopher. If we are careful to search for the true wifdom, we may have enough to be wise unto salvation, and more we need not desire. Job speaks here, 1. Concerning worldly wealth, how industriously it is fought for, ver. 1—11. 2. Concerning wifdom, ver. 12. How inestimable its value is, ver. 13—19. How favor its place, ver. 14, 20, 22. In particular, that there is a wifdom which is hid in God, ver. 23—27. And a wifdom which is revealed to men, ver. 28. Our requisites into the former must be checked, into the latter must be quickened, for that is it which is our concern. Or, miss. 1. Or, see. Exiled 1. 12. Or, goldare. Prov. ii. Or, turneth it up from the roots of mountains. 1. SURELY there is a vein for the Sliver, and a place for gold where they flue it. 2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. 3. He fetteth an end to darkness, and fearcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. 4. The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot; they are dried up, they are gone away from men. 5. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up at it were fire. 6. The stones of it are the place of fapphires: and it hath § dust of gold. 7. There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not free. 8. The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion paffed by it. 9. He putreth forth his hand upon the rocks; be overturneth the mountains by the roots. 10. He cutreth out rivers among the rocks, and his eye feeth every precious thing. 11. He bindeth the floods from overflowing, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he forth to light. Riches is the grand object which men covet: to obtain them, no labour, contrivance, or industry are spared. By understigable pursuit and toil the mine is exhausted of its flare; but the secrets of heaven, with all our thủy, cannot be penetrated as the bowels of the earth. The Sliver from the vein, and gold from the mine or the sand, is collected and purified in the fire; and iron and brass dug out of the earth, and molten in the furnace, v. 2. The same spot that above produces bread for man’s food, beneath contains the hidden treasures of gold, and precious stones, sparkling as fire, v. 3, 6. Man, in pursuit of these, opens the mine, and introduces the light, where, from the creation, darkness reigned, v. 3. He fearcheth out all perfections, contrives variety of instruments to extract these folterranean treasures, and brings to the surface the stones of ore that lay concealed as in the shadow of death. When gushing waters hid in the bowels of the earth break forth, waters that never foot before had touched, by levels cut through the rocks, v. 10. Or engines, he drains the overflowing flood, v. 4, 11. No rock, no mountain, can resist his researches, v. 10. He carries on his travesties, and brings forth to the light the precious things that were hid, v. 11. Secret paths are hollowed out, which neither the most sharp-sighted bird hath seen, nor have been trodden by the strongest breath which roam the wilderness in search of prey, v. 7, 8. Note, [1.] Shall gold thus engage man’s inconflict toil? and shall the riches of God’s grace, inhinitely more precious, be neglected? [2.] They who would be wise unto salvation, must in the mine of God’s word dig for the forced treasures there contained. The earth when didpepsin men’s researches, but those whom God by his grace engages to kick his true riches, never seek in vain. [3.] Deep is the mine, but deeper far, and more unfourchable, the dispensations of providence and grace: the keenest eye is here often at a loss, and the strongest treasier, after all his researches, is forced to cry, O the depth! Ver. 20. Exiled. vii. 84. Rom. ii. 11, 12. Heb. Five gold shall not be given for it. Prov. ii. 13, 14. & vii. 15, 16, & vii. 18. Or vessels. 12. ‘But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? 13. Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. 14. ‘The depth faith, It is not in me: and the sea faith, It is not with me. 15. ‘It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall sliver be weighed for the price thereof. 16. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the fapphire. 17. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. 18. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19. The topaz of Erthopax shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

Job 28:12-19

Gold and precious stones are valuable acquisitions, but Job suggests a far more worthy pursuit, and which will more amply repay the pains, and that is wisdom, the knowledge of and acquaintance with God and his ways. 1. This is the inestimable gain, which man knoweth not how to value; and whilst engrossed with earthly cares how to be rich, seldom concerns himself how to be wise. Yet, compared with this, all the most admired and precious stones that ever earth disclosed, are lighter upon the balances than vanity itself. One grain of grace is a more substantial good, than if the earth were one solid mark of gold, and the whole property our own. 2. This is the hid treasure which man knoweth not where to find. The miner faith, it is not in his dark cavern; the mariner faith, the merchandise of the sea cannot procure it; the deepest researches of the wisest philosophers are uncivilized, and they prove for the wall as the blind. Where this shall widom be found? no-where, but in him who is the wisdom of God, and hath brought life and immortality to light in the gospel, and in his word hath hid as search after him that we may find him, and in him all the hid treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Note, [1.] The truths of the gospel known and believed, make a man more truly wise, than the deepest acquaintance with the arcane of nature, or the most distinct understanding of the abstructed pains of the mathematics. [2.] Must people are eager enough, yea too eager, after riches; here no pains discourage their pursuit; but the treasures of grace they deplete and neglect, and count them not worth the seeking. Youlds preference? to be more fullestious about a perishing world, than an immortal soul, and more anxious to focus a portion in time, than in eternity. 20. ‘Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? 21. Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 22. ‘Destruction and death say, We have heard the same thereof with our ears. 23. ‘God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. 24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and’ seeth under the whole heaven. 25. ‘To make the weight for the winds, and he weighed the water by mealure. 26. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder. 27. This did he see it, and declare it, he prepared it, yea, anfearched it out. 28. And * unto man he said, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

Job 28:20-28

When we have begun to enquire as Pilate, John xviii. 38. What is truth? we must not hailily depart without an answer. Job repeats the important question, Whence then cometh wifdom? he resolves the question by a two-fold consideration of it, as farest with God, or revealed to man. 1. Secret things belong unto God; known unto him are the springs and reasons of all his dispensations, whether of providence or grace. They who fear the highest cannot pay into them, v. 21. and they who sink the deepest, find the shallow line of human understanding unable to inform the depth of wifdom, v. 22. Could even the dead come back to inform us what they know, they could report but the same of it, that such wisdom is in God, but what it is neither spirits of men nor angels comprehend. God alone understands the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. The residence of wisdom is in his own bosom, and all his purposes, planned with exact design, are executed in regular and uninterrupted order, though to so his paths are in the great waters, and his forefters are not known. [1.] His eye overlaws all; at one view all nature is open to him; the path, the present, the future, know no forcesion in his all-comprehending mind. [2.] His peace doth all; the very winds are poised in his balance, laid up in his treasures, directed to what point to blow, how long, how violent, and when to return. The waters are measured by him in exact proportions; the sea so reach its banks, not overflow; the rivers to run perpetual, whilst he maintains their inexhaustible fours, v. 25. [3.] His decay does all. Not a drop of rain falls, or a beam of lightning flashes from the cloud, but according to his eternal appointment, v. 26. Every circumstance of the miniself event was fore-ordained, from eternity dispossed, and prepared in the most exact order. He alone beholds his own address, and declares them to us in their operations and issues, to display his own glory, v. 27. Note, A real faith in Divine Providence will reconcile us to every event. It is the deity, and that is enough to engage our perfect acquaintance in the wisdom, equity, and mercy of the dispensation. 2. Man’s duty and wish on is revealed to him. And unto men, Adam, at first, and to all his sons, he said, Behold, attend with solemn reverence the great and important lethou, the fear of the Lord, that shall bear which proceeds from the knowledge, and love of him as revealed, this is wife, m, the most valuable attainment, and infinitely harpelling the highest菩提 of philosophical attainments; and is depart from evil, sin of every kind, the effect of such fear of God, is understanding. And with this Job suggests his friends should have been satisfied, and not pretend to dive into the secrets of God, and condemn him for a hypocrite, by malinterpreting the designs of his providence. CHAP.