Job 4

Job 4:7-11

Job’s impatient expeditations give an opening for those suggestions of his three friends, which on the review of his case were. Probably they had mentioned between themselves their judgments, and from his sufferings, concluded him a hypocrite. Thus Satan found them his friends, and they with warmth and cruelty placed against Job; which consists of integrity, he vindicates himself from their afflictions. Thus the dispute begins, and Elphans, as most distinguished, or the eldest person, first replies, 1. He bepleats a patient hearing, ver. 1, 2. 2. He concludes him an hypocrite, because the conflation he administered to others, could not support himself, ver. 3-6. 3. He maintains that man’s wickedness is that which always brings God’s judgments, ver. 7-11. 4. He corroborates his affliction by a vision of his, in which he was minded of the insensible purity and justice of God, and of the weakness and infidelity of man, ver. 12-21. By all this he aims to humble Job’s spirit, and to make him both prelates and patient under his afflictions.

1. THEN Elphans the Temanite answered and said, 2. If we affay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? 3. Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5. But now it is come upon thee, and thou feastest: it touched thee, and thou art troubled. 6. It was also thy best, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

7-6. Having heard Job’s impatient complaint, Elphans can no longer keep silence.

1. He apologizes for the part he was about to take, but hopes Job will not be offended if he and his friends affay to apple lime remedy to his disease; and as they apprehended his wound

needed to be laid open, he begs he will not think that unkindness, but friendship dictates his discourse. He would not willingly grieve him, but in this case he intimates silence would be criminal, and that God’s glory, as well as Job’s good, required them to deal with him faithfully. Note, (1.) In difficult cases, in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. (2.) When we have reproof to give, the gentlemen of our manner should give the bitter pill. (3.) It is a cruel kindness and vile blisshood, for fear of offending, to suffer sin upon our brother.

2. He suggests the unheavenedness of his conduct under his present trials, so contrary to the advice himself had often given to others. Thus, he is so far as to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not to be a good thing, and that the best thing is not

3. He charges him with hypocrisy in his former profession; that his fear of God, his confidence in his regard, his hope of things unseen, and the uprightness of his ways, however exemplary they might have themed, were but oppressence; that at bottom there was nothing in them; and this his present state, as he concludes, evidently proved, since God would not afflict a truly righteous man, nor would he be thus impatient in his trouble. Note, (1.) The charge of hypocrisy is one that is the oftenest laid against God’s people, and among the furs of his being. (2.) A censorious spirit is exceeding sinful; they will have judgment without mercy, who have shewed no mercy. (3.) We must not judge of a man’s state from a particular failing. He may be truly faithful at bottom, who on a violent temptation may yet be moved from his own fendishness.

4. Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? 8. Even as I have seen they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. 9. By the blasphemy of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. 10. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11. The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the flour lion’s wheeps are scattered abroad.

Two positions he here lays down in support of his former charge, that Job must be a hypocrite because of his afflictions.

1. That the innocent and righteous never perish under such heavy vibrations; but his case appeared desperate, therefore he was not innocent or righteous, as he pretended. He is right respecting eternal perdition, but else Job, to whose experience he appealed, might easily confuse him with the death of Abel, the heavy loafes of Lot, and the sufferings of Jacob: besides that, whilst there was life, still there was hope, that all Job’s present evils might end in blessings. Note, The conclusions of the evils of God’s people, are usually drawn from premises as weak and inflicting to happen them.

2. That wickedness was ever attended with temporal punishment; and for this he reaches his own experience, in the case of sinners in general; who, sowing iniquity, and expecting to reap comfort, find the harvest of misery; their crop blathed with the Divine dispiratory, and consumed as corn roared up by the whirlwind: and in particular he had seen the proud oppressors thus perish; who, asserting that alone, fierce and greedy of prey, filled their houses with peril; but soon by God’s judgment, their teeth were broken, the old lion was fannished with hunger, and their wheeps, their families, were scattered abroad. The he speaks of the case of others, these seems to be an oblique glance to Job’s function, as if like this old lion, he had by ex-portion filled his den, but now was ready to perish for want, and

his children had been flain by the breath of God. Hence he would infer his wickedness as the cause of his sufferings; but whatever the experience of Eliphas might be, greater and more numerous instances were only to be collected, where the wicked proffered long, perhaps died in plenty, and faw no bitterness. Such was profane Efuu’s case, and Lamech seems a full more daring and prosperous sinner.

12. Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. 13. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on trees, 14. *Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. 15. Then a spirit passed before my face, the hair of my flesh stood up. 16. 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, saying, 17. Shall mortal man be a more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker? 18. Behold, *he put no truth in his servants; and § his angels he charged with folly: 19. *How much less as them that dwell in houses of clay, whole foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? 20. *They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. 21. *Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? * they die, even without wisdom.

13. 12-21. To reprove Job’s impatient complaints, Eliphas proceeds to relate a vision from God, which probably was given him some time in the past seven days. The purport of it is from the view of the frailty, folly, and sinfulness of mortal man, to silence every murmur against his dispensations, and to lead his friend to more humble thoughts of himself.

14. He describes the manner of this revelation made to him: A thing, or a word of Divine wisdom was secretly brought to me, stole upon me unawares, and mine ear received a little thereof; either his capacity was too weak to retain the whole, or what was revealed was but a small portion of the will of God. In thought of deep and serious meditation from wisdom of his night, which were vouchsafed him, when deep sleep falleth upon men, to whole spirit nevertheless God hath accels, fear came upon me, and trembling; an awful sense of the Divine Majesty affected his mind, and communicated to his very body a sacred tremor, which made all my bones to shake, as if each sinner was unthrung, and every joint loosened. Note, (1.) God hath secret ways of accels to the souls of men; his people know it to their comfort, his enemies feel it to their terror. (2.) Our highest attainments are poor and inconsiderable; we know but a part, a very little part of God’s ways. (3.) When we lie down with good thoughts, we may hope our very dreams shall be holy. (4.) Though most visions of the night are vain, incoherent, and to be troubled by them would be superfluous folly; yet there are some, I doubt not, that bear the mark of God’s hand, and deserve our solemn attention.

15. The messenger who brought it: A spirit, one of those bright angelic hosts, who minister to the hours of salvation, replied before my face; struck with Surprise and dread, the hour of my head fixed up, erect as the bristles of the porcupine. It stood still, as if prepared to speak, but I could not discern the form thereof, perhaps the brightness of the surrounding glory prevented him: an image was before mine eyes, terrible to behold; there was silence, an awful pause, and then I heard a voice distinct and audible. Note, (1.) Though apparitions in general are the creatures of fear and folly, yet that God may on important occasions thus send from the world of spirits, why should it be thought incredible? (2.) The weakness of our nature shudders, and the consciousness of guilt terrifics in the apprehension of a visit from the unseen world. (3.) When God is about to speak, silence and attention become our prostrate shalt before him.

16. The message is weighty and important: Shall mortal man, sinful, and therefore weak and frail, be more just than God, or rather be just before God, pretend to affect innocence, or stand at his bar as righteous? Shall a man, the greatest and best of ours, be more pure than his maker, or pure before his maker, or in his sight dare to appear as sinless? Behold, must it with deep attention. He put no truth in his servants, his angels; did not trust them with their own fathidity, but secured them in Christ [who] did not reveal to them his secrets, &c. 2: 3d. did not place his confidence in them, as in any mess are supporting the glory of his throne; he wanted them not. May, he charged them with folly; compared with himself, their wisdom is foolishness; and left to themselves, they were liable to fall, as man, an innocence. How much left in them that dwell in houses of clay, in man, a worm, whole body is but a vessel of finer clay, which foundation is in the dust, weak and torturing before every kind of disease or accident, which are crushed before the moth; if but such weak worm, so feeble is the structure, path against it, the house is broken through, or more easily crushed than the

soft moth between our fingers. They are destroyed from morning to evening, thousands dying daily and continually, or every day their bodies bathed to their afflictions; they perish for ever, are cut off from the land of the living, no more to return, without any regarding it; they themselves little expecting it, and the living usually lay it not to heart. Doth not their anathemy which is in them as away, or with them? all the endowments of their mind, the beauty, health, and strength of their bodies, and all their pomp, greatness, and affluence vanish as the cloud of the morning; they die even without wisdom, it perishes with them; or forgetting to consider their latter end, they die unprepared. Now if God puts no truth in the angels, and chagrin them with folly, how much less dependence can be placed on miserable, weak, and sinful man; and how much more chargeable is he with folly and frailty, therefore can in no wise arrange to himself a wisdom and rightowaleth beyond his maker, or think of appearing justified in the eyes of his purity. Note, (1.) Discontent with the dispensations of God’s provisions, is in fact to impeach his wisdom, justice, and goodness, as inferior to our own. (2.) If the angels are in God’s sight thus weak and imperfect, and he places no confidence in them, what folly for man to make them the objects of worship, or to direct his prayer unto them? (3.) The more we consider the nature and frailty of our life, and the nearness and certainty of death, the lowier thoughts of ourselves it will be best in us. (4.) It were the heights of folly, nay of masterly, for a sinful strong worm to plead before God his worth and excellence. (5.) It is among the throng proofs of the unhealthily- and thoughtful-fluous bound up in the heart of a sinner, that amidst such daily warnings around him, and such frequent notices within him, he lives so careless, and leaves death, with all its awful consequences, far out of his sight.

Babes Chich I this.