question, nor allow it to be decisive. But, without the least notice that any such thing had been urged, they go on, as they began, to inforce their former arguments, and to confute that which, they seem to understand, was the only one Job had urged against them, viz. The consciousness of his own innocence. But to be a little more particular. It fell to Zophar's part to answer the argument contained in the words in question, which I understand to be this-" Take, says Job, this"proof of my innocence: I believe, and confidently "expect, that God will visit me again in mercy, and

restore me to my former condition." To this Zophar, in effect, replies: But why are you so miserable now? For he goes on, in the twentieth chapter, to describe the punishment of the Wicked to be just such a state as Job then laboured under. He does not directly say, The Good are not miserable; but that follows from the other part of the proposition (which he here inforces as being a little more decent) The bad are never happy. Now suppose Job spoke of the Resurrection, Zophar's answer is wide of the purpose. 2, But what is still more unaccountable, Job, when he resumes the dispute, sticks to the argument he first set out with; and though he found it gave his Friends little satisfaction, yet he repeats it again and again. But this other argument of a Resurrection, so full of Piety and Conviction, which they had never ventured to reply to, he never once resumes; never upbraids his Adversaries for their silence; nor triumphs, as he well might, in their inability to answer it. But, if ever it were the object of their thoughts, it passed off like a Dream or Reverie to which neither side gave any attention. In a word, the Dispute between Job and his Friends stands thus: They hold, that if GOD afflicted the Good man, it would be unjust; therefore

a force to their expression which the Original will by no means bear.”

My reasons are these, 1. To understand the words, of a Resurrection, is repugnant to the whole tenor of the Argument and to understand them of a temporal deliverance, is perfectly agreeable thereto. 2. The end and design of the Composition, as explained above, absolutely requires this latter sense, and disclaims the former. 3. The former sense is repugnant to Job's own express declaration in other places.

I. We must observe that the book of Job is strictly argumentative: and though sententious, and abounding with poetic figures, yet they are all subservient to the matter in dispute. In this respect, much unlike the writings of David and Solomon, which treat of divine or moral matters in short and detached sentences. On which account, the ablest of those, who go into the sense of a Resurrection, have found the necessity of reconciling it to the Context. Thus much being granted, we argue against the sense they put upon it, from these considerations:-1. First the Disputants are all equally embarrassed in adjusting the ways of Providence. Job affirms that the Good man is sometimes unhappy: yet he appears to regard that Dispensation as a new thing and matter of wonder, upright men shall be astonished at this*; which, our interpre tation well accounts for. The three friends contend that the Good man can never be unhappy, because such a situation would reflect dishonour on God's at tributes. Now the doctrine of a Resurrection, supposed to be here urged by Job, cleared up all this embarras. If therefore his Friends thought it true, it ended the dispute: if false, it lay upon them to con fute it. Yet they do neither; they neither call it into *Chap. xvii. ver. 8.

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of God be removed, to humour your passions) Job recollects himself in the nineteenth chapter, and comes again to his former mind. He begins by complaining of their cruel usage: Says, that if indeed he were in an q error, his case was so deplorable that they ought rather to treat him with indulgence: that this was no season for severity: begs they would have pity on him; and then retracts what had fallen from him in the anguish and bitterness of his soul and lastly delivers this as his fixed sentiment, in which he was determined to abide; (and in which he had indeed acquiesced, till made impatient and desperate by the harshness of their treatment) namely, that GOD would at length bring the Good man out of trouble. I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH, &c. Which he introduces thus: Oh that my words were now written, Oh that they were printed in a book! that they were graven, with an iron an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever* ! As much as to say, What I uttered just before, through the distemperature of passion, I here retract, and desire may be forgotten, and that this may be understood as my fixed and unshaken belieft. And in this sentiment, it is remarkable, he henceforward perseveres ; never relapsing again into the like extravagance of passion. Which conduct agrees exactly with his general Thesis, "that Providence is not equally

administered;

the Jewish People. He is the Rock, his work is perfect; For all his Ways are Judgment, Deut. xxxii. 4. The Rock of his Salcation, ver. 15.-Of the Rock that begat thee, ver. 18. Except their Rock had sold them, ver. 30. Their Rock is not as our Rock, even our Enemies themselves being Judges, ver. 31. Their Rock in whom they trusted, ver. 37. Neither is there any Rock like our God, 1 Sam. ii. 2. The Rock of Israel spake to me, 2 Sạm. xxiii. 3. O Rock, thou hast established them, Heb. i. 10. and a great number of other places.

Chap. xix. ver. 23, 24.

See note [DD] at the end of this volume.

administered; for that the Good Man is frequently unhappy, and the wicked prosperous; yet that, at last, God will bring the Good Man out of trouble, and 5 punish the Wicked doers."

II. In the second place, if I have given a right interpretation of the book of Job, a temporal deliverance, and not the resurrection of the body, must needs be meant: For the moral of the dramatic piece was to assure the People, represented under the person of this venerable Patriarch, of those great temporal blessings which the three Prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, had predicted, in order to allay that tumult of inind which arose in every one, on seeing the. extraordinary Providence, which protected their Forefathers, now just about to be withdrawn from them.

III. Thirdly and lastly, To understand these words of a resurrection of the body, expressly contradicts Job's plain declaration against any such hope, in the following words, As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave, shall come up no more*. Again-So man lieth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more: they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. And again, If a man die, shall he live again? Clarius and Drusius on the words, till the heavens be no more, say, Intellige in æternum est sensus, nullo unquam tempore, nam cœlum semper erit. It is not in human language to express a denial of the Resurrection of the body in stronger or plainer terms. So that it is no wonder the SADDUCEES should, as they always did, urge the first of these texts as the palmary argument against the Pharisees; but as an argument ad homines only, for they refused to have their opinions tried by any thingie † Ch. xiv. ver. 12.

* Ch. vii. ver. 9.

↑ Ver. 14.