punished less than our iniquities deserve. God does indeed seal and sow up, against the day of wrath, the transgression of the impenitent, but the sins of his people he blots out as a cloud.
II. He complains of the wasting condition of mankind in general: we live in a dying world; who knows the power of God's anger, by which we are consumed and troubled, and in which all our days are passed away? See Ps. xc. 7··9, 11. And who can bear up against his rebukes? Ps. xxxix. 11.
1. We see the decays of the earth itself. (1.) Of the strongest parts of it, v. 18. Nothing will last always, for we see even mountains moulder and come to nought, they wither and fall as a leaf, rocks wax old and pass away by the continual beating of the sea against them. The waters wear the stones with constant dropping, non vi, sed saepe cadendo—not by the violence, but by the constancy, with which they fall. On this earth every thing is the worse for the wearing; Tempas edax rerum—Time devours all things. It is not so with the heavenly bodies. (2.) Of the natural products of it: the things which grow out of the earth, and seem to be firmly rooted in it, are sometimes, by an excess of rain, washed away, v. 19. Some think he pleads this for relief: "Lord, my patience will not hold out always, even rocks and mountains will fail at last; therefore cease the controversy."
2. No marvel, then, if we see the decays of man upon the earth, for he is of the earth, earthy. Job begins to think his case is not singular, and therefore he ought to reconcile himself to the common lot.
We perceive by many instances,
(1 ) How vain it is to expect much from the enjoyments of life; "Thou destroyest the hope of man," that is, "puttest an end to all the projects he had framed, and all the prospects of satisfaction he had flattered himself with." Death will be the destruction of all those hopes which are built upon worldly confidences, and confined to worldly comforts. Hope in Christ, and hope in heaven, death will consummate, and not destroy.
(2.) How vain it is to struggle against the assaults of death; (v. 20.) Thou prevailest for ever against him. Note, [1.] Man is an unequal match for God; whom God contends with, he will certainly prevail against, prevail for ever against, so that they shall never be able to make head again. [2.] The stroke of death is irresistible; it is to no purpose to dispute its summons; God prevails against man, and he passes away, and, lo, he is not. Look upon a dying man, and see,
First, How his looks are altered. Thou changest his countenance, two ways. 1. By the disease of his body. When a man has been a few days sick, what a change is there in his countenance! How much more when he has been a few minutes dead! The countenance which was majestic and awful, becomes mean and despicable; that which was lovely and amiable, becomes ghastly and frightful: Bury my dead out of my sight. Where then is the admired beauty? Death changes the countenance, and then sends us away out of this world, gives us one dismission hence, never to return. 2. By the discomposure of his mind. Note, The approach of death will make the strongest and stoutest to change countenance; it will make the most merry smiling countenance to look grave and serious, and the most bold daring countenance to look pale and timorous.
Secondly, How little he is concerned in the affairs of his family, which once lay so near his heart. When he is in the hands of the harbingers of death, suppose struck with a palsy or apoplexy, or delirious in a fever, or, in conflict with death, tell him then the most agreeable news, or the most painful, concerning his children, it is all alike, he knows it not, he perceives it not, v. 21. He is going to that world where he will be a perfect stranger to all those things which here filled and affected him. The consideration of this should moderate our cares concerning our children and families. God will know what comes of them when we are gone, to him therefore let us commit them, with him let us leave them, and not burthen ourselves with needless, fruitless, cares concerning them.
Thirdly, How dreadful the agonies of death are; (v. 22.) While his flesh is upon him, (so it may be read,) that is, the body he is so loath to lay down, it shall have pain; and while his soul is within him, that is, the spirit he is so loath to resign, it shall mourn. Note, Dying work is hard work; dying pangs are, commonly, sore pangs. It is folly, therefore, for men to defer their repentance to a death-bed, and to have that to do, which is the one thing needful, when they are really unfit to do any thing: but it is true wisdom, by making our peace with God in Christ, and keeping a good conscience, to treasure up comforts which will support and relieve us against the pains and sorrows of a dying hour.
CHAP. XV.
Perhaps Job was so clear, and so well satisfied, in the goodness of his own cause, that he thought if he had not convinced, yet he had, at least, silenced, all his three friends; but, it seems, he had not; in this chapter, they begin a second attack upon him, each of them, charging him afresh, with as much vehemence as before. It is natural to us to be fond of our own sentiments, and therefore to be firm to them, and with difficulty to be brought to recede from them. Eliphaz here keeps close to the principles upon which he had condemned Job, and, I. He reproves him for justifying himself, and fathers on him many evil things which are unfairly inferred from thence, v. 2..13. II. He persuades him to humble himself before God, and to take shame to himself; v. 14..16. III. He reads him a long lecture concerning the woeful estate of wicked people, who harden their hearts against God and the judgments which are prepared for them, v. 17..35. A good use may be made both of his reproofs, (for they are plain,) and of his doctrine, (for it is sound,) though both the one and the other are misapplied to Job.
1.THEN answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 2. Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? 3. Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? 4. Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. 5. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. 6. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee. 7. Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? 8. Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? 9. What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? 10. With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men, much elder than thy father. 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 12. Why doth thy heart carry thee away? and what do thine eyes wink at, 13. That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 14. What
