"the greatest of all the men of the East," and the latter in correspondence with the high eminence which his extraordinary wealth had assigned him. There was thus in Job a combination, too rarely to be found in any period of our fallen world's history, of riches, excellence and honour; and, especially, an exemplification of true religion retaining its vitality amidst influences proverbially deadening, and exercising the controul to which it is entitled over powers by which it has, thousands of times, been borne down and crushed.Though Job is denominated "the greatest of all the men of the East," there is no evidence of his having been a king. This rests on no basis more solid than conjecture. Nothing in what he subsequently says of himself at all necessarily implies it. His family consisted of "seven sons and three daughters,❞—and in the fourth and fifth verses, we are presented with very pleasing domestic picture. It has at times, in some of its points, been regarded otherwise; but, in my apprehension, very unfairly. His sons were grown up, it appears, to youth and manhood:-and "they were wont to hold a banquet (or a banquet-house) every one his day." It may be that they had, respectively, houses of their own, as our received translation implies, in which they alternately visited each other, for the purpose of social festivity. But this, however probable, is not certainly ascertained by the terms of the original. Where their entertainments were held is left undetermined.-By the phrase "every one his day" has by some been understood the birth-day of each; as, when Job "opened his mouth and cursed his day," the "day wherein he was born" was the object of his execration. This, too, however, is a matter of uncertainty. The expression may mean no more than that their festive meetings were at certain stated intervals. When they thus feasted together, they "called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them." I like this. It contains evidence in it, I presume, of two things.-In the first place, of becoming affection; it was an expression of fraternal consideration and love: and secondly, of their stated festivities being seasons of cheerful domestic conviviality,-not of carousing, intemperance, and riot. Had they sought the excess of the jovial board, it is far from likely that their sisters would have been of the number of their guests. Charity "believeth all things."-No mention is made of Job himself, or of their mother, being with them on these occasions. This is the only circumstance that looks unfavourable. There were, in all probability, however, family reasons for their absence, of which we are ignorant. There is nothing in the circumstance decidedly indicative of evil. Charity hopeth all things.". 66 When Job, as the reason for acting the part described in the fifth verse, (of which immediately,) said, "It may be that my sons have sinned," the terms do not, by any means, imply the actual existence of any thing wrong;-of any thing at variance with the rules of temperance, or of any of the other virtues. They rather intimate the contrary; at any rate, that there was nothing flagrantly and notoriously offensive, of which he could not fail to have heard. It is the N. S. VOL. IV. 4 H language of paternal solicitude, jealously apprehensive of even the possibility of wrong. In the conduct of the patriarch, parental affection and piety appear before us in beautiful harmony.-As to the former, let christian parents observe, what it was, in regard to his children, about which he was chiefly concerned. It was their spiritual interests. This was the great subject of his solicitude. He had brought them up in the knowledge and fear of God. But he was well aware of the danger to which their religious and moral principles were exposed, in the condition of life which they occupied. With the tendencies of fallen nature within them, the sons of the greatest and wealthiest man of the East, were in imminent hazard, amidst the volatile sprightliness, the inconsiderate ardour, the sanguine anticipations, and the ambitious aspirings, of youth, of being led astray by "the deceitfulness of riches," and by the vanities, the pleasures, and the pomps of this ensnaring world :-for then alas! as well as now, it was, in the experience of many a hapless young man, no blessing to be born to patrimonial wealth or hereditary distinction. "It may be," said the anxious father, "my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." Thus at least our translators have made him say; but with what propriety may be questioned. The verb here rendered as if it meant to curse is the verb which, in all its occurrences in the Old Testament, excepting those in the first and second chapters of this book, and in 1 Kings xxi. 10, 13, is translated to bless. It does seem strange, that the same word should have significations so diametrically opposite: and the critical attempts which have been made to fix upon a general sense which may be fairly inclusive of both, are, it is conceived, more ingenious than satisfactory. That in most languages, indeed, words are to be found which, from their etymology, are susceptible of double meaning, is granted-but the cases are rare, and the evidence is far from sufficient, that this is one of them. In the passage referred to, in the first book of Kings, the verb is rendered blaspheme-" Naboth did blaspheme God and the King." But it is not the word used for blasphemy any where else. Those critics, therefore, seem to be in the right, who explain the charge against Naboth as a charge of idolatry, and translate the words accordingly-"Naboth did bless the Gods, and Molech ;"—or even "did bless God, and Molech.”— If it be alleged against this interpretation, that it is strange to suppose such a charge brought, as a ground for capital conviction in an idolatrous reign; it may be replied, that the charge was not to appear as coming from the Queen herself-from Jezebel; and that, in such a case of unrighteousness, and treachery, and cold-blooded contempt of law and life, for attainment of a selfish purpose, we need not be startled at the absence of regard to consistency:-any charge would do which, by the law of Moses, inferred the penalty of death; and all idolatry did. In the present instance, the translation proposed by Mr. Parkhurst" it may be that my sons have sinned, and blessed the Aleim (the gods) in their hearts"-does not, I confess, appear to me by any 66 means natural. I am disposed to acquiesce,-thongh objections, I am aware, may by some be started against it,-in that of Mr. Goode "It may be that my sons have sinned, nor blessed God in their hearts."-The affectionate and devout patriarch was apprehensive, that, even although, in the social festivities of his children, there might be no intemperance, nor any flagrant outbreakings of evil, yet, amidst their youthful sprightliness, and light-hearted mirth, there might be a criminal forgetfulness of God, as the gracious author of their blessings-a want of the serious thankfulness of true piety. He was not satisfied (as alas! too many professedly christian parents are) with there being nothing, in the conduct of his family, openly and grossly immoral. He wished more, even the inward power of true godliness; nor could he be satisfied without it.-Observe, then, further, what his piety did for them:-" He sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burntofferings according to the number of them all."-It seems evident here, that the "sanctifying" is to be taken in connection with the offering of the burnt offerings." He sanctified them, in order to their taking part in the sacred service. For the word, which is of frequent occurrence, in similar connections, means to purify and put one's self in a condition to appear before God, to join in his worship, or to participate of holy things. One instance of this may be mentioned as a specimen of many, It is said of Samuel, when he went to Bethlehem, to anoint David as the divinely destined King of Israel, that "he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice"-1 Sam. xvi. 5.-We are not, then, to conceive of Job as presenting his sacrifices privately, by himself, in absence of his family; far less as imagining that they were to operate in any way, independently of their concurrence, with the mystic virtue of a charm. His children were made aware of his purpose; they took part with him in the religious exercise; and we cannot doubt that the offerings to God were accompanied with suitable counsels to them, and with the affectionate benedictions of paternal piety. Here, then, there is presented before us a domestic scene, full of delightful and instructive interest:-the patriarchal priest, at the family altar; the altar surrounded by his ten children;-the melting tenderness of a father's love blending with the pure, warm, lofty aspirations of a saint's devotion;-offering up, for himself and his offspring, the penitential confessions of sin, and for each of his children especially, imploring, through the virtue of typical blood, the forgiveness of what guilt soever they might have contracted, in thought, word, or deed, -by omission or by commission,-in their hours of festive conviviality. Here is a group for the canvas,-a family picture for the hand of a master.-There is nothing, I think, to interdict the pleasing persuasion that the family of Job felt in unison, in some degree at least, with their priestly Head, and went along with him in the utterance of his desires to God;-nothing to forbid our regarding them as a pious family. It is delightful to believe this; and, when there is nothing in the record against it, but that which is related, when rightly understood, rather favours the supposition than otherwise, there is no reason why we should not cherish the belief. II. The second of the points adverted to in the first chapter is, THE CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST JOB BY SATAN, AND THE PERMISSION GIVEN BY JEHOVAH TO PUT THIS CHARGE TO THE PROOF:-verses 6-12. For the illustration of this singular passage, the reader is requested, in the first instance, to compare with it another of a somewhat parallel character - 1 Kings xxii. 19-23.-There is this difference between the two passages, that in the latter Micaiah avowedly relates a vision; whereas in the passage before us, the style is that of direct narrative. -True: but still it is poetical narrative; and may be interpreted as a representation of the simple fact of God's carrying on the government of the world by the intervention and instrumentality of angelic spirits, in the form of an accommodation to the style and practice of earthly sovereigns. Our understanding literally what is recorded of the human personages in the story, is not inconsistent with our explaining what relates to the spirits of the invisible world on the principle of such accommodation to our conceptions.-That the divine administration is, in many departments of it, conducted by the instrumental agency of these "ministering spirits," is at once taught and exemplified throughout his own word. See Psalm ciii. 19-21. Heb. i. 13, 14.-Now these ministers of God,-these attendants upon his throne, it is evident, must receive their respective charges or commissions, whether more general or more special, from himself. This is clear. They do not act according to their own discretion; but " do his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word." But when, where and how, their respective orders are given them, we are in the dark. We can hardly fancy the representation as intended to convey the idea of this being done in heaven, for it seems exceeding incongruous, and out of keeping with all the scriptural notices of that pure and blessed place, to suppose Satan actually entering there. Indeed I think it in the highest degree questionable, whether the passage before us at all necessitates our believing that these ministering spirits do actually at times convene for the purpose of receiving their commissions, and reporting their execution. All that is intended to be conveyed is, probably, the fact of their being commissioned, this fact being represented, by the inspired poet, in terms adapted to our earthly modes of procedure; to the practices of royal courts and councils, where plans are adjusted, and ambassadors are in waiting to receive their orders. In these remarks, I have proceeded upon the assumption, as being by far the most reasonable and natural, that by "the sons of God" the holy angels are intended. They are evidently so designated in chap. xxxviii. 7. where, on God's laying the foundations of the earth, the morning stars are represented as "singing together, and all the Sons of God as shouting for joy."-And, proceeding on the princi ple of interpretation stated-of accommodation, in the manner of representing the fact of angelic ministry to the forms of human government, the expression "Satan came also among them" will mean no more than the fact that the ministry of evil angels, as well as of good, is employed by the supreme Ruler in carrying forward the purposes of his providence; that he controuls and overrules all their doings, as he does those of wicked men, for the advancement of his own designs. The truths taught us, then, in this representation, are the following:-1. That the good angels are employed in the execution of the divine will, in many parts of his providential administration.-2. That the arch-adversary is incessantly on the alert, with all his legions, in tempting men to rebellion against God, in every form of evil, to their own destruction:-this world being his appropriate kingdom, the sphere of his malice and of his power; whence he is denominated" the prince of this world,"-" the ruler of the darkness of this world;" and in the apocalyptic representation of the period of millennial peace and purity, he is described as bound and shut up, that he might "deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years are fulfilled."-3. That the good angels, on the one hand, execute the behests of the King of kings with delight, promptitude, and zeal, pursuing, as their own highest and dearest aim, the advancement of his glory, in the fulfilment of his wise, and righteous, and merciful counsels; and that the evil angels, on the other, in all their schemes and all their doings, are completely under controul, and, not like the others, with concurrence of will, but reluctantly, and unintentionally, are made the instruments of forwarding his ends, although, like wicked men, their dupes and tools, they "mean not so, neither do their hearts think so." You may conceive of the patriarch, if you will, reader, as having been, on the "day" figuratively represented as a day of divine audience, the subject of some of the communications received from God's "ministering spirits," and of the messages committed to them for execution.-Mark now, in this connection, the question of the Supreme Ruler to Satan, and Satan's reply:-verses 9, 10.-On these verses, the following observations suggest themselves, as illustrative of the lessons they teach us: 1. The arch-enemy indirectly owns, that it was altogether out of his power, to touch injuriously any thing that pertained to God's servant, without the divine permission. His words more than imply that he fain would have done it, but was effectually prevented by the encircling protection of the Almighty, who "encompassed him with his favour." 2. He further admits, and by the admission teaches us the important lesson, of which we never should let slip the remembrance, that the blessing of God is the only source of good to any of his creatures; in other words, that a man can obtain nothing, except it be given him from above."-Satan, though "a liar and the father of lies," will speak truth, when truth serves his purpose better than falsehood. He can even be very pious, and quote Scripture with all seeming reverence, when the ends of his malice require it. So he did in our divine Master's temptation: Luke iv. 5. 7.-We cannot doubt, that Satan had made the most, in the way of temptation, of Job's prosperity; doing all in the power of his insidious art, to render it the corrupter of his principles, the seducer of his heart from God. Not having succeeded in his enticements, he wishes now to have the opportunity of trying him by means of an opposite |