r. Calamity is the only way that leads to the kingdom of God. Even the comparatively righte ous are not without sin, which can be eradicated only by afflictions. Via crucis est v ia saltais. He who repents will attain to a clearer insi,ght into the otherwise obscure ways of God. The afflictions of the pious issue at once from God's justice and love. To him who entertains a proper sense of the sinful ness of man, no calamity appears so great as not to be deserved as a punishment, or useful as a cor rective.
2. Calamity, as the veiled grace of God, is with the pious never alone, but manifest proofs of Divine favour accompany or follow it. Though sunk in misery, they still are happier than the wicked, and when it has attained its object, it is terminated by the Lord. The nature of acts of grace differs ac cording to the quality of those on whom they are conferred. The consolations offered in the O. T. are, agreeably to the weaker judgment of its pro fessors, derived chiefly from external circumstances ; while in the N. T. they are mainly spiritual, with out, however, excluding the leading external helps. This difference is not essential, nor is any other, the reStiillith inteArrnin being in the O. T. princi pally confined to this life, while in the N. T. the eye is directed beyond the limits of this world.
It is this the alone correct solution of the problem, which occurs in the book of Job. All interpreters allow that it is set forth in Elihu's speeches, and, from the following observations, it will appear that they contain the opinion of the author :—r. The solution cannot be looked for in Job's speeches ; for God proves himself gracious towards him only after he has repented and humbled himself. The author of the book says (i. 22 ; TO ; comp. iii. r) that Job had charged God foolishly, and sinned with his lips ; and the rpeZro, IfrefiSos, the materia peccans, in his speeches, is clearly pointed out to be, that he was righteous in his own eyes, and justified himself rather than God' (xxxii. r, 2). To gather from Job's speeches a consistent view of the subject, and a satisfactory solution of the question mooted, is impossible also on account of the many contradictions in them ; as, for instance, when he says at one time, that God's justice never appears in the government of the world, and at another, that it generally does appear, but that there are evident exceptions to the general rule, not liable to objections. Sound principles are mixed up by him with wrong ones ; his views want sifting, and the correct ideas must be completed, which, even in his concluding ad dress, is not done by himself, nor is it performed by his three friends. Job continues to be embar rassed for the solution, and Ile is only certain of this, that the solution of his friends cannot be satis factory. Job erred chiefly in not acknowledg,ing the sin inherent in him ; notwithstanding his in tegrity and sincere piety, which prevented him from apprehending the object of the calamity- in flicted on him, led him to consider God's punish ments as arbitrary, and made him despair of the return of better days. The greatness of his suffer
ings was in some measure the cause of his miscon ception, by exciting his feelings, and preventing him from calmly considering his case. He was in the state of a man tempted, and deserving God's indulgence. He had received considerable provo cation from his friends, and often endeavoured to soften his haish assertions ; which, particularly in ch. xxvii., leads him into such contradictions, as must have occurred in the life of the tempted ; he is loud in acknowledging the wisdom of God (ch. xxviii.), and raises himself at times to cheering hopes (comp. ch. xix.) But this can only excuse, not justify him, and therefore it is in the highest 'degree honourable to him, that he remains silent, when in Elihu's speeches- the correct solution of the question is given, and that he ultimately acknowledges his fundamental error of doing justice to himself only.
2. The solution of the question mooted cannot be contained in the speeches of yob's _friends. Their demeanour is reproved by God, and represented as a great sin, so much so, indeed, that to obtain pardon for them Job was directed to offer a pro pitiatory sacrifice. Their error proceeded from a crude notion of sin in its external appcarance ; and, inferring, its existence from calainity, they were thus led to condemn the afflicted Job as guilty of heinous crimes (ch. xxxii.) The moral use of sufferings was unknown to them ; which evidently proved that they themselves wcre not yet purged and cleared from guilt. If they had been sensible of the nature of man, if they had understood themselves, they would, on seeing the misery of Job, have exclaimed, God be merciful to us sinners ' There is, indeed, an important correct principle in their speeches, whose centre it forms ; so nnich so, that they mostly err only in the application of the general truth. It consists in the perception of the invariable connection between sin and misery, which is indelibly engrafted on , the heart of man, and to which many ancient authors allude. The saying, male parta malel dilabnntur, is to be found in every language. The problem of the book is then solved by properly uniting the correct positions of the speeches both ,1 of Job and his friends, by maintaining his compara tive innocence, and by tracing the errors of both parties to a common source, the want of a sound insight into the nature of sin. Job considers himself righteous, and not deserving of such inflic tions, because he had not committed any heinous ; and his friends fancy they must assume tbat he was highly criminal, in order to justify his misery.