JOB, THE BOOK OF. We shall consider, first, the contents of this book ; secondly, its object ; thirdly, its composition ; and, lastly, the country, descent, and age of its author.
L CONTENTS.—In the land of Uz, belonging to the northern part of Arabia Deserta, lived an up right, pious man, called Job. For his sincere and perfect devotedness, God had amply blessed him with worldly property and children ; but on Satan obtaining leave to tempt him, he suddenly /ost the fortune of bis life. Ultimately he is smitten with a severe and painful disease ; but though his wife moves him to forsake God, he still continues true and stanch to the Lord. Three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, hear of his calamities, and come to console him. His distressed state excites their heartfelt compassion ; but the view which they take of its origin prevents them from at once assisting him, and they remain silent, though they are sensible that by so doing they further wound his feelings. Seven days thus pass, until Job, sus pecting the cause of their conduct, becomes dis composed and breaks silence. His first observations are based on the assertion—not, indeed, broadly expressed—that God acts harshly and arbitmrily in inflicting calamity on men. This causes a discus sion between him and his friends, which is divided into three main parts, each with subdivisions, and embraces the speeches of the three friends of Job, and his answers : the last part, however, consists of only two subdivisions, the third friend, Zophar, having nothing to rejoin. By this silence the author of the book generally designates the defeat of Job's friends, who are defending a COMMOD cause. Taking a. general view of the argument which they urge against him, they may be COD sidered as asserting the following positions :— I. No man being free from sin, we need not wonder that we are liable to calamities, for which we must account by a reference, not to God, but to ourselves. From tbe misery of the distressed, others are enabled to infer their guilt ; and they must take this view in order to vindicate divine justice.
2. The distress of a man proves not only Mat he has sinned, but shews also the degree and mea sure of his sin ; and thus, from the extent of cala mity sustained, may be inferred the extent of sins committed ; and from this the measure of impend ing misfortune.
3. A distressed man may recover his former happiness, and even attain to greater fortune than he ever enjoyed before, if lie takes a warning from his afflictions, repents of his sins, reforms his life, and raises himself to a higher degree of moral rec titude. Impatience and irreverent expostulation with God serve but to prolong and increase punish ment ; for, by accusing God of injustice, a fresh sin is added to former transgressions.
4. Though the wicked man is capable of pro sperity, still it is never lasting. The most awful retribution soon overtakes him ; and his transient felicity must itself be considered as punishment, since it renders him heedless, and makes him feel nnsfortune more keenly.
In opposition to them Job maintains :— 1. The most upright man mav be highly unfor tunate—more so than the inevitable faults and shortcomings of human nature would seem to imply. There is a savage cruelty, de,serving the severities of the divine resentment, in inferring the guilt of a man from his distresses. In distributing good and evil, God regards neither merit nor guilt, but acts according to his sovereign pleasure. His omnipotence is apparent in every part of the crea tion ; but his justice cannot be seen in the govern ment of the world ; the afflictions of the righteous, as well as the prosperity of the wicked, are evidence against it. There are innumerable cases, and Job considers his own to be one of them, ill Wilith a sufferer has a right to justify himself before God, and to repine at his decrees. Of this supposed right Job freely avails himself, and maintains it against his friends.