2. In a state of composure and calmer reflection, Job retracts, chiefly in his concluding speech, all his former rather extravagant assertions, and says that, although God generally afflicts the wicked and blesses the righteous, still there are exceptions to this rule, single cases in which the pious undergo severe trials ; the inference, therefore, of a man's guilt from his misfortunes is by no means warranted. For the exceptions established by experience prove that God does not always distribute prosperity and adversity after this rule ; but that he somethues acts on a different principle, or as an absolute lord, according to his mere will :Ind pleasure.
3. Humbly to adore God is our duty, even when we are subject to calamities not at all deserved ; but we should abstain from harshly judging of those who, when distressed, send forth complaints against God.
Both parties not only explain their principles generally, but apply them to the case which had caused the discussion. At first the friends of Job only hint, but in the course of the discussion they broadly assert, that his very great afflictions must have been caused by equally great sins ; and they tax him with crimes of which they suspect him to have been guilty. They also admonish him to con fess and repent of the guilt of which, by the divine punishments inflicted on him, he stood already con victed. If he should follow this counsel, they pro mise him a retum of prosperity ; but if he proved refractory, they threaten him with divine punish ments even more severe. Job, on the contrary, represents himself, venial frailties excepted, as al together upright and innocent, thinks himself un justly dealt with by God, and reproaches his friends with heaping on him unfounded criminations, with a view of ingratiating themselves with the Alrnighty, who, however, would visit with condign punish ment such busy, meddling, officious vindicators of the divine government.
The interest of the narrative is kept up with con siderable skill, by progressively rising and highly passionate language. At first, Job's friends charge him, and he defends himself, in mild terms ; but gradually they are all betrayed into warmth of tem per, which goes on increasing until the friends have nothing more to object, and Job remains in pos session of the field. The discussion then seems to be at an end, when a fresh disputant, Elihu, ap pears. Trusting in bis just cause, Job had proudly opposed God, with whom he expostulated, and whom he charged with injustice, when the sense of his ealatuities should have led him to acknowledge the sinfulness of human nature, and humbly to sub.
mit to the divine dispensations. Making every allowance for his painful situation, and putting the mildest construction on his expressions, he is still substantially wrong, and could not therefore be suffered to remain the vanquisher in this high argu ment. He had silenced Ills friends, but the gene ral issue remained to be settled. Elihu had waited till Job and his friends had spoken, because they were older than he ; but when he saw that the three visitors ceased to answer, he offers himself to reason with Job, and shews that God is just in his ways. He does this : r. From the nature of injiictions.—He begins by urging that Job was very wrong in boasting of his integrity, and making it appear that rewards were due to him from God. How righteous soever Ile was, he still had no claim to reward ; on the con traly, all men are sinners in God's eyes ; and nobody can complain that he suffers unjustly, for the very greatest sufferings equal not his immense guilt. Then Elihn explains a leading point on
which Ile differs from the friends of Job : he asserts that from greater suffering,s inflicted on a person it was not to be inferred that he had sinned more than others afflicted with a less amount of calamity. Calamities were, indeed, under all circumstances, punishments for sins committed, but at the same time they were correctives also ; and therefore they might be inflicted on the comparatively most righteous in preference to others. For he who was most loved by God, was also most in danger of forgetting the sinfulness inherent in all men, and, consequently, also in himself : the rather because sin would in him less strongly manifest itself. If the object of afflictions was attained, and the dis tressed acknowledged his sinfulness, he would humble himself before God, who would bless him with greater ha.ppiness than he ever before enjoyed. But he who took not this view, and did not amend his ways, would be ruined, and the blame would rest wholly with himself. Consequently, if Job made the best of his misfortune, God would render him most happy ; but if he continued refractory, punishment would follow his offences. According to this view, the truly righteous cannot be always miserable ; and their calamities, which God, not only from his justice, as the friends of Job stated, but also front his love, inflicts temporarily on them, are only the means employed to raise them to higher moral rectitude and worldly happiness. The end shews the distinction between the perverse sinner, and the righteous man subject to sinfulness.
z. FrOM a clear conception of the nature of God.— ' How darest thou,' says Elihn, instead of hum bling thyself before God, defy him, and offer to reason with him ? The whole creation shews forth his majesty, and evinces his justice. For a man to stand up against Him and to assert that he suffers innocently, is the greatest anthropomorphism, be cause it goes to deny the divine majesty, evident in all the facts of the created world, and including God's justice. His nature being one and indivi sible, it cannot on one side exhibit infinite perfec tion, and on the other imperfection : each example, then, of God's grandeur in the creation of the world is evidence against the rash accusers of God's justice. Thus it appears that, from the outset, there must have been a mistake in thy calculation, and thou must the rather acknowledge the correct ness of my solution of the question. God must be iiist —this is certain from the outset ; and how his justice is not impaired by calamities inflicted on the righteous and on thyself, I have already' ex plained.' Job had, in a stirring manner, several times, challenged God to decide the contest. Elihu sus pects the approach of the Lord, when, towards the end of his speech, a violent thunder-storm arises, and God answers Job out of the whirlwind, shew ing how foolishly the latter had acted in offering to reason with Him, when 11,is works proved his infinite majesty, and, consequently, his absolute justice. Job now submits to God, and humbly repents of his offence. Hereupon God addresses Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, declaring unto them his displeasure at their unmerciful dealing with their friend, the consequences of which could only be avoided by Job offering a propitiatory sacrifice. This is done, and the Lord grants unto Job ample compensation for his sufferings.