Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job
AN EXPOSITION Of the Book of JOB.
The ARGUMENT.
THis Book of Holy Scripture treats of a Subject very profitable and uſeful for the Church in all Ages; as containing a Narrative of the life of the Servant of God, Job, a man famous in the after ages of the Church; Ezek. 14.14, 20. Jam. 5.11. Or, an account of the various lots that befel him, and the remarkable diſpenſations of Providence toward him, together with his carriage under the ſame. How, after he had been tryed, and kept his integrity, in a proſperous condition; it pleaſed the Lord to plunge him into an abyſs of troubles, and leave him there wraſtling with afflictions upon his body, tentations in his mind, ſleightings from his Relations, and miſconſtructions and oppoſition from his godly Friends, till his tryal was perfected, and both his graces and infirmities did appear in their own colours; after which his skie did clear again, and he was reſtored to his former proſperous eſtate with advantage. Theſe things did not only come to paſs; for the edification and ſpecial advantage of Job himſelf, and others who lived with him; and eſpecially for proving of the truth of the grace of God in him, and for giving the lie to the malicious calumnies of Satan, as the caſe is ſtated, Chap. 1.8,—11. and Chap. 2, 3, 5. But it hath pleaſed the Lord to record the ſame in holy Writing, for the general good of Believers in all ages, to whom he is held forth as a pattern, Jam. 5.11. And indeed, if we take a view of this Book, containing a deſcription of Job, in his piety, trials, conflicts and the conſequences thereof; It holds out a mirrour, wherein we may ſee the vanity and inſtability of all things under the Sun; a document of what tryals the godly may be obnoxious unto, and may conſiſt with true piety and the favour of God; a pattern of faith and patience under many and preſſing tryals; the worth of Sincerity and of a good Conſcience in a day of tryal; many Myſteries of Divine Providence and Soveraignty; the bleſſed iſſue of the godlies tryals; a notable experience for the godly in like caſes, whereas, it ſeems, he had few or none (at leaſt as to ſome of his tryals) to pave the way before him, &c. Theſe, and many the like precious Inſtructions, are communicate to us from the experience and lot of this eminent Believer. Yea, his very Infirmities, and the diſcovery of his droſs in the furnace, are recorded for the advantage of weak Believers, when they obſerve that the perfection of moſt eminent Saints, within time, conſiſts not in ſinleſsneſs, but in ſincerity; and that God, though he reprove the faults, yet, doth not reject the perſons of his own, but doth accept, yea commend, his own grace in them, even when it is ſurrounded with many weakneſſes.
Concerning the Book in general, I ſhall touch at a few particulars neceſſary to be premitted. And,
Firſt, It would be fixed that this Book contains a true Hiſtory, or a Narration concerning a man who really was, and concerning things which really came to paſs in the world; and not a Fiction or Parable only, made uſe of for Inſtruction and Example, and for inculcating the precious Truths therein contained. Such Repreſentations, wherein perſons and things that never had a being are brought in in Doctrine, are indeed not unuſual in Scripture, as being very profitable in many reſpects; Witneſs that Parable of Nathan to David, 2 Sam. 12.1, 2. and of the Glutton and Lazarus, Luke 16.19, &c. Yet here there is ſo punctual and particular an account of his Country, Children, proſperity before his tryal, and reſtitution after it, together with a deſcription of his Friends and their Country and Pedigree (things not uſual in recording a Parable) that it were a wrong to look on it otherwiſe then as a true Hiſtory. And withal, the Spirit of God, ſpeaking of him afterward (Ezek. 14. Jam. 5.) as of one who had really been, doth put the truth of this Hiſtory beyond all debate and controverſie.
Secondly, As to the time wherein Job lived, though the Scripture doth no where expreſly determine it; yet this ſeems to be moſt certain, that as he lived after Abraham, ſo before the Law was given upon Mount Sinai. For, upon the one hand, we will find his Friends, who debate with him, to be of the poſterity of Abraham, Nahor, and Eſau, which evinceth that Job and they lived after Abraham. And, on the other hand, His Sacrificing at home in his own Countrey, Chap. 1. & 42. and the acceptance thereof by God, evinceth that the Law was not yet given, after the Promulgation whereof it was not lawful to ſacrifice any where but in the place where God had put his Name. It is neither eaſie nor neceſſary particularly to determine, whether he lived, and theſe things came to paſs, during the time of Iſrael's ſojourning in Egypt, or about the time of their deliverance from that bondage; as ſome do conceive divers paſſages in this Book do point at that deliverance as a thing latelie done: But it ſufficeth us that the Book records an Hiſtory of great Antiquity.
Thirdly, As concerning the Pen-man of this Book, the Scripture is likewiſe ſilent, and therefore we need not determine, whether it was written by Job himſelf, or ſome of his Friends, and found by Moſes in Midian when he lived in exile there; or by Moſes himſelf, or ſome other Prophet, which muſt neceſſarily follow upon their opinion, who hold that the writing of Scripture was firſt begun by God himſelf, when he wrote the two Tables of the Law upon Mount Sinai. It is ſufficient for our faith, that it was written by the direction of the Spirit of God, who recommends Job, as he is deſcribed in this Book, as an eminent Saint, and a pattern to Believers, Ezek. 14. Jam. 5. And albeit there be many things recorded here, which did not proceed from the Spirit of God, but from mens ignorance, erroneous principles, paſſions, &c. (as there are alſo many paſſages in the Book of Pſalms, and other places of Scripture mentioning the exerciſes and tentations of Saints:) yet this is no reaſon why it ſhould not be looked on as a part of the Canon of Holy Scripture, ſeeing theſe very miſtakes and infirmities, together with the Lords diſcuſſing and clearing thereof, do tend to the edification and inſtruction of the Church, and are recorded for that end. And who ever was the Penman, yet the ſtyle thereof ſeems to prove its Antiquity, being moſt grave and heroick, and moſt of it in Poeſie.
Fourthly, As for the partition and ſum of this Book, the Apoſtle James, Chap. 5.11. reduceth it all to theſe two heads, the patience of Job under his tryals, and the end of the Lord, in giving him an iſſue. But I ſhall branch it out more particularly in theſe:
1. The ſudden change of Jobs proſperous and flouriſhing condition into a deluge of tryals, upon his Goods and Children, Chap. 1. upon his body, Chap. 2. and upon his mind, Chap. 3.
2. A Diſpute betwixt him and the three Friends, concerning his Integrity, occaſioned by this change, to Ch. 32.
3. The deciſion of this Controverſie, begun by Elihu, to Ch. 38. and cloſed by God himſelf, to Ch. 42.10.
4. Jobs reſtitution from Ch. 42.10. to the end. The two firſt parts do belong to that head of his patience, and the two laſt do hold forth the end of the Lord.