nous transgressions, but for the discovery and trial of grace.

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Having, in an indirect way, advised Job to take warning by the fate of his children, he now admonishes him to apply to God by prayer.

"Verse 5. If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty.'

"This is as if Bildad had said, Plead not thine own integrity, but cast thyself at the feet of mercy, not only as a beggar but as a rebel who has exposed thyself to the just displeasure of God. Seek unto him diligently, and without delay. Though he is found of some who sought him out, yet we never read of any finding him who sought him negligently.

"As the judgments of God on children are a correction to the parents, so they should humble themselves under each other's afflictions.

"As our sinfulness cannot prevent, so our obedience cannot procure, the mercy of God, In all our duties we should lie in the dust, and lay our best services in the dust. A thought of our own worth is inconsistent with a supplication.

"Verse 6. If thou wert pure and upright. Purity refers to holiness of life, and uprightness to inward sincerity. None but holy persons can perform holy duties; so the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. But fervency effects nothing unless the person praying be righteous.

"It is no way contrary to the doctrine of free grace to say, we must be holy if we desire and expect to be heard. To make supplication to God with a reserve to go on in sin is awful impudence.

"Bildad seems to mean, If thou wert pure in thy ways, and sincere in thy ends, surely now he would awake for thee. It signifies both to awake and arise. God's providential sleeping and waking are the steps and visible motions of his power, mercy, and justice in the world. This teaches us that prayer is the best mean to awaken, and that it shall certainly be heard. And O how quietly and confidently may they sleep, for whom God wakes. They are secure and happy; for he will make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Prosperity is in the hand of God, and a righteous habitation shall be prosperous. When kingdoms are holy habitations, they will soon be quiet ones. Nations may be said to be habitations of righteousness when right is done without delay, and with impartiality. No notice must be taken of the persons but of the cause; and unnecessary and designed delays are great injustice.

Righteousness cannot act without a rule, and the best of rules, without good magistrates to execute them, can never make a habitation of righteousness. Bildad next encourages Job.

"Verse 7. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly in

crease.

"This is the third gradation. God will not only awake for thee, and give prosperity, but will greatly increase thee.

Observe, That though the Lord is able to deliver at once, yet he usually raises his peo ple by degrees. When God makes some little repairs of outward comforts, do not despise them, but receive them as beginnings of greater things to follow. Remember Elijah's little cloud; and when the day breaks we know that high noon will come in due time, and so wait patiently for it.

"Bildad proceeds to a second general argument, by an appeal to the ancients.

"Verse 8. For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers.'

"The former age may include all time past. The fathers were dead, but they lived in their traditions and monuments. These he must search.

"It is in vain to expect to find truth but by careful and persevering investigation. And, 1st, In the exercise of humility a lowly mind is prepared to know the mind of God. 2d, By a holy submission to the truth, and yielding obedience to it, so far as we know, is a good means of preparing for the further reception of it. And, 3d, We must search for truth with a genuine love to it, and we ought, 4th, To add to all these earnest and believing prayer, Jas. i. 5, Let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally.'

"Verse 9. For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing; our days upon earth are a shadow.'

"It well becomes us to have humble thoughts of our own knowledge.

"The frailty as well as the shortness of our lives, but especially our misimprovement of our time, is the great cause of our ignorance of divine things.

"Our life here is but a fleeting shadow, and O how foolish is it to spend our few days of uncertain duration in the pursuit of the vanities of this world, to the neglect of the study of that knowledge and enjoyments that will last for ever.

"Verse 10. Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?'

"This is as if he had said, thou shalt not lose thy labour; they will not speak rashly and indiscreetly as thou hast done. But from their heart they speak things of weight. And while we seriously consider what they have said and done, it is as if they now spake. Heb. xi. 4, Being dead, he yet speaketh.'

"It is said, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. But much more may we say, we have Christ and his apostles, whom we ought to consult and obey in all things.

"Truth is not only a revelation from but of God, and, therefore, we should manifest our high estimation of, and desire after more acquaintance with it, by laying it up in our hearts, and living under its influence.

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without

"Verse 11. Can the rush grow up mire? Can the flag grow up without water?' They cannot. The rush can no more grow without mire, nor the flag without water, than a man can live without food. They must quickly wither, as Bildad says plainly.

"Verse 12. While it is yet in his greenness,' which implies its beauty and strength, and not cut down. That is, before it is cropt or is fully ripe, it withereth before any other herb. That is, more speedily than any herb of less show, but better rooted. Bildad applies his similitude.

"Verse 13. So are the paths of all that forget God.'

Our actions are compared to a path because of their frequency, and they lead to a certain end; some to life, and others to death.

"God is not in all the thoughts of a wicked man to obey or honour him, neither is he in the thoughts of God, to bless or pardon him.

"To forget God is to neglect to think of him. To despise and disobey his commands, and depart from him. It is to live on earth as if there were no God, either in regard of mercy to be received, or of duty to be performed. "Observe, 1st, That to forget God is a heinous sin, and the cause of all other sins.

"Whether is it the greatest wonder, that God should mind us at all, or that we should be unmindful of God?

Observe, 2d, That all that forget God, however flourishing they appear as to profession or talk about religion, shall quickly wither;