for neither grace nor comforts can exist but in fellowship with Christ, the fountain of life. "And the hypocrite's hope shall perish.' "The word hypocrite comes from a root that signifies close and covered, and, by a metaphor, polluted, &c. So, in a large sense, all are hypocrites who try to hide their sins. But properly a hypocrite is one who has God and heaven in his mouth, while he loves the world in his heart, and in secret can commit any species of wickedness.

"Observe, That though hypocrites may deceive themselves with false hopes till death, they will then be awfully disappointed.

"Verse 14. Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.'

Hope and trust are often taken promiscuously. There is a gradual but not an essential difference between them. The word signifies a very quiet secure trust; and, where it is genuine, it has a double effect.

1st, It confirms and strengthens the heart against all opposition; and,

66

2dly, It encourages and supports against all dangers, and the want of these discovers the falseness of the hypocrite's hope and trust.

"Trust brings God and the soul together; but the hypocrite never comes near God; and no marvel that he is afraid to come near danger.*

* The expectation of the hypocrite shall come to an end. His hope is woven out of his own bowels. It is the creature of his own fancy, and arises purely from a conceit of his own merit. He flatters himself in his own eyes; is secure of heaven; and imposes upon the

66

Why is the trust of the hypocrite compared to a spider's web or house? Because the profession and all the labours of an hypocrite are weak and unstable, and shall perish like the spider's web. Besides, it is a snare to catch flies, and so is his profession; for he would count godliness a poor thing if he did not make a gain of it; and having put on the cloak of a profession, he thinks himself safe in it, like the spider in his web.

"Verse 15. He shall lean upon his house.' The wealth of the world, and the favour of the men of the world, may be a hypocrite's support, yet I think Bildad rather means, that a hypocrite leans upon his spiritual gifts, duties, and supposed graces. Upon all these, and out of these he builds, and thinks he hath made an house that will stand for ever.

"These three bear witness to the hypocrite, and they agree in one to deceive. He having a witness within himself, a certificate under the hand of Satan, and commendatory letters from the world, all which give hope that his house shall stand for ever.

"But behold the issue. It shall not stand. All the objects of hope and trust shall deceive and disappoint the hypocrite at last.

"When we depend upon any duty, we give the honour to ordinances that is due to God

world by his vain confidence. But it will easily and certainly be swept away, as the cobweb with the besom, when God shall come to purge his house.-Hen Ty.

alone. We can derive no more benefit from such trust to ordinances than by the neglect of them.

"Nothing is of sufficient strength for us to stay upon but the free grace of God in Christ Jesus. The next clause is of the same import. "He shall take hold of it, but it shall not endure.

"It is our glory to hold fast integrity, yea, and duties, in point of practice and obedience; but it is our sin, and very dangerous to hold them fast in reliance and confidence.

"His worldly and spiritual house that he thinks is established, shall pass away as a shadow, and disappoint his hopes. It shall not endure.

"In verses 16 to 19, Bildad farther illustrates the condition of an hypocrite by a third similitude. It is as if he had said, If I have debased the hypocrite by comparing hi to a rush or flag, and his estate to a spider's web, then let us compare him to a flourishing tree fastening his roots and spreading his branches. Yet at last he shall be cut down and wither.

"Verse 16. He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.'

"The ordinary heat of the sun signifies prosperity, the extreme heat of the sun persecution. So the meaning may be, that before persecution and trouble arise he is green and flourishing, and appears very beautiful and gay.

"He lives as in a paradise, so the word is translated, Gen. xxviii. While hypocrites flourish outwardly, they continue to rebel against

the light which would keep them from sin. But they love the light which shows any good they do; whereas the upright are more desirous of being good, and doing good, than of making it appear that they are so. Not only does the hypocrite shoot forth his branches, but,

"Verse 17. His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.'

"He lives, converses, or dwells even where there seems to be the least probability of his stay; for he abides in the place or house of stones. Another sense is, he looks into the house of stones; he annoys his master's house at the foundation, and hinders the light of the windows.

"The state of the hypocrite, thus settled and made firm, is but tottering. It will not be able to stand.

6

"Verse 18. If he destroy him from his place,' which Broughton translates, If the sun root him up from his place. The sun, which for a time makes a tree to flourish, may at last so search it that it dies. So when God comes to remove an hypocrite, there is an end of him quickly.

"It shall deny him, saying, I have not seen him.' The meaning may be given thus, That a tree highly grown, &c. may be so cut up that it shall not be known where it stood. So, though a hypocrite may flourish for a while, yet at last he shall be swept so clean away, that his and memory shall be forgotten.

name

"Whence, observe, that the memory of wicked men shall perish for ever, and that destruction often comes upon them in the very height of their prosperity.

"Bildad having laid the hypocrite so low that no man will own him, concludes,

"Verse 19. Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.'

"Those joys that arise from outward things, or from a man's good opinion of himself, is but for a moment. When you cast up all the comfort and happiness of the flourishing tree of the hypocrite, it only comes to this, that he is to be rooted up, and by such as he neither feared nor suspected, and those that knew him before will not so much as own him.

"Whereas the sincere and upright, who have been trodden down as the mire of the streets by the wicked in this world, shall grow up.

"It is truly awful to live expecting joy from a hope that shall perish, and that others should still grow up indulging the same hope, notwithstanding that so many have been disappointed by it. Happy they who have a wellgrounded hope of which they shall never be ashamed.

"Bildad now concludes in a vindication of the justice of God.

"Verse 20. Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man;' that is, the Lord doth highly esteem and prize a righteous man.

"God calls after many who flee from him, but he casts off none that come to him. As