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specious pretences and studied secresies; out of all their darkness God discovers deep things, &c.

“The shadow of death is extreme danger and darkness. The Lord discovers deep things out of darkness; by wonderful providences he makes a key to unlock the secrets of men; therefore the people of God have no reason to fear the combinations and plots of evil men; for while their ways please the Lord, what can harm them?

"The Lord comforts his disciples against calumnies and persecutions. Matt. x. ‹ Fear them not,' &c. and he seems to caution them not to conceal the word of God for fear of men. And fear not them which kill the body, &c.

"Verse 23. He increaseth the nation in number, wealth, reputation, and honour; and destroyeth them secretly as by a moth, or openly by disease, famine, and sword.'

"He enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. As he spreadeth them out by prosperity, so by affliction he straitens them. Divine providence acts upon every stage of worldly affairs; God's wheel moves in all the wheels of the creatures. He rules the governors, as well as those who are governed. He leads into ways of peace and prosperity, and gives up to wars, troubles, and desolation.

"When a people increase in sin as much as in sovereignty, and are straitened in their obedience and thankfulness to God, it forebodes a sudden and unexpected downfall.

God never wants means either to increase or destroy whole nations.

"Verse 24. 'He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.'

"When God leaves the leaders of a people to err through ignorance and obstinacy, or when those who have been valiant for the truth becomes indifferent and faint hearted, then it may be said that he taketh away the heart of the chiefest of the people.

"That is of such as will not give up their hearts to obey and submit to him. But we never have our understanding, will, or courage, &c. so much in our own custody, as when we commit them to God, for his honour and service, in obedience to his call, My son give me thine heart.'

"God causeth no man to wander by leading him into false ways, or by preventing him from going in right ways, and yet it is said,

He causeth them to wander. His providence is always fulfilling his own counsels to a certain issue, and by a sure way, how much or how long so ever. He causeth men to wander.' Isaiah lxiii. O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear?' It may be said that God made them to err when he did not effectually show them the truth, and that he hardened their hearts when he did not soften them. God left them a while to the conduct

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of their own lusts, because they refused the guidance of his spirit.

"When God deserts a man as he did King Saul, he entangles himself at every step; it may well be said that he is in a wilderness, and the longer he is in it he goes the farther out of the way. For,

"Verse 25. 6 They grope in the dark without light.' They are in trouble, and they are so ignorant that they know not which way to get out. It is mournful to be without light, but it is far worse to have light and not to use it.

"Let us take heed of sinning against light, lest we be brought into the darkness of error and delusion.

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He maketh them to stagger like a drunkWhen men are drunken with wine, they sin grievously against God, and he punishes men severely when he makes them drunk without wine. When God takes away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, whether in reference to civil or spiritual things, they produce the same effects of wandering, groping, staggering, &c.

"And when God in justice doth this, then he declares, that with him is wisdom and strength, and that he also hath counsel and understanding,' which is the scope and design of Job in this whole discourse.

CHAPTER XIII.

"Verse 1. Lo mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hatlı heard and understood it.'

"That is, I have fully apprehended all that I have declared in the former chapter, and having been an eye and ear witness, you ought to receive it as truth.

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Note, That we ought to be well acquainted with, and firmly persuaded of the truth and importance of that which we teach others. "Verse 2. • What ye know, the same do I know also; I am not inferior to you.'

"Though all ambitious contendings with others is odious, yet no man ought to betray the truth or his own integrity, lest he should be counted contentious. That man buys the character of an humble and peaceable man too dear who pays either the faith of God or his own credit for it, which every man does who denies or conceals his belief of any truth, or neglects to vindicate himself for fear of the reproach of men.

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"Verse 3. C Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.' "As if Job had said, I would rather speak with God himself than with and I expect a more favourable hearing from him than you have yet given me.' We must not reason with God in a way of contending with him, yet we may, as learners, to receive instruction.

Note, That an upright person is not afraid to reason with God himself. For the justice

and majesty of God, which make rotten hearts to tremble, causes the righteous to rejoice; they are glad that he is just and holy as well as gracious and merciful.

"Verse 4. 6

But ye are forgers of lies; ye are all physicians of no value.'

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They did not discern the true cause of Job's trouble; they thought it was for the discovery of his hypocrisy, and by asserting that God gives outward good things to such as are good, they wounded, instead of comforting him, which made him say they were physicians of no value; for it is impossible to apply a suitable remedy when ignorant of the causes of the disease.

"To defend the justice of God they found Job guilty, which was their error; and therefore Job charges them with erroneous doctrine, as well as with the improper application of it to him. They not only repeated a falsehood, but they framed the lie, which is still worse. "Verse 5. O that you would altogether hold your peace, and it should be your wisdom.'

"There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak. When we have an opportunity to vindicate the honour and truth of God, or the credit of a brother that is wronged, or to reprove those that do evil, or to direct and instruct the ignorant, then it is our sin to be silent. Let us learn to speak the truth in love, with a view to the glory of God, and the good of mankind; and unless we do so, we had far better be silent, as we should thereby discover

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