or present comforts. So to trust is to depend on God for support and deliverance.

"A true believer, living or dying, may say I will trust in the Lord for the salvation of my soul, the resurrection of my body, and the eternal rest and enjoyment of God in heaven. I believe he will save my soul when he shall destroy my body.

"This is not only a profession of Job's faith, but a vindication of his character from the accusation of his friends. That man who confides in, depends upon, and makes his boast in God alone, cannot be an hypocrite. God is always trusted as much as he is known; and the more we know of him the more firmly will we trust him.

"He that takes hold of God in reality, lets go his hold of all other things; we may use the help of creatures, but we must trust none but God; and we must trust him for all things, and at all times. In this Job manifests the highest confidence in God, but in the last clause he discovers too much conceit and confidence in himself.

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But I will maintain mine own ways before him. Not that he thought he had no sin, but he was willing to be tried by God. Try me, prove me, saith the upright soul, I doubt not but I shall be found right. He that doth truth is not afraid of the light. The good deeds of the saints are wrought in the strength and power of God, as well as at the command and by the authority of God; and so his deeds are made manifest that they are wrought in God,

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"Our deeds have no value in them but as they are done in the name and strength of Christ: Nor can we maintain any of our ways before God, but in so far as we walk in the spirit.

"You must not imagine that God will disclaim me because I maintain mine own ways before him; or that he will condemn me because he slays me. No, though he does, I will trust in him; and though I maintain mine own ways before him, yet

"Verse 16. He also shall be my salvation; for an hypocrite shall not come before him;' some render, This shall turn to my salvation. I am persuaded, that when God hath heard my plea, he will give sentence on my side notwithstanding your accusations.

"There is a self justification consistent with salvation by grace. 'Tis not pride but duty (when we are called to it) to say we are what we are ; and when our ways are right; to maintain and defend them. Thus we may and ought to defend our ways before men. Yea, even while we put our mouths in the dust, and are deeply humbled before God for the imperfection of our ways, we may thus maintain the uprightness of our ways before God, and be assured that he also will be our salvation. It is comfortable, in every distress, and also in the view of death, to reflect upon our interest in the salvation of God. Faith can fix on nothing less than God himself: He shall be my salvation; but a hypocrite shall not come before him. An hypocrite is a wick

ed man in a godly man's clothes; but that will never give him a right to come before God, nor procure the acceptance of any duty, since he cannot address God as his Father in Christ Jesus, for there is no coming before God but in Him; and it is only through Christ, and in his name, that believers have access with boldness to draw near to a holy God. But all that confidence which presumption inspires will give way and disappoint and destroy its possessors.

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"Verse 17. Hear diligently my speech my declaration with your ears.' "The Hebrew is, Hearing hear. doubling of the word imports, either that his friends were inattentive, and unwilling to hear; or that what he had to say was of very great importance. A declaration signifies grave and weighty speech, as a plaintiff makes when he puts in a state of his grievance. Thus Job renews his request for being heard,

"Verse 18. Behold, now I have ordered my cause I know that I shall be justified.'

"This commences his reason why he desires to be heard. I am not come unprepared to this bar. Though, through ignorance or prejudice, you mistake my condition; yet, having carefully examined the whole cause, I find that, upon good grounds, notwithstanding all my afflictions, I am warranted to say, ' I know I shall be justified. The justification here intended seems to be the determination of the question between him and his friends on his side. Or it may be a contrast with these

words, An hypocrite shall not come before thee; that is, he shall not be justified but condemned. He says, in a bold manner,

"Verse 19. Who is he that will plead with me? for now if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.'

"We do not suppose that Job speaks proudly, confiding in his own wisdom, but trusting to the justness of his cause, and the power and support of God, in maintaining his defence against his opposers, he speaks as certain of victory.

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Our reputation should be dearer to us than our lives; and it seems Job would rather have given up the ghost than have yielded to their charges by keeping silent; and therefore he calls upon his friends to appear and support their charges against him, and thereby give him an opportunity to vindicate himself.

"Verse 20. Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee.'

"Job seems here to say, I will not be afraid to speak unto thee, provided thou wilt grant my request contained in the following words, I will then cheerfully appear before thee.

"Verse 21. Withhold thine hand far from me.' That is, mitigate my sufferings; abate my pains; release me from my sorrows, and let not thy dread make me afraid.

"When God manifests his love to his people it makes the bitterest cup pleasant. But when afflictions are mixed with tokens of his anger, and a sense of his displeasure, it is af

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fliction indeed; hence, Ps. vi. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger,' &c.

"To pray for the pardon of sin, yet willing to continue in sin, is truly absurd. But to pray for the removal of afflictions, yet willing to continue under them if God so pleases, is truly a good frame of spirit.

"Or it might be a discovery of the majesty and greatness of God that he was afraid of, and petitions to be preserved from it.

"Job having deprecated the terror of the Lord, resolves what to do.

"Verse 22. Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me.'

"The particle then, implies, that he could not do either without permission. Take away thy dread, and then I am ready for a hearing. But I cannot endure thy majesty by reason of weakness; and yet I know my own uprightness is such, that I have no fear of thy cen

sure.

"Zophar had said, O that God would speak,' &c. Job answers, you said it would then appear that my sins were double to my afflictions. Now I desire that God would speak out what my sins are. For I am suspected by my friends of great crimes, which certainly ought to be brought forward and substantiated before I am censured or condemned.

"Verse 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.'

"It is worthy of notice, that Job having asked the question, How many are mine ini