quities? immediately adds, Make me to know,' &c. By which, he seems to say, I may see how many my sins are; or that they are very many. Yet I cannot know them in their evil nature and demerit, or as abominable in thy sight, without thy special teaching.

"The words express a strong desire to know the cause of his afflictions. That if it was on account of unknown sins, he might be led to repent of, and turn from them unto God, and thereby be enabled to watch carefully against them in future. None can be truly willing that God should show them their sins but such as he has enabled to embrace the Saviour, for the sight of one sin is sufficient to render us miserable. But a believing view of forgiveness through the blood of Christ swallows up all our sins. For Job had said, ‹ He shall be my salvation' before he said, 'Show me my transgressions.'

"Even those who are best acquaint with the plagues of their own heart, have need to continue instant in prayer, that God would make them know their transgressions.

"The scope of this discourse to the end of chapter xiv. is to maintain his integrity, and aggravate his present misery, and is very like chapters vii. and x.

"Verse 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?'

"These words are not so much a question as an expostulation, which is a very affecting way of expressing the grief of the heart.

"We must suppose that Job believed that

God had a reason why he hid his face from him; and also that Job was resolved to honour God, by submitting to him, though he should continue to hide his face from him.

"When the Lord withdraws the light of his countenance, and his promised assistance in duty, or his wonted support under suffering; then he is said to hide his face from the house of Jacob, or from the saints.

"We may expound the latter clause by the former, thus, surely thou holdest me for thine enemy, else why dost thou hide thy face from

me?

"Note, That as some persuade themselves falsely that God is their friend, so others have false suspicions that God is their enemy.

"Job next uses an argument with God why he should not contend with him, viz. that he was so weak and inconsiderable.

"Verse 25. Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble ?'

"We do not suppose that Job intends to charge God with severity, but to move him to pity him in his weak and helpless condition; and as it were to put him in mind, that if he was to continue to afflict him, he could as easily crush him as a leaf could be broken, or as the dry stubble was driven before a strong wind.

"The most prevailing argument with God, is to make known our case, as poor, diseased, and unworthy helpless sinners.

"When a Pharisee comes and tells a long story of his righteousness, the Lord abhors

him; but if a poor publican confesses himself unworthy to look up to heaven, and prays for mercy, the Lord not only pities, but accepts him; he goes home justified, not the other.

"Verse 26. For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.'

"Writing may allude to recording the sentence of a judge. Sin is a bitter thing in its effects, as well as base in its nature; and as it provokes God to anger, it is very bitter, for all who do not repent shall be punished.

"Now repentance itself is bitter, it is no pleasant potion; and this shows, that however sweet sin is in the mouth, it must be bitter in the belly. Whatever renders the life of man grievous, may be said to be bitter.

"To possess the sins of youth, is to feel sorrow and pain, and also to be afflicted with the filthiness of them. The sins of youth often prove great sufferings in old age. Holy Job reflected upon, and chewed them over not as sweet morsels, but as gall and wormwood, to mourn over and repent afresh for them; when he looked back on his life, he saw such defects and failings, as justly exposed him to the rod. Hence observe, that it becomes saints to view their sins as the cause of their afflictions, whatever is God's aim in them; as 1 Kings xvii. 18, the woman said, Art thou come unto me to call my sins to remembrance, and to slay my son?' Her sorrows brought her sins to remembrance, and then she feared that God contended with her for her sins.

"Verse 27. For thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and lookest narrowly into all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.'

Thus God made him possess the iniquities of his youth in old age, and is as if he had said, Thou proceedest with such severity against me as against a grand malefactor, thou layest me fast by the heels; and wherever I go, my troubles are like armed keepers watching me, and I am all over wounded, afflicted quite through, there is a wound in the very soles of my feet, Isa. i. 5.

Note, That great afflictions are often the lot of God's choicest servants, which makes them complain bitterly; and even the most patient become impatient from the severity or continuance of the rod.

"Some say the following verse is a preface to the next chapter, and assert, that it is an explication of it throughout.

Verse 28. And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

"He speaks in the third person, though he means himself. In chapter vi. 12, he asked, Is my strength the strength of stones?' &c. Here he tells us what he and his strength are; and surely he could not go lower for comparisons, than the effects of moths and rottenness.

"By this self-abasement, Job seems to argue with God for compassion and sparing mercies; as if he had said, could I bear these sorrows any longer, I would not so earnestly began end of them: but alas! if they do not end speedi

ly, they will end me; for my strength is gone, and I am but rottenness; seeing thou not only tearest me as a lion by open and violent afflictions, but also doth eat me as a moth by secret and silent consumptions.

"In all the steps of gradation by which Job ascends to the highest pitch of his afflictions, from verse 24-27 inclusive; he eyes God in all, and acknowledges him as the author of all these evils; for he says, "Thou hidest thy face, thou writest,' &c.

"Hence observe, that we should honour God by observing his hand in all that befalls us, and acknowledge his sovereignty in all his disposals, and look to him for support under, and deliverance from all our afflictions; as well as view him as the fountain whence cometh all the good things we enjoy.

CHAPTER XIV.

"Verse 1. Man that is born of a woman, is of few days and full of trouble.'

"To show that the same afflictions which

had fallen upon him may fall upon any other who is born of a woman; Job speaks in the third person, or thereby to abase himself as scarce worthy to be named.

"As the woman is doomed to bring forth in sorrow, so she brings forth a sorrowful helpless child, which points out the frailty of man.