what are commonly called charities:' " for if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself;" and every affliction, or apprehension of trouble, where no particular sin or negligence affects the conscience, but the mind is rather pleased with its exertions and usefulness, ought to call to us aloud to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt us.'

11. If they will hearken and obey,

They may spend their days in good,
And their years in pleasures:

12. But if they will not hearken,

With the dart they pass away,
And die without knowledge.

That is, by the affliction with which they are stricken, they pass away, and never enjoy that fulness of divine knowledge, which the humbled child of God is taught by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Or, as some understand the two last lines,' Like an arrow that cutteth the air, and leaves no trace behind, so they pass by, and die without being known, or remembered.'

Every careful reader of the sacred Scriptures must have remarked, how very full they are of admonitions to the same effect!-that the happiness of the children of God in this present life, very much depends upon the manner in which they can be brought to walk with God. For, though they are gratuitously accepted, and are heirs of the life eternal, by the indissoluble engagements of an eternal covenant; and, there, the righteousness

and the holiness of the mediator is alone considered, and to him has the Almighty Father sworn, and will not alter the word that is gone out of his mouth; yet it is declared, "if his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my 'commandments, then will I visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes."

How plainly does the apostle note the same consequences of this moral discipline, under which the holy family of God is placed in this present life. "For this cause, are many weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." For, if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. So that, in these very circumstances, in the temporal dealings of God with his beloved children, we may expect to see, more than anywhere else, the visible hand of the righteous judge.

Do we, however, sometimes think with Job, that this is contrary to experience, where every one liveth? Not the most exemplary Christians seem the freest from adversity. The contrary would appear sometimes to be the case, and those of whose piety we have formed but a low estimation, seem, in temporal things at least, to be most blessed. The answer to our surmise must be the same as that given to Job, "God is greater than man;" he knoweth all things.' 'He' often 'seeth not as man seeth.' It is true, many most eminent

Christians-even when they do not suffer for the gospel's sake-have been great sufferers in life. Yet, who but God can see how much they owe that eminence to their trials, which we reckon among their adversities? Besides, the most conspicuous piety is not always the most solid and sincere, nor the most sure to be clothed with humility in the sight of God; and, without this, we learn, that nothing can be right in his eyes! And, again, how long, and how frequent must be the visitation of affliction, to keep down pride in the heart of any particular man, or to prevent its wanderings, God alone can know. When, indeed, our suspicions respecting the real piety of a Christian professor are well founded, and yet we see him in great prosperity, and without chastisement, "whereof all are partakers,"—this cannot but lead to an apprehension, that he is not a son.' With these considerations, therefore, we shall meet with nothing in the course of events, which any of us may witness, which will warrant us to conclude, that God is not ruling his people as a righteous judge, and a considerate parent in his providential dispensations toward them. This is subordinate indeed to his everlasting love, and to his delight in mercy. But we are still exhorted: "if we call upon God the Father, who, without respect of persons, judgeth as every man's work shall be, to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear."

The heavenly Father, we see, lays not aside the character of the righteous governor, in his provi

dential dispensation towards his people. But, notwithstanding, how lenient is his rule, how easily may mercy rejoice against judgment!' For he tells us expressly, "if if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." The penitent, therefore, have nothing to fear. It is unrepented sin, and those transgressions, to which, being lifted up with pride, we are blind, and acknowledge them not, which ought to be chiefly considered as endangering our temporal peace and welfare.

13. But the polluted in understanding will treasure up wrath,

They will not cry, when he hath bound them!

By the polluted,' or ' profaned in heart,' or 'understanding,' I conceive to be meant-in distinction from the outwardly profane, or irreligious in conduct, or in those lusts, of which their heart condemns them-those, whose offensive error is in the state of the mind itself. As where being lifted up with pride, and polluted with the vanity of self-righteousness, they judge not themselves. When such persons are under the chastisement of God, the danger is, lest they should anger him still more by their unhumbled conduct; their affliction brings them not to penitence and prayer, they will not cry when he hath bound them in affliction.' This is doubtless meant as an admonition suitable to Job's case. If there was nothing in his outward conduct, or on his secret conscience, that polluted the holiness of the saint of God, there was within' in the evil conscience itself pride, which polluted the sanctuary of

6

God, and blinded the eyes of the understanding. Job had not cried in the prayer of the penitent, when God bound him; and accordingly, he is exhorted below, in the twentieth verse, "Let thy cry be set forth, &c.

14. Their soul will die in childishness",

Though their life be with the saints b.

I have preferred, upon the whole, this interpretation of this difficult passage: the profaned in understanding,' though in their lives they were eminent among the saints, yet, under the afflicting hand of God, they appear not as the spiritual, whose faith seems as it were tried for the example of others, but 'die without knowledge,' or without much acknowledgment;' mere infants in understanding and spiritual discernment. Some render the words, "their soul dieth in the concussion, and their life with the saints." They will then mean, their sin is a sin unto death, and they are cut off from the communion of saints, by a sudden death, and no prayers or entreaties are heard on their behalf. Or, perhaps, the last line may be understood," that their life may be with the saints:"

a

Or, with the puling babe,'," in childish ignorance." Psalm lxxxviii. 16.

b"I am at loss to tell how Dp, in this place can be taken in any other than its usual sense, 'holy,' or, ' consecrated persons,' or things;' certainly, in after ages, the term had another application, to lewd characters: but then always in allusion to their supposed consecration to the service of some vile deity. By holy ones, some think angels are here intended as the inflicters of the divine sentence.