of the wise may feel itself to be nought, and the prudent may not boast of their understanding. For this reason they had not succeeded; God had reserved to himself the dispelling of Job. The expression is remarkable, the dispelling,' or 'dispersing him,' as wind the chaff, the dry stubble, or the smoke. Job's conceit of his own righteousness under the hand of a chastening God, which led to so many wrong positions respecting the dispensation of Providence, was the cloud and darkness to be dispersed in the mind of Job. God would not use the wisdom of the wise, or the understanding of the aged, to do this, lest it should boast; but he would inspire the tongue of one who felt himself little, and was probably so esteemed by his present companions, to address Job with words of efficacy and power. And how like to this often has been the dealing of God with his people in every age! 'In the mouths of babes and sucklings has he ordained strength,' and has revealed to the simplest what he has hid from the wise and prudent.'

The case before us is but an early illustration of that declaration of the apostle-"In the wisdom of God, after that the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." One who is sensible of his meanness in the presence of Job and his friends, is the earthen vessel,' on this occasion, to bear the treasures' of divine instruction to Job: which instruction God himself is pleased after

wards to confirm with his own lips: not so much discovering, as we shall observe, new truths to the mind of the instructed, as conveying spiritual discernment to his soul; so that he could read even nature and providence with new eyes. The conceit also of his own righteousness, or comparative goodness, we shall find to be, indeed, dispersed like chaff before the wind!

But as we are remarking, before God himself appears, he blesses the ministry of Elihu; and he makes choice of him, that the effect of his inspiration may be the more apparent,-that 'the excellency of the power may be of God.'-Elihu proceeds.

b

14. Now he hath not constructed sayings against me, Nor will I answer him with your speeches. 15. They were broken; they no longer corresponded, Their resemblances had departed from them". 16. Ay, I attended; but they conveyed no meaning ", While they opposed, they no longer corresponded. The discourse between Job and his friends, as we have often been led to remark, was conducted, especially on their part, by the construction, or application of parabolical sayings, maxims, and apophthegms, a favourite exhibition of skill, no doubt, among these ancient sages, and not unlike what has been observed, in later times, to be the mode of instruction and argumentation adopted by the oriental teachers. The sayings' of the friends

They are dissipated, they no longer produce effect. The words had flitted away from them. Mr. GooD.

b Literally, but they said nothing, they contained no answer.

were chiefly quotations from the wise sayings of more ancient times. Elihu seems to say he shall not have recourse to these authorities. Their 'sayings,' however excellent in themselves, he could not but remark, had become irrelevant, and void of proper application to the case of Job; they did not properly respond to the speeches of Job, as by the laws of argument they should have done. They were still urged in opposition, and made, with all the formality of regular reasoning, 'to take their stand,' as it were, against what Job said; but they answered nothing: the correspondence and relation, that should have been between the argument and the reply, was no longer contained in them; they had lost, in fact, in their mode of applying them, the force of maxims, aphorisms,' or 'parabolical sayings:' and a reference to the speeches of the friends will convince us, that this censure of Elihu was well deserved. Their ancient sayings' contained many good things; but, after a certain time, they are found to lose all point and application as replies to the arguments of Job.

Elihu continues, with expressions of great modesty, but still with a consciousness that his mind sustains the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

17. I will answer, even I, for my part,

I will declare my opinion, even I.

18. When I was full of sayings,

The Spirit within me compressed me.

When I was fully prepared to answer, from these same repositaries of ancient wisdom, I felt a re

The Spirit of God sealed my

straint within me.

mouth.

19. Lo! my breast is

now' as wine, that cannot get vent, It would burst as new bottles of skin! 20. I must speak, that I may find relief, I must open my lips, and reply!

A picture of the inspired prophet, labouring with the goodly theme,' and unable to suppress or hold any longer the dictates of the spirit of inspiration, which had seized on the faculties of the man, this, the reader will recollect, is agreeable to many representations, in other scriptures, of the same. phenomenon; and very much resembles the idea which the ancient heathen writers had received respecting the circumstances of the person inspired. 21. I must not now respect the person of a mortal, And must use no compliments to man";

22. For I know not, should I use compliments, How little my Maker will esteem me!

Elihu's situation among his seniors might, in ordinary circumstances, have restrained him, according to the courtesy of the times, to have kept at a respectful distance, and to have observed some forms of speech, which would have hindered him from expressing plainly his sentiments to such a person as Job. But he should little consider the

a

, Parkhurst observes, is "properly to call a person by a rame that does not belong to him, and that generally in compliment, or flattery." Scott quotes in illustration from Pococke, "The Arabs make court to their superiors, by carefully avoiding to address them by their proper names, instead of which, they salute them with some title or epithet expressive of respect."

dignity of his mission, and should be most unworthy to carry a message from God, if any considerations of the rank, or quality, or age, of those whom he was to address, influenced him to withhold a plain and full declaration of the truth.

SECTION I.

Elihu's First Address.

Chap. xxxiii. Ver. 1. HEAR, therefore, I pray thee, O Job, my speech,

And to all my words give ear.

2. Lo, now, as I open my mouth,

My tongue speaketh on my palate;

3. Straightway my heart findeth words,

And my lips with purity tell forth knowledge.

4. The spirit of El hath wrought upon me,

And the breath of Shaddai hath quickened me!

Elihu describes here the effect of the divine inspiration upon him, with some degree of astonishment to himself;"His heart was inditing of a good matter," and "his tongue was the pen of a ready writer" it seemed to move without the aid of his volition. The inspired conception of his understanding seemed to find its own words, and his expressions flowed from his lips without hesitation, or effort, or any mixture of his own, that might impair the purity of the sacred oracle which he was The spirit of God had wrought upon him, it was actuating' his human faculties, and was

"The Hebrew, is here a verb, and not a substantive." GOOD. Perhaps, "direct from my heart are' my words." My lips without alloy utter knowledge.'

D "Hath worked me up, and animated,' or ' actuated' me.”