foul. They feize the whole attention, ftiffen and benumb the fenfes; the very blood curdles and runs cold through the ftrongeft abhorrence and deteftation of the crime. SMITH's notes on Longinus. VERSE XVI. HIS ROOTS SHALL BE DRIED UP BENEATH, AND ABOVE SHALL AS a tall oak, which fire ethereal burns, "He had reprefented the punishment of this wicked man to be EXTERMINATION. "He dwells upon that horrible idea, and opens the particulars contained in it. In "the fixteenth verfe he defcribes it by an image taken from the vegetable world, a "lofty tree fuddenly killed by lightning, as I suppose. Silius Italicus, quoted here by "Schultens, has drawn the image at large. Tandem cum toto cecidit, &c. Lib. X. 164. "At laft he fell, with all his kindred band; "Our ancestors their mighty limbs display'd: "Rages with crackling havock o'er its frame : "Subdu'd by heav'n it finks, and spreads the ground SCOTT. CHAP CHAP. XIX. THE PURPORT OF THIS CHAPTER, WHICH CONTAINS JOB'S REPLICATION TO BILDAD, IS TO SHEW, THAT IT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR HIM TO TREAD IN THEIR STEPS, AND MERELY TO MAKE REPETITIONS OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS: IN ORDER, HOWEVER, TO AGGRAVATE THEIR WANT OF COMPASSION, OR RATHER TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR INHUMAN AND CRUEL DEPORTMENT TOWARDS HIM, HE ENUMERATES SEVERAL NEW PARTICULARS, WHICH MADE HIS STATE AND CONDITION STILL MORE MISERABLE THAN HE HAD HITHERTO DESCRIBED. ONE OF WHICH WAS, THAT HE COULD NOT WITH ALL HIS STRICTEST ENQUIRIES, FIND OUT THE HIDDEN CAUSE WHY THE ALMIGHTY SHOULD CHASTISE HIM WITH SUCH SEVERITY, AS IF HE WAS THE OBJECT OF HIS HIGHEST DISPLEASURE; WHO NOTWITHSTANDING WAS SO INDULGENT, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HIS UNUTTERABLE WOES, AS TO AFFORD HIM A FEW FAINT RAYS OF HOPE, THAT GOD WOULD AT LAST SHEW HIM SOME TOKENS OF HIS FAVOUR, AND BY RESTORING HIM TO HIS FORMER STATE OF HEALTH AND TRANQUILITY OF MIND, WOULD DEMONSTRATE TO HIS FRIENDS, BEYOND ALL CONTRADICTION, THAT THE OPINIONS THEY SO STRENUOUSLY MAINTAINED WERE FALSE AND ERRONEOUS. IN THE CONCLUSION, HE EXPRESSES HIMSELF, IN VERY REMARKABLE TERMS, AND LIKE AN INSPIRED PROPHET, WITH RESPECT TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY AT THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. TH HEN JOB perceived that Bildad had only repeated the substance of a former difcourfe, which too partially charged him with being a wicked man, could not refrain from making the following warm reply. How long will you continue to perplex my cause, which I know to be a righteous one? How long will you torture my ears with your empty fpeeches, which shock me almoft as much, as the unutterable woes I labour under? Though you have repeated the very fame hard-hearted reproaches time after time, yet you unmercifully proceed in your malicious and ill-grounded cenfures; yet you look upon me with such an eye of contempt, and with fo little concern, that any one would imagine you were per fect ftrangers to my former courfe of life. former course of life. Let it be taken for granted that I have been guilty of fome fecret fins, yet it must be likewife granted I have feverely fmarted for them, and therefore might reasonably expect fome little commiferation from my friends, instead of such indignant reproaches. If, however, you are ftill determined to torment me with your cenforious arrogance; if you will still perfift in reading fuch black indictments against me, and impleading my innocence; confider more naturally the many afflictions I labour under, and be more merciful than to create me new griefs, and add a ftill greater weight to a load, which, as it is, I am not able to bear. I am very fenfible, that it is the arm of the Almighty himself that has overthrown me, that it is he who has reduced me to the deplorable state I now am in, and that he has drawn his destructive net around me. I complain, it is true, aloud of this fevere treatment, I beg of heaven to be redressed, and eased of my exceffive pain, but to no manner of purpose; for I find myfelf abandoned, and left a prey to my unutterable woes. The Almighty ftill turns a deaf ear to all my folicitations, and regards not my most ardent requests; he has laid fuch obftructions in my way, and fenced me in fo clofe, that I know not how to escape; that I am drove, in fhort, to the very brink of defpair. He has not only divefted me of all my glory, taken the crown from off my dishonoured head, deprived me of my children, and blasted my good name, but has brought me to inevitable ruin and defolation: I am abfolutely loft and undone ; and like a tree, that is plucked up by the roots,, have not a fingle hope remaining. Here I fit a moft deplorable object; and though I fhould be glad to die, yet even that mercy is denied me. His fury is kindled against me, and notwithstanding he knows I am innocent and guiltlefs, treats me as if I was his most moft implacable enemy. Black troops of regimented woes are drawn up in battle array against me, and by his commiffion have laid fuch a clofe fiege to me, that I have not the least ray of hope to escape their fury. My very brethren, and nearest relations look with coldness upon me, as if they knew me not; and my moft familiar acquaintance forget me, and fhew me no manner of refpect; even my own domefticks rife up in rebellion against me, and treat my orders with contempt. I called to my flave to aid and affift me; nay I entreated him, with as much fubmiffion as if he had been my master, to lend me his helping hand, yet he regarded not what I said: all this, however, is no great wonder ; fince my diftemper is fo loathfome that my wife herself abhors the fight of me: notwithstanding I make my earnest fupplications to her for our dear children's fake, thofe tender pledges of our once mutual love; yet all the most endearing entreaties are unable to move her compaffion: fhe will not fo much as ftay one moment with me, either to help me in my distress, or testify her affection for me by one soft figh, or one condoling word. Nay, the children of the rude rabble treat me with abufive language, though I rife from my feat, and falute them in the most respectful manner. But what is still worse than all the reft, even my bofom-friends, thofe to whom I have intrufted my most important fecrets, thofe on whom I have conferred the greatest favours, look down upon me with an eye of abhorrence. All these complicated miferies have reduced me to mere fkin and bone. Nay, fo weak am I become, that my mouth is fcarce able to utter my complaints. Since then my condition is thus deplorable, O ye my friends, if you still deserve to be distinguished by that name, ye, who came with an intention to condole with me, take fome pity and compaffion on my diftrefs. Though I am abandoned, in defpair, and bereft of all my honours and my children; yet these are but trivial wounds compared with thofe which the hand of the Almighty has fince inflicted on me. O, then, I beseech you, re tract tract your killing reproaches! Affume not the fame prerogative, nor imagine, that you have an equal right to torment me! Since you fee me thus plunged in an abyfs of mifery; fince you fee the body perfectly wafted away with grief; why will you ftill add to my forrows by vexing my foul with your perverfe accufations? Oh, that the numberless protestations and appeals that I have made to heaven might ftand upon record, and be registered amongst the public acts! O, that my words were engraven on a plate of lead, cut deep with an iron pen! Nay, that they were cut ftill deeper on fome pillar of marble, where they could never be erafed! For my hope, which was more dead than myself before, begins to revive; and I here folemnly declare, that I know my Redeemer liveth, and that when future ages shall have ended their circuit, and time shall be no more; that then he will descend from heaven in triumph over all his enemies and mine; and that when he fhall ftand upon the furface of the earth, the bodies of the captive Saints fhall rife from their beds of duft. Notwithstanding worms and putrefaction shall confume this mortal frame; notwithstanding I shall lie long in the filent grave; yet ftill I doubt not but I fhall rife again, and fee my God with thefe corporeal eyes: I doubt not, but I fhall fee the glorious fight for my own felf, for my own pleasure and advantage. Then fhall my virtue be cleared from all the flanders you have caft upon it; then thall he affert my cause, and pronounce me guiltless. This is the pillar of my hopes; and this is the prospect that fupports my foul, though at prefent overwhelmed with forrows. You will still infift, perhaps, that you do well to perfecute me; that my conduct has been fo blame-worthy, that you have just grounds for the heavy accufations which you have brought against me. As I am well affured, however, that your charge is unjust, take my advice, I beseech you, before it is too late. Repent of your prefumption, and be afraid of the Almighty's juftice; fince his dreadful vengeance hangs over your devoted heads; fince he will foon |