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<p>Job, in his discourses, had complained very much of the censures of his friends and their hard usage of him, and had appealed to God as Judge between him and them, and thought it hard that judgment was not immediately given upon the appeal. While God was catechising Job out of the whirlwind one would have thought that he only was in the wrong, and that the cause would certainly go against him; but here, to our great surprise, we find it quite otherwise, and the definitive sentence given in Job’s favour. Wherefore judge nothing before the time. Those who are truly righteous before God may have their righteousness clouded and eclipsed by great and uncommon afflictions, by the severe censures of men, by their own frailties and foolish passions, by the sharp reproofs of the word and conscience, and the deep humiliation of their own spirits under the sense of God’s terrors; and yet, in due time, these clouds shall all blow over, and God will <i>bring forth their righteousness as the light and their judgment as the noon-day</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.37.6" href="/passage/?search=Ps.37.6">Ps. 37:6</a>. He cleared Job’s righteousness here, because he, like an honest man, held it fast and would not let it go. We have here,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. Judgment given against Job’s three friends, upon the controversy between them and Job. Elihu is not censured here, for he distinguished himself from the rest in the management of the dispute, and acted, not as a party, but as a moderator; and moderation will have its praise with God, whether it have with men or no. In the judgment here given Job is magnified and his three friends are mortified. While we were examining the discourses on both sides we could not discern, and therefore durst not determine, who was in the right; something of truth we thought they both had on their side, but we could not cleave the hair between them; nor would we, for all the world, have had to give the decisive sentence upon the case, lest we should have determined wrong. But it is well that the judgment is the Lord’s, and we are sure that his judgment is according to truth; to it we will refer ourselves, and by it we will abide. Now, in the judgment here given,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">1. Job is greatly magnified and comes off with honour. He was but one against three, a beggar now against three princes, and yet, having God on his side, he needed not fear the result, though thousands set themselves against him. Observe here, (1.) When God appeared for him: <i>After the Lord had spoken these words unto Job</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Job.42.7" href="/passage/?search=Job.42.7">Job 42:7</a>. After he had convinced and humbled him, and brought him to repentance for what he had said amiss, then he owned him in what he had said well, comforted him, and put honour upon him; not till then: for we are not ready for God’s approbation till we judge and condemn ourselves; but then he thus pleaded his cause, for he that <i>has torn will heal</i> us, he that <i>has smitten will bind us</i>. The Comforter shall convince, <a class="bibleref" title="John.16.8" href="/passage/?search=John.16.8">John 16:8</a>. See in what method we are to expect divine acceptance; we must first be humbled under divine rebukes. After God, by speaking these words, had caused grief, he returned and had compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies; for he will not contend for ever, but will debate in measure, and stay his rough wind in the day of his east wind. Now that Job had humbled himself God exalted him. True penitents shall find favour with God, and what they have said and done amiss shall no more be mentioned against them. Then God is well pleased with us when we are brought to abhor ourselves. (2.) How he appeared for him. It is taken for granted that all his offences are forgiven; for if he be dignified, as we find he is here, no doubt he is justified. Job had sometimes intimated, with great assurance, that God would clear him at last, and he was not made ashamed of the hope. [1.] God calls him again and again <i>his servant Job</i>, four times in <a class="bibleref" title="Job.42.7,Job.42.8" href="/passage/?search=Job.42.7,Job.42.8"><span class="bibleref" title="Job.42.7">Job 42:7</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Job.42.8">8</span></a>, and he seems to take a pleasure in calling him so, as before his troubles (<a class="bibleref" title="Job.1.8" href="/passage/?search=Job.1.8">Job 1:8</a>), “<i>Hast thou considered my servant Job</i>? Though he is poor and despised, he is my servant notwithstanding, and as dear to me as when he was in prosperity. Though he has his faults, and has appeared to be a man subject to like passions as others, though he has contended with me, has gone about to disannul my judgment, and has darkened counsel by words without knowledge, yet he sees his error and retracts it, and therefore he is my servant Job still.” If we still hold fast the integrity and fidelity of servants to God, as Job did, though we may for a time be deprived of the credit and comfort of the relation, we shall be restored to it at last, as he was. The devil had undertaken to prove Job a hypocrite, and his three friends had condemned him as a wicked man; but God will acknowledge those whom he accepts, and will not suffer them to be run down by the malice of hell or earth. If God says, <i>Well done, good and faithful servant</i>, it is of little consequence who says otherwise. [2.] He owns that he had <i>spoken of him the thing that was right</i>, beyond what his antagonists had done. He had given a much better and truer account of the divine Providence than they had done. They had wronged God by making prosperity a mark of the true church and affliction a certain indication of God’s wrath; but Job had done him right by maintaining that God’s love and hatred are to be judged of by what is in men, not by what is before them, <a class="bibleref" title="Eccl.9.1" href="/passage/?search=Eccl.9.1">Eccl. 9:1</a>. Observe, <i>First</i>, Those do the most justice to God and his providence who have an eye to the rewards and punishments of another world more than to those of this, and with the prospect of those solve the difficulties of the present administration. Job had referred things to the future
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<p class="tab-1">2. Job’s friends are greatly mortified, and come off with disgrace. They were good men and belonged to God, and therefore he would not let them lie still in their mistake any more than Job, but, having humbled him by a discourse out of the whirlwind, he takes another course to humble them. Job, who was dearest to him, was first chidden, but the rest in their turn. When they heard Job talked to, it is probable, they flattered themselves with a conceit that they were in the right and Job was in all the fault, but God soon took them to task, and made them know the contrary. In most disputes and controversies there is something amiss on both sides, either in the merits of the cause or in the management, if not in both; and it is fit that both sides should be told of it, and made to see their errors. God addresses this to Eliphaz, not only as the senior, but as the ringleader in the attack made upon Job. Now, (1.) God tells them plainly that they had <i>not spoken of him the thing that was right, like Job</i>, that is, they had censured and condemned Job upon a false hypothesis, had represented God fighting against Job as an enemy when really he was only trying him as a friend, and this was not right. Those do not say well of God who represent his fatherly chastisements of his own children as judicial punishments and who cut them off from his favour upon the account of them. Note, It is a dangerous thing to judge uncharitably of the spiritual and eternal state of others, for in so doing we may perhaps condemn those whom God has accepted, which is a great provocation to him; it is offending his little ones, and he takes himself to be wronged in all the wrongs that are done to them. (2.) He assures them he was angry with them: <i>My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends</i>. God is very angry with those who despise and reproach their brethren, who triumph over them, and judge hardly of them, either for their calamities or for their infirmities. Though they were wise and good men, yet, when they spoke amiss, God was angry with them and let them know that he was. (3.) He requires from them a sacrifice, to make atonement for what they had said amiss. They must bring each of them <i>seven bullocks, and</i> each of them <i>seven rams</i>, to be offered up to God for a <i>burnt-offering</i>; for it should seem that, before the law of Moses, all sacrifices, even those of atonement, were wholly burnt, and therefore were so called. They thought they had spoken wonderfully well, and that God was beholden to them for pleading his cause and owed them a good reward for it; but they are told that, on the contrary, he is displeased with them, requires from them a sacrifice, and threatens that, otherwise, he will deal with them after their folly. God is often angry at that in us which we are ourselves proud of and sees much amiss in that which we think was done well. (4.) He orders them to go to Job, and beg of him to offer their sacrifices, and pray for them, otherwise they should not be accepted. By this God designed, [1.] To humble them and lay them low. They thought that they only were the favourites of Heaven, and that Job had no interest there; but God gives them to understand that he had a better interest there than they had, and stood fairer for God’s acceptance than they did. The day may come when those who despise and censure God’s people will court their favour, and be <i>made to know that God has loved them</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Rev.3.9" href="/passage/?search=Rev.3.9">Rev. 3:9</a>. The foolish virgins will beg oil of the wise. [2.] To oblige them to make their peace with Job, as the condition of their making their peace with God. <i>If thy brother has aught against thee</i> (as Job had a great deal against them), <i>first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift</i>. Satisfaction must first be made for wrong done, according as the nature of the thing requires, before we can hope to obtain from God the forgiveness of sin. See how thoroughly God espoused the cause of
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<p class="tab-1">II. The acquiescence of Job’s friends in this judgment given, <a class="bibleref" title="Job.42.9" href="/passage/?search=Job.42.9">Job 42:9</a>. They were good men, and, as soon as they understood what the mind of the Lord was, they did as he commanded them, and that speedily and without gainsaying, though it was against the grain to flesh and blood to court him thus whom they had condemned. Note, Those who would be reconciled to God must carefully use the prescribed means and methods of reconciliation. Peace with God is to be had only in his own way and upon his own terms, and they will never seem hard to those who know how to value the privilege, but they will be glad of it upon any terms, though ever so humbling. Job’s friends had all joined in accusing Job, and now they join in begging his pardon. Those that have sinned together should repent together. Those that appeal to God, as both Job and his friends had often done, must resolve to stand by his award, whether pleasing or unpleasing to their own mind. And those that conscientiously observe God’s commands need not doubt of his favour: <i>The Lord also accepted Job</i>, and his friends in answer to his prayer. It is not said, He accepted <i>them</i> (though that is implied), but, He accepted <i>Job</i> for them; so he has <i>made us accepted in the beloved</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Eph.1.6,Matt.3.17" href="/passage/?search=Eph.1.6,Matt.3.17"><span class="bibleref" title="Eph.1.6">Eph. 1:6</span>; <span class="bibleref" title="Matt.3.17">Matt. 3:17</span></a>. Job did not insult over his friends upon the testimony God had given concerning him, and the submission they were obliged to make to him; but, God being graciously reconciled to him, he was easily reconciled to them, and then God accepted him. This is that which we should aim at in all our prayers and services, to be accepted of the Lord; this must be the summit of our ambition, not to have praise of men, but to please God.</p>
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