of God, (i. e. of his Providence) the Thing that was right. And therefore God's Wrath was kindled against them, as it is reprefented in the last Chapter, . 1-8. But the Event fhew'd them, that God tried Job by Afflictions, to increase his Virtue, and to make him an Example of Patience, Refignation, and Humility; and then let both them and him fee that the Equity of his Providence had not fail'd, but that after Trial he cou'd and wou'd restore him to Profperity, and even to greater than he had blessed him with before.

Now this History was an extremely proper Confolation to the Jewish Nation to reflect on, who had endur'd fo great Afflictions under their Bondage in Egypt, and still continued to fuffer in the barren and defolate Wilderness: and therefore, was probably wrote by Mofes, to comfort them with an Affurance, from the Example of Job, that their prefent Sufferings were a Trial laid upon them [tho' they might alfo fee that their Sins and Idolatry had caus'd them] and that if, like Job, they humbled themselves be

fore

* Ye have not spoken of me the Thing that is right, as my Servant Job hath. ch. xlii. 7. where the Hebrew Word Ali or Alai, fignifies either of me, or before me: in the latter of which Senfes, the Greek, Vulgate, and Syriac Verfions render it: and either Interpretation makes the Senfe good. The meaning is, they had calumniated Job before God, and had not spoken right Things concerning his Providence: and therefore God commanded them to offer a Sacrifice by way of Atonement, and made Job their Interceffor to pray for their Pardon. It is obfervable, that the Sacrifice was, of seven Bullocks and seven Rams, ver. 8. which is the Number of each which Balaam commanded Balak to offer. Numb, xxiii. 1, 15, 29, 30.

fore God, and worship'd him alone, and trusted in his Mercy, they wou'd be deliver'd as he was, and in due Time be rewarded with the Inheritance of the Land, and all the Bleffings promis'd to their Forefathers.

If it be faid that in this Hiftory of Job, God's Providence is manifefted only in temporal Prosperity and Adverfity; this will appear to be a great Miftake. For altho' the Occafion led Job's Friends to talk only of a temporal Providence, yet as no doubt can be made of their believing a future State of Recompence both for the Righteous and the Wicked; fo this feems to have been the very Ground of their thinking, that God would and also did make a Difference between them in this Life: and that it was not fuitable to his good Providence that the Wicked fhould escape Punishment either here or hereafter; or on the other hand, that the Righteous fhould not be happy both in this Life and that which is to come. There are, I think, feveral Paffages in this Book of Job, which shew his Belief of a future State, and of a Refurrection to eternal Life,

yet

He declareth, that tho' God fhould fay him, that he will trust in him *, (ch. xiii. ver. 1 5.) C 3

truft

* Etiamfi occiderit me, in ipfo fperabo. So the Vulgate, and the Arabic and Syriac Verfions have it, agreeably to our Tranflation. And this is the Senfe of the Hebrew Text. For Hen fignifies fi, as well as ecce, and Lo fignifies annon as well as non. And fo the Hebrew Words are rightly render'd, Si occiderit me, annon fperabo? (i. e. in ipfo,) If he will flay me, or though he should Aay me, fhall I not trust in him? Yes furely, I will. This

I

truft in him for what? not a temporal Deliverance, furely, that is plainly abfurd; but he will truft in him for Salvation (after Death). 16. and for this he trufted in God, who knew the Integrity of his Heart: for he adds, an Hypocrite fhall not come before him.

In the 14th Chapter, we have these remarkable Words: There is Hope of a Tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender Branch thereof will not ceafe (or fail,) tho' the Root thereof wax old in the Earth, and the Stock thereof die in the Ground; yet thro' the Scent of Water it will bud, and bring forth Boughs like a Plant. Then it follows; but Man dieth and wafteth away: yea Man giveth up the Ghost, and where is he? . 7, 8, 9, 10.

Thefe Words thus render'd feem to make against a future State; but if render'd interrogatively, as they may well be, they conclude for it as if Job had faid, is there* Hope of a Tree that is cut down, that it will sprout again? But fall Man die and waste away; fhall be give up the Gloft and be no more? No, furely for as it is added, . 14. If a Man die, he fhall live (or rife) again, after the Days of his Life are finif'd: I will wait till I shall be changed, (or

live

I take to be the true Senfe of the Words. The Particle Hen fignifies Si, in Feb xl. 18. and in other Places. The Words may alfo be understood, tho' he flay me, yet I will hope, i. e. for a Recompence hereafter.

* Αρα, φησί, ξύλο πίπουλος, καὶ ἐγειρομένο, άνθρωπο αὐτὸς δι ̓ ὃν τα ξύλα γέγονεν, εκ ἐγείρεται; Το reads Cyril Bi fhop of Jerufalem, and confirms this Reading from th 14th Verfe, as I have render'd the Greek. Catech. 18.

live again.) This is agreeable to the * Greek Tranflation, as well as to the Hebrew + Text. Then it follows, . 15. Thou shalt call and I will answer thee: reject not thou the Work of thine Hands.

If this is the true Senfe of the Words of Job, then it will appear from the 12th Verfe, when he expected his Refurrection and Change to come to pafs, namely, when the Heavens fhou'd be no more: or as it is exprefs'd in the 19th Chapter, and 25th Verse, at the latter Day, or the End of the World. And here in this laft-mention'd Place, I cannot but think that Job's Affurance of the Resurrection of his Body to a future Life is very plainly and fully exprefs'd. I know, (fays he) that my Redeemer liveth, and that Í fball rife [fo St. Jerome renders the Hebrew Text] or, that my Body fhall rife [fo the Greek Interpreters render it] at the latter Day upon the Earth; and tho' after my Skin Worms deftroy this Body, yet in my Flefh fhall I fee God. Ch. xix. 25, 26.

pas

C 4

I

This Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ ἄνθρωπος, ζήσεται συντελέσας ἡμί18 βία αυτὲ ὑπομενω ἕως πάλιν γένωμαι.

+ If a Man die, fhall be not live again? where the Hebrew Particle He (1) fignifies nonne affirmatively, before the Verb, and was fo understood by the Greek Tranfla

tors.

The prefent Hebrew Text has Jakum, He (that is, God my Redeemer) will rife; which is hardly Senfe. Jerome reads Akum, Ifhall rife, which is a very proper and good Senfe, and is very probably the true and original Hebrew Reading. He renders the whole two Verfes: Scio enim quod Redemptor meus vivit, et in noviffimo die de terra furre&turus fum: et rurfus circumdabor pelle

mea,

This Declaration of his Affurance of the Refurrection of his Body at the laft Day, is that which in the preceding Words he wishes might be written and printed in a Book: or, that it might be graven with an Iron Pen and Lead in the Rock for ever. ver. 23, 24.

The

mea, et in carne mea videbo Deum. The Greek Tranflators, and Theodotio, read Jakim άvas, which is also a good Senfe and Jerome renders the Greek, Scio enim quia eternus eft qui me refoluturus eft. Super terram refurget cutis mea quæ hæc patitur. Tom. 1. p. 1202. edit. Benedict. Jerome alfo read Ukaph circumdabor, from Jakaph instead of Nikphu contriverint, from Nakaph. Clemens the Apoftolical Bishop of Rome reads, avances [TV] σάρκα με ταύτην τὴν ἀναν]λήσασαν 1αῦτα πάν]α. Ad Corinth. Epift. 1. p. 164. edit. Coteler. Pat. Apoft. And Clemens understands the Paffage of the Resurrection of the Body: and his Explication fhews this was the Sense of the. Words in the Days of the Apoftles; and no doubt Clemens knew that the Apoftles fo understood them. And that this was understood to be the Meaning of the Words from the Beginning, appears from the last Words of the Book preferv'd in the Greek Tranflation, viz. it is written that He (Job) fhall rise again with those whom the Lord raifeth, (or fhall raife.) Thefe Words were added by the first Compiler of the Hiftory of Job, immediately after his Death and it is evident they were added, from what Job had declar'd concerning his Affurance of the Refurrection of his Body, and fo they put the Senfe beyond all doubt. And that the Words were originally in the Hebrew Text, appears from their having been always in the Greek Copy or Tranflation, and alfo in Theodotio's Verfion, either from the Hebrew or the Greek, in the fecond Century of the Chriftian Æra, about A. D. 175.

The Reafon of the Jews leaving out the Words in fome of their Copies, feems to have been their having abfurdly interpreted the Words of Job of a temporal Deliverance and Rellitution to a profperous State in this Life.

The