SERMON XV. What! JOB II. 10. -fhall we receive good at the band of God, and shall we not receive evil alfo? HESE are the words of Job, ut TH tered in the depth of his misfortunes, by way of reproof to his wife, for the counsel we find she had given him in the foregoing verfe; namely, not to retain his integrity any longer,but to curfe God and die. Tho' it is not very evident, what was particularly meant and implied in the words" Curfe GOD and die,❞—yet it is certain from Job's reply to them, that they directed him to some step, which was rash and 5 unwar unwarrantable, and probably, as it is generallyexplained,meant that he should openly call God's juftice to an account, and by a blafphemous accufation of it, provoke God to deftroy his being: as if she had faid,-After fo many fad things which have befallen thee, notwithstanding thy integrity, what gaineft thou by ferving GOD, seeing he bears thus hard upon thee, as though thou waft his enemy?Ought fo faithful a fervant as thou hast been, to receive fo much unkind treatment at his hands ;-and tamely to fubmit to it ?-patiently to fuftain the evils he has brought upon thy house, and neither murmur with thy lips nor charge him with injuftice?-bear it not thus; and as thy piety could not at first protect thee from fuch misfortunes,-nor thy behaviour under them could could' fince move God to take pity on thee; change thy conduct towards him, boldly expoftulate with him, upbraid him openly with unkindness, call his justice and providence to an account for oppreffing thee in fo undeferved a manner, and get that benefit by provoking him, which thou haft not been able to obtain by serving himto die at once by his hands, and be freed at least, from the greater mifery of a lingering and a more tormenting death. On the other hand, fome interpreters tell us,that the word curfe, in the original, is equivocal, and does more literally fignify here, to bless than to blafpheme, and confequently that the N VOL. II. whole |