TH

CHA P. XXIV.

The Doctrines of the PATRIARCHAL AGE.

HE inftructions particularly defigned to be given in the Book of Job, might not be fo well understood in that age of the world; namely, that great fufferings are not always an argument of great fins; but that very good men may be very much afflicted in this world; that therefore we thould not cenfure any under calamities, be the hand of God ever fo apparent, unless the crimes be likewife certain and apparent. That we ought not to complain of God in any condition, as if he neglected us, or dealt hardly with us, but rather meekly fubmit to his Bleffed Will; who never doth any thing without reafon, though we cannot always comprehend it; adoring and revering the unfearchable depths of his Wife Counfel, and believing that all at last will turn out to our advantage, if like his fervant Job we perfevere in faith, hope, and patience. This was fab's real character, though not without errors. No error can be difcerned in his behaviour, but what the uncharitable cenfures of his friends provoked him to. Thus he was put upon too frequent and too ftrong juftifications of himfelf, being withal extremely perplexed to give a plain and fatisfactory account why God afflicted him fo feverely.

God, in the iffue, fatisfied him, that he had juft and weighty reafons; and, in particular, by doubling his profperity, that he defigned to make him a pattern of patience and reward. James v. 11. Behold, we account them happy who endure patiently the greateft fufferings. Ye have heard of the wonderful patience of Job, and have feen, in his cafe, the happy end to which the Lord brought his calamities. Whence we may learn, that under the fevereft vifitations, the Lord is very compaffionate and merciful to the fincere and upright, and will amply recompense them in a future world.

Thus the great point in religion, before dark and doubtful, relating to the Providence of God, and the fufferings of good men, is cleared up with fuch evidence, as can no where elfe be found but in the gospel of Jefus Chrift.

Though this point might not be fo well underftood, before it was thus illuftrated, yet there are feveral other important articles of religion, of which Job and his friends, and doubtlefs many others, had very juft and clear conceptions: as the being and perfections of God; that we can receive neither good nor evil but from him, the Author of our being, and Difpofer of all events; that he fees and orders all things in heaven and earth; that there can be no iniquity with him; that he is the Friend and Patron of virtue, and hates, and will punifh vice and wickednefs; nevertheless, that he is merciful and gracious, and will certainly pardon and bless those who fincerely repent of their fins, and return unto him: that he is to be fupremely reverenced and worshipped, as the fole Sovereign of the univerfe, by prayers and facrifices, by purity and integrity'

heart, by juftice in all our dealings, by all acts of charity, goodness, and benevolence to others, particularly to the helpless and indigent; by temperance and fobriety, curbing irregular defires and appetites: that men fhould not be elated and puffed up by large poffeffions, nor put their truft in riches, chap. xxxi. 24, 25; that they should achor idolatry, ver. 26, 27, 28; that they fhould not with evil to an enemy, nor rejoice in his misfortunes, ver. 29, 30, much lefs think of murdering him; that they fhould abstain from adultery and fornication, ver. 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11; from theft, rapine, and deceit, ver. 5, 6, 7. For the punithment of which crimes he mentions judges in his days, (ver. 11, 28.) and was himself one of the chief, chap. xxix. 7, 9, &c.

Thefe, and fuch like principles of natural religion, are allowed both by Job and his friends, and therefore were the religion of the Patriarchs, as indeed they are the principles of true and acceptable religion in all ages and parts of the world.

Further; the religious in that, and the preceding, as well as fubfequent ages, I am perfuaded, entertained the faith and hope of a future ftate. This hath been the popular belief of all nations from time immemorial; and it is fearce credible, in the nature of the thing, that the greatest happinefs of this life, which might at any uncertain time, and at length would infallibly and totally be demolished by death, fhould ever become a folid principle of religion, confidered as the fole reward of piety and virtue.

However it appears, that Job expected a future world, for he had hope with regard to his condition, but not in this world; therefore, his hope must be in a future ftate. Chap. xiii. 15. 16. hopin Lo, or certainly, he will flay me: I will not hope, non eft quod fperem, I have no ground to hope, that I fhall furvive my fufferings, yet will I maintain the integrity of my own ways before him. And even this fhall be for falvation to me; [where but in a future world?] for a hypocrite ball not come before him; fhall not have confidence to prefent himself before his tribunal. Chap. xxiii. 10. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I fhall come forth as gold. As Job abfolutely defpairs of any temporal deliverance, this must neceffarily be understood of the hope he entertained of having his innocence cleared in the day of judg

ment.

He had, morcover, a notion of the refurrection. Chap. xiv. 7. For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not ceafe. Ver. 8. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the flock thereof die in the ground, ver. 9. yet through the fcent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a new plant. Ver. 10. And fall man die, and totally waste away? And fhall man give up the ghoft, and where is he? Or be no more for ever? Ver. As the waters fail from the fea, as the fea ebbs and flows again, and the river, or brook in the dry fandy country of Arabia, decays, and drieth up, in fummer, but is made a brook again by the rains and fnows of winter; ver. 12. Sa man lieth down, and rifeth not, till the heavens be no more; they fhall not awake, nor be raised out of their fleep, to return to the affairs and poffeffions of this world. Ver. 13. And Oh that thou, O

II.

God,

God, would hide me in the grave, in that ftate of fleep and infenfibility, that thou wouldst keep me fecret, in that filent retirement, until thy wrath be past; that thou wouldst appoint me a fet time, and remember me to restore me to a new and better life! Ver. 14. If a man die, fhall he live again? Or fhall a man live again, after he is dead? Then I will patiently wait all the days of the time thou fhall be pleafed to appoint, till my happy renovation fhall come. Ver. 15. Thou shalt call, and I will joyfully anfwer thee; thou wilt have a longing defire to restore the work of thy hands. Ver. 16. Though now, at prefent, thou numbereft my ficps, &c.

Chap. xix. 23. Obferve the folemn introduction; Oh, that my words, which I am going to speak, were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book! Ver. 24. That they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock [my grave-ftone, SCHULTENS], for ever! This is too grand for temporal deliverance. Why fhould that be recorded upon a rock, as a lafting monument to all mankind? But it very well fuits the noble and fublime hope of a refurrection and future judgment, worthy of univerfal attention. Ver. 25. For I know, or am well affured, that my

Vindicator, [the Vindicator of my innocence is] living, and that at the last over the duft, [the dead, that hath been reduced to duft,] he fhall arife, to execute judgment, Job xxxi. 13, 14, Pfal. lxxiv. 22. lxxxii. 8. Verfe 26. And though after my skin they shall deftroy this, [or this body fhall be deftroyed,] yet from my restored flesh 1 fhall with pleasure fie God. [Vide R. in verfe 27. Whom I shall fee for myself, [to do me juftice, as chap. v. 27.—for thy good [for thyfelf] and mine eyes fhall bebold; but a stranger to goodnets and juftice fhall not behold him in the fame manner. My reins are confumed in my bofom [in ardent expectation of this glorious event. N. B. fequente y, was vel in defiderium, ingens, flagrans et confumens fignificat; videfis Pfalms lxxxiv. 2. cxix. 82, 123. cxliii. 7. Sic quoque de na renes, ftatuendum.] Obferve-if after his fkin, his body alfo was deftroyed, how could he outlive this deftruction, fo as to be a man profperous and happy again in this world? Had this been his fixed belief, his frequent wifhing for death would be utterly unaccountable, and his tragical complaints ridiculous, and his defpair of health and happinefs in this world a contradiction.

נפש כלה

If wicked men, though fometimes in great wretchednefs, (chap. xxi. 16, &c.] are alfo femetines profperous and powerful, verfe 7, &c. the proper inference is, verfe 30. That the wicked are referved unto the day of fruction, and that they fhall be brought forth to the day of wrath; not in this world, for that would have cut the neck of Job's argument at once, and have fallen in directly with that of his friends. Chap. xxxi.

2,3.

Chap. xxvii. 8. For what is the hope of an hypocrite, in the future ftate, though he hath gained much in this world; when God takes away his foul at death? This fuppofeth a hope after death.-Again, chap. xxxi. 13, 14. What then fhall I do when God rifeth up to judgment? Not in this world, where his fufferings were as great as could be, and where he did not expect they would be abated.-Laftly, his friends had not spoken of God the thing that was right, as Jab had done, chap. xlii. 7, 8. B

afide a future ftate, the friends would have fpoke more worthily of God, by vindicating his Providence in the exact diftribution of good and evil in this life; and Job, who afferted the contrary, would have mifreprefented his dealings with mankind.

The Patriarchs before and after Job, and the Ifraelites before Christ came, had a notion of a future ftate.-By facrifices was plainly fhewn, that a way was open to the Divine Favour and Acceptance; and the favour of God imports happiness, which to Abel, who was for that very reason, because he was accepted of God, unjustly flain, could be only in a future ftate. Heb. xi. 4. Ka di' aurns aπobarwy and dying on account of that his faith he yet fpeaketh an invifible future ftate of reward The tranflation of Enoch and Elijah, in two diftant ages, were well-known demonftrations of a future ftate of reward and glory.-They were certainly acquainted with God and Angels, and heaven where both refided. Gen. xxii. 11. And the connexion between this world and heaven, by the ministry of Angels, was clearly reprefented to Faceb. Genefis xxviii. 12. They muft, therefore, have a notion of another and better world.

The promife to Abraham, Genefis xvii. 7. I will be a God unto thee, we fhall find, is the fame with the gospel promife, and therefore muft include the gift of eternal life. And as that promife was fure to Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, when they were dead, (Exodus iii. 6.) our Lord rightly inters, that they would rife again. Luke xx. 37, 38.) For God is not a God of the dead, who cannot, as fuch, be benefited by him, but of the living; for though they are dead, they all live unto him, or with refpect of him, as he will raife them all to life again.-And the Patriarchs thus understood this promife; for when they confidered and reprefented their life in this world as a pilgrimage, Genefis xlvii. 9. or a state of fojourning or travelling, they plainly intimated that they were feeking Targida, their Father's country, i. e. the heavenly country or city. Heb. xi. 13-16. Had the profpects of Mofes been confined to this world, doubtless he would have preferred the pleatures and honours of Pharaoh's court; but by refufing them, and choofing rather to fuffer with the people of God, he plainly indicated, that he had refpect to the future recompenfe of reward. Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26.

It is certain the Jews, even during their peculiarity, were under the Abrahamic, or Gofpel covenant, promifing the pardon of fin, and eternal life, as well as under the law, or Sinai covenant. Deut. xxix. 12, 13. And furely, if they were admitted to a covenant of life and immortality, they could not be ignorant of a future ftate. Nor can it be judged at all improbable, that Mofes propounds eternal life to them in fuch paffages as this, Deut. xxx. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcife thy heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, that thou mayft live. This our Lord understood of eternal life. Luke x. 25, &c. When one afked him, What shall I do to inhe rit eternal life? he fent him to the law of Mofes; and when the enquirer readily quoted the rule of life given by M-fes, our Lord replied, Thou haft anfwered well; this do, and thou shalt live, meaning eternally. Which leads us to understand Mofes in the fame fenfe, when he propofes life as the reward of their fincere religion, virtue, and goodness. Deut. xxx. 15,

19, 20,

19, 20. Lev. xviii. 5. compared with Romans x. 5. Gal. iii. 10, 11, 12. Indeed life and profperity in the land of Canaan, is intermixed with such promifes. This is to be confidered as addreffed to them in a national capacity, and with refpect to the covenant of peculiarity. [Note Life is put for eternal life, John vi. 47, 48, 52, 53, 58.] nw is the beginning, or former part; properly denotes, what comes after, the after part, time, or ftate. Thus Job's time, after his afflictions were over, is called his abharith, chap. xlii. 12. So is a man's pofterity, or those that come after him in being. Amos iv. 2.

Sometimes it fignifies the happy confequence, or fequel of a courfe of action, Proverbs xxiv. 14, 20; frequently after-days, or times in this world; but is never ufed more properly than to denote a future ftate after death. Num. xxiii. 10. Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my ahharith, my after or future ftate, be like his. Pfalm lxxiii. 3-18. The wicked lived in profperity, and died an eafy death. There are no bands in their death, verfe 4. Í envied them, faith David, verfe 17, until I went into the fanctuary of God; then understood I their ahharith, future ftate, after death. Surely thou hast fet them in flippery places; thou hast caft them down into eternal deftruction, &c. Verfe 20. As a dream after one is awake; fo, O Lord, when thou awakeft [y in awaking them, or when they are awakened] thou wilt defpife, [debafe, pour contempt upon, Daniel xii. 2.] their image [by their vain, fhadowy, unfubftantial condition.] Verfe 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee, [the object of thy fpecial care.] Verse 24-27. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory, &c. Proverbs xxiii. 17, 18. Surely there is an end, ahharith, an after-ftate. Jer. xvii. 11. As the bird Kore hatcheth eggs, which she did not lay, fo he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end [181 in his after-or future-ftate,] fhall be a fool, vile, contemptible. Verfe 13. They that depart from me fhall be written in the earth, not registered in heaven, in the book of life. Deut. xxxii. 29.their latter end, their after or future-ftate. Pfalm xxxvii. 37, 38.-the end, ahharith, of that man is peace, happinefs. But the tranfgrefors fhall be utterly deftroyed, [where but in the future world?] the end, ahharith, of the wicked fhall be cut off. Deut. xiv. 1, 2. Ye are the children of the Lord your God; (of an immortal Father) ye shall not cut your felves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. I hey muft not mourn as those that had no hope, 1 Thef. iv. 13. Adoption includes the redemption of the body. Romans viii. 23.Ifaiah xxvi. 19. Thy dead men fhall live, with my dead body fhall they arije: awake, and fing, ye that dwell in the duft; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, which makes herbs to fpring and grow up. But the earth fhall caft out the wicked dead, the rephaim, as abortives.

See Pfalms xv. xvi. 9, &c. xvii. 15.-when I awake out of death. Daniel xii. 2. Pfalms xxiii. 6. xxiv. 3, 4, 5. Eccl. iii. 16, 17. xii. 13. Ifaiah xxv. 8. li. 6.

Thefe inftances may fatisfy, that, although life and immortality are brought into the fulleft light by the Gofpel, a future ftate was not unknown from the beginning to the coming of Chrift. We may therefore take it for a good rule, that the words life and falvation, in the Old

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Teftament,