"They faid-For as much as God hath created thefe heavenly bodies, "to govern the world, and fet them on high, and imparted honour unto "them, and they are Minifters that minifter before him, it is meet that

men fhould praife, and glorify, and give them honour. For this is the "will of God, that we magnify and honour whomsoever he magnifieth ❝ and honoureth; even as a king would have them honoured, that stand "before him; and this is honouring the king himself. When this thing ་་ was come up into their hearts, they began to build temples to hea"venly bodies, and to praise and glorify them with words, and to wor"fhip before them, that they might, in their mifguided opinion, obtain "favour of the Creator." Thus you fee, the firft corrupters of Religion had principles and reafons; and perhaps as good as thofe who have in like manner corrupted Chriftianity, by introducing idolatry into it.

This corruption was not at first universal, it spread gradually. And therefore, though in Abraham's days it had made a confiderable progress, yet even then, and for fome time after, we meet with fome eminent perfons, who were not of Abraham's family, that retained a just sense of God, and the purity of his worship. For inftance, Melchizedeck, king of Salem, Gen. xiv. 18. who was (Heb. vii. 3.) without father, without mother, without defcent, ayahoyos, without a genealogy, having neither begining of days, nor end of life, recorded in the hiftory of the Patriarchs from Noah to Abraham. For (ver. 6.) his defcent, or genealogy, was not counted from them, in the Abrahamic line; but for all that, he was a perfon of great eminence in religion. Gen. xiv. 18, &c. "For he was a wor

fhipper of the true God, and a perfon of the moft exemplary justice, "and fincere piety, remaining abfolutely untainted, amidst the general "corruption of the country in which he lived; and who, for the better

promoting of true Religion, was himself a priest, as well as a king, and "performed the facred offices of it among his own people. This great man came forth to meet, and to congratulate Abraham, and provided. "him a princely entertainment for himself and his men, for their refresh"ment, after they had engaged with, and defeated five kings. And "then, as prieft, in which capacity he was fuperior to Abraham, (Heb. "vii. 7.) he folemnly gave Abraham his blefling, or wifh of happiness; "putting up his hearty prayers to the great Creator and Governor of "the world, to confirm the bleffing he had pronounced upon him; as "alfo his humble praises and thankfgivngs for the remarkable mercies "of his late victory. And Abraham, on the other fide, paid his ac"knowledgment to the Almighty, by prefenting the tenth of what he "had taken in the battle to Melchizedeck his prieft, by whom he had "been fo devoutly bleffed." PYLE.

NOTE Melchizedeck's priesthood, as it was prior to that of the Jewish priests, fo it was of a diftinct and fuperior order, as the Apostle argues, Heb. vii. For long after the inftitution of the Jewish priesthood, the Lord with an oath declares, that the Meffiah fhould be a priest for ever, after the orde: [in the Hebrew y fecundum rem, according to the affair, the cafe; which, as it relateth to a kind or fort of priesthood, is well tranflated da Tag] of Melchizedeck, Pfal. cx. 4. Of

what

what order was Melchizedeck? The Apoftle directs us to understand his names appellatively, or as denoting a character of moral excellence; King of Righteousness, or a righteous king; and King of Peace, or bleffing or happiness, as he wifhed well to others, and endeavoured to make them happy, (Heb. vii. 2.) which is the higheft character of worth and excellence any moral agent can fuftain. Thus he was the Prieft, or officiated in the fervice of the most High God. And thus the object of his priesthood, and confequently his priesthood itfelf, was of an eternal, unchangeable, and univerfal nature, even righteoufnefs and goodness, not limited to time or family; for the Scripture gives no account of his birth, death, or genealogy. We read of no predeceffor or fucceffor in his office, as in the Jewish priefts. [Note this argument is adapted (ad hominem) to the Jews, who in this way, or by defcent from Aaron and Levi, judged of the validity of their priefts.] But being of an univerfal, unchangeable nature, muft fubfift as long as there are any moral agents, that live in obedience to God.

Thus our Lord was made priest after the order of Melchizedeck, i. e: not after the law of a carnal pofitive commandment, which confined the office to a fleshly, mortal defcent, and employed in certain external rites and ceremonies; but according to that real Power which is productive of endless, or eternal life, namely, true holiness. For, verfe 17, God declared, thou art a priest for ever, after the order of the King of Righteousness. And chap. i. 8. 9. Unto the Son he faith-Thy throne, O God, is everlafting! A fceptre of rectitude is the fceptre of thy kingdom. Thou haft loved righteoufnefs, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee king and prieft, with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And still nearer to the cafe, chap. v. 8. Though he were a fon. in the highest sense, before he came into the world, yet was he difciplined in obedience, as if he had been a learner, by the things which he suffered. Verfe 9. And being made perfect, having exhibited a perfect character of all moral excellence, be became the author of eternal falvation to all them that obey him. And it was on this account, ver. 10, that he was called and conftituted of God an high priest after the order of the King of Righteousness. For, as the Apoftle concludes his differtation upon this very fubject, (Heb. vii. 26.) Such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from finners, and made bigher than the heavens, or the Angels, in order to raife us to their happiness.

Melchizedeck was eminently religious. And probably Abraham's neighbours and confederates, Mamre, Efhcol, and Amer, Gen. xiv. 13. were good and pious; for, though they were Amorites, it was about 400 years after this, before the fins of that nation were full.

The book of Job gives the clearest and most extenfive view of the Patriarchal Religion. The reality of his perfon, the eminence of his character, his fortitude and patience in very great afflictions, his preceding and fubfequent felicity, are allowed by all; and it is generally fuppofed that he lived a generation or two before Mofes; and probably, the book was wrote by himself, in time of his restored prosperity.

Some learned men indeed, as Grotius, Codurcus, Le Clerc, and others, pretend that this noble performance was written about a thousand years after the time in which Job lived; namely, in or near the time of the

Babylonish

Babylonifh captivity; alledging," that frequent Chaldaifms, as the plural 66 for are to be found in it; that fome paffages are taken from the "Pfalms, Proverbs, and Ecclefiaftes; that there are more than a hun"dred words, partly Syriac, partly Arabic, which are not to be found " in the other parts of Scripture; which are all figns that the author "lived in the later times, when many words, borrowed from the idiom ` "of the neighbouring nations, were admitted into the Hebrew.

It is one mark of the fimplicity of very ancient times, that in the in-. ventory of Job's eftate, no mention is made of money, but only of oxen, fheep, camels, affes, fervants. And Grotius himself owns, "That there " is no mention in the book of Job of any law, or religious rites, but "fuch as were traditional, [chap. viii. 8, 9, 10. xv. 18, 19. xxii. 15, "16.] nor of any points of hiftory, nor of any idolatrous practices, but "fuch as were of the more ancient times, before the Mofaic inftitution. "[Chap. xx. 4, 5, meaning Adam. xxii. 15, 16.] And that the length "of Job's life, extended to about 200 years, agrees alfo with the fame times; that the country where it happened was Arabia, as appears, "not only from the names of places, Uz, Teman, Shuhah, but from the "many Arabic words here ufed." And might not Grotius from hence, have fairly and ftrongly concluded, that the writer was an Arabian? No. He faith, "it was written by fome Hebrew." Why fo? Because Arabia, Job's country, is called the Eaft. Chap. i. 3. And it was ufual with the Hebrews to call Arabia the Eaft, as he has fhewn upon Mat. ii. 1. But the Arabian Magi themselves, in the next verfe, call their own country Arabia, the Eaft; and fo might Job, or any other Arabian in Job's time. The Eaft-country was the common name of Arabia, as the Weft-country is the general name of one part of England. Many words ufed in this book, are not to be found in other parts of Scripture. The reafon is, because it is fo ancient, that fome words therein are grown obfolete, and their true meaning is hard to be recovered. It is therefore the most difficult, because it is the moft ancient book in the facred code. Had it been wrote in later times, the language would have been more intelligible.

It is no argument, that the author of this book took fimilar or fame expreffions from David's or Solomon's writings, [compare Pfilm cvii. 40. with Fob xii. 21, 24.] because it is more probable that David and Solomon borrowed fuch expreffions from the book of fob. [Compare Job xxxix. 33. Mat. xxiv. 28.] Schultens, a very good judge, affirms, that the ftyle of the book hath all the marks of a most venerable and remote antiquity; and that the Chaldaisms, as fome call them, particularly the plurals in , are true Hebrew and Arabic, and that of the most ancient tamp. Job is honourably mentioned with Noah and Daniel, Ezek. xiv. 12-20. Hence it follows, (1.) That Job is no fictitious character, but a real perfon, as truly as Noah and Daniel. (2.) That he was, as well as they, a perfon of diftinguished piety. (3.) That he was well known and celebrated as fuch amongst the Jews, to whom Ezekiel's prophecy was directed. (4.) That he muft either have been of the feed of Ifrael, or, like Noah, of the Patriarchal times; otherwise the Jews, eparated from, and raised in fpiritual privileges above all other nations,

would

would never have proposed to themselves one of their Gentile, uncircumcifed neighbours, of whom they had a mean opinion, as an example of the greatest piety, nor have admitted his story into their Canon. If he was of the Patriarchal times (for an Ifraelite he could not be) he must have been at the distance of about a thousand years before Ezekiel. Mere oral tradition of fuch a person could not have fubfifted through fo long a space of time, without appearing, at laft, as uncertain or fabulous. There muft, therefore, have been fome hiftory of Job in Ezekiel's time; no other history but that which we now have, and which has always had a place in the Hebrew code, was ever heard of, or pretended. Therefore this must be the hiftory of Job in Ezekiel's time; and which muß have been generally known, and read as true and authentic, and, confequently, must have been wrote near to the age in which the fact was tranfacted, and not in after-times, when its credibility would have been greatly diminished.

In short, fhould I aver, that this is the oldeft and nobleft book in the world, I fhould have the vote of all the beft critics; and the very frame and cast of the book itself would justify the affertion.

HE Book of Job is the Hiftory of a real fufferer, Job;, and the Subftance of a real converfation with his friends, about his fufferings, in a poetic drefs. Job was a prince of the greatest eminence, wealth, and authority, among the people of the eaft; whole piety and integrity equalled his temporal grandeur, chap.ji. 1, 2, 3; of the ftricteft religion and virtue; the patron of the injured poor and fatherlefs; the fcourge of injuftice and oppreffion; highly honoured and efteemed by the good, revered and dreaded by the vicious and profane; chapters xxix. and xxxi..This man, fo good, and fo glorious, was, by the Divine Permiffion, and malice of the Devil, at once reduced to the moft indigent and deplorable circumftances, ftript of all, his fubftance, bereaved of all his children, feven fons and three daughters, and, foon after, feized with a moft noisome and painful difeafe, from head to foot; which rendered him the most shocking fpectacle of forrow and wretchednefs. The country, fo far as the fame of his grandeur and religion had spread, would be full of his ftory, and of astonishment. The religious would be inclined to conclude, that fuch fignal and fudden calamities could be no other than the judgments of God upon a man who, under the mask of religion, had concealed a wicked and profligate life. The wicked and profane would triumph in his sufferings, as a juftification of their own bad principles and practices, and as a demonftration

of

11.

of the infignificancy of the ftricteft regards to God and his worship. Chap. xvi. 9, 10, II. xvii. 6. His relations and acquaintance, ftruck with horror and averfion to fuch a despicable, vile, abandoned creature, would not own him. His wife and family treated him with unkindness and neglect, chap. xix. 13-19. The bafeft of men broke in upon him like a legion of fiends, made his afflictions their merriment, treated him with all manner of indignities, calumnies, and flander; and even Spared not to fpit in his face; chap. xxx. 1-15. Scarce ever were the feelings of the human heart oppreffed with fuch a complicated load of grief; fcarce ever was a profeffion of religion fo much expofed to cenfure, reproach, and infult.

And how did the good man bear all this? With heroic bravery; that is to say, with a patience as fteady and uniform as human infirmity will admit. [Patience is fincere adherence to God and duty, under all difficulties and difcouragements; and the ground of patience is faith, or a full perfuafion of the power, goodness, and wisdom of God.] When his calamities, the lofs of his numerous herds, flocks, and fervants, and of his dearest children, partly by the hands of violence, partly by lightning and storm; when thefe calamities rufhed upon him like an inundation, though he felt all the pangs of the moft grievous affliction, and used fuch expreffions of his doleful cafe, as were cuftomary at that time; [Chap. i. 20.rent his mantle, fhaved his head, fell down upon the ground. Chap. ii. 8, 12. Sprinkled duft upon their heads; See 1 Sam. iv. 12. 2 Sam. xiii. 19. Job. vii. 6. Ezek. xxvii. 30. Iliad xviii. 22.] yet he behaved like a wife and good man, proftrating himself upon the ground in a humble sense of his own unworthinefs, and a patient fubmiffion to the Will of God, compofing his mind into a calm and quiet adoration of his fupreme Dominion and unblemished Juftice, chap. i. 20, 21. came," faith he, "by the "Divine Will into the world, a naked helpless creature; and by the

fame will I muft fhortly return to the duft. I am bereaved of my "moft valuable and deareft temporal enjoyments, but by the permion "of a wife and righteous God. His own he gave; his own, for wife “ends, he hath takes away. I acquiefce in his Sovereign Difpofals,

and adore the inconteftable purity and righteoufnefs of his dealings "with me." O brave Soul! O happy Man, who could keep up good thoughts of God, and communion with him, under the fharpeft ftrokes of his rod !

When, covered over with painful boils, in the place and posture of an humble penitent, he was probably pouring out his fubmiffions and fupplications to Heaven, his wife fpared not to reproach him with his prepofterous godliness. Chap. ii. 9, 10. Doft thou fill retain thine integrity by bleffing God, and dying? q. d. "Will you blefs God when he is deftroy"ing you? Will you call upon him, and believe he is good, when he "hath ruined your eftate and family, and, in fpite of all your humble fubmiffions, is flaughtering your body, and within a ftroke of your "life?" But Job returned no other than a mild anfwer, as became a good man, and affectionate husband. "You fpeak not like yourself," faid he, "but as a woman void of underftanding. Is it fit God fhould "always fmile upon finful creatures? Shall we fay, he is not juft when "he brings us into afflictions? We receive what pleafeth us with joy,

" and