could not be a Buzite, but muft draw his lineage from Kemuel, the brother of Buz. The Chaldee paraphraft tells us he was Abraham. And in order to clear up this point, he fays, that there was a threefold gradation in that patriarch's name. First he was called Ram only, which fignifies high: then Abram, which fignifies a high father and laftly, Abraham, which fignifies the high father of a multitude: but upon which abfolutely to determine is next to an impoffibility. However, we conceive it to be a matter of very little, if any, importance. Only this feems clear, that the family of Ram was at that time very illuftrious. And it is obfervable, that the infpired penman of this book is very punctual and diftinct in his description of this Elihu's pedigree; and the reason might poffibly be this; because he might not be very well known, as to his perfon, being a young man, and therefore might be better known by his ancestors or parentage. Or elfe it is probable, that his parentage might be thus diftinctly set down to affure us, that this is a true history and no fiction, as fome have too boldly afferted. It is fomewhat extraordinary, that Elihu, who was but a young man, and one who undertook to be a moderator in this long and delicate difpute, fhould be fo hot at his first opening; and that his anger fhould not only be kindled against Job's friends, but against Job likewife for a crime of which in reality he was not guilty. VERSE IY. NOW ELIHU HAD WAITED TILL JOB HAD SPOKEN, BECAUSE THEY WERE ELDER THAN HE. "THIS refpect for his feniors and fuperiors, which the author himself affigns as "the reafon of Elihu's filence, is an honourable teftimony to his MODESTY." VERSE VI. SCOTT. THEN ELIHU THE SON OF BARACHEL THE BUZITE ANSWERED AND SAID, I AM YOUNG, AND YE ARE VERY OLD, WHEREFORE I WAS AFRAID, AND DURST NOT SHEW YOU MINE OPINION. "FOR a youth to speak in fuch an affembly, on fo delicate and difficult a fub"ject, and after that his fuperiors in age, and men renowned for their wisdom, had "given up the difpute, was an astonishing phenomenon in Arabia. Elihu was con"scious of this vaft weight of prejudice against him. Like a fkilful orator he endea"vours to remove that obftacle, and to fecure the favour and attention of his hearers, before he enters on the queftion in debate. To this end, he reprefents to the three elders his bafhful timidity, his reverence of age, and expectation of inftruc ❝tion tion from them. He next alledges, that found judgment is the gift of heaven; "that this quality is not a necessary effect of years; and that, with all the wisdom "for which they were famed, they had failed in this difpute. He therefore begs "their indulgence to deliver his fentiments. He had patiently attended to them— "they had not convicted Job-neither was their argument, that his afflictions were "fufficient evidence of his guilt, a proper conviction. This appears to me the "fum of his addrefs to the three antagonists." SCOTT. VERSE XV. THEY WERE AMAZED, THEY ANSWERED NO MORE: THEY LEFT OFF SPEAKING. C. "HERE Elihu turns to the audience, defiring them to obferve the confufion of "the three feniors, who, though he had waited and was ftill waiting for their "reply to Job, had nothing to offer. That there were others prefent at the meeting of the three friends at Job's houfe, is certain: for Elihu was prefent. It feems not improbable that this was an affembly, like thofe which the literati among the Arabs used to hold for conferences on points of philofophy, poetry, &c. "HARIR, the Cicero of the Arabians, intituled his work, from that custom, THE "ASSEMBLIES." <. VERSE XXII. FOR I KNOW NOT TO GIVE FLATTERING TITLES, IN SO DOING MY MAKER WOULD SOON TAKE ME AWAY. "UNSKILL'D in courtly titles, plain and free My phrafe, expect no foothing arts from me ; "The Arabs make court to their fuperiors by carefully avoiding to address them by "their proper names; instead of which, they falute them with fome title, or epithet "expreffive of refpect.-The crime which he apprehended would expofe him to such danger, could be no other than that refpect to the perfons of men, which would "make him timid and unfaithful in the cause of God and truth." SCOTT. VOL. III, Ecc CHAP CHAP. XXXIII. IN THIS CHAPTER, ELIHU MAKES HIS APPLICATION TO JOB ALONE, AND ACQUAINTS HIM, IN THE FIRST PLACE, THAT AS HE HAD FREQUENTLY WISHED SOME IMPARTIAL JUDGE WOULD PLEAD WITH HIM IN GOD'S BEHALF, HE WAS THE PERSON THAT WOULD UNDERTAKE THE CAUSE, AND DID NOT DOUBT BUT THAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF ENTERING INTO ITS MERITS: AND AS JOB ACQUIESCED IN HIS FRIENDLY PROPOSITION, HE BEGINS WITH SOME REFLECTIONS ON THOSE PARTICULAR PASSAGES WHEREIN HE IMAGINED JOB TO BE BLAME-WORTHY, AND MORE ESPECIALLY WHERE HE INSISTS WITH TOO MUCH WARMTH AND VEHEMENCE ON HIS OWN INNOCENCE AND INTEGRITY; WHICH THOUGH POSSIBLY TRUE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MENTIONED WITH MORE HUMILITY, AND A READY ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT GOD ALMIGHTY WAS INFINITELY JUST IN HIS SEVEREST DISPENSATIONS TOWARDS HIM; AND THAT IT DID NOT BECOME HIM TO CALL THE WISDOM AND GOODNESS OF GOD INTO QUESTION, BECAUSE HIS WAYS WERE BEYOND THE REACH OF HIS COMPREHENSION. FOR THE PROVIDENTIAL CARE AND INDULGENCE OF THE ALMIGHTY TOWARDS ALL MANKIND IS TOO CONSPICUOUS TO BE DENIED, NOTWITHSTANDING HE MAY SOMETIMES SEE FIT, FOR REASONS BEST KNOWN TO HIMSELF, TO PLUNGE THEM INTO AN ABYSS OF SORROWS. A ND now, O Job, I flatter myfelf, that what I have already premised is fufficient to engage your attention. Hear me with patience; for I am prepared to speak, if you are but "equally inclined to hear. And you may depend upon my vera"city in this particular, that I will utter no words with my tongue, "but what are the very dictates of my heart. My inftructions "shall be so plain and clear, that they shall need no comment. "Confider well, in the first place, that the ftructure of us both proceeded from the fame model; both of us were formed of the fame clay, and infpired with life by the fame all-wife creator. If "therefore your caufe, you have now "therefore you are determined to defend "no one to contend with but your equal. You have feveral times "feemed earnestly to defire that fome impartial person would appear to plead in God's behalf, and to argue the cafe freely with you. And now your wifh is at laft accomplished. I am the per"fon that flands in his ftead. I am your fellow-creature, and "therefore you need be under no apprehenfions of the contest be 66 "You ing unequal. I am not cloathed in majesty, as the Almighty is, "to terrify and affright you, as you have more than once already "complained: I am endowed with no fuperior power whereby to injure or oppress you. I fhall not charge you, as your three "friends have repeatedly done with imaginary crimes, unknown to any one except God and yourself, but with fuch unwarrantable "fpeeches, as with my own ears I have heard you utter. "have said more than once, I am pure and altogether faultless, and "innocent, void of offence towards God and towards man.-God, "who I lived in hopes would mitigate my forrows, is become my adversary on the most flight pretences. He feeks every occafion "to afflict and torment me, and every the leaft offence unjustly provokes him. He detains me in prison as a most heinous male"factor, and sets a strong guard over me, left I should loose my my bonds, and make my efcape." Thefe are your abfurd and "wild complaints, and from hence, as you are reftlefs and impa"tient, you feek for relief. Now, notwithstanding it is impoffible for me to detect your fecret faults; and notwithstanding I am no ways inclined to follow your three friends example, and lay un"certain and unknown crimes to your charge; yet herein your rashness is very apparent; herein, doubtless, you are too arrogant " and prefumptuous. How durft you, who are but a man, a meer worm, a worthiefs creature, compare yourself with him who gave you your existence? Audacious man! how durft you enter "into fuch unequal conference? Would you confute your Maker? "Will he lay his fecret counfels open before you? Will he entrust 66 you with the fecret fprings of his divine government? You "should confider, that all his works, as they are his, are just and "good, and where your reafon is too fhallow to comprehend his ways, there you fhould acquiefce and learn fubmiffion. Not that "our knowledge of God's works raifes his envy in the leaft; for "he not only endows us with wisdom various ways, but gives us indeed a larger portion of it than we are willing fometimes to re"ceive. Sometimes he conveys inftructions to our minds by "dreams, or visions of the night; when we fall into a deep fleep or gentle flumber; and are free from all the cares and bufi"nefs of the day; then he whifpers to the ear with a ftill voice; "then he reveals his divine will, and imprints it on the mind. "The Almighty, however, does not show his reafons for his con"duct; this heavenly intercourse is not intended to expose the se"crets of his providence. What he principally aims at by this "act of his indulgence is, to make his creatures rather good than "wife; to turn them from their evil ways, and with all humility "to submit themselves to their celestial instructor; to preserve "them if they will but liften to his divine admonitions, from run"ning into a vicious courfe of life, and thereby into inevitable "destruction; in a word, to rescue them from thofe heavy judgments that are ready to defcend on their devoted heads. Some"times again the Almighty conveys inftruction to a man's mind by a much feverer way. If he fees convenient, fickness and pain "fhall break the strongest conftitution, and lay the most blooming youth extended on his bed. In which languishing ftate and "condition, the rich viands, which before he took great delight in, "become naufeous and offenfive. All on a fudden, he who "moved with fuch an air, and appeared with fuch roseate cheeks, "looks now all pale and ghaftly; his bones that were not to be "seen before, now start through his very skin. His heart beats "with pain, and there is fcarce a fingle step between him and the 186 grave. |