all fubdued, all reconciled, and prefented unto the Father by the Son, who then will deliver up the kingdom that God may be all in all. The prefent feafon is trying, &c. therefore difpenfe yet a little with my absence, remember me to Mrs.

to be,

in an affectionate manner, and believe me

Sir, yours, &c.

PREFACE

TO A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE

воок

O F JO B.

HERE have been many doubts among the learned of fuch a perfon as Job having ever exifted: to me it is fufficient that the prophet Ezekiel, and the apoftle James, mention him as a real character; and that the inspired writers of the New Teftament frequently quote from his book. Deifts have afferted that this book must have been written after the captivity, on account of the perfon of Satan being introduced, as they fay, contrary to the Hebrew writings before that time. But they forget the hiftorical Book of Kings, and the Pfalms of David; one of which mentions his name, whilft both record his condu. But who wrote this book? As the Books of Mofes, Jofhua, and Samuel, are called after their name, because written by them: In like manner I think the Book of Job is called after his name, because he was the author of it. An objection will be made from the character given of Job, as "perfect and upright." But of what weight is it? Job writes not this Book to display his own virtue, but to record the chaftening providence of God. He therefore speaks of himself as he really was; perfectly upright, acting according to his knowledge, with the ftricteft integrity towards God and man. Mofes and Samuel fpake of their uprightnefs, and both God and his people bare teftimony to its truth. Paul boafted of his, and neither Jews nor Gentiles could confute him. Mr. Paine has boafted of his, perhaps justly;

but

but if he has spoken the truth, he has not, like Job, Mofes, Joshua, Samuel, and Paul, spoken the whole truth; he has not recorded his failings as well as his virtues. The funken rock over which the water flows, is more to be fufpected than that around whofe fides the billows continually break; fo is the felf-praife of that man who boafts of his integrity, and does not exhibit the grand outlines of his whole conduct; who never delineates the secret springs of his heart.

Job's death being recorded has been another objection. Moderns when they print the works of noted men after their death, in general prefix to it an account of their birth, life, and death. The ancients when they transcribed the writings of their holy men, appear from the Books of Job, Mofes, Jofhua, and Samuel, to have added an account of their deaths. As the firft is not an objection of any force against a modern's being the author of a work that went by his name, I cannot fee why the latter fhould be confidered as any argument against Job, Mofes, Joshua, or Samuel, being the authors of those works that go under their names; not that it is material to the works themfelves. The only queftion is, are they true? Truth is the fame, let who will record it: if a good man speak it we should listen to it with attention; and if a bad man declare it, ftill its voice fhould be heard.

This book being written in Hebrew, cannot, to a confiderate mind, prove any objection to Job's being the author of it. In a general way it might be fufficient to obferve, that the language contains too much spirit in it to be a tranflation. If written by Job, therefore, it must have been in Hebrew. From the fcripture it is evident that the Egyptians, Arabians, Canaanites, &c. all fpake Hebrew ; and there is not a known language in the world, the artificial Chinese excepted, but what has many Hebrew words in it. Abraham travels from Uz to Canaan, to Egypt, to Philiftia; and wherever he goes proclaims the name and nature of Jehovah, without an interpreter. Ifaac and Jacob do the fame. If, for ftate, Jofeph had an interpreter in Egypt, yet his fteward and fervants appear, without difficulty, to converfe with his Hebrew brethren. When the Ifraelites came out of Egypt, the spies that are sent fear not being detected as foreigners; they converfe with Rahab with facility, and the Gibeonites are not even fufpected for faying they come from a diftant nation, because of their language.

guage. It will appear that the received idea of a confufion of languages at Babel is not fcriptural. But that it was a confufion of lip, or of confeffion, a difpute who were the Gods they were to worship, which made them leave off building the temple they were then erecting to the material heavens; of confequence the language being Hebrew will not be any objection to Job's having been the author of it; and will prove to be one amongst the many evidences, that all mankind have defcended from one common parent; and that all the prefent variety of tongues are but dialects of the fame original language. Job wished his fufferings to be recorded; as none could be fo competent to the task as himself: I must conclude, that when restored to profperity he left this facred poem as a record of the conduct of God in his dealings with his faints; that they, feeing the end of affliction, might learn patiently to endure the chaftening hand of Jehovah.

I fhould judge that Job lived prior to Mofes, becaufe, like Abraham and Melchifedec, he appears to have been both king and priest, ruling his family or tribe like the Patriarchs, and like them offering facrifices. The miracles that God did for the Ifraelites when he brought them out of Egypt, made fuch a lafting impreffion upon the minds of the furrounding nations, that even in the time of Eli the Philiftines trembled at the knowledge of the ark of Jehovah being come into the camp of Ifrael. Yet Job makes not one allufion to these miracles; nor to the drowning of Pharo's hoft, the Manna, or the folemn appearance of Jehovah at Mount Sinai to promulgate his law.

With regard to his country, "the land of Uz or Ouj," it was a territory in the land of Edom (See Bp. Lowth Pral. p. 414.), which was a portion of Arabia Petræa, lying between Egypt and the fouth boundary of Palestine. Hence it is reasonable to imagine that Job was well acquainted with Egypt: Hence alfo we may account for the mention of the Jordan in this poem Chap. ii. 23. The Euphrates, doubtless, would have been thus honoured, had Job lived in Arabia Deferta, near the banks of that river, as many have fuppofed. (See Scott, p. 1.)

CHAP. I.

JOB.

THERE was a man in the land of Uz' whose name was Job, and the man was perfect, and upright, and he feared the Aleim3, and he turned afide from evil. 2 And there was born unto him feven fons and three daugh3 ters. And his poffeffion was feven thousand fheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of beeves, and five hundred fhee affes, and of fervants exceeding many: and he was the most thriving man of all the fons of the easts.

4 And his fons went and made banquets in their houses, each man his day; and they fent and called for their 5 three fifters to eat and to drink with them.

And thus it was when the banqueting days went round: then Job fent and set them apart, and caufed them to rife early in the morning, and he made burnt offerings afcend according to the number of them all; for Job faid, "per"haps my children have finned, and bleffed the falfe "Aleim in their hearts." Thus did Job on all thefe days.

And the day was, that the fons of the Aleim came to station themselves before Jehovah, and moreover Sa

tan

Ouj. Oj fignifies a tree, and it is not improbable that the place might be fo called from having many of them, which would render it very remarkable in that hot climate.

2 Aiub. The perfecuted one.-Parkhurst.

3 The plural of ALE, to curfe, or denounce a curfe. All covenants were confirmed by cath and facrifice. The propriety therefore of God's taking upon himself this name, will beft appear by comparing 53 If. 10, 11. Pf. xv. 4. Pf. ii. 7. Pf. xl. 6, 8. Pf. cx. Phil. ii. 610. It was in virtue of this antemundane oath, 1 Pet. i. 18-20, that Chrift was foreordained to redeem us before the foundation of the world.-Parkhurst. 4 Wickedness and mifchief.

s Eaft of Palestine. Arabia Petræa, forming the Eaftern boundary.-Scott. 6 Et vitulum unum pro peccato pro animabus eorum.-S. Welley. For every child a coftly victim blaz'd. Scott.'

7 The Idolaters had their Aleim, or fwearers. Thus Jupiter whofe oath bound the fates. Thefe Gods were worthipped with the most abominable rites. Job appears to have been fearful left his children, in the gaiety of their hearts, fhould have been led by their paffions aftray into Hea

thenifm.

8 Perhaps by comparing this paffage with the court of Solomon, it may explain it. It is obferved, Heb. viii. 5. that Mofes was commanded exactly

7 tan came in the midst of them. And Jehovah faid unto Satan, "From whence comeft thou?" And Satan answered Jehovah and said, “From" going to and fro in the 8 earth, and from walking about it." And Jehovah_said unto Satan," Haft tnou placed thine heart upon my “servant Job, for none is like him in the earth, a "man perfect" and upright, fearing the Aliem, and 9" turning afide from evil?" And Satan anfwered Jehovah and said, “Feareth Job the Aleim without caufe? 10" Haft thou not made an hedge about him, and about "his house, and about all which belongeth unto him? "encompaffing thou bleffeft the works of his hands, "and his poffeffions burft forth through the earth. 11" But verily, put forth now thine hand and smite "the whole which belongs unto him: verily, for the 12" fake of thy prefence he will not bless thee." Then

actly to copy the things that had been shewn him in the mount. They were, faith he, shadows of the heavenly; and from Ezekiel we learn these shadows are to be realized in the Millenial kingdom of Christ. In like manner I humbly conceive that the reign of Solomon is a copy, in the regularity and glory of its attendance, of the courts of Jehovah, as it most undoubtedly is in Pf. xlv. Pf. lxxii. Pf. cx. and of the courts of Chrift in the Millenial age. For I think this word feems to imply a stated attendance, and that when the angels of Jehovah came in their turns to take their ftation, Satan came with them.

9 Satan. Is not this an office title, The accufer? I have often wondered where Chriftians got the idea of Satan being chief prince of Hell. They almoft to a man think with Milton, that he is always ready to exclaim "better in Hell to reign then ferve in Heaven!" I cannot out think they forget these words, " Thou fon of God, art thou come hither "to torment us before the time?" Mat. viii. 29. Was this railage the only one, it might be faid to be figurative; but, on the contrary, it agrees with the reft of the fcriptures, and is contradicted by none: for intance, 1 Kings xxii. 21. Rev. xii. 10. But bleffed be God, he fhail no longer accufe the fainss of the Most High. The feventh trumpet hath began to found, and he is caft out, and woe be to men of a worldly Spirit, and il e merchants of the fea, for he is enraged, "because he knoweth that he "hath but a fhort time."

10 Denoting vigilance comp. Zech. i. 10, 11. I Pet. v. 8.

Affiduous in my office, I have run

Through all the peopled climes from fun to fun.

11 Of blameless manners, with a foul fincere,

Evil his hate, and God alone his fear.

SCOTT.

SCOTT.

12 Si non fuper facies tuas benedixerit tibi.-Montanus. I think that the difficulty that has arifen on this paffage is from the adverb LA, non, not, not having been noticed; and the word Be Rek being rendered curse instead of blefs; it is not any where used in the fenfe of a curfe, and radically means to couch, lie down.-See Parkhurst.

VOL. II.

H

faid