Now all this was innocent enough, yea, on fome accounts very commendable. They might lawfully enjoy the comforts of life in a friendly, fociable, and cheerful manner. The remembrance of benefits received might justly excite joy, provided gratitude to God accompanied it. And it fhewed an amiable difpofition, and anfwered very valuable purpofes, for a family branched out as this was to meet thus together at certain feafons, and exprefs their mutual love and concord. Here were feven fons, their children it is probable, and the fifters of the family alfo. What kind of entertainments they made we cannot fay.. . But it is likely they were as fplendid as the fimplicity of thofe times would allow; for their wealth was very great, and it is faid, they feafted, and "they drank wine*. It is further obfervable, that thefe banquets were repeated, they went about from boufe to boufe, a day at a house; and these days, it is probable, immediately fucceeded each other; for that was much the cuftom of the eafterns in after times. Perhaps they began at the houfe of the youngeft, for it is remarkable they were at the eldest brother's when the laft fad catastrophe befel them. And it is not improbable they were ambitious of outdoing each other on thefe occafions. So that upon the whole we may reasonably conclude, these feafts were very expenfive, and their mirth and jollity very great.-Now though thefe family affociations might, as I faid, if properly managed, have been innocent, ufeful and commendable; yet, II. They unhappily became the occafions of fin. * Ver. 13. cafe. : བ་ ១.. cafe. The company was large, feven fons, and three daughters, and their feveral children. And where companies are so numerous (though proper enough on fuch occafions), they are apt to get into parties, or elle to grow too violent in their amufements.-They were alfo young, as may be gathered from the numerous family Job had after this first race was gone. They were in the bloom of age and the heat of blood: and at this time of life mirth and gaiety are peculiar ly enfnaring. They were very rich, and fo had all the means that can be well imagined of diffipation and pleasure and were under no abfolute neceflity of cuting short their time of relaxation, and returning fpeedily to their labour.-Their father alfo was not with them. So grave and pious a man as he, had he been prefent, would no doubt have interpofed his authority to reftrain their exceffes; while, at the fame time, his prudence and good nature would have led him to make his company as agreeable to them as poffible. They however reafoned otherwife, chofe he fhould be abfent, as apprehending they would be more at liberty to gratify their lawless inclinations.But the most unfavourable circumftance of all was, Satan's being among them. For it is quickly after faid, when the Lord afked Satan, "Whence comeft thou?" that he answered, "From going to and fro in the "earth, and from walking up and down in it." He diligently watched his opportunity. And no fitter feafon than this could have offered, for his ufing all the art and influence he was mafter of to betray them into fin.-And accordingly, what through his address and their depraved appetites and paffions, III. They actually were betrayed into fin. So So I conclude both from Job's jealoufies, and from the event. He faid, It may be my fons have finned. This jealoufy of his might be groundlefs. But indulgent parents are not apt to fufpect bad things of their children till they are forced to it. He knew their complexion, and the power of temptation; knew perhaps fome difagreeable things of them in time paft, and had probably fome hints given him of their behaviour, and fo dreaded the confequence. Wherefore from his apprehenfions, as he expreffes them, I fhould fuppofe they really were guilty of fome evil practices. And then the calamity that befel them confirms the idea. For though this providence was defigned as a trial of Job's patience, yet it may be reasonably enough confidered as a punishment of their fins, and not their fins in general only, but their exceffes on this occafion. What Job therefore fays of them in a way of fufpicion, we may, I think, without the charge of uncharitablenefs, confider as real. 7 They finned-ate and drank to excefs, grew violent and outrageous in their mirth, and at length proceeded fo far as to curfe God in their hearts. They were "full and'denied God, and faid, Who is the Lord * ?" From ftep to ftep they advanced, till they plunged themfelves into the depths of iniquity.-They are cheerful-Quickly they begin to think this their cheerfulness real enjoyment; they want no better heaven-So they fecretly defpife religion in their hearts --They drink--The wine goes merrily round-The fumes arife-They grow noify and clamorousWhat they thought before in their hearts, they now fpeak * Prov. xxx. 9. fpeak with their lips-The religion of the old man they make a joke of-- And, loft to all fenfe of parental duty and efleem, no wonder, while they ridicule their father they curfe his God: no wonder they are ready for every abomination they have it in their power to commit. Charity would indeed lead one to hope thë beft concerning them. Yet if this was their temper and conduct, (and there feems too fad ground to apprehend it) furely the providence of God is abundantly juftified in the fentence executed upon them.-But let us now turn our attention a while, IV. To their father's conduct. "When the days of their feafting were gone about, Job fent and fanctified them, and rofe up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings, according to the number of them all: for Job faid, It may be that my fons have finned and curfed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." From this account one would be apt to fufpect Job of having been guilty of fome neglect. He does well, now he understands there had been fomething amifs, to interpofe between God and them. But ought he not to have prevented the evil? Was there no defect in their education, either in regard of feverity or indulgence? Some good men treat their children in early life with too great rigour, and fo provoke them, when they become their own mafters, to run into exceffes they perhaps would not otherwife be guilty of. But in this cafe, if there was a mistake, it was probably on the fide of indulgence; for there is a softness in his manner of fpeaking, that looks much like the undue fondness of a parent-" It may be my "fons have finned:" just like good old Eli, "My "fons fons, why do ye fo*?" Or if there was no error in their education, and their ill conduct was entirely the effect of their own natural depravity and perverfeness; yet was not Job to blame for hot afferting his authority, and taking care to prefide at these feafts, which he had reafon to apprehend would prove occafions of mifchief? His presence might have checked these exceffes. But perhaps he was not afked; or if he was, he had room to fear they would pay little regard to his rebukes. However this might be, whether his former behaviour towards them was, or was not cenfurable, he certainly did right in thus piously expreffing his concern for what had happened. Job was a good man; "he feared God and efchewed evil:" he could not therefore apprehend them to have affronted that great Being, and to have committed fuch daring outrages, without feeling inward anguish, and awfully dreading the confequence. The utmoft he could now do was to use his intereft with Heaven on their behalf. And this he does with all the fervour and piety of a man of God, and with all the tenderness and affection of an afflicted parent.--He sent and fan&tified them. Sent perhaps a meffage to them, expreffing his concern for what had paffed, and wifhing them to attend this feafonable and neceffary act of devotion; or at least informing them what he was about.-And fanctified them; that is, prepared them, as far as lay in his power, for the approaching folemnity, both by directing them to the forms usual on these occafions, and by doing his utmost, as was juft obferved, to perfuade them to a compliance with them. It is not indeed |