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penfations. Thus the whole Tenor of his Difcourfe illuftrates at once the Power and the Juftice of the Almighty, and irrefragably evinces that though God could do every Thing, he would do nothing but what is right. This, I think, we cannot but collect from the Import of fuch Paffages as these. I have heard the Voice of thy Words, faying, I am clean without Tranfgreffion, I am innocent, neither is there Iniquity in me: Behold he findeth Occafions against me, he counteth me for bis Enemy. Behold, in this thou art not juft: I will anfwer thee, that God is greater than Man. Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not Account of any of his Matters. If there be a Meffenger with him &c. to fhew unto Man his Uprightnefs, then he is gracious unto him, and faith, Deliver him from going down into the Pit, I have found a RANSOM.-He fhall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him, and he shall see his Face with Joy: for he will RENDER unto Man his RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Ch. xxxiii. 8. &c. 23. &c. 26.) What Man is like JOB, who drinketh up Scorning like Water?-For he hath faid, It profiteth a Man nothing, that he should delight himself with God. Therefore hearken unto me, ye Men of Underftanding: far be it from God, that he should do Wickednefs, and from the Almighty, that he should commit Iniquity. For the WORK of a Man fhall be RENDER unto him, and caufe every Man to FIND ACCORDING

TO HIS WAYS.

For he will not lay upon Man more than RIGHT; that he should enter into Judgment with God.-Surely it is meet to be faid unto God, I have born Chaftifement, I will not offend any more.-Should it be according to thy Mind? he will RECOMPENSE it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choofe &c.-JOB hath spoken without Knowledge &c. My Defire is, that Joв may be tried unto the End, because of his Anfwers for wicked Men. For he addeth Rebellion unto his Sin, &c. (Ch. xxxiv. 7. &c. xxiii. 31. &c. 35. &c.) By reason of the Multitude of Oppreffions, they make the Oppressed to cry: They cry out by reafon of the Arm of the Mighty: But none faith, where is God my Maker, who giveth Songs in the Night?—There they cry, (but none giveth Anfwer) because of the Pride of evil Men, Surely God will not hear Vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. Although thou fayeft thou shalt not fee him, yet Judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him. But now because it is not fo, he bath vifited in his Anger, yet he knoweth it not in great Extremity. (Ch. xxxv. 9. &c. 12. &c.) Thou haft fulfilled the Judgment of the Wicked; Judgment and Juftice take hold on thee. Because there is Wrath, beware left he take thee away with his Stroke: then a great RANSOM cannot deliver thee. Take heed, regard not Iniquity; for this haft thou chofen rather than Affliction. Behold God exalteth by his Power : Who teacheth like him? Who bath enjoined him his Way?

Way? Or, Who can fay, Thou haft wrought Iniquity? Remember that thou magnify his Work, which Men behold. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out; he is excellent in Power, and in Judgment, and in Plenty of Juftice: HE WILL NOT AFFLICT. (Ch. xxxvi. 17. &c.—37. 23.—But at length God himself is folemnly introduced into this awful Scene; who, by displaying at large the Wonders of his Power and Providence in the Works of Creation and Preservation, effectually convinces Job of his own Ignorance and Imbecillity, and of the extreme Folly and Prefumption of disputing the Rectitude of his Difpenfations, whofe Judgments are always juft. Shall be that contendeth with the Almighty inftruct him? He that reproveth God, let him anfwer it.-Wilt thou also disannul my Judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayeft be righteous? (Ch. xl. 6.-8. The Result of the whole is, that Job abhors himself, and repents in Duft and Afbes. (Ch. xlii. 6.) He revokes his Imputation on the Divine Justice, and abides by the Principle of a future State, which alone is the fure Bafis of Confidence in Calamity, and renders all temporal Dispensations eafily accountable: whereupon he is reinftated in God's Favour; he is accepted, and his Interceffion is available for the Pardon of his three Friends, who had erroneously defended the Divine Providence, and had not spoken

of God the Thing which was right, as bis Servant JOB did. (Ver. 8.)

I prefume, this Analyfis of the Book of Job

clears it of all Difficulties and Inconsistencies without having Recourse to any forced or unnatural Solutions. I might obferve here that even granting the Bishop of London to have mistaken some few Points in his Explanation of this Book, if the Defign of it be fuch as has been represented, the general Pofition of the common System is at least fully evinced, which maintains that no System of Religion can fubfift without the Doctrine of a future State. We will however inquire now how far the Objections of the Examiner affect this general Hypothefis, or even that of the Prelate himfelf. Indeed the main Weight of thefe Exceptions will fall as much against the former, as the latter.

"If the Point in Difpute, fays the Examiner, were, Whether the Afflictions of this World are a certain Mark of God's Displeasure, &c. all the "Difficulties and Perplexities in which we find "them involved, would be perfectly cleared up by "the third of his Lordship's Articles, which is Job's Mention of the Refurrection. Accordingly "one of the warmest Admirers of this Differtation (Dr. Grey) owns, that if the Hinge of the Con

troverfy

troverfy turns upon this, whether or no, çonfist

ently with God's Juftice, good Men could be "afflicted in this Life, this Declaration in the "19th Chapter ought to have finifhed the Debate." (p. 155.) To this Objection we will add that of the D.L. as quoted by the Examiner, which, as it is of the fame Nature, will, 'tis prefumed, be removeable by the fame Reply. "If Job's Friends thought it (i.e. the Doctrine of a future State&c.) "true, it ended the Difpute: If they thought it

falfe, it lay upon them to confute it: Yet they "do neither: They neither call it into question, "nor allow it to be decifive. But, without the "leaft Notice that any fuch Thing had been urged,

they go on, as they begun, to enforce their for"mer Arguments, and to confute that which they "seemed to understand to be the only one which

Job urged against them, viz. the Consciousness "of his own Innocence." (p. 167.) Again, fays the Examiner, (for we will take in the whole Scope of the Objection at once)" if Job speaks of a Re"furrection in the 19th Chapter, whence comes it "that no Notice is taken of this Doctrine in the "remaining Part of the Book? (p. 169.) It is "remarkable, says the D. L. that Job, when he "refumes the Debate, fticks to the Argument he "first set out with, repeats it, &c. And this σε was, that the Sufferings of the Righteous "were confiftent with the divine Attributes:

"For