CONCERNING JOB. 109 In chap. viii. Joв is deeply condemned by his friends, verse 13-And the hypocrite's hope shall perish-Chap. xi. 2, 3, Job is again reproved by his friends-Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk'be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? Chap. xv. Job is again reproved by his friends, verse 4, 5-Yea thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God: For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. Chap. xx, Job is again reproved by his friends, verse 5-The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. This they laid to Job, that his triumph was the triumph of the wicked, and his joy, the joy of the hypocrite, which they said should perish like his own dung; and they which saw him, should say where is he? Therefore Job might well say, in chap. xxi. 27-Behold I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. But how do his friends reprove him, in chap. xxii. 5, 6, 7 -Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. But see what Job answers for himself, in chap. xxix. 12, 13-I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. Now let God be true and every man a liar for in the same manner that the Lord spoke of Joв to the Devil, in the same manner he justified Job to his friends. So, blessed be God, a good conscience is better than ten thousand witnesses. For so Job was able to justify himself; and their boasting as fools was but for a moment; and thus will be the boasting of all those who judge of things they know nothing about, as Job's friends judged him. "They neither knew the cause, nor his life; and therefore they drew a proud and ignorant judg ment; but were soon cut down in their own boasting, and brought upon themselves what they blamed JOB for-that they had judged as hypocrites, condemning the innocent, and clearing the guilty. For though they did not discern what they were doing yet in the manner they condemned Job, they joined with his accuser, which was the Devil, who condemned him to Mr. Now remember what I told thee in 1792 thy cause was like JoB's cause; and thy friends were like Job's friends; and because they could not account for my wondrous working with thee, they were sometimes silent; and when they spoke, they spoke wrong; for when they drew their judgment, they drew it from the Devil. And now I will prove they are perfectly like JoB's friends; for while they are boasting of their great goodness to ME, and the great merits of their SAVIOUR, they are just like JoB's friends, that wanted to make their GOD the Liar, by denying the PROMISE that was made in the Fall; and by denying the fulfilment of the Merit of my Death. Now, as I said by Joв, I say by thee: if Joв had said of himself. what his friends said of him, he could not have said he was a perfect and upright man; for, then he must have given his Gon the lie, and denied the truth of what I said to Satan concerning him. And just the same I say of thee: shouldest thou speak after the manner of the world, to say thy writings were from thy own invention, thou must give the SPIRIT the lie; as I have said through thy writings that they came from ME. Now, if thou sayest they are from the Devil then thou must be openly obeying him. But here in thy heart thou hast often pondered like Job, wher confusion has filled thy mind, and knew not from whence they came. How often has this been th CONCERNING JOB. 111 complaining-Oh! that I could come before the Lord! Oh! that I could bow myself before the Most High! And now to Man I bold will come : For I shall answer here. Perfect like JOB thy cause has been, In boldness to appear; Their boasting is hypocrisy, Their triumphs shall be o'er; My Bible clears as thou hast here, In wisdom shine the thoughts of thine, Thy God in all thou'st freed. Bring ME the Man that now can come, My Bible clear like thee : Though 'tis from Hell some men do tell, If 'tis from thee, they all must see Then where's the Man can dare to stand For to condemn thee here? For let them seek throughout the land, My Bible none can clear, As thou hast done, I'll answer man→→ And let them judge thy sound; Therefore our hearts were led astray, Let these pretended Christians come When men appear, as they have here, Can I be honour'd by their prayers, My honour they'll not try to clear- If honour due is brought from you? Just like the Friends of Joв were penn'd, For they appear'd, I tell you here, That way my honour tried to clear- When I did come I did condemn- I'll make men tremble in this land: But can men say 'tis done by they, OF THE PSALMS. So let them see the end of thee, When I have all work'd round, 113 THE PSALMS. Monday Evening, October 1. Joanna has been reading the Psalms all the day, wherein her heart has been pondering. And now I shall give the thoughts of my heart, from the words of David. His heart has often been like mine; and mine joins with him in complaining against my enemies; and relying only on the mercies of God. But from my judgment of David, whatever was his fault, concerning Uriah, he ap. pears, by the Psalms, to have a warm zeal and love for God; and a desire for his honour and glory, as far as my heart ponders upon the Psalms; and I do not read of any one in the Old Testament, that seems to have more of a heart to honour and glorify GoD than DAVID. Hear what he says, Psalm xix. 14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. And how strong is his Faith. Psalm xxiii. 4-Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm xxv. 14-The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psalm xxvii. 8-When thou saidst, seek ye my face, iny heart said unto P |