ways and worthy of his confidence. The conviction of God's righteousness must be amongst the deepest and most invincible forces in the soul of the true preacher. A sceptical philosophy in criticizing the Divine procedure may sometimes throw such a thick mist over the righteousness of God as to hide it for a time from his reason; but his heart must hold on to it with tenacity. God's ways are equal. This must be his watchword, his landmark in his mental explorations, his pole-star in his excursions. With this conviction he will show-First: That no suffering falls on any creature more than he deserves. Secondly: That no work is demanded of any creature more than he can render. The words represent a true preacher in IV. THE FAITHFULNESS HE HAS TO PRACTISE. Truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee." If in the latter clause Elihu refers to himself—as is the general opinion-it expresses his purpose to be true and real. Faithfulness is essential to the character of a true preacher. He should labour hard to get honest convictions of truth, and those convictions he should thunder out, regardless alike of the smiles and frowns of men. No class of men do I know more despicable, dangerous, and denounceable than hollow, insincere, temporizing preachers of God's Word. HOMILY No. LXXIV. THE FOURTH SPEECH OF ELIHU. (2.) GOD ABSOLUTELY AND RELATIVELY. "Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:" &c.-CHAP. Xxxvi. 5-15. EXEGETICAL REMARKS. Ver. 5. -"Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: He is mighty in strength and wisdom." The idea seems to be, that although God is mighty both in "strength and wisdom," He does not despise any, treats none with indifference or disdain. For wisdom [heart]. Ver. 6.-" He preserveth not the life of the wicked." Elihu here maintains substantially the same sentiment which the three friends of Job had done, that the dealings of God in this life are in accordance with character, and that strict justice is thus maintained. Bernard renders it, "He will not preserve the wicked man alive." "But giveth right to the poor" [margin, "afflicted"]. There is justice in suffering. Ver. 7.-" He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, He doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted." Dr. Samuel Davidson thus translates the verse: "He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous: yea, with kings on the throne he makes them to sit for ever and be exalted." does not forsake the godly, as Elihu implied, but establishes or makes them sit on the throne as kings (1 Sam. ii. 8; Ps. cxiii. 7, 8). True of believers in the highest sense already in part (1 Pet. ii. 9; Rev. i. 6); hereafter fully (Rev. v. 10; xxii. 5)." God Ver. 8.-" And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction." He is speaking of the righteous, as in verse 7. Sometimes, indeed frequently, the righteous are "holden in cords of affliction." Affliction is no proof of wickedness, as the friends maintained. Ver. 9.-" Then He sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded." Their afflictions are disciplinary. The afflictions of the good are designed to reveal to them their transgressions, and to stimulate them to get rid of all sin. Ver. 10.-" He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity." (See chap. xxxi. 11.) Ver. 11.-" If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures." If their afflictions lead to a renunciation of their sins, and to genuine obedience and worship, prosperity and pleasure will come to them. Ver. 12. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge." "And if they hear not, they pass away by the bow, and expire in lack of knowledge." · Delitzsch. This is the converse of the preceding verse. Ruin must befall the impenitent. Ver. 13.-"But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when He bindeth them." "Heap up wrath" may mean either they treasure up wrath against themselves (Rom. ii. 6) or that they cherish wrath in their hearts, i. e. they grow spiteful and malignant under the afflicting rod. The reason is, because "they cry not when He bindeth them." They do not pray under their afflictions. Ver. 14. They die in youth" [margin," their soul dieth"]. The meaning is, they would soon be cut down and slain, the lot of all the wicked. “And their life is among the unclean" [margin, "Sodomites"]. The idea is, they will be treated as the most abandoned and vile of mankind. HOMILETICS. The passage presents to us God absolutely and relatively. Here we have― I. God ABSOLUTELY. Elihu speaks of Him as First: Almighty. "God is mighty;" and again, is "mighty in strength." It needs no Bible to tell us this. The first and deepest impression perhaps that man in his rudest state receives, is that the Creator and Controller of this wonderful universe is mighty. He sees effects and evidences of force everywhere; in the revolution of the heavenly orbs, in the eternal surgings of the great world of waters, in the rushing tempests, and the belching volcanoes. He is the fountain of all force. Elihu speaks of Him as Secondly: All-wise. "He is mighty in strength and wisdom." That is, intelligence, for the heart is the Biblical symbol for intelligence, as well as affection. The farther and deeper that science searches into the arcana of nature, the more is it impressed with the infinite intelligence of the Great Architect. God's intelligence is as great as His strength. His Almighty energy is not at the mercy of blind impulse, but directed by an all-seeing and all-encompassing intelligence. Elihu speaks of Him as Thirdly: All-considerate. Despiseth not any." He is lovingly interested in all that He has created. Take the microscope and examine the tiniest sentient existence, and its exquisite organization, powers, and beauties must convince us that He has a regard for all the works of His hand. He has made all for enjoyment, and provided means of enjoyment for all. However we may differ from Elihu in many things, his views of God are often accurate and grand. Here we have II. God RELATIVELY, or, in other words, what He is in relation to man. First He takes cognizance of the character and conduct of individual man in this life. "He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous." He sees them wherever they are, and in whatever condition. "With kings are they on the throne." That God takes notice of the particular as well as the universal, individuals as well as nations and worlds, is a truth sustained by reason, universal experience, and the Bible. It is a glorious truth. Secondly: He exercises discipline towards men in this life. If they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; then He showeth them their work." He sends affliction upon men. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity." The moral ears of men are closed against truth; no one can open those ears but He; and this He does with the truths He suggests, through the influences of nature and His providence. Humanity on this earth is under a disciplinary administration. Life is a moral school; and the schoolmaster is the Great Father of souls. He works to make men "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light." Two things Elihu teaches here concerning God's disciplinary treatment. (1) If men are rightly influenced by it, they will find happiness. "If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures,"―i. e. they shall be happy. This is true in this life. "Godliness is profitable unto all things." (2) If men resist His influence, they shall find ruin. "But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when He bindeth them. They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean." Such men, it is here taught, are exposed to (a) Violence. "Perish by the sword." (B) Permanent ignorance. "Shall die without knowledge." Nothing will enlighten them; blinded to the last. (7) Wrath. "The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath." The wrath of the hypocrite's own conscience will ruin him : it will echo all the woes that Christ Himself pronounced against the class. Thirdly: He has a special regard for the poor and afflicted in this life. "He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression." Observe (1) Afflictions of various kinds, whether from men or otherwise, are allowed by God for wise purposes. (2) One of these purposes is to receive instruction. Divine chastening connected with Divine teaching (Ps. xciv. 10). "Hear ye the rod" (Micah vi. 2). (3) Accepted chastisement usually followed by imparted deliverance (Lev. xxvi. 41, 42). Deliverance may be either (a) By removing the affliction; (6) By removing the afflicted to a better world; or (7) By filling his soul with comfort, and raising him above his affliction. -Dr. Robinson. CONCLUSION. From this uninspired, fallible, and somewhat vain young man let us gratefully and gladly receive all the truths he propounds; and let us look at the God he has here brought under our notice, the absolute and the relative God, until our spirits glow with gratitude, reverence, and devotion. HOMILY No. LXXV. THE FOURTH SPEECH OF ELIHU. (3.) A SOUND DOCTRINE, A FALSE CHARGE, A SOLEMN WARNING, AND AN IMPORTANT ADMONITION. "Even so would He have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place," &c.-CHAP. xxxvi. 16-21. |