men in this world according to their moral characters. The contest between Job and his friends was simply this;-Job maintained that God did not always deal with men here according to their deserts, but his friends. maintained that he did; and because Job was afflicted more than other men, they inferred that he was more criminal. No person can read the book of Job understandingly, without perceiving that this was the dispute between them.

His friends, to establish their side of the question, say, "Who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same." "The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword." "The light of the wicked shall be put out, the snare is laid for him in the ground, and the trap for him in the way. Terror shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet. Destruction shall be ready at his side, his confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors. He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God."* From these and various other passages, we learn the doctrine for which Job's friends contended. They maintained that God in this world always dealt with men according to their moral characters; or, in other words, that a just retribution always took place in this state of existence.

But Job, on the other hand, contended that the wicked frequently prospered in this world, even beyond the

* Job iv. 7, 8. xv. 20, 21, 22. xviii. 5—21.

righteous. In support of this, among other things, he says, "The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God, are secure; into whose hands God bringeth abundantly," "God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder, he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. His archers compass me round about; he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant. My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death. Not for any injustice in my hands; also my prayer is pure." "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."*

By the above passages we learn that Job was far from admitting a just and full retribution in this world. He says, that robbers prosper, while he, though innocent, is greatly afflicted by God. He tells us that the wicked prosper, not only in temporal things, but also in their own feelings; in their minds they have peace. They are safe from fear, and the rod of the Almighty is not upon them. Thus, Sir, it appears that Job's friends believed with you, that God always dealt with men in this world according to their moral characters; that a full and

Job xii. 6. xvi. 11–17. xxi. 7-12.

equitable retribution invariably takes place here. But Job maintained that this was not the case.

Job

Here then we have the case plainly before us. asserts that God does not deal with men in this state of being strictly according to their deserts; but his friends assert the opposite. Now the only question to be decided is this;-whether Job was correct, or his friends. This question is happily decided by the Judge of all the earth. "And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job."* Thus does the divine Being expressly approve of the sentiment advanced by Job, and condemn that advanced by his friends. He says that Job had spoken right, but his friends had not. We have already seen that Job maintained that a full and complete retribution did not take place in the present world,, and this sentiment is approved by God himself. But Eliphaz and his associates, by maintaining the opposite, excited the wrath of the Lord, and were formally condemned by him. This then is full proof that men are not equitably recompensed on this side the grave. And hence the necessity of a future retribution.

But you will probably say that we cannot tell how much distress of mind the sinner feels in the midst of temporal prosperity. How then can you determine that he receives the full reward of his iniquity here in time? If we are ignorant of the sinner's feelings, then surely

• Job xlii. 7, 8.

you cannot say that he is punished to the full extent of his deserts. So this veil of ignorance which you would cast over the subject, is an acknowledgment that your views cannot be established. But is it certain that the virtuous, when undergoing the severest temporal and corporeal afflictions, always enjoy mental peace and quietness? Our Savior, when clothed in our nature, though he was pure and spotless, experienced no small share of grief. He says, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death." To say that all good men enjoy perfect tranquillity under the greatest earthly afflictions, is to contradict our own experience, and the common sentiment of mankind. Does it appear from the history, that Job enjoyed mental happiness in the midst of his troubles? The farthest from it possible. The whole of Job's conversation goes to show that his mind was pained as well as his body. Neither is it true that the wicked are sorely smitten with remorse in the midst of their temporal prosperity. Job, as we have already seen, says, "they are safe from fear, neither is the rod of the Almighty upon them." Thus it appears that they are frequently destitute of that fear and anxiety which many good men are called to experience. David also says, that they are not troubled like other men. The apostle Paul confesses himself the most miserable of all men, in consequence of the troubles which the gospel drew upon him in this world. From these scriptures it is manifest that cases sometimes occur in which the wicked are not only more prosperous, but in fact are more happy, than the righteous. We do not pretend that this is always the case. Facts will not permit, neither does my theory require, me to say that as a general thing, virtue has less enjoyment than vice. But the same facts and scripture testimony constrain me to say that the wicked are sometimes prospered even beyond the righteous in this state.

But on your system, you must maintain the reverse. Your views require that you maintain that our misery always increases with our guilt. It is a necessary part of your system that men are sufficiently punished by their own feelings, and that conscience is the judge which will render to all men their just due. Your whole system then rests upon the presumption that the conscience is always pure, and invariably metes out our punishment strictly to our demerits. But this position is repugnant to both scripture and reason. Experience plainly teaches us that the compunctions of conscience are far from being in proportion to the enormity of our guilt. This remorse does not keep pace with our wickedness. The novice in crime will feel more remorse for stealing sixpence, than the adept in wickedness does for a robbery or a murder. We know by our own experience, that conscience becomes more pliable, the oftener she is made to bow to our evil inclinations. When we first commence a sinful course, conscience remonstrates with becoming firmness; but if we continue to walk in that path, we shall find that conscience will lose its sting in nearly the same proportion that we progress in wickedness. It is the nature of sin to blunt the moral feelings, and lay the conscience asleep. The person who drinks too deep at the intoxicating bowl for the first time, experiences shame and remorse, while the habitual drunkard has lost all sense of shame, and has no other regret than that he does not possess the means of plunging deeper into that destructive vice. And so of all other vices. The fashionable murderer, the duellist, who takes the field, and with deliberate aim kills his rival, is filled with rejoicing, rather than remorse. He will even boast of his bloody exploits, and will take the field again, whenever an opportunity presents itself. But while this aspiring murderer is arrogating to himself the greatest honors, and has the satisfaction of being feasted