that already done, he reproves them about their Marriage of Strangers, and of feveral Wives, or of taking Concubines, Mal. ii. 11, 14, 16. and their robbing God of their Tythes, chap. iii. &c. and their polluting the Altar, and Neglect of offering God the best, chap. i. which were the very. Things which Nehemiah corrected in his laft Reformation.

Thus far the Holy Scripture has delivered down to us the History of the Tranfactions of God with Men, and particularly with his own People, the Nation of Ifrael, in a long and continued Succeffion of Events, from the Creation of the World to the Return of the Jews from the Captivity of Babylon, and the fettling of the Church and State under Ne hemiah, whom the King of Perfia made Governor over the Land.

There are feveral other hiftorical Matters related in Scripture, which belong to particular Perfons; the most confiderable of them are the Hiftories of Job and Jonah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Esther.

CHAP. XIV.

The Hiftory of Jo B.

1 Q. WHO

HO was Job? A. A most religious Man in the Land of Uz, who had ten Children, and very great Riches, fob i. 1, 2, 3. 2 Q. In what Age of the World is Job fuppofed to have lived? A. In, or before the Days of Mofes, because there is not the leaft Intimation

of

of any of the Tranfactions of God with Ifrael in the whole Book of Job.

3Q. What particular At of Piety is related concerning him in his profperous State? A. When his Children had been feafting each other in their turns, Job offered Sacrifices for them, left they fhould have finned and provoked God in the Seafons of their Mirth, ver. 4, 5:

4 Q. What were the Afflictions that fell upon Job? A. God permitted the Devil, by kindling of Lightning, and by ftirring up Robbers and Plunderers among his Heathen Neighbours, to bereave him of all his Cattle and his Wealth in one Day, and to deftroy all his Children, even feven Sons and three Daughters, by a Tempest which blew down the Houfe in which they were feafting, ver. 6-19.

5Q Was the Devil fuffered to vent his Malice upon the Perfon of Job? A. Yes, God permitted him to fmite Job with fore Boils from the Sole of his Foot to the Crown of his Head,

6Q. What was the Defign of God in thefe Providences toward Job? A. To try the Strength of his Piety, and to fet him up as an Example of Patience, both in the Exercife of it, and in theRewards of it, Job xxiii. 10. James v. 11.

7Q. What was the Behaviour of Job under this Trial? A. He bleffed the Name of the Lord, and did not murmur at his Providence, Job i. 20, 21, 22 and ii. 10.

&Q. What was a further Aggravation of Job's Diftrefs? A. That his Wife tempted him to abandon all Religion, because God fuffered him to be thus afflicted, Job.ii. 9, 10.

9 Q. Had Job any Comforter? A. Three Friends came from the neighbouring Places to mourn with him and comfort him, ver. 11.

10Q. How long did his Patince continue in this perfect Exercife of it? A. Seven Days he fat down in Ashes, and was filent under the Hand of God, ver. 13.

11 Q. Wherein did any Impatience of Job at first appear? A. In curfing the Day on which he was born, Job. iii.

12Q What were the Sentiments of Job's three Friends on this mournful Occafion, and how did they carry it towards him? When they faw him to be fo dreadfully afflicted, they rafhly concluded he had been guilty of very great Sins, notwithftanding his outward Profeffion of Piety, and therefore they feverely reproved him for his grievous Complaints, chap. iv, &c.

13Q. How did Job anfwer to their Charges? A. He maintained against them all this great Truth, that God did fometimes afflict those who were innocent, for wife and unfearchable Reasons; and he vindicated his own Innocence, placing hist Truft in God, chap. ix, &c.

14 Q. Wherein did Job fail in his Duty towards God in this Matter? A. Under the Violence of his Diftrefs, and the unjuft Accufations of his Friends, he fometimes fpoke Words of unreafonable Defpair, and fometimes he used rafh and unbecoming Language againft the great God, and vindicated himself too much, as though he had been perfectly innocent before God as well as before Men, chap. vi. and vii, &c.

15 Q. How was the Controverfy between Job and his Friends compromifed at laft? A. Elibu, a fourth Friend, who was younger than the reft,

and

and had come to vifit him, took a middle Way to end this Controverfy, and fpoke more agreeably to the Truth: And though he reproved the three Friends for afferting that God would never afflict any innocent Man fo much as Job was afflicted, yet he feverely reproved Job for infifting fo much on his own Innocence before God, chap. xxxii, xxxiii, &c.

16Q. What was the Foundation of Elihu's Ar gument on this Occafion? A. The fupreme Majefty and Holiness of God, the Meanness and Sinfulness of the best of Men in his Sight, his fovereign Dominion over all things, and the Unfearchableness of his Wifdom and Conduct toward Men, chap. xxxiii. and xxxvi. &c.

17 Q. How did God himself manifeftly engage in deciding this Controverfy? A. He greatly confirmed the Sentiments and Opinions of Elihu,, by afferting and displaying his own fupreme Wifdom and Power, his Grandeur and Dominion over all things, by a Voice out of the Whirlwind, chap. xxxvc.

18 Q. What Effect had this upon his Servant Job? A. Job confeffed his Folly, abhorred himfelf for his Sin under the Apprehenfion of the Holinefs and the Majefty of God, and repented in Duft and Afhes, Fob xlii. 1-6.

19 Q. How did God deal with the three Friends of Job? A. He difapproved of their false Accufations of Job, and their wrong Sentiments concerning God himself and his Conduct, and bid them offer a Sacrifice of Atonement, and Job to pray for them, ver. 7, 8.

20 Q. What Tokens of Approbation and Favour did God fhew to Job? A. While Job prayed for his Friends, God releafed him from all his Afflictions, and afterward gave him ten Children, ast

he

he had at firft, he doubled his Eftate, and pro-, longed his Life to four Generations, Chap. xlii.

10-17.

CHAP. XV.

The History of JONAH.

HO was Jonah? A. A Prophet who lived about the Time of Jeroboam the fecond, the King of Ifrael, Jonah i. 1. 2 Kings xiv. 25. There is no Need of particular Citations of Chapter and Verfe for the Hiftory of Jonah, fince the whole is contained in four fhort Chap→

ters.

2 Q. Whither did God fend him? A. He was fent to Nineveh, to pronounce Destruction upon that great City for their Wickedness.

3 Q. How did Jonah difobey God? A. He took fhipping and fled toward Tarshish from the Prefence of the Lord, because he fuppofed that the Mercy of God would fpare Nineveh after he had pronounced Destruction upon it, and then he should be counted a falfe Prophet.

4 Q. What befel him in this Voyage? A. There arofe a terrible Tempeft, which endangered the Ship; and Jonah being confcious of his own Guilt, advised the Sailors to caft him into the Sea, and then the Storm ceafed.

5 Q What became of Jonah? A. A great Fish fwallowed him up, and he continued in the Bowels of the Fish three Days and three Nights.

6 Q. Did he ever come to the Shore again? A. At his Repentance and earnest Prayer, God

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