Vere. 1-5.-Job. I. AN OmENTAL PRINCE. II. A WEALTHY :r.u.N, Ill. AN EMINENT SAINT, IV. A GODLY PARENT, V. A SACRIFICL'IG PRIEST. Ver. 3.-Wealth and piety. I. THEIR COMMON CHARACTERISTICS, 1. 0ocl's gifts; and therefore to be received with thankfulness. 2. Man's OT'naments; and there- fore to be borne humbly. 3. A (Jhristian's talents; and therefore to be used with fidelity. n; THEIR RECIPROCAL RELATIONS. 1. Wealth and piety are not necessarily incom- patible. 2. Wealth and piety are often mutually destructive. 3. Wealth and piety may prove reciprocally helpful. III. THEIR COMPARATIVE EXCELLENCES. 1. Piety may be obtained by all; wealth can be secured only by a few. 2. Piety is useful to all; wealth is injurious to some. 3, Piety will abide with all; wealth can remain with none. LESSONS. 1. They that have piety can do without wealth. 2. They that have wealth cannot do without piety,
Ver. 4.-Banqueting. I. AN ANCIENT CUSTOM. II. A PERMISSIBLE ENJOYlllENT. Ill. A NATURAL ACTION, IV, A DANGEROUS OC0UI'ATION. Ver. 5.-Fami'ly worship. I. SHOULD PBE0EDE THE BUSINESS OF TRE DAY. Job rose up early in the morning. II. SHOULD BE PERFORMED IN THE ASSEMBLED HOUSEHOLD. Job gathered all his sons to his devotions. III. SHOULD BE CELEBRATED AFTER DUE PREPARATION, Job sanctified his sons by the customary ablutions. IV. SHOULD BE INSPIRED BY FAITH IN THE ATONING SACRIFICE. Job offered up burnt offerings. V. SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY LIBERAL OBLATIONS. Job presented victims to the number of them all. VI. SHOULD BE MARKED BY CONFESSION AND INTERCESSION, Job interceded fvr his children. VII. SHOULD BE MAINTAINED WITH UNBROKEN REGULARITY. Job did so continually. Learn: (1) The duty, (2) the propriety, (3) the need, and (4) the value, of family worship.
Vers. 6-12.-Thefundamental controversy of the poem. I. THE OCCASION OF THE OONTBOVERBY. The presence of Satan among the sons of God. 1. The celestial assembly. (1) The beings composing it. Sons of God, i.e. nngels (vide eh. xx.xviii. 7 and cf. Ps. xxix. 1), here styled "sons of Elohim," to indicate their nature, as deriving their existence from God (of. Luke iii. 38); their dignity, as enjoying an exalted rank in the scale of being (of. Dan. iii. 25); and their office, as serving in the capacity of ministers to the Supreme ( cf. Ps. lxuii. 6). (2) The purpose of their gathering. " To present themselves before the Lord; " not to assist in the deliberations of the Infinite Mwd 10 THE ~K QF JOB.