The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 32

Vere. 6--12,-Counsels in heaven conce;rning 'TIUJJn's life on earth. I. EVERY 1,u,N'B LIFE IS AN ODJE0T OF INTEREST 1N HEAVEN. '£his is e. sublime thought, powerfolly suggested by the present passage, and full of comfort for every man who trusts in the goodness of God, "Every man's life a plan of God's" (see the powerful sermon of Dr. Bushnell on this subject). Even of men who do not consciously know God or own his providence, this is true. Their career is controlled by a mysterious direction; their mistakes or misdeeds overruled for good. Of Cyrus, for example, it is said, "I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not know me" (Isa. xiv. 4). II. BUT 1N HOW PE0ULURLY HAPPY A BENSE IS THIS TRUE OJI' EVERY GOOD MAN'S l,IFE ! His way is often entangled, perplexed, darkened to himself; but never so to God. From the bright scene of heavenly light and contemplation, where the map of every life is spread open to view, we are soon to plunge into gloom and sorrow by the side of the afilicted servant of God. But let us carry the memory of this glimpse of heaven through all the windings of the maze of grief which soon we are to tread in fancy, and may one day follow in actual experience. Already let us take the lesson home-that the way of God's children is not hidden, their cause not passed over, by the Most High. 'l'heir steps are ordered by him. In their blindness they will be led by paths they have not known. They may seem to themselves exiled from joy, banished from light and love; but he will yet make darkness light before them, and crooked ways straight, and will never forsake them. For in the life of flower and bird even, much more in the life of man, there is a plan of God. III. EVERY MAN'S LIFE THE OBJECT OF OPPOSING ISFLUENCES: of good and evil, pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, heaven and hell. Nowhere is this grand secret of the mechanism of our being more distinctly disclosed than in this book. The presence of an evil influence, ever curious and busy about our life, is distinctly acknow- ledged; its origin left in mystery. We must recognize this dualism of influence on man's life without attempting to solve it. After all that has been thought and said on the subject, we cau only acknowledge that it is a fundamental condition of our earthly e!listence. 'fo igno:e it, and try to live in some fool's paradise of extreme optimism, is to expose ourselves to disappointment and to danger; or to fall into the other extreme of a gluomy, desponding pessimism is to be unfaithful to that instinctive &~nee of God's goodness which is deep-seated in the heart. Scripture guides us in a middle course between these extremes-places before us, in equal distinctness, the two poles of thought, the opposing currents of influence; and this makes the practical duty manifest, to abhor the evil and cleave to the good, to fill the heart with reverence and trust fo:r God, and to depart from evil in all its forms. IV. 'l'HE SPIRIT OF ACCUSATION CONCERNED WITH GOOD MEN'S LIVES. This is the great characteristic of the evil spirit spoken of in various parts of Scripture. He is ••Satan," that is, 11 the Adversary," one whose delight is in laying snares for men, seducing them from rectitude, and then slandering and accusing them before God. "The accuser of our brethren, who accuses them before our God day and night" (Rev. xii, 10). Here, in the court of heaven, the radiant scene of Divine glory which is brought before our view, while the rest of the retinue of angels, 11 sons of God," are present to discharge their functions of praise and of service, the evil genius of men comes to enjoy the dark pleasure of detraction and spite. While those bright spirits habitually look on the bright side of things, upon the creation lit up by the smile of God, reflecting everywhere his wisdom and his power, Satan dwells upon the dark side of things-upon that frailty and corruptibility of man, which appears to be the only blemish in the fine picture of God's world. Note the restlessness of this spirit of accusation. To and fro he roams in the earth, seeking rest, but finding none. How true a picture is this of every human heart which has given way to evil, and has th'.IS become a mirror of the dark spirit! How restle~s are all men who are ill at ease in themselves, because devoid of peace with their God! 'l'he hunger for mischief is the counterpart or the hunger for righteousness. They roam about, discontented, mad- dened at the sight of goodness and purity which they have lost; barking, snapping, biting, p.evouring, like beasts of prey-fastening upon noble reputations and dra)?;ging them to the ground, as the panther springs upon the noble stag of the forest. What need have we to be warned again.st the misery of allowing ourselves to become the  ft THE BOOK OF .toB.