horror before troops of hlRck omen& continually occurring on it, euch as eclipees1 unnatural obecurations, pestilential vapours, dark storm-clouds ; meaning, let it be 11, day to inspire terror in all beholders. The human tioul is e~ily alarmed by, unusual phenomena; but why should it when God is in them (Ps. xcvii. 1-5)? 2. The night of his conception he likewise ane.thematizes in gener&l terms (ver. 3); after which, perso~ifyi~g it, he measures out for it too a eeties of de~ailed imprecations, imploring that it might be: (1) Excluded from the calendar; bemg overt&ken by the surging waves of primal darkness, seized and carried back upon its ebbing tide to" chaos and old night," so that it should never join in the choral procession of the days and months that compose the year (ver. 6)-a foolish curse, since the blotting out of the night could have no effect upon his sorrow. (2) Destitute of gladness; "sitting in solitary, unrelie-ved gloom, nothing living and rejoicing in life coming from its womb, while other nights around it experience a parent's joy, and ring with birthday rejoicing" (ver. 7)-a cruel curse, which sought to transfer his own misery to others. (3) Cursed by enchanters, those who by their incantations can bring calamities on days otherwise propitious, rousing up leviathan (whether the crocodile, as the emblem of evil, or the dragon, i.e. the constellation of the serpent, as the enemy of the sun and moon, 'IJide Exposition) to swallow it up (ver. 8)-a superstitious curse, showing that good men are not always so enlightened as they should be. (4) Doomed to darkness; always trembling on the verge of daylight, but never beholding the eyelids of the dawn (ver. 9)-a presumptuoll6 curse, since it thought to arrest a divinely appointed ordinance. IV. A&TOU!-."DING BELFISHNE!:s. 1. Tliinking nothing of the happiness of others. (1) Neither of his mother's joy in his birth, who doubtless rejoiced over his advent into life, as Sarah -did over Isaac's, as Elisabeth did over John's, and as every mother worthy of the name does over her babe's; who probably, in the· exultation of th13 moment, named him Job (" J oyo11S "), and experienced a fresh thrill of gladness every time she paused to note his opening manhood and his ripening piety ;-of all which she would have been bereft had Job not been born, (2) Nor of the interest of others in his birthday, not, perhaps, because it was his, but because it. was their own, or their children's, or their parents', or their friends'; and why should they have all their happiness blighted bees.use Job counted it a terrible misfortune that he had been ushered into life? 2. Thinking continually upon the misery of himself. The sole reason for his tremendous imprecation is the fact that on that particular day (and night) he had entered on his miserable career of existence. Suffering and sorrow, which are sent, and supposed, to render men sympathetic, not unfrequently result in selfishness, especially when conjoined with impatience, which is "ordinarily a great ponderer of griefs, because they are ours, little weighing the troubles of others" (Hutcheson). . • V. RAl!IINEBS APPROACHING TO WlOKEDlIESS. 1. ltsexten'U,(],tions. Much to beascribea 1:D (1) the emotional natnre of Orientals; (2) the comparatively unenlightened age in whicb. Job lived; (3) the extreme severity, multiplicity, and continua.nee' of his troubles; and (4) the provocation he may have received from the reproachful and sus- picious looks of his friends. 2. Its aggravations. With every disposition to palliate Jo b'il offence, it is impossible to acquit him of sin; for (1) he immoderately indulged his sorrow, which, though natural in itself, and at times becoming, and even sanctioned by religion, should yet never be permitted to exceed (1 Cor. vii. 30) ; (2) he overstepped the bounds of propriety in speech, employing phrases and terms full of passion a.s well a.s force, whereas saints should exercise restraint upon their tongues as well as tempers (P~ .. cxli 3; Col. iv. 6; Titus ii. 8) ; (3) he used the language of imprecation, which became not a good man (Rom. xii 14), and was a frequent mark of bad men (Ps. x. 7; cix. 18); (4) if he cursed not God, be execrated God's gift, his birthday, thus showing himself guilty of presumption in denouncing what God had blessed (Gen. i. 28; Ps. cxxvii', 3), and of ingratitude in despising what God had bestowed, viz. life (Gen. ii. 7; Acts xvii 28); (5) he did all this knowingly and deliberately (eh. iii. 1); and (6) without regard to the interesi;II of others. Learn: 1. That a good man may stand long, and yet at length show symptoms of felling. "Be not highminded, but fear." 2. It is specially to be deplored when great gifts are employed for sinful purpo,es. Upon every talent should be inscribed, "Holiness to tho Lord I" 3. 'l'hat the tongue is a world of iniquity when it is set on fire of hell. "Behold, 'rllE OOOK OF JO:13. 56
how great a matter a little fire kindleth I " 4. That every creature of God is good, and to ho received with thanksgiving; oven birthdays, for which sliint11 should bless God while they live. . 5. That though sins me.y be palliated, they still require to be pardoned; .excuses do not cancel guilt. 6. That from the greatest depth of wicked- ness into which e. child of God can fall, he me.y ultimately be recovered. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from a.II sin."