The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 79

2, Positively, (1) It comes from withiu ma.n himself; it is the fruit of his own s:n. (2) It comes in accordnnco with universal moral law, which connects sin and suffering together o.s cause and effect. (3) It comes as e.n inseparable concomitant of man's nature. Man, when he is born, finds himself introduced into a scene of trouble. II. TnE OHARAOTERTSTIOS oF IT. 1. Universal. It is the portion, not of one man, or e. fow, or even of rne.ny, but of the race. It forll,S a portion of the birthright of humanity. 2. Certain. It is absolutely unavoidable. .A.s s11rely as the sparks ascond, eo surely will those sinful passions rage that entail suffering and misery. 3, Perpetual. Meeting me.n upon the threshold of hie birth, it accompanies him throughout life till its close. III. 'l'HE EBOAPE FBOM IT. 1. Not by refractory rebellion. Not by behaving like the fool, or like Job, who cursed his de.y, and fumed and fretted against his misery. 2. But by patient submission. " Humble thyself beneath the hand of God, and he shall lift thee up." Vers.12-21.-Eliphaz to Job: 2. A message from the .,pirit-world. I. THE DEVOUT BEEB, 1. Reposing on his couch. .A. modern poet (Robert Buchanan,' Book of Orm.,' i.), depicting how" in the beginning, ere time grew," the beautiful Maker of all thin)-'.S drew around his face, :which bas ever since been invisible to mortal eye, the wondrous veil of the firmament,.represents that face e.s closest pressed in the daytime, when the sky is clearest, adding that at nightfall, when the darkness deepens and the stars swim out, and the evening wind begins to blow like the breath of God, that veil fa backward drawn, It more, however, accords with universal experience that the unseen world seems in closest proximity to the human soul when it looks down through "the star- inwrought luminous. folds of the wondrous veil." 'l.'bat the light of garish day has a tendency, by shutting man into his own little world, to shut out from his apprehen- sion the infinitudes above, is not more certain than it is that the finite spirit becomes more quickly conscious of the supernatural amidst the darkness and silence of nic.dit, than when these have been succeeded by the radiance and turmoil of day. 2. Wrapt .in meditation. If day be the season for labour, unquestionably night is the time most congeuie.1 for the exercise of. thought, especially for revolving the great problems of religion. As David meditated on God in the night-watches (Ps. lxiii. 6), and .Asaph communed with bis heart in the night, his wakeful spirit making diligent search into those brooding mysteries which oppressed his waking hours (Ps. lxxvii. 6), a.nd as a Greater than either spent whole nights among the Galilrean hills in prayer to God (Luke vi. 12), so. Eliphaz had "thoughts from the visions of the night." 3. Raised into ecstasy. Disengaged from the activities and disturbances of waking existence, and soothed by the calming influences of night, the meditative prophet fell into a. deep sleep, not siuiply such e. profound slumber as steeps the senses in oblivion to all outward things, but such a supernatural repose .RB A.dam was cast in before the creation of Eve (Gen. ii. 21), and Abraham at the making of the covenant (Gen. xv. 12), and Daniel on the banks of the Ulai (Dan. viii. 18), in which, while for the time the human spirit is severed from its physically conditioued life, it is yet in the innermost depths of its being possessed of a conscious existence-a mode of being perhaps as nearly approach- ing what man's disembodied ste.te will be as anything we can thiuk of. 4. Visited by revelations. The deep sleep just described having been that into which prophets aud others were cast when a.bout to receive Divine communications (cf. Abraham, Geu. xv. 12; Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 12; Dan. ii. 19; Peter, Acts x. 10; Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 2, 3). Elipbaz the entranced was honoured by a visitation from the unseen world of ghosts. II. 'l'HE FORMLESS SPEOTBE. 1. The premonition of its coming. "Fear came upon me, e.nd trembling" (ver, 14). Even good men are not al ways e.ble to contemplate the supernatural with self-possession (cf. Matt. xiv. 26; Luke xxiv. 3i). That man should evince a horror of visitors from the spirit-world is e. melanaboly proof of his fall. Innocence would not be discomposed by knowing that" millions of s1irits we.lk this air, both when we wa~e e.nd when we sleep" (Milton). But sinful man, bein~ out of harmony with the Supreme Spirit and the entire circle of creation, univer~ally feels afraid of the unseen world by which be is surrounded (cf. 'Macbeth,' act iii. sc. 4). 2. The manner of its coming. Gliding suddenly out of the darkness iu which the entranced seer lay, flitting softly and noiseles~ly along upon the still, supernatw-e.l atmo- 74 THE BOOK OF JOB. [OH, IV. 1-21,