the renunciation of ein (1 Sam. vii. 3; Pe. :u:xiv.14; Isa. i. 16; Iv. 7; Jer. vii. 5; Matt. iii. 8), And this renunciation must be complete, (1) 'fhe sin itself must be p11t aw11y; all kind of i ~ n wickednee~, secret iniquity, personal transgression, dome8tic wrong-doing, so far as thie latter lies within one's power (Gen. xviii. 19; l Sam. ii. 12, 17; iii. 11, 14; Ps. ci. 2, 7), (2) The separation effected must be thorough and final; sin being required to be not merely put away, but put far away-cast forth, like Hagar and IshrnRel; like the scapegoat, into a. land not inhabited, never to return. U. TBl!I BLESSED.:mss OF THE PENITENT. 1. Oheerful confidence before God. (Ver.15.) Inelead of cowering sorrow-stricken and shame-covered, like a. trembling criminal, before his judge, filled with confusion and unable to lift up bis head (eh. x. 15), Job would be able to stand erect and firm, like a. molten statue sitting squarely on ite base, with no trace of tea.re upon his countenance, and no stain of punishable guilt upon his conscience. Nothing fills the soul with trembling and apprehension, or relaxes the cords and sinews of the heart, like a. eense of unpa.rdonerl sin (Ps. xuviii. 8). Nothing sooner shades the brow with gloom, or banishes the light of joy from the countenance (Gen. iv. 6, 6; Luke xviii. 18), than the loss of Divine favour. On the contrary, nothing so effectually restores serenity of aspect and courageousness of soul to the individual as a consciousness of pardon. When the spot of gnilt is removed from the conscience, the tear of sorrow ie soon wiped from the face. A forgiven penitent may a.fterwa.rda encounter affliction; but, sustained by the peace of God which passeth understanding, he can even joy in tribulation (Rom. v. 8). 2. Perfect happiness in himself. (Ver. 16.) 'l'hat complete exemption from adversity would infallibly attend the repenting transgressor, was incorrect; that the inward comforts and enjoyments of the pardoned sinner would so surpass his former anguish as to cause it to be entirely forgotten, wa.s as precious and consoling as it was true. The greatest happiness attain- able or conceivable on earth is the joy of salvation, the joy which no man taketh from its possessor, the joy unspeakable and full of glory, which springs from a sense of acceptance with God, However deep the iron of conviction ma.y have been driven into the penitent's soul, however bitter the anguish that may have racked his spirit, the moment the stricken heart is visited with a. sense of Heaven's favour, it" remembereth no more the anguish for joy" that it hair been forgiven. The only thing that can effectually drive out sorrow from the soul is the entrance of Heaven's joy. 8. Radiant prosperity in life, (Ver. 17.) Job's after-career should be one of unclouded prosperity, which should shine around him with a brilliance outdazzling the noonday sun, and should never know decline or diminution; if it did, that decline would only be a gentle shading down as from meridian splendour to morning brightness, that diminu- tion but a temporary obscuration, to be followed by the breaking forth of dawn. All this is, of course, true of the path of the just, only when spiritually considered. 4. Complete security on earth. "And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope." This marks the ground of the good man's confidence. Assurance of God's favour to an Old Testament saint wa.s equivalent to a guarantee of permanent prosperity ; to a New Testament believer it is tantamount to a. promise of spiritual enrichment. Hence hope inspires the Christian with a. feeling of security (Ps. xxxi. 24; cxlvi. 5; Rorn, v. 5; Eph. vi. 17; 1 Thess. v. 8). The following clauses indicate the completeness of the saint's confidence. "Yea., thou shalt dig about thee [or, 'look around thee, inquiringly,' searching into all possibilities of danger, a.nd finding none], thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid." So did David (Ps. iii. 6, 6; iv. 8), and so may a.11 God's people, however circumstanced. 5. Growing influence among men,, "Yea, many shall make suit unto thee;" literally, "shall stroke thy face," or caress thy cheeks, by wa.y of flattery or supplication, perhaps both (Prnv. xix. 6). A remarkable testimony to the influence of piety, which "would be more respected if it were more known" (Hutcheson). God's Israels h.we power with men a.s well as with God (Gen. xxxii. 28), and Christ's followers are Lhe salt of the earth (Matt. v. 13). Hence the favour and friendship of saints a.nd of the Church are frequently coveted and even solicited by the unbelieving and ungodly (Gen. u.vi. 26-29; Ps. xiv. 12; Matt. xxv. 8). III. 'l'BE DOOM OF THE IMPENITENT, 1. Bitter disuppointment. "But the eyes of the wicked shall fail," shall waste away with vain and anxious looking and l0t1t>,,ng for help which cometh not, He who expects God to either visit him with btnigu !?00 'l'HE BOOK Ol~ JOB. [ Oil. xt, 1-20,
salvation or bless him with tempor&l prosperity while indulging in sin, is cbe1'lsh- 1_ug e.n ill-grounded hope. God may do the latter for wise purposes of his own• the fl'.1:~er he ce.nnot do. To anticipate that he will is to entert.ain a foolish dreaU-: (eh. vm. 14, 16). 2. Certain destrmti()'fl,. "They shall not escape;" literally," their refuge perishes from them." As wicked men will not reach the good the1 look for eo neither will they avoid the evil they are afraid of. "Though hand join m hand ihe wicked ~hall not lw unpunished;" "The expectation of the wicked is wrath." S~ner or later calamity will 01·ertake and ov_er:throw the ungodly (Isa. xiii. 9; _Mai. iv. 1; Eph. v. 6; 1 The~s. v. 3). Tha~ks to Dmne grace, a refuge has been provided for the penitent- God b1~self (Ps. xlv1. 1), or the hope of the gospel (Heb. vi. 18); but "how shall we <'scape, 1f we neg:lc?t so great salvation? " (Heb. ii. 3). 3. Final despair. "Their hope s_ha~~ ~ a_s the g1vmg up of the ghost;" literal_ly, "the breathing forth of the spul or life, ,.e. 1t shall cease, and become utterly extmct. "The expectation of the wicked ~hall J.l!:rish." ".A wicked man's hope is but a cold coal, and an evanishing thing. It 1s but like a sob or two of a dymg man, and then be is gone" (Hutcheson). ~earn_: 1. 1:'rue bappine~s and true religion begin at the same point ancl. in the same thmg, nz. pemtence. 2. When a soul returns to God in penitence, God never fails to return to it with prosperity, if not temporal and material, at least spiritual and eternal. 3. Though true piety does not look for a reward on earth, it most commonly finds one. '- The damnation of the impenitent is as certain as is the salvation of the penitent.