The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 199

Ver. 1.-Zophar, ~ man qf the world. After the Her nnd the pedant oome1 Zophnr, who poae11 u the man of the world. He oan pretend t.o no aupornnturo.l illu111inatio11, neither hu he any claim, to put forth on tho eoore of learning; but ho thi11k11 he knowa men, he prides himself on hi• oommon ■ense, the ways of the world nrc familiar to him. Evon from hia low 1ta.ndpolnt he think■ he oan deteot onough to contl,!mD Job. We may Bee ln Zopb■.r the cbaracterietios of a man of the world In hla treatment of moral and religiou■ qu•tion1, when he preeenta hlmeelf as a dovout mnn and friendly adviROr. I. J-fa 11 on1·eonoL Zophar entirely aJ".888 with the main po1ltlon of Ellphaz and Dildad. He accept• tho doctrine• of the v111ionary when lhoy have been endorsed by convc11Li111ml Rocioty, and ho ochoe1 the tradition, of antiquity nfter ho baa aeoertnlned tl,al they are not rcg1mloJ u obaolote in hia time. Be hae not tho apirltunl Individu- ality to bo singular. lie will always Bide with the majority, The fear of Mre. Grundy i1 ever before hia cyoa. lt is bad form to be a heretic, Oonventlonallty la orthodoxy wilh tl,i11 mnn, and conventionality ia the rule of hie life. 11. Um: 111 A :.UN oF THI: '1'11111:L He would rather deapiee the droa.ms of the viNionary nnd the sa_dngs or the pedant. Ho thinks himeelf n modern man. Dnt ho i11 no l'"wor in hi~ dny, for he i11 but the creature of hie ago. It ia tbo duty of Ohrletian ■ uot tu follow the ngc, but to rule It. When the worldly OhriatiBn follows lt, he enslave& hinlfflilf, and 00011 bi.I be11t to 11ubject the kingdom of heaven to the prince of this world. We ought to understand our tlmee, 1ymr,nthizo with their noed, use their 11dv11ul&~01, wurk fur their prugreHB, but never be th<•ir creatures and drudges. III. liE lB BLIND TO TU: onuTBBT TatrTa. The whole epiritunl world le a non- entity to this 1uan. Being rcllgioue aud orthodox ho talks tho l.angungo of Divlno tbingH; but hi1 wordR are moaniugleu counters. The reality of thoeo things 11 quite beyond l1i1 gra.ep. He tbiuke be know■ men, but be only sees ono aide of the world. A whole hemit1pbere of human experience is turned away from bls gazo. He la liko o pcr11un on thi& world looking at the moon, seeing one side In varying phaeoa, but n!lvcr uulc to catch a glimpse of the other aide of it. The truly spiritual, tho generous, tl,c mystical, are all ob11Cure tu him. We cannot know the bOBt truth till we are lioorawd from the 11backl011 c,f conventionality. JV. HE u 01tlii110&1ous. Zuphar join• hi11 two friends In their condemnation of Job, Th~ mau of the world '.hiuka himaelf broad-minded. Very Qftcn he la not over- acrupuluus on moral quottion11 that touch hi11 own interest. But no one can be harder m coudemuing thoae wl:.o tran1grt1111 tile cua1um1 of the circle ln which he moVl!II, Bis religion ba11 no ■oftenin,z, sweetenibl!; influence on him. It only seems t.o make hiw aour and disag-Lle. Bo-called Chri1tian1 of thl.e stamp are the greate11t po11iblo hlndrauces to the prUJrOl8 of the goapel. It is tMr conduct that mRked IO many poople hate the Chriati&n rcligioo.-W. F. A. Ver. 2.- TI~ 'Pf'OIX)«ltum c,/ a ,wplr. Zoplw will not take the trouble to be cx1urtco ua, OH, XI, 1-20,] THE JIOOK. OF ,JOB. 206