self-condemnation, e.nd it is the most honourable. It is shameful to eln, but it is more she.me~1l to ~eny our guilt and try to hush np our evil-doing, There is something manly m darmg to own one's own wrong deeds. It would be better if we could do it more among men, confessing our faults one to e.nother (Jas. v. 16). It is e.bsolutely nece~s11ry that we should do it to God. Confession is the first condition of forgiveness, 2. The difficulty. Now, this confession is by no means so easy as it appears before we have attempted it for ourselves. Not only is there pride to be overcome and the fear of obloquy to be mastered, but the subtle self-deceit of the heart must be conquered, For we are always tempted to plead excuses and cxtenue.ting circumste.nccs. Yot no confession is wort,h anything that keeps back part, of the guilt. Confession must be frank, unreserved, whole-hearted, or it will run into hypocrisy. It is better not to confess our sins at all than to try to make them appear in a good light. Tho true attitude of penitence is one of utter self-abandonment, one of profound self-abasement. II._ BY ACCUSING OTHERS. Thus Eliphaz thought Job condemned himself by trying t<; brmg a charge against God, and at tbe same time Eliphaz succeeded in condomning himself by accusing Job. The benm is never so visible in our own eye as when we arc attempting to remove the mote from our brother's eye. A. censorious spirit brings a pel'l'on into odious notoriety and invites criticism. He should be well able to stand a searching cross-examination who enters the witness-box against his neighbour. But further, the very spirit o~. censoriousness is evil, and the exhibition of such a spirit is self-condemnatory. Wh11e we condemn our brother for unorthodoxy, our very spirit and action condemn us fur want of charity-a much greater fault. Ill. BY ALL ouu SPEAKING. " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." We cannot be long with a person without some of his true character revealing itself. Men are not such inscrutable enigmas as they fl:itter themselves with being. The general conversation must reflect the normal tone of the life. .Particular deeds of wickedness may be hidden in impenetrable silence, but the evil heart from which they spring cannot be thus hidden. Therefore we are to be judged by every idle word (Matt. :i.ii. 3G)-not because careless speech is a great sin, but because onr unrefiecting language reveals our trll8 selves. It is the straw that shows the set of the current.-W. F. A..
Ver. 11.-Unappreciated comolationa. Eliphaz is disappointed at the failure of the consolations which he and his two friends intended for the mitigation of Job's sorrows. He coolly assumes that these consolations are from God, and that Job despises their Divine worth. So he asks-A.re the r.onsolations of God small things to Job, and the gentle words in which they are conveyed but little appreciated? Let us see how it comes about that consolations are not appreciated. The fault may lie with the consoler or with the sufferer. L WHEN THE FAULT IS WITH THE CONSOLER. It is very difficult to offer true consolation. 'l.'oo often we only chafe the sore which we would soothe, and hurt when we think to heaL Where is the cause of failure? 1. A false assumption, Eliphaz assumes that he and hie friends have b~on bringing to Job the consolations of God, whereas they have been doing nothing of the kind. '!'heir hard doctrine of exact temporary retribution ie not true, and it could not have come from God. Truth is the first requisite in all speech and counsel. It is a common error to confound man's notions with God's truth. Very often the protest which we take to be a rejection of the gospel is oniy urged against our unworthy presentation of it. The failure of people to receive the truth of Christ is frequently due to the ugly and odious ideas of man with which that truth is confused. 2. A mistaken fudgment. Job could not accept the well-meant consolations of the three friends because they implied that he was a great sinner, and called him to repent of what he knew he should not have been credited with doing. The injustice of the charge soured the consolation, and its balm was turned to bitterness. We must learn to understand men if we would help and comfort them. 3. An 1J/TUlympathet~ method. The tbree friends did not appreciate Job's sufferings; therefore he could not appreciate their consolations. Sympathy is the most essential ingredient of comforting influences. Until we can feel with the sufferer, all our attempts to aid him will be but bungling failures. The Divine .Spirit ie the gree,$ Comfort.er, be911.Ull8 lie entors ow- li~ l'Ild 1,ives wah hit,elligenco and s1m1>ath1, (Iii, :n. 1-86.j THE BOOt{ OF JOB. 277