Ver. 11.-Broke,i, purposes. Job seems to be sinking back into despair after thll hopeful and confident utterance of vcr. 9. Perhaps the explanation of the situation li~ in ~he difficulty the p~t:iar<::h ex~riencee in 9;4uaring the convictions of bis rising faith with the actual condition in which he now lies. He wonders how hie innocence can be vindicated, how be can hold on and increase in strength, although he is now penmaded that God will help him ultimarely to do so. Meanwhile all his purposes are brokell. Let us notice three kinds of broken purposes. •. I. BAD PURPOSES. Surely these should be broken. It is absurd to suppose that because an evil design bas been conoeived in the dark recesses of the imagination it must be effected. Had purposes may be frustrated. 1. Broken by God. He knows the thoughts of men's hearts, and can " frustmte their knavish tricks." What we call accidents a.re providential events ; and bow often has the purpose of sin been checked by these events! The destroying angel mows down the .Assyrian host (2 Ohron.. xxxii.. 21)l A storm scatters the Armada. "Gunpowder treason" is discovered just before the meeting of Parli&Dlent. 2. Broken by their authors. The repentant sinner can stay his hand from further wickedness. He need feel under no obligation to fulfil his v.ows of evil Indeed, there is no true repenr.ance without the breaking off of bad purposes. Let us be thankful if all our bad purposes a.re not executed. II. Goon PURPOSES. These also may be broken. 1. •By adverse events. God will not frustrate a really good design. But we may find it impossible to accomplish the best of purposes. God purposed the salvation of the world, yet how far· is hie good purpose even from fulfilment! We know thal he must triumph finally. But in the mean time the spirit of evil hinders. Job's purposes were broken by. Satan. , Godls purposes are not only hindered by Satan; they are checked by the free. will of men who are reluctant to acknowledge them.. 2. By their authors. Good_ resolutions have paved a large ple.ce. How many of the plans of youth have been carried out in man- hood? and how ma.ny of them lmve melted away as idle dreams? How far have the purposes of the Christian life been adhered to? H&e the old sin been avoided, as we vowed it should be? Have we served God with singleness of heart? Have we denied ourselves and followed Christ, &S we clreamed of doing when we first ·gave him our hearts? Have we lived unselfishly and in charity towards our neighbours? Do not such questions rouse a sickening sense of failure? Verily we have broken our good purposes most mis'3ra.bly. ill. MlsT..ur.EN PURPOSES. These are of an intermediate character. Good in intention, they would not have turned out well if we had been permitted to execute i.hem. Therefore God has frustrated them. Some of these are quite excellent, only they are altogether beyond our reach. The brave lifeboat crew tries to eave the shipwrecked sailors, but, alas ! the sea rune too high to permit them to approach, and their purpose iB broken. Some whole lives seem to be failures simply because their ownen1 have millt.a.ken their vocation. The man who iB a failure a.e p. barrister might have become an excellent farmer; he has chosen an unsuitable 'lphere. We wish to do good. Then let ns pray for light lest we blunder into mischief-me.king iD the very effort w help our neighbours.-W. F. A. Ver. l6.-7ie lost hope. Not only are Job'■ purpose■ broken off. His hopo is Joat. otJ. xvm. 1-21.] THE BOOK'. OF JOB. 307
At oil evente, it seems to be melting away, so that all chance of seeing its accomplish• went appears to have gone. I. A VAiN HOPE MUST BE LOST. The reality will not depend on a man's sanguine temperament, but upon its own causes. It is possible for a person to persuade himself into a condition of blissful confidence concerning his future, but the self•persuaeion will not alter facts; and if he is drifting towards the rocks they will shatter him as surely as if he went in terror of their fatal neighbourhood. Note, then, some of the vain hopes that must perish. 1. The hope of success in cheating God. Some men live as hypocrites not merely to secure the favour of their fellows, but in the foolish fancy that by sotne jugglery they may even wriggle into the favour of Heaven. Such a hope must fail. 2. The hope of succeeding without God. This is not outrageously impudent like the'hope last referred 'to. But it cannot succeed, for no man is sufficie,nt of himself to o~ercome all the difficulties of life. 3. The hope of worldly suJficiency. It is thought that if Providence is kind, and a man has much laid by for days to come, he may look forward with confidence. This is the hope of the rich fool (Luke xii. 20), and the unexpected changes of life, or death at last, must shatter it. , II. A TRUE HOPE MAY DE LOBT. 1. The Christian hope. This is a true hope. (1) It is. founded on God's strength, and he can never fail. We are encouraged to hope for salvation from One who is almighty. (2) It is secured by God's truth. "He is faithful that promised" (Heb. x. 23). To grow faint.hearted with the Christian hope is to distrust God. 'fhe hope depends on his Word, which cannot be broken. (3) It is guaranteed by Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Christ is God's Pledge of hope to his children. God would have wasted Christ on the world if he were not to fulfil the hopes that his Soli raised. 2. The possibility of losing it. This must be considered in spite of the absolute security' of the hope itself; for the hope may be good, and yet we may cease to hold it.. The anchor may be sound, but the chain that unites it to the ship may he cut. (1) The hope may only be lost to consciousness. We may cease to enjoy it, cease to feel the hope within us. Yet we may not really be cut off from what the great hope of Christ promises. Job exclaims, "Where is now my hope?" only because he is blinded with grief. Our despair is not the measure of our faith. The mountain has not vanished because the fog has hidden it. Doubt does not destroy truth. Many a despondent Christian will realize the hopes which he is too faint.hearted to enjoy in anticipation. (2) The hope may be really lost. It is possible to see the hope afar off, o.s Balaam saw Israel's hope, and yet to have no share in it ourselves. Or we may' hold to the Christian hope in error without living the Christian life. Then we must bo bitterly disappointed. Or, lastly, we may prove faithless and fall away from Christ. Therefore let us pray to be kept true, seeing that God is true, so thar. our fidelity is the only condition we now need to be assured of in order that our hope mai not be lost.-W. F. A.
EXPOSITION.