aga.inet the light. .Aooording to Eliphaz, these creatures of the da.rkneee ■hould be over- taken with 01110.mitiee proportioned to their crimes; but, according to Job, the contrary is the cas&---they are (1) prosperous in life, gliding rtown the stream and current of time like a light skiff (ver. 18), elperiencing no curse upon their heritages while they live; and (2) honoured in <leBth, by bein~ vouchsafed (a,) 11 quick and easy disappearance from the enrth, like the paesini; away of a light substance upon the face of the waters (cf. eh. ix. 26), instc!ld of struggling towards the grave through protracted a.nd pa.info} suffering, or like the melting of snow before the scorching heats of summer (ver. 19), going down into Sheol suddenly as in a moment (eh. xxi. 13); and (b) a. complete escape from the just pennlUes of their crimes, the curse not descending upon their heritages until they themselves have departed from the scene (ver. 18), and though forgotten by the very mothers that bore them beca.use of their wickedness, yet not compelled to eat the bitter fruits of their transgression, since by dea.th their iniquity has been broken off like a tree, i.e. before it has had time to yield its appropriate results. 2. The/ate of the rapacious despots; i.e. of those sketched in the preceding section (vers. 2--12), who are here identified as the oppressors of barren and widowed women (ver. 21). They, too, should be arrested by visible judgments; but altogether different, accorrliog to Job, is their lot. (1) 'fhey are preserved alive by that very ha.Ill! which should rather slay them (ver. 22). So were God to deal with any sinners on earth according to their iniquities they would instantly be cut down (Ps. cxxx. 3). But God magnifies his grace and evinces his long-suffering towards sinful men by upholding in existence those who bid defiance to every danger, and even to God himself, who are not only insensible to all Divine impulses, but flagrant viola.tors of all Divine laws. (2) They are raised up from sickness at the moment when they seem to be a.bout to die (ver. 22). The mercy God's singer guarantees to the humble saint that considereth the poor (Ps. xii. 1), and Christ's servant promises to the believing Christia.n (Ja.s. v. 15), is extended to the poor man's oppressor, and the supreme God's denier--another marvel of grace l (3) They are kept in security instead of living in constant terror (ver. 23). Were God not to moderate the fears of good men, much more therefore of bad men, their lives would be intolerable. •But God's special providence watches over villains as well a.a over virtuous people, keeping both from da.nger, fear, and death, hoping thereby to lead the former to repentance, and seeking to induce the latter to confide in his grace. (4) 'l'hey a.re exalted for a sea.son in conscious prosperity instead of being humbled and cast down (ver. 24)- an additional proof of God's kindness towards them. And (5) when the end comes they only share in the common lot, being taken out of the way like a.II other men. Learn : 1. The unnatural wickedness of those who despise God's mereies--even his common gifts of providence, but much more his grandest gift of grace. 2. It is an unmistakable evidence of depravity when a mau loves the darkness rather than the light. 3. 'l'he present-day forms of wickeduess are of extreme antiquity, some of them, such as murder, being nearly as old as the Fall. 4. The soul tha.t hates the light has the seed-corn in his heart out of which the greatest crimes may be developed. 5. The truest security a man can have that he shall never perpetrate such wickedness as murder, adultery, etc., is to walk in the light. 6. The destruction of the most powerful sinner t.hat wa.lks the earth is a work of perfect ease to God. 7. A man's triumph or superiority over his fellows terminates with the grave. 8. That wickedness must be great which causes a mother to forget her child. 9. That mercy must be great which continues when human love in its highest form is exhausted. 10. Death may seem to remove the curse from the sinner, but iu reality it only conducts the sinuer to the curse. 11. God's goorlness and mercy may follow a sinner to the grave's mouth; there is no evidence that it can pursue him further. 12. It is appointed unto all men once to die.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-12.-.Examples of God's incomprehensible deaZings. I. DEEDS OF VIOLENCE AND P'RAUD. (Vers. 1--4.) "Why are not times laid up," i.e. reserved, determined by the Almighty," and why do those who know him (i.e. his friends) not see his days?" -the days when he arises to judgrnent, days of revelation, days of the Son of man (Ezek. xxx. 3; Luke :xvii. 22). Then comes a series of acts of violence, oppression, 416 THE BOOK OF JOB. [OH, XXJV, 1-26,