Ver. 4.-Condemnation. If, in the course of Job's replies to his friends, he has sought to exculpate himself from all blame, and to aver his righteousness in the sight of God, he is now answered by a brief speech of his friend, "How can man be justified in the sight of God?" True, Job holdeth fast bis integrity; true, he may be free from the accusations hrought against him by his friends, who are unable in any other way t-0 c~plain his suffering lot; yet, although he is so far clear, he shares the deep humilia- tion which attaches to all, of standing before the Divine throne a condemned criminal. He is unjust. Alas ! the very "stars are not pare in his sight; how much less man, that is a worm?" This condemnation anq inability of man to justify himself- I. PUTS AN END TO ALL BOASTFUL BELF--CONFIDENOE BEFORE Goo. How shall ihe condemned and sinful even enter into controversy with the Most High? How shall the frail child of earth-el\rth-bom and ea.rthly--contend with God. Not Job only, but every one, must be silenced in presence of this truth, which has its witness in each man's breast. II. Is A CAUSE FOR PE!TTTENT HU1om.UTION BEFORE Goo. 'l'ruly the place of man -sinful man-is the dust. How shall the unclean dare to draw nigh unto the Holy One? Human feebleness and imperfectness should be sufficient to put men as in th~ dust; but if sinfulnt'SS, if a sense of condemnation before God, be added to this, how much greater cause for self-abasement is there? In penitence man bas ground of hope, for the Lord lifteth up the meek ; but in presumed self-justification he can only meet with confusion. III. Is A REASON FOB THE EAGER EIIBBACB OF THE MEBOT OF Goo IN CHRIST. "Whither shall a sinner fly ? Where is true safety for him? In the revelation of the mercy of God to the penitent sinner there is an assured hope. This graciousness on the part of the Most High holds out the utmost encouragement to the self-condemned to return ; while the inability to justify himself is in itself the highest reason why the gracious overture of Go,l should receive from man an eager response. IV. Is A mGH MOTIVE TO BTBICTh'ESS OF LIFE. With how much carefulnees and lowliness and effort ought not he to live who by his very nature is so prone to err I "The son of man, which is a worm," ought to seek to order his course before God with the utmost lowliness and care. A pensioner upon the Divine bounty, a criminal at the Divine bar, he has no warrant for rude self-assumption, but has need to seek, in palient, humble effort, to avoid deeper condemnation.~R. G.
Ver. 2.-" P«u:e in high pl,a,ces." Bild.ad tries to overawe .Job by presenting what. is indeed a true idea of God, although, if he had known the patriarch, he would have seen that there WBB nothiug in it that was likely to be accepted as a specific rebuke. Job bad maintained his innocence, and had cried out for God to vindicate it: "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" Bild.ad replies that God is a great Ruler in the heavenly heights, maintaining peace among his angelic armies; how can man be justified with One so great? lt is meant to be a rebuke to Job's presumption in appealing to so awful a Judge. Yet, if Job is innocent, why should he not dare to do so? Bildad ia· right in saying that God is ao holy that none can stand before him without being abashed by shame. The unfairness is in making this truth a ground for accusing Job, not of the general evil of f1llen creatures, but of exceptional enormities of guilt. I. Goo ROLES OVER ALL. 1. He is above all. We rise through the hierarchy of being from one stage to another, and at the head of all we find God. None can equal him, none can reach up to his might and holiness. Supreme in solitary perfection, he crowns the t.emp1e of being. 2. He includes all in his sway. Hie exaltation does not involve his separation from hid creatures. On the contrary, it gives him 'a wide scope'; OH. XXV. 1-6,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 427