every sorrow, and a band for every need. Job's eympathies had inclined him to feel for the llefenoeless and the poor. And in this Job had shown himself to be a good man (Ps. xl. 1), and an eminent type of Christ (Ps. lxxii. 4; Matt. viii. 16, 17). Nay, Job had considered no oare or trouble too much to expend on behalf of hie clients. Ho had both taken pains to understand their complaint, and had not been satisfied till ho had recti6ed their grievance. And with such skill, energy, and perseverance had he oonduct,ed their causes, that he commonly carried them forward to success delivering the poor and fatherless who cried to him (ver. 12), causing the widow's h~art to sing for joy (ver. 13), breaking the jaws of the wicked and plucking the spoil out of hie teeth (ver. 17). And in all tha.t Job had ea.id or done in his magisterial capacity he had: 2. .Acted with the most scrupulous 'f'egard to justiu. He had not met chicanery and oppression by resorting to the same dishonest weapons. If he had stood forth for justice to the poor, be had not attempted to withhold it from the rich. So unchallengeably just had been his decisions, and so unimpeachable the principles of equity by which these were guided, that he felt himself entitled to say he had literally clothed himself in !i~hteousness, and assumed ~ntegrity as .!I' robo an~ turban; in this, again, typifying strikingly the Lord Jesus Cbnst (Ps. lxxn. 2; xcv1, 13). And so successful had Job been in his detc>rmination t-0 combine" mercy and truth, righteousness and peace" in his magisterial capacity, that he had : 3. Gained the good opinion and respect oj all. Unlike Aristides, whom bis fellow-countrymen ostracized because they could not loucrer bear to hear him called the "just," the fellow~itizens of Job had saluted him on ev~ry aide with words and looks of commendation and esteem (ver, 11). VI. DAYS OF UNAl.'TICIPATED EVIL. Pious, rich, honoured, useful, trusted, revered, Job was unconscious of a single gloomy foreboding. All round him, above him, before him, the prospect was clear and exhilarating. Not a speck of cloud lay upon the bri"'ht horizon that encompassed him. Job had no thought but that he should live a Jo~g, prosperous, and honoured life, multiplying his days like the sand, or like the phcenix, the fabulous bird of Egyptian mythology, or, perhaps, like the palm tree, and at last dying calmly in his nest, i.e. like Abraham (Gen. xxv. 8), in the bosom of his family. Two things contribut,ed to foster such a pleasing anticipation in the mind of Job. 1. The apparent stability of hu outward or material prosperity. Comparing himself to a tree planted by the rivers of waters-a frequent biblical emblem of a good man (Ps. i 3; xcii. 12; Jer. xvii. 8)-he had hoped that, since his roots were open to the waters, whence they could always draw a plentiful supply of moisture, and since his branches were nightly laden with dew (vcr. 19), nothing ever would or even could occur to interrupt the outward course of his temporal greatness. 'l'he sources of his wealth appeared so permanent and inexhaustible that he never imagined they could either be diminished or dried up. His honours were so fresh upon him (cf. • Henry VIII.,' a.et iii. sc. 2) that he dreamt not of their decline. And his manly vigour, his capability of warding off danger, represented by the bow which be ca1Tied in his hand, \l,as so full and so easily renewed that hc feared not an overthrow to his unexampled fortune, or an eclipse to the shining splendour of his honourable name. 2. The u1rdimited r::,;tent ef hu authority and influence. The autobiographical fragment introduced in vers. 21-25 is not designed as a continuation or resumption of the theme treated of above (,·ers. 7, 8), but is intended to explain bow dark forebodings never crossed the mind of Job when reposing in the brilliant sunshine of his earthly glory. '.l.'he profound veneration in which hie countrymen held him, causing them with patient silence and eager expectation to wait for his counsel (vers. 21, 23); the awful respect in which they held his words, regarding them as final on every subject they hand.led (ver. 22); the effect which his decisions never failed. to produce upon those who heard them, his speoch distilling upon them with reviving and enlivening inJ!uences, and being welcome to their hearts as the early and the latter rains (ver, 23); the inJ!uence he wielded over them by his kindly manners, his very smilo being regarded 86 an act of gracious condescension which they could hardly believe was meant for them, but wL.icb, nevertheless, they were loth to lose, and which seemed to have a talismanic power in dispelling their sadneBB (ver. 24); and the unquestioning, nay, joyoWI, 1ubmission with which they hailed his instructions, his position among them being at once that of a monarch and a friend (ver. 26) ;-all these consideratiou rendered it d.iilicult for Job to thiwt that ever for him an evil day ehould dawn, OR, nix, 1-25,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 477
Le&m : I. The propriety and profit of recalling and rev·1ewing the past. 2. In ennmeratlng blessings, much depends upon assignic1g to each its exact plooe in the order of importance, 3. To a good man the things of God ever stand in the front ra.nk. 4, He.ving first obtained Heflven's favour, a. man may legitimately aspire to acquire the richoe of the world and the good opinions of his fellow-men. 5. An upright and usefol life seldom fails to meet its recompense, even upon earth. 6. He whom God ha.1 enriched with wealth, ability, and influence should devote them to the service of the poor and needy. 7. 'fhe blessings of those whom a good man relieves are greater riches than accumulated gold and silver. 8. The retrospect of a well-spent life is a great consolation in the season of adversity. 9. It is dangerous to look for permanence in anything on earth. 10. It is well when great men can combine love with authority, and sympathy with power.