the furlom and the wretohed was breathed forth on his beh&lf. He had clothod him• 11elf with rectitude (compare for this fi!!'nre, Isa.xi. 6; Ii, 9; lix. l'i; Pe. oxxxii. 9). U Wl\11 to him like a robe and a turban. Ho was e~ to the blind, and feet to the lame ; a father to the needy. He eearchcd out the cause of unknown men, to help them as surety or otherwi~e if their cause was good. He put down men of violence ahd oppression, and recovereti their ill-gotten booty from them, as one snatches the prey from the jaws of the wild beast. Despite the mournful mood of Job, what solace is there not, even in the greatest affliction, through the memory ofhavihg been permitted to do some good and reap 10me reward of affection from others in the world? And, looking to the sequel of the 11iory, let us remember that God is not unrighteous to forget the labour of love. , Every canl!e has its effect; every act of benevolence will be followed in due time by its bright flowers of peace and joy in the conscit>nce and the memory. Go on, then, in the work of doing i!OOd, steadfast and immovable in the work of. the Lord. Be like fountains watering the earth and spreading fertility. "Subdue discord, mutiny, widespread despair by manfulness, justice, mercy, and wisdom. Chaos is dark, deep as hell; let light be. and there is inst.ead a green, flowery world. Oh, it is great, and there is no other greatness I To make some work of God's creation a little m:ore fruitful, better, more worthy of God; to make some human hearts a little wiser, more m&nful;happier,:more blessed; it ill a work for God I " (Carly le). . , , , . : , .·' lll. THE 11:EllORY OF BRIGHT HOPES; THE RESPECT AND INFLUENCE m FOBMBB DAYS. (Vel"II. 18-25.) 1. Everything in that happy period pointed vnth seeming' prophetic power to a wng life, to a blessed oW- age. He thought within himself that he should end his days iu his nest, in the bosom of his family, in peace and security;· and like ihe sand (or the days of the phamix) would be their:numbet. If the w.ord be·taken as denoting, the ph<EDix, then the allusion is to the legend of the bird living five hundred years, then burning in it.s nest, and rising from the ashes. Peace and prosperity bred in his mind great hopes. Like a well-watered tree, he thought his life would spread,- the refreshing dew resting by night upon its branches, and that his honour would ever freshly remain with him; that his bow-the symbol of lusty manhood·and streiigt.h (l Sam. ii. 4; Ps. xlvi. 9; l.xxvL 3; Jer. :tlix. 35; li. 56)-would renew itself in his hand. We learn here, in passing, the lesson not to build on the constancy of earthly things, not to lay up treasures of hepe here. If it be well with .us· now, let .:ns be prepared. for reverses (Sirach xi. 25). This lesson comes back to us from ~ny:a·sa.ying of the ancient world, mixed no doubt with much of superstition, and ignorance of the nature of Goo, but still in the main expressed with the truth of experience. , .4' There is nothing secure in the world, no glory, no prosperity. The gods toss all life into coufusion, mix everything with its reverse, that all of us, from our ignorance and uncer- tainty, may pay them the more worship and reverence" (Euripides,• Heo./ 957). ·".Gqd bath power to change the lowly for the lofty; he weakens the distinguished,; lie brings the obscure to the light; ·Fortune with shrill sound here removes •the ·towering· crest, and here she Bets it up" (Horace, 'Od.,' i. 35). The brief. swn cif life's days forbids 118 to cberish a long hope (ibid., L 4-). We must leam in a Christian sense to "pluck the day, and have the smallest confidence in what is to come" (ibid., i 11).. What the morrow may bring we should shun t<, inquire, and count DB a gain every da.y that may be given .us (ibid., i 9). "Too late is the life of to-morrow; live to-dayl,'1 (Martial). 2. A/urthB'r p-kture of the social, esteem and respect in which his past day, bad been spent. The members of his tribe or dan all looked up 'to him, ijsteneddn' silence to his address, and had nothing to add aft.er he had spoken. Hjs speech' fell upon them like the refreshing rain for which the thirsty pastures .lotlg~tha •late :l!ain which in March or April blesses the ripening crops_(comp. Deut. xi. 14; Jer. iii. 3; v. 24; Joel iL 23; Hos. vi. 3). His checrftll smile disµiissed men's rising fears, the light of his countenance wBB like the sun dispelling the clouds of doubt or alarm. He eat in the midst of the assembly of his tribe, guiding, commanding, dl.relltlng, lik-e a kipg,ii the midst of his battle-host; or, as if this picture were too warlike and rettiote ti-bm the peaoeful scenes of the· patriarch'• life, he sat among them &a'-a general con10l6!~ 11. comforter of the mourneI'I!. Thus- • •• ·, • "" "Bemembre.nce wakes with all her bnsy train, : , : 1 '' • . . ' : Sucks at hiB breast, and turns the past to pa!11." ,' ,: , i' •. , 1 But we have a power over this "bosom-spring," and may·cheer or sadden ourselvea Olt, UlX, 1-26,) THE BOOK OF JOB. 479
with retrospect, according as we take the golden key of faith or the iron key of despondency wherewith to unlock the door of the rast. Do not these bright memories of o. well-spent past afford solace to the afflicted hero, thougr_ they also touch the nerves to pnin ? Let it be ours so to use memory that it still yield instructive joy and hope. Ae we turn over her mixed records, let us say to ourselvee, "The joys we hove possessed are ever oure--out of the ree.ch of chance and change. Let past years, eo far as they ore marked with the greatness of God, with acts of piety, worlu of love, breed in us perpetual benedictione,n-J,