hand for help amidst the ruin of his fall, &nd 11ends forth. hie cry 1\8 he passes into destruction? le not this a law for all living creatures (ver, 2'4)? J;)id. not Job show comp&Bllion in all the misfortunes of others, and has he not,}h~refore, a right to com- plain, and expect compassion in hie own (ver. 25),? .AU the sultering of Job is condensed in the thougbt that, after the happiness of forpier. days had 'bred. hopes of the like future, he was ,·isitccl by the deepest misery, and ca"t into. the lowest distress (verB. 26-31). The light of former days glances upon him again, and so his address reverts to its beginning (eh. uix.). Hoping for good, there ensued evil (Iaa. li.L 9; Jer. xiv. 19); waiting for the light,. deeper darkness came on. There is O:n inward seet.hing of the mind. Days of affli'ttion have fallen upon him. He goes 4arkened 1 without the glow of the sun; his swarthy appearance is due to another ca'use-he is smeared with dust and ashes. He stands in the assembly, giving loud vent to his lamentation amidst the mourning company who surround him. A '' brother to the jackals, a comrade of tbe ostriches," these desert creatures of the loud and plaintive cry, is he. His black skin parts and falls from him; his bones are parched by a i;9n,suming heat. And then, in one beautiful poetic touch, the whole description of his woe is summed up, "My harp ,became mourning, and my sbalm. mournful tones." But he will yet learn to tune .his harp :again t.o gladness and praise;· Now, however, his melancholy haunts him; and not one kindly glance pierces the gloom of his dark thoughts to give him comfort. But despair '01 eelf has never led Job to despair of God. There is still, therefore, a glimmering spark of hope· amidst this wild storm. He carries in his hand a bud which will yet unfold into a flower. 'l'his ie n1> example of the fatal sorrow of the world, but of the life-giving power of tlie.• sorrow that, 1~. after God (compare Robertson's sermon on the' Power of _Sorrow,' vql. li)..:....J. ·' " VeI'11. l-31.-.A sorrowful contrast. Job's condition bas be~oi:ne one o( sorrowfulness~ the humiliation of which stands in direct contrast to his former state; He graphically expresses it in a few words : "But now they that are younger thli.i;i, I haye_ ine iii derision, whose lathers I would have disdained to have B!lt with the.dog~ :or xny'flock." The picture of sorrowful humiliation, standing in. contrast. tci pre_vious honour, wealt~;. and power, is very striking.. It is a typical example, ~howi~g .to w~.at d_epths ~he lof~ief\~ may he reduced. The details are as follows. . · . . •,. • , - !- THE' CONTEMPTUOL"~ TREATMENT OJ!' MEAN AND UNWORTHY MEN/ .. I' Tli~,}( w_ere children of fools, yea, children of base men:. they were viler than .the earth. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. 'They abhor me, they flee farJroDi me,'and spare not to spit in my face." It requires the utmost stre9_gth of righteous pri.r;icipl~, and the most complete self-command and self-restraint, to endure s,uch. treatment without violent outbreaks of passion. . . ,. . •. . ' .. •. ·. • ,. II. GREAT MENTAL Al!'l!'LIOTION., "Teiror.s are t4ined'upoii me;" CCMy)1oul ie 'p~ure~ out in me." · . · ·.. , III. 011.EAT BODILY PAIN. "My bones a.re pierced in me, in the night' season':' &rid my sinews take no rest." , . , . . . • . . ' •' • . : IV. APPARENT INDIFFERENCE OF Goo TO HIB PRAYER. S~dest hour 'of all tlie ~ad hours of the human life is that when tbe one unfailing Helper closes _bis ear. The lowest depth of sorrow reached by the Man of sorrows found expression in" My God, my God, wby hast thou for,;aken me?" ,. ,•. . ., , , . .• • V. To thh! is added THE l!'EAB THAT Goo lllMSELF TURNS BIB HAND AGAINST m:111., ,. Thou art become cruel to me." His afflictions appear to bim as DivJn~,.ju4gments { yet he knoweth not why he is afflicted. . _- , • . . • .• VL THE GLOOMY APPBEHENSIDN THAT ALL WILL ENI/, IN DEATH. "Jhou wilt bdn~ me to death." No brightness in the afar-off" cheers the sufferer, There l8 no l'roiJpect ()f light at eventide. . ' , • VIL To all is added THE DITTER PAINFULNESS ,OJ!' EXCLUSION. He .ie an outc~t; There iB DO help for him in man. "I am a brother to dragons, and a companion tci owls." Bitter, indeed, is the cup mixed of.such ingredien~. Strong the heart tha~;can thus suff'er and not break.-R. G.
Vere. 1-10.-The/allfrom honour to CQ11,tempt. L Mlsl!'OB.TUNE B,BINGS ~NTEMPT, Job baa just been reciting the honoum .of his happier days. Wit4. t,he loss of prosperit;Y' QII, XXX, 1-31.] 'L'lflll B00.Kj, O.i,'. JP!J,-
baa, oome, the. lose o( those honours, .He who was slavishlJ flattered in wealth and euccees ie crnelly scorned in the time of adversity. This 1s. monstrously unjust and Job feels it to Qe so, Nevertholeee, it is only true to life, Men do judge by th; out- ward appearance, Therefore any who experience in some proportion what Job experi- enced n~ed not be taken by surprise. The judgment of the world is of little worth. The good opinion of men may shift like e. weathercock. We need to look for a hiaher 0 more suro 1md true and laeting glory than that of man's honour. '