an opposite idea, viz. that, as be bad perpetrated no open crime, so neither wll.8 he hiding any Becret wickedness. In either case his words contain : 2. .An emphatic p,:o- le.station. He was not attempting, and never had attempted, to play the hypocrite by either denying his guiltiness in general, or concealing his wicked acts in particular, Ju all be had said to them about the manner of his life, as in all the approaches he had ever made to God, be had acted with transparent sincerity. Thero Wo.s no secret stain upon his ~oul which he bad not confessed to God; there was no undivulged crime which ho ·rear<'d to make known to man. Pre-eminently Job claimed to be one in ,vhose spirit there was no guile (Ps. xxxii. 2). Job's accents contain a ring of defiance, whioh seems to ask whether he was likely to be afraid of either the hootiugs of the mob or the contempt of the aristocratic families ~f the land, that he required to skulk within doors and keep silent about anything that he bad ever done. Doubtless Job was universally recognized as a man of courage; and, because it was so, he could appeal to that in proof of his sincerity. But beyond this his utterance, if really intended, exhibits: a. .4n instnictive comparison. 'I11e contrast which Job institutes between himseU and Adam, if the translation of the Authorized Version be followed, is a valuable authenti- cation of the biblical tradition of the Fall. It proves that the writer of the Book of Job, to wbate,·er age he belonged, accepted tbe story in Genesis concerning ~dam~ liistorically correct. By putting the name .Adam into the mouth of oqe who flourished in pre-Mo!'ll.ic tim~, it also demonstrates that, in the judgment of the author at least the contents of the Hebrew narrative were credited beyond the bounds· of Pal~tin~ at a time wben the First Book of Moses was probably not yet -composed. _And now, having strenuously asserted that he was guilty of no concealment, he adds, in authenti- cation of his truthfulness : 4. A perscmal subscriptio~. "Behold my signatqre I" he exclaims, alluding to the practice in ancient courts or law of submitting a defence in writing, attested by the signature or mark of the accused party, and meaning that, so "far as he was concerned, so confident did he feel in his o.wn integrity,. and, s_o well :Pre- pared was he to reply to Rny indictment that might be brought against "him, that he was willing to see the case go to trial without qelay. Nay, bav,iI\g tendered his defences, he closes with a shout of triumph,. throwing out as his ultiins,tmµ: 5. A .ublime proclamatiO'Tt, in which he challenges bis unseen adversary, G.od (eh. iL .16; xvi. 9), to draw up an indictment against him (Carey, qc>x), or, according to _an~ther interpretation (Delitzsch), in which he <lraws attention to the. al~eady prepared indict- ment of his opponents, .viz. the three friends. In either case he ,offers, if only Gqd.w)U allow the matter to go to trial, not to shrink from the ordeal -of_ examinatfon, put binding the indictment (God's or that of tbe f,riends) on his shoµlder as & badge of d~ tinction, " winding it around his head. like a magnificent crown of diadems " (Del_i t.z,sch), t.o approach God with all the princely majesty of one who is conscious of inµa9ence, and to lay bare before his searching gaze, with the most_assured confidence of ultb;nate vindication, every step in his by_-past career, • . ., , . x. Wrm RESPECT TO 'l'HE LAW OF PBOPEBTY, (Vere. 38--40'.) 1. Tlte crime which Job disWJm. The fraudulent appropriation of land, by either withholding, the stipu~ )ated rent or murdering the legal proprietor, was apparently not unknown in. the days of the patriarch, as, alas! in our time it is both known and-practised, But of any such iniquity Job's hands were clear. For every rood of soil he cultivated he had honestly paid the market price; and, of course, he had never. dreamt.of killing his landlord to get his farm, as J<·zebel despatched Naboth to secure his vineyard. 2. The curse which Job invol,es. Had Job been guilty of any such wickedness, not only would his fields have cried out against him, and the furrows which be ploughed .have wept ov~ his ungodliness, but he would have richly deserved that Heaven's blight ehou,ld 9-cscel)d upon his acres ; and such a blight he prays to descend upon his broad doqi~in if he has been guilty of any ~uch wickedness as that which he has just disowned. "ll,lay thistles spriDg up iutead of wheat., and darnel instead of barley!" Learn: 1. That the LaN of God, i.e, the moral Law, or the law of holiness, has been the same from the beginning of the world until now. 2. That the spirituality 9f the Law of God is only concealed from them who make no attempt t<?. keep it. , 3, That Uie Law of God takes cognizance of man in every departQlent of his being an/J every sphere of his life. 4. That the Law of God~ as cert.ai.r;i and 1113vere in its penalties-. it i£ stern and imperative in its req11irements. 6. That the: Law of God is the one OR, XXXI, 1-40.] THE BOOK OF JOB. 611
nbsolute and invariable rule of life for men under the Christian as well 311 under the Moeaio or patriarchal dispensation, for the pardoned believer no Iese than for the unconverted sinner. 6. That the true gauge of a soul's piety is the enrnestnees with which it endeavours tq keep the Law of God in all its precepts. 7. That the loftiest incentive to such I\ keeping of the Law of God is a reverential regard for the Law- m,iker, cspcciBlly as he is seen in Christ. 8. That no mere man is able to keep the Law of_ God perfectly, even Job's performances being not altogether unmixed with ~in. 9.• That the most dangerous thing a man can do with his transgressions of the La\'\'. of God _is to cpyer .them. .10. 'rhat that man is grossly deceived who imagines God could not indict.him for violations of his Law, because he (the man) cannot indict himself. 11. That those who are advancing in holiness, or sincere keeping of the Law qf God, should" guard against being either too proud or, or too reliant on, their own at,tainments. 12. That the loftiest morality attainable on earth will not enable man to ~ispense with the services of a Da.ysman or Media.tor.