The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 515

new speaker are set before us. 1. His tlllU'9'II 7!'8ty, whioh could not tolerate the oonff• dence and the self-justifying spirit of Job. Hie senee of the grea.tneas of God and hie holiness is so profound that he oa.nnot endure what seems to be the bold and haughty attitude of the creature. Hie feeling seems to be, " Let God be true, and every man a liar I " 2. His spirit ofJ"ustict,, which was indign11.nt at the unfe.irness of the friends, who held Job for guilty, and condemned him without being able to give an a.nswer to hie plea. These are two grand elements in a noble character. Without zeal for God and his right.eousness, our sympathy for the suffering may degenerate into a sickly and immoral sentimentalism. But without feeling for the wrongs of the oppressed, without; the pBSsion for justice, our 11eal for God will become an unholy and pernicious fire, This last has been the cause of many of those terrible persecutions which have defaced the history of the world. Let us beware in our spirit and temper of these extremes- and avoid either dishonouring God through a wea.k pity for mere suffering, or being cruel to men through a zeal for God. Zeal is a good servant, but a bad ma.ster; the spring of heroic deeds or of dreadful crimes. 3. Hi-a modesty and respect, shown by bis keeping silence in the presence of his elders, so long as they might desire to speak. As the shade to a figure in a picture, so does modesty impart a strength and beauty to the character; it adds to virtue the charm that chastity adds to beauty. But there is a limit to every grace; and modesty becomes a weakness if it leads a man to with- hold truth from the world, or to keep his mouth shut when the "word in season n ought to be spoken. II. THE EXPLANATION OF ELmu's INTERFERENCE. (Vere. 6-10.) Hie modest sense of his own youth and his respect for their age held him ha.ck in the presence of his seniors. But, on the other hand, conscience and the inspiration of God's truth within him impelled him to speak. This little fragment is very instructive, and yields several important lessons. There is a lesson of prudence and tact. The speaker should ever seek to gain the good will of his audience, by laying aside every appearance of assump- tion or conceit, by testimonies of graceful respect for his audience. Especially should this rule be kept in mind by those who have the most important truths to deliver. Before sowing the seed let the ill weeds be rooted out, and the soil be well broken up. We must try to soften the minds of our hearers as a preparative for impressing them, Augustine says, "He who strives to persuade others to goodness should neglect none of these three things : to please, to teach, to sway their minds; thus he will be heard gladly, int,illigently, o'bedientl,y." But higher than these is the lesson of conscientious-'" ness-a.ttention t.o the voice within. The Spirit of God finds its truest echo in the conscience. All distinctions of persons and of age fa.de away in presence of this supreme truth. For wisdom depends not on age, but on the Divine illumination. Well for 118 if we can forget in whose presence we are speaking, whether younger or elder, richer or poorer, wiser or more unlearned, because absorbed like Elihu in the sense of God's truth and the desire for his glory. "Let no man despise thy youth" (1 Tim. iv. 12). If young men have a sound knowledge of Divine things, the elder need not be ashamed t.o listen and learn from them. III. THE JtJSTIJl'lCATION OF EIJJro's INTEBFEBENCB, (Vers.11-22.) Jn this passage his character and spirit are further unfolded in points that are worthy of admiration and imitation. L His wve ef reason. He waited expectantly to hear some satisfactory reply from the friends to Job's clear arguments a.nd statements in self-vindication. He expected either that they would confute him, or that thoy would candidly admit they were worsted in the strife. "We found wisdom (in Job); God can strike him, not man.n His wisdom is so superior to ours that God only can drive him from the field (ver. 13). This is a lesson on the morale of controversy. Meet your antagonist with rea.Ron for reason; and, when you can do so no longer, be willing to own yourself beaten. Reason- ableness and candour, the desire to persuade others or to be persuaded one's self of the truth,-this is the chivalry of controversy ; these a.re the jewels that shine amidst the cloud of words ; the precious ba.Jsam-dro}Jll that these woeful wars distil. A sullen conspiracy of silence is the retreat and fortress of the dishonourable and the coward, 2. Hu rupth of heart Elihu is not ,xmvinced by Job; hie mind teems with matter uf deep aud living truth. His is no shallow logic of the schools, which falls powerless upon tbtl true heart armed with the justice of its cause. Hie is no fool's bolt, soon 11bot, and leaving him in helpleun.01111. Hie bosom is like a skin of new wine; he is OR. XXXII, 1-22,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 529