quit{' beyond the skill and power of man, By the intelligence God hu given us Wi may employ many of the great natnral foroes, l\nd subdue fierce and powerful 11nim111'e, But this is a sml\ll thing compared with the thought that planned and the energy lhl\t wrought in the making or those oreaturee. Surpassing us in many enviable qul\lities, t-be ki~"I! of the wilderness teaoh us our littlenesa in the presence of the wonderful Creator. 11. THE 1'RIU1[l'R OF MOVEMENT. Birda i1!UBtrat.e this most oonspiouously, Cleaving the air with swift, strong strokes, rising and falling at will, floating like atmospherio :fishes, darting hither l\nd thither with the speed of an express train, birds are the very opposite of creatures tho.t spend a merely veget.a.tive existence. 'fheir lively energy is seen in dazzling movements. Now, the movements of nature are typical of those that take place in spiritual regions. Stl\gnation is death. It is not enough to have been 110t right once for all. The bird will droop and fail if it is always moping on the perch. Souls must be in movement, seeking fresh enterprises, pressing on to new fields of 110rvioe, or at least diligently pursuing the line of duty. Souls want wings. We can only live our fullest life when we rise. It is not easy to soar into the higher regions. The hawk mounts in a spiral. We cannot reach the altitude of spiritual experience at a bound; and we too may have to work our way up laboriously. But rise we mUBt, if we would not fail in our Christian calling. III. THE VICTORY OF VISION. The eyes of the hawk and the eagle are prov~.rbial for strength and keenness. These birds can see their prey from afar. They would perish it they were blind, nay, even if they became dim-sighted. Souls must have eyes, strong; to gaze at the light, keen to detect what is valuable. We blunder through the world in spiritual blindness, seeing neither the glory of God nor the best bleesings he }1a.<; given us. With clipped wings and hooded eyes, how can we enter into the large heritage tha.t God has provided for us ? Our souls need a purging of their vision from the sin that blinds and maims. Then regenerated by the Spirit of God, they, have before them a glory of sight and life that le&!II the struggling attempt& of hawk and eagle far beneath.-W. F. A..
EXPOSITION. OHAPTEB XL. or, let him a.nnaer thu; let him answer, that is, what has been urged in.oh. :nrlx. •. x.uviii. and Veni. 1-5.-Between the first and the 10COnd part of the Divine cli&eonrse, at the Vem. 3, 4.-Then J'ob answered the Li>rd, end of which Job wholly humbles himself and Bai.d, Behold, I am vile; literally, I am (eh. xiii. 1~), is interposed a short appeal light; ie. I am of smo,ll account (see th1 Revised Version). It would be absurd for on ilie po,rt of the Almighty, and a short one so weak and contemptible to attempt t.o reply on Job's part., which. however, is in- argue with the Almighty. What shall I sufficient. God ca.llB upon Job to make good answer thee ! or, What mould I answer th86 r IW! charges (vers. J, 2). Job declines, What shoa.ld I say, if I were to attempt a acknowledges himself to be of no aocount, reply ? I will lay :mine hand upon my mouth (llflfl the comment on eh. xxi. 5). and promises ailenee and submission for the Ver. 5.-0noe have I spoken ; but I will future (ven. 8-5). But something more not answer : yea, twice ; but I will proceed is needed ; and therefore the diseouree is no further. Tbe meaning is, "I have· further prolonged. already spoken, not once, but more than once. Now I will be silent; I will say Vera I, 2.-KoreOTer the Lord. JehuoaJi, no more." There is e. sort of recognition 1111 in eh. :a:xxviii. 1 and in the opening that the arguments used were futile, but not ehapterB (llflfl the comment on eh. xii 9). a full e.nd completo confeulon. as in oh, A.Juiwered J'ob, and said, Shall he that COD• xlii. 8. lmll1da with the Almighty instruct him? rather, Can 11£ tha1 reprC>fH!fA contaid vnth tJ~ Vere. 6-24.-Job's confession not having .Almightyf (see the Revised Version). Does Job, the reprover, think that he cnn really been sufficiently ample, the Divine diseourae oontend with the Almighty ? If eo, then is continued tluoogh the remainder of this u he dl&t reprOTeth God, let him ........ i obapter, and through the whole of the next, cm. l[L, 1-24-.] THE BOOK OF JOB. 641