but blasphemous: yet they have their proper meaning, since Job, in his humiliation, sustained a prophetic character, being the type of the Innocent and Holy One, who suffered for the sins of others: 'ille autem gestabat personam magnam magnæ prophetiæ.'" The boldness with which he vindicated his innocence is best excused by regarding him as representing the Son of God, who was altogether free from sin. The necessity of confuting a false principle, that temporal calamities are always proof of moral delinquency, affords, however, a partial justification of his language. His conscience bore him testimony that he had discharged with fidelity the duties of his high station, and that he had exercised beneficence towards his fellow men, so that he knew no crime rendering him deserving of the chastisements that had overtaken him. He was willing to be judged with equity, yet he felt that he could not sustain the examination, if His Judge did not lay aside the rightful prerogatives of His supreme power. The testimony of God Himself, at the close, proves how correctly Job had reasoned, although his boldness of speech met with some reproof. In referring the accusers of Job to his intercession for the pardon of their fault, God foreshadowed the great Mediator, who was to offer Himself a victim even for His enemies.

Not only is the history of Job foreign to that of the ancient people of God, but the work is void of all reference to the facts of sacred history subsequent to the times of Abraham and Lot, and of all mention of the Mosaic institutions. As all other sacred books abound with such references, it is fair, from their absence from this work, to conclude its high antiquity. The scene is laid in the patriarchal age, before the delivery of the written law, and the work itself was evidently composed by one imbued with the primitive traditions of the human family, but apparently unacquainted with the legal observances. The opinion that Moses was the author of it, whilst he sojourned in Madian, is not destitute of probability, since his education in the court of Pharao qualified him to treat of many points which are here touched, and his familiarity with Arabic, the dialect of the country, accounts for those idioms mixed up with the Hebrew, which abound in the work. Competent judges, such as Michaelis and Jahn, discover nothing in the style which might require us to ascribe it to any other writer than the author of the Pentateuch. The style of history is necessarily simple and unadorned, whilst poetry delights in ornament and elaborate description: but the canticles and

In Ps. 103; Serm. 4, n. 8.

addresses, scattered through the Pentateuch, prove Moses to have been by no means deficient in poetic fire, or brilliancy of imagination. He, who celebrated the overthrow of Pharao and his host in the Red Sea, was capable of composing an entire poem, such as this, sparkling with all the gems of genius.

Job appears to have been a descendant from Esau, and to have dwelt in Idumea. He is thought by some to have been a cotemporary of Amram, the father of Moses, and to have flourished about seventy years before the coming forth of the people from Egypt. He lived under the law of nature, and, as head of the family, exercised the functions of priest, offering sacrifice, and interceding for his children, and for others. The primitive traditions with regard to the creation of the world, and the suspension of the waters in the firmament, the existence and the fall of angels, the malice of their chief, and the offices assigned the good angels in regard to men, are strongly attested in this work. The example of Job is particularly proposed to recommend patience under the severest visitations of Providence; but, in order to profit by it, we must chiefly fix our attention on the fact of his unqualified submission, without scrutinizing too closely the vehement expressions of his pain. Although we may repel unjust charges, and refute those who take occasion from our misfortunes to suspect secret delinquency, yet we must acknowledge that no plea can avail against the claims of the Divine Sovereignty and Justice.

THE BOOK OF JOB.

CHAPTER I.

JOB'S VIRTUE AND RICHES.

SATAN, BY PERMISSION FROM GOD, STRIPPETH HIM OF ALL HIS SUBSTANCE. HIS PATIENCE.

1. THERE was a man in the land of Hus,' whose name was Job,2 and that man was simple3 and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding

evil.

2. And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.

3. And his possession was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred sheasses, and a family exceeding great: and this man was great above all the people of the east."

4. And his sons went, and made a feast by houses, every one in his day. And sending they called their three sisters, to eat and drink with them.

5. And when the days of their feasting were gone about, Job sent to them, and sanctified them: and rising up early offered holocausts

Hus, the first-born of Nachor, Abraham's brother (Gen. 22: 21), is thought by some to have given his name to this land, which they suppose to be in the northern part of Arabia, bordering on the Euphrates and Mesopotamia, not far from Charan, where Nachor dwelt. It is, however, more probable that it was a part of Idumes, and derived its name from a grandson of Seir.

* The name is explained as signifying an afflicted man. Many take him to be the same as Jobab, the fifth in descent from Abraham by Esau (Gen. 36: 33); but this opinion rests only on the similitude of the

name.

• Perfect.

St. Gregory the Great observes, that "good actions are not acceptable to God when defiled by the mixture of evil deeds."

Many servants,-or much farm-land.

In all the neighboring countries.

They appear to have kept open house for feasting.

On his birth-day, or in his turn.

The mode of sanctification probably was by ablution of the body, and abstinence from carnal communication. These were held to be preparations for holy rites, according to primeval tradition, of which the traces are found in various nations.

for every one of them. For he said: Lest perhaps my sons have sinned," and have blessed" God in their hearts. So did Job all days.1

6. Now on a certain day when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord," Satan' also was present among them.

7. And the Lord said to him: Whence comest thou? And he answered and said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it.

8. And the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil ?16

9. And Satan answering, said: Doth Job fear God in vain?

10. Hast not thou made a fence for him," and his house, and all his substance round about, blessed the works of his hands, and1 his possession hath increased on the earth?

11. But stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath,20 and see if he bless thee not to thy face.

12. Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person." And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

13. Now upon a certain day, when his sons and daughters were eating, and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother, 23

14. There came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,

15. And the Sabeans24 rushed in, and took all away, and slew the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

10 The morning is specially suited for sacrifice and prayer. God is the fount of light and life. "Holocausts were chiefly directed to honor the Divine Majesty. Job acted as priest of his family and nation, in conformity with ancient tradition.

12 It bears a contrary signification. 3 Kings 21: 13. L. "Renounce." St. Gregory M. says: "We should consider how strictly he watched over their actions, since he showed so great solicitude for the cleansing of their hearts."

13 From time to time,-constantly.

14 A council of angels is represented, in order to give us an idea of the ways of God. See 3 Kings 22:19. It is not to be conceived rigorously. 7 is here used, which proves the author to be a Hebrew. It is never found in the discourses, but in one place, which is believed to be incorrect. Satan means adversary,-the accuser. 1 Pet. 5:8; Apoc. 12: 10.

15

16 This is said to make us sensible, how much God delights in the sincere devotedness of his servants. 17 Protected him. 18 So that. 19 The term means spread abroad.

20 Satan suggests, that if Job be stripped of his wealth and children, he will murmur and blaspheme. 21 If he renounce thee not,-if he murmur not against thy providence.

This implies that Satan can inflict no injury on the servants of God, unless by divine sufferance. "God, even whilst permitting him, restrains him from indulging the entire impetuosity of assault." St. Gregory M.

The coincidence is remarked, in order to show how uncertain is worldly joy, and how liable to most distressing change.

24 These were descended from Abraham by Cethura. Gen. 25: 3. They lived in Arabia Deserta, and are different from those of the same name who lived in Arabia Felix.