The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-22
The Hook OF Job.
LECTURE ON TIE SACRED soErRY or THE HEBREWS,
BY THE REV. DR. RAPHALL.

night, at the Broadway tabernacle, on the Book OF
Job, being of the con the sacred poetry OF
the Hebrews. Owing to the unfayorable weather,
the audience very TAINTED. The lecturer began
by reminding his hearers that at the close Of his
former lecture he had told them that every crcu n
stance connected vita the Book Of Job was subject
to so much uncertainty. and had given rise TO 50
much difference of cpini IA among the learned that
any inquiries into the history and character OF Job
and his book generally began with ~ do not know"
and ended with 81 Cannot tell" He himself could
only do as his predecessors in The task OF expouad-
ing the book had done, namel y-oder conJectures
and probabilities some Of them, however 50 strong
as almost TO amount to ceraintes. With respect to
Job himself the lecturer mentioned three opinions
the ope which denies tire historical existence of JOB
and msintaiDs his being purely categorical cha
racter; the second, which Identifies him with Jethro,
the father law of Moses; and the third, that of
the Septuagents, which identifies him with Jobab,
second King of Edom. In examining these three
opinions, the lecturer altogether rejected the FIRST
proving clearly that job vas an actual historic Al
parsonage Without absolutely adopting either Of the
two other opinions the lecturer conceded with them
30 far as 70 that JOB not Israete; and
after an elaborate examination he arrived at the
conclusion that job lived some time after the death
Of the pstriarchs Jacob and Joseph, ia the land Of
Edom about three thousand five hundred years ago.
With respect to the authorship of the book, which
some assigned to Muses., Others to Solomon, and
others TO some unko author, as late as the Baby
lOpish captivity, the lecturer maintained from i'll
trnsc evidence furnished by he book itself that il
must have been written prior to the giving OF the
Law; and being VI that extreme antiquity the book
might, perhaps, have been written Oy JOB him
Tlnt cad -iarNl-
will best know hun by the impershable monument
he has raised to himself his book, the plan and pur
pose OF which the lecturer ext proceeded TO discuss
In all ages the olspeosauons Of Providence the
deserved suferings of the just the unmerited pros
persy of the wicked have b. zen source of deep and
anxious meditation TO the best and wisest Of men.
Their limited faculties have undertaken the imprac
tcabe task OF scanning the counsels OF Omniscence
1t seems that OF the first uses man made Of the
discovery that he was gifted with reason, was to
search into the why aud wherefore of events that to
him must ever remain uLtashomable. This truth,
then. the certainty that the ways OF Providence,
though always most just, most wlSe and most bene.
6cent, TO utterly nscrutaDe, and that all our
efforts to scan them, to lay down rnes for the
duct of Omnipotenee vain and futie-this is the
moral lesson when author intends 10 inculcate.
In order to do this IN The most forclble manner he
introduces 10 man of the greatest worth and
virtue, TO whom the Searcher of all Hearts, himself
gives the character Of being perfect upright, fear
ing God and escheWng eyil' This man he shows
ing daughters, in poss s7ion Of great weath and
boundless influence, aud masing the nobest uses Of
the blessings bestowed upon him. Yet of sudden
by q series of events which 10 prudence or care OF
his could have averted, he becomes deprived not
oay OF his wealth but OF what desrer far to him.
his children, and eventually affected with disease
so painful, loathsoue to al once insupporta
BILE to himself and di gusting to Others This man,
thus great IN his sufericgs and III the resignation
with which be subalts TO them, the author repre-.
Sents to still posse OF two sources OF
lation-the consciousness or his own recttude, and
the affection Of tried friends But these friends he
is in danger OF losiug in consequence OF his pertna
c0us assertion OF his ietegrity, which is questioned
In the most pitiless manner Men Of whose moral
worth aad religious principles Job is perfectly con-
viDced and who, moreover maiatain the universally
received opinion OF tner age, cannot believe it posi-
BILE that he should have been exposed b his many,
sudden and unexampled Affections, unless his own
misdeeds bad brought these Affections upon him, IS
3 meIted punishment OF his secret, bu: most heinous
sins Ana from his attempt t. indicate his In aocence,
and theirs to maintaiu the justice OF Providence,
end jobs consequent guilt-frcin these attempts
arises an investigator OF the most sublime truths,
conducted with the greatest zeal, ability, and eo-
quence, IL which each OF the speakers, founding his
arguments on the axiom that divine Providence is
nos lass use and good than mig ty and just abors
to enforce his own views. At length the interDosi
ton to the deity puts and to the debate pointing
out to Job his mistake in arrai ynng, and to the
friends their error OF principle in indicating the
ways Of Providence and proving TO all the utter in
sufciency OF all attempts TO bring divine prote ction
before the bar of human Ia addition to this
and as 1t we're inciden ally, TIE author wishes clear
ly TO prove the freedom OF human will, and the
strength which clear conscience inparts to the
mind, even under cir sumstances the most trying.
and when extreme misery il fast hurrying the suffer
to despair. Such oeing The pau of the author he
haA the choice Of two methods for treating the SUBJ
iece. He might have adopted narrative style, his
toric in prose, dd4ctic in verse; he might as
he actually did, have liked on dramatic style. In
ura orytp no laf no
fully acquainted with the nnost recesses OF the hui
man mnd its secret working, sud the influence Of
sympathy, as ID the work itself he appears con-
versant wlth the most Sublime of truths, the m,st
profound of mysteries. Indeed so very wonderful is
the epton, true The moral and perfect the
execution his plan, that we Obliged to own the
master mind which framed this book must have
been dvinely inspired; as without such inspiration
he could not have proceeded succeeded as be did
The work was intended not for the good and wise
only, but for all men. The great mass however, is
too volatile too trfing. too much addicted to the
pleasures and snbjec To the Of the moment, to
bestow their Intense attention for any length Of time
matters so abstruse as those contained in this
book, unless indeed toe author As found the key to
unlock their sympathies, aud to force them, as it
wire, to identity themselves with his subject. rhst
key Is the particular style OF composition which he
employs, and which enables him 10 pourtray to US
the workings of The most different passions and afsc
tons OF the mind and our owa natural temper,
lnchres US towards one or other OF the various ways
sonages he leads to feel as they did; if we were
TO gave utterancs to feelings to speak they did,
and thus by insensioly placing Us in their stead,
he enlists cur sympathes aud rivets our attent IN
Baving seen thst the author acted thus wisely in
choosing his style OF composition, we have next to
consider the manner in which he planned his drama
and conducted his plot. On this question, the lee
turer stated that he had the misfortune 10 differ
from of the greatest authorities on this subject,
the learned and pious Doctor Lowth. That accom-
plished Hebrew and classical scholar in his lectures
on sacred poetry delivered before the University of
Oxford, contends that job is not dramatic compo
stion, because, as he asserts this poem contains no
plot or action whatever. This opinion, however il
one not generally subs ,ribed to, and in which more
over. the worthy prelate himself cannot have had
the greatest confidence; because subsequently ne
admits that although the poem of Jo6 ought not to
be accounted true and regular drama, such as the
tragedies Of the Greeks be was far from insinuating
that it did not pcssess the dramatic form. II
not only allow, says he, that in its general con-
duct 1t exhibited smilitude, as it were of genuine
tragedy, but that it contains also the pro re.
quisies OF dramstic poem plot or action alone ex
copied. The manner In which DIR. Lowth thus quail