The morning call., 1890-09-22
" IDENTITY OF JOB"
Rev. DIR. Stebbins Makes III i'm an Emir and
His Book Poem.

Rev. DIR. S:ebbins Makes ii i'm Emir and
His Book Poem.
Rev. HOratio n. Stebbins, DID,. Of the
First Unitarian Church. preached to his
congregation on the Identity Of the author
of the Book of Job, an extract of which he
used for his Scripture lesson. His research
into the character of the hero of that book is
one of the set addresses he has promised his
people.
"There is no book" said the preacher,
''the name or character of which is better
known to the readers Of the Bible than that
of job; yet l will venture to say that there
is no buck about which SO little is known.
1t is a volume, an intact book, bound with
the others in the Bible. 1t stands alone,
making no reference to the historical books
which precede, or the books of prophecy
which follow it. In its f0rty-two chapters
there is no allusion to q single character
spoken Of in the rest of the volume, and it,
as poem, is as completely isolated in char
acter from the rest as poem by Tennyson
would be in the Constitution of the United
States.
IF we look for its author, for his time and
place, all is obscure. Some say he lived far
lar away-some think in Babylon, others
say in Jerusalem. The book goes back Of
Greek and Roman times, back of the days of
Solomon into the morning twilight OF ORR
entail history. We know its author was
Hebrew from the similarity Of his sayings
to those OF Hebraic writings. Yet he makes
no alluson to their country.
''He borrows illustrations from the animal
kingdom. He alludes to his flocks and
herds and riches as no Hebrew would, but
in all of bis symbols he betrays the learning
and influence of Asia OF Arabia. Through it
all he is devoid OF any allusion to Jewish
traditions.
- I'll
We use him as symbol of poverty and pa
thence on the one hand, and of riches and de-
votion ON the other. But the one phase of
his character, the most indelibly written in
our intelectS and hearts, was his unswerv-
ing fidelity to his God.
''ln the whole book of forty-two chapters
forty are what have been appreciated as
poem. 1t has been so studied and its depths
are capable of yielding so many rich gems
OF thought that its character has not been
wholly settled. Some call it an epic poem,
Others drama, and vet others parable.
1t is an epic inasmuch as the whole centers
on the deeds Of It's hero; not on his physical
deeds, but his moral travail. Its scene is set
in a debris Of miserable, Wretched existence
gathered together to keep misery's company,
but 1t has an ending, conquest, a triumph,
which bears out every requirement of the
epic.
at is also a drama. Its scene is con-
stantly changing one, not so much as IN the
external as the internal life. He did not
feel from moment to moment In his riches
or IN fluctuations the same sentiments. They
were ever changing, and in that way his
career was "a dramatic one, and the story of
his life drama.
"Those who speak of it as parable have
little to support their position. 1t is not a
story 10 as Christ told his lessons that they
who had ears might hear. No, it is TO look
into the life of this man that is meant. Do
listen i'm
plorations in his infections, but study the
example he has set.
He had not only herds, flocks, tents,
servants, almost unb0unded wealth in the
country, but he had his place in the city
where lie was revered, where the old men
and the young men rose up in reverence at
his approach. He must have been more than
a shlek. which is q local prominence equiva-
lent to an esquire In this country. He was
hardly Sultan as his conditions were not
that OF ruler. Everything points to his
having been an Emir with power equivalent
TO modern count, ruler of a country"