Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 10.

Text of the Lesson, Job xiii, 1-10-Mem-
DRY Verses. s-1o-Golden Text, John xiii,
= Commentary by the Rev. ID. d.
Stearns.
Ia Then Job answered and said, Even
today is my complaint bitter; my stroke is
heavier than my groaning" This is the be-
ginning Of Jobs reply to the third address
Of Eliphaz Each of the three-Eliphaz,
Bildad and Zophar-had spoken twice, and
Job had replied to each in turn This is the
beginning of the third round. In an inter
esting and instructive little pamphlet en-
titled JOB and His Friends" by G. H. NJ,
the author thinks that these three stand
for experience, tradition and legality-all
well meaning, but unwise in their dealings
with job The difficulties on each side are
summed up in chapter xxi, 1-2 They
condemned Job instead of leading him to
condemn himself, and be justified himself
rather than God. AS to the beginning Of
this reply of j OBJ, we may often feel that we,
too, have great cause OF complaint, as did
Israel under their discomforts but it is
written, when the people complained, it
displeased the Lord" (Num. XII, y.
3 "Oh, that | knew where | might find
Eliphaz had said, "Acquaint now thyself
with Him and be at peace" xxi, 2D. job
replies that his longing is to do so. AccolS-
ing to the testimony of God Himself, Job
was perfect and upright man, fearing God
and eschewing evil ii, s. ii, 81, the word
perfect" meaning in this case simple or
sincere. Before his friends came, even I'M
der overwhelming afiliction, he was patient
and did not sin nor charge God foolishly g.
22; il, 10Y, because he felt himself face to
face with God and that God was dealing
with him But these men seem to have
come between him and God, and he, in re-
plying to them and dealing with them,
loses sight of God and gropes in the dark
ness Of his own wisdom.
4 IL would order my cause before Him
and fill my mouth with arguments" So it
seemed to Job in his blindness, but it is
evident that he lacks the broken and con
trite spirit which only is acceptable to God.
In the story of the two men who went up
to the temple to pray duke xviii, l0-l4 it
was the man who would not lift up so much
rs his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon
his breast saying, God be merciful to me- a
sinner" who went down to his house justi-
fed rather than the other who thanked God
that he was better than other men. 1t is
own righteousness that we can enjoy the
free Justification of the grace of God
through His Righteousness CRom. iii, 49,.
8. Il would know the words which he
would answer me and understand what he
would say unto me-" He cannot under
stand these friends, and it is very clear that
they de not understand him, but he thinks
he could understand God, and he would like
to know what God would say to him. No
doubt there are many who think they can
sympathize with Job in his being SO mis-
understood. Well, there is great comfort
in looking unto Him who knew us thor
oughly from the beginning and can never
find out anything new about u.s. He never
can or will misunderstood us. 20 Lord,
thou hast searched me and known me"
FPS cxxxix, ~
6. will He plead against me with His
great power, No, but He would put
strength in me-" A very little thing will
often bring the soul into such a place that
everything will look distorted as when one
sees things in fog or with blurred vision,
Our eyes need constant amounting with
heavenly eye salve (Rev. ill., ls) that we may
see clearly The Holy Spirit can do this
and inasmuch IA we have Him in a sense
that Job had him not we are more guilty
so dim God pleads not against the sinner
but against sin, which He hates He who
sought Adam and Eve and redeemed them
and restored them to a measure of fellow
ship with promise of future glory is evel
the same and is pleading with the sinnel
to come to Him, however sinful he may be
and with the erring to return to Him, how
ever far off he may have wandered See
lisa i, 49, ", 6, Z; Jer. iii, l2-l4 Hos, xiv, |, 2
There the righteous m ght disput,
with Him, so should be delivered forever
from my Judge" Perhaps we cannot tel
Just what was in the mind of Job when h,
uttered these words, but this we do know
that there is only one righteous person
whose righteousness can stand before God
and He also has been ordained to be tn,
Judge of quick and dead I'll Cor V, 81; Act
xvii,3l However sinful we may be- if onl,
we come with true pentence TO Him WIT
came into the world to save sinners, He vii
not only not cast US out John vi, 81, bu
He will become our righteousness, wisdom
sanctification and redemption, and we shall
have great cause to glory in Him q Cor.
80, 81 The Judge being our friend, our Re
deemer, our substitute, who died in on
stead, what boldness we may have in tn
day OF Judgment q John iv, ~.
.. btnOlu, 20 lOTNaru, uuI he Is no
there, and back ward, but cannot perceiv
Him" He reminds us of the bride in tn
Song of Songs who, because she had bee
self occupied and had not promptly heede
the voice of her beloved, is compelled t
seek lin very earnestly before she foun
Him again She says, II sought Him, bu
| could not find Him; called Him, but II
gave me no answer (Song v, g. Many
Christian is walking in darkness, out {
fellowship with God, because of some thin
! or person which has been allowed to com
nearer to them than the Lord Himself II
il not far Off, nor hard to find, when we see
Him with the whole heart iRom. X, s, 9; Je
xxx, l3), and if we would walk continual
with Him, esteeming His fellowship MOI
, than all else, we would never walk in darl
! | ness
g. "On the left hand, where He dot
work, but cannot behold Him. He hidet
Himself on the right hand that cann(
see Him" The remarks on the last vers
are also applicable here and yet there
. another side of the truth. We may wal
I with Him in peace and quietness and "