The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-04-21
Iuf SUNDAY SCHOOL.


,,,,ani Lesson for April :3. 1893
In" ..ns.ssion and Restoration. Job
Asi-io'
',,n,,TrxT -yc have heard OF the patience
Xxx and have seen the end OF the Lord; that
m 'g~ Il very pitiiul. ana Of tender mercy
james s'll ..,,,,
rh. colloquy has ceased. and job has
II ~. last word. No little light has
- an thrown upon the problem. and
IN stands in the earliest dawning twi-
,;,b, OF the truth. Ito Is still surround
"a hv clouds and darkness; but the rays
ss,he morning have touched the noun
ain tops. and shown glimpscs Of the
liver lining on the Heavcnward side OF
The earthly clouds.
Now a new character enters. lie has
,,s,s,od 10 the discussion till his heart
,,rrns within him. Then he speaks.
Ills work is TO sum up the clcarcst and
s,l,est lipht which the human intellect
can bring to the dark problem Of sor-
row.
First. Although the three friends
manifest no hunger for direct
communion Of spirit with God, aud
are perfectly content with Tcufels-
1rockh's absentee God, sitting at the
outside Of tie universe and seeing itgo,
81 long as they secure an honorable
and prosperous way through life, and
although they state tbs fact much too
universally and with bitter dogmatic
CONGREGATIONS that turn IL into lie.
VET their main contention that even
here and now it fares well with the
good, and goes i'll with the wicked, af-
fords very helpful clew to the mystery
which encompasses our life.
Second Elihu sets in far clearer
light what was limited at in the previous
discussion, that God sends troubles as a
discipline. as a healing medicine, as
mcrciful remedy To lead men to
higher and better life. They are voices
II God, sent for fatherly chastisement.
a. we'll as punishment, to refine away
the dross and purify the soul.
Third. Deduct all the suffcrings hich
have the characteristics either of just
chastisement or of instruments of
education. there still remains in human
explained. job himself, by his noble
provision of Judgment and life to
come. in which all the wrongs Of time
shall be rcdresscd. and good shall come
at last 10 all who have loved goodness
and pursued it. throws the light of a
great and supporting hope into all the
darkness of earth and time.
THE STORM.
One of the most effective and bcauti-
full features Of the action of this poem is
the commingling. wit n exquisite tact, OF
Eihu's closing argument witha descrip-
ton of the approaching tropical storm,
out Of whose whirlwind Jehovah
speaks. At the eth verse Of the 3Cth
chapter. he secs the signs Of rain. and
hears the distant "thundcrings of his
PAVILION" and the far-off shafts OF
lightning. The hurricane approaches.
The lightnings fiji the whole
heaven with vivid and continu-
Gus flashes which zirzag Ito
the ends of the Garth" God
thundereth marvclously with his
voice. SHOWERS of His mighty rain.
snow and hail drive the wild beasts to
shelter. 1.-THE balancings Of the clouds
are marvellous The darkness Is terri
BILE. Atlast the clouds clear away, 1.-THE
light is bright in the skies" and "out
Of the north comcth golden splendor.
On BY '.thc clear shining after the
rain, and the new glory of the new
Heaven and the earth from which the
storm has swept all that darkcns anc
dcfles," he would convey to Job 'ths
hope that he too shall enter happier
day. (a) lie secs and would have al
men see that kindred religious emotions
are aroused in US by the great convul
sions OF nature and by the tribulation
which dcsolatc the soul, both inducin,
awe. humility. fear. the sense OF weak
ness, and Of our need of u Divine stay
ca In the spiritual as in the natura
world the very forces which seem mos
irresistible and most adverse to us ar
really Gods ministers for our good.
The ANSWER FROM GOD.
Out Of the whirlwind came God
voice. There was no form seen. bu
only voice out Of the great manifesto
tons Of nature. (1) The voice uttcrc'
what nature taught in its less clea
way (2) The God Of Revelation wa
identified with the God of Nature, tn
great Creator Of all things. 60 The In
visible, uaaccountable, but very power
full wind was one fitting symbol of Go
and Ills Providcncc. "Thc wind blow
eth where IL listcth, and thou hcares
the sound thereof, but canst not te
whence IL comcth nor whittier it gocth
SO is everyone that is born OF To
spirit" (p If the whirlwind. as
usual. was accompanied by lightning
still more was it the symbol Of the hit
ing OF Gods power -mystcrious, al
pcrvasivc, always working, but occs
sionally flashing out with terrific an
dazzling force. In no way could IN
answer Of God be given in a more 81
propriate and effective form.
1t is noted by all that Jehovah dos
not give direct answer and solution
the problem which job and his fricnc
have been wrestling with. But u) }
does give the best possible practici
solution of the problem. by so scttin
forth Gods froa1nacs aud wisdom an