The Progress., 1893-04-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ", SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. APRIL %.

Text of the Lesson, job xiii, i-IO-Mem
ory Verses, 5. 6-Goldcn Text, JAS. y
IL Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ
Stearns.
l. "Then Job answered the Lord and
said" After time the three men ceased
TO answer Job, because he was righteous il
his own eyes and justified himself rather
than God (chapter xxi, l,2L Then TO Tho
end of chapter XyXyii we have the wise aut
weiChty words of Elihu the uauc Si.uife.
God HimselfO speaking ON God's behaI,
iZ.lXyi, p, to which Job Iua.,es 10 reply
From XZyviii, 1, to XII, -. Jehovah speaks
and now for the first time since the three
friends stopped, with the exception Of clap
ter Xl, 3-5, Job makes reply, but we sbal.
hear him as an entirely different man from
the one who made reply TO Eliphaz and tbs
others, giving them as good as they gave
him.
9. II know that Thou canst do every.
thing, and that no thought can be with
holden from Thee" 1t is a good and help
ful thing to believe that God can do every
thing, and that nothing is too hard or won.
derful for Him (Jer. xxi, 10. Sarab
stumbled here, and so did Moses and the Il
spies and hosts of others Gen. xviii, 13, II
Mum. xi, 21-23; xiii, 81, 33). Let us also be
heve that no purpose of God can be frus
trated (Ps. xXXiii, II; Isa. xiv, "a, and since
His ways and thoughts are as far above our.
as heaven is above the earth Gsa. lv, s, 9
let us away with ours. however attractive
to ourselves, and be filled with His, which
are sure of accomplishment.
3. who is he that hideth counsel with
out knowledge? Therefore have | uttered
that | understood not; things too won
derful for me that | knew not" The
words of Jehovah had taken hold of him
Chapter xxxviii, 9, 81 and laid him low, e..
posing his folly. Elihu had spoken wisely
when he said, I'VE cannot order our speech
by reason of darkness" Chapter xX-lvii, 19)
And the Holy Spirit through Paul assure.
us that 'in us-that is, in our fesh-dwelL
eth no good thing" and 1--WE are not suifi
cient of ourselves to think anything as oi
ourselves" (Rom. vii, IS; Ii Cor iii, 81.
4. Hear, beseech thee, and will speak
| will demand of thee and declare thoC
unto me-" Job had talked thus foolishlJ
(Xiii, 22), and God had given him back hi:
own words (XXXviii, 3; Xl, y, and it wouiI
seem that Job now quotes them in deer
humility and self condemnation, for he hau
already said: Il will lay mine hand upon
my mouth. Once have | spoken, but viii
not answer. Yea, twice, but will proceed
no further" (xl, 4, 81.
s. Il have heard of thee by the hearing q
the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee" II
is to be feared that much hearing of the
gospel is merely hearing by the ear. Ii
fact, He who is perfect in knowledge
(xxxvi, 4 told US in the parable of the
sower that it would be so. The question
for US is, How do hear?" For the Say
iour teaches US to take heed how we hea.
and what we hear" Mark iv, "a; Luke viii
1s). AS to seeing God, it is written
BLESSED are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God" (Math. V, S. But God said
to Moses, "There shall no man see Me and
live' (Ex xxxiii, 20). And yet again it i:
said, "They saw God and did eat and
drink" (Ex. xiv, 11). The key to thest
sayings is probably found in John i, is.
6. Wherefore | abhor myself and repent
in dust and ashes" This is a wondrou:
change from chapter xxx, where in replying
to Bildad and singing his own praises he
uses the pronouns /, me, my about 81
times. In the presence Of God the holiest
men are made to feel ashamed. Isaiah said
Woe is me, for am man of unclean
lips" Daniel said, "All my comeliness
was turned to corruption in me-" And
even John fell on his face as one dead Qsa
vi, 5; Dan. X, viii; Rev. i. xviii The right
eousness of Christ makes ours to appear as
dross and filthy rags phil. iii, s; Isa Xiv,
O., while the serving of Christ makes ours
to appear as not worthy of mention. The
language of the self emptied man will be in
the line of this verse, or that of Paul, when
be says: Not |, but Christ, who liveth 10
me-" Not l, but the grace of God, which
was with me" Gal. ii, 20; Cor XIV, 10Y. 1t
is God who worketh in us both to will and
to do of His good pleasure, and it is oul
place to let Him, yielding ourselves fully &c
Him phil. ii, l3; Heb. xiii, 90 21).
Z. And it was so that, after the Lord had |
spoken these words unto job, the Lord said |
to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kin |
died against thee and against thy two
friends, for We have not spoken of Ne right, |
as My servant job" We are to give an nc |
count of our words, and if by our words we |
honor God He will honor us (Math. xii, 36: !
Sam. ii, 30) What word is here foI |
every teacher and preacher-do we say
what is right of God? DO we honor Him. |
telling of His salvation from day to day? Is |
it His righteousness and this only that VIC /
preach? Do we magnify His grace and in |
every way by word and deed eXalt the Lord |
Jesus Christ
8. Therefore take unto you now seven
bullocks and seven rams, and 90 to Ny |
servant Job and offer up for yourselves q
burnt offering, and My servant Job shall
pray for you" There is no forgiveness of
sin without the shedding of blood, for it is
the blood that maketh atonement for the
soul (Heb. tx, %; Lev. xvii. ID. But,
slessed be God, there is forgiveness for all
who come in true penitence Not by the
blood of bulls and goats, but by His own
blood He hath obtained eternal redemp-
tion for us Heb. tx, 12). Observe also
how He deals with those who touch His
must obtain forgiveness
from God, and they must also be humbled
before those servants of God whom they
have touched. Let the afflicted and perse.
cuted rejoice in Isa. liv. IL, and in great
quietness and confidence commit their case
TO God and let Him see to it.
q "SO E,linhaz the Tananita apd P;ldad