Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-07-01

edge Him, and He shall direct thy way,
prov. i'll, 6).
The lessons have been in Job, Proverbs
Ecclesiastes, Malachi. A brief review oI
the character of each of these books would
form the matter of an instructive talk on
the part of the teacher Job, Proverbs and
Ecclesiastes form the principal part of the
canonical "Khechma," or wisdom of the
Hebrews. This wisdom may be described
as the practical side of religion-the proper
conduct of life. granting that, God exists
and that He takes an interest in human af-
fairs. The beginning of it is ''the fear of
Jehovah"-due reverence for Him and obe-
dience to His commands. In this the prn-
ciple of faith is implied, and faith gives
confidence and inspires hope in spite of all
lifes perplexities.
The common things OF life are good
Gods daylight sleep, food, family love and
acontented spirit. Then in the gloom there
CLEANS a ray of light that somehow or
other shows that all will be well at last-if
not here, yet after the judgment which
faith looks forward to- In Job this prac-
tical wisdom is illustrated and enforced by
the life story of Job, a Bedouin emir or
chief, with a great household and great
wealth and prosperity. This life story is
treated POLITICALLY for the most part. The
author no doubt intended that satan should
be taken as a real, living, personal being,
as Jobs real and Jehovah is real. The
court of Jehovah as the moral governor is
represented. Before His throne appear all
His angels-sons of God.
Satan-the well known adversary-ap-
pears among those holy servants Of God
He, too, as accuser, resister, enemy, has his
report to give in. Asked if he had noticed
righteous Job, quite in the spirit of the
mocking fiend he answers yes, but insinu-
ates doubt as to the sincerity of Jobs de-
votion. Within certain limits satan is suf-
fered to put Job to the test by the loss of
his wealth and his children. Yet Job was
able to bless God, retaining his faith. Thus
it was proved that he served God with an
unselfsh love. Satan's test having failed
to destroy the trust of job in God, the evil
one is suffered to smite Job with terrible
disease. Dire are Jobs sufferings, but yet
he refuses to curse God and die. Then
come the three friends of Job and dispute
with him. They argue that Job, in order
to be a sufferer above Others, must have
been a sinner above Others
Each Of the three speaks twice, Job re-
plying twice, and then in the third turn
one of them drops out as having no more to
say. Job replies. Then Elihu, new speak
er, appears and argues that God often af-
ficts men in order to improve them by cor
rection and chastisement Job again re-
plies. AT last God speaks out with majes-
ty, and His last word is to demand humble
submission to Him who reveals His power
and wisdom and love in His works. Jobs
trials end here. He is vindicated as right
eous, while his accusing friends are CEN
sured. Finally Job is made doubly pros
porous in all his concerns. The teaching is
at once deep, lofty and convincing, not
clearing up all life's mystery, but showing
that trust in Gods faithfulness will bring
the believer out of all life's trials a con-
queror in the end
The book of Proverbs is collection of
popular sayings, attributed for the most
part to King Solomon. A proverb is a con
densation of wisdom into compact form,
fitting it for use in everyday life It's part
of the small change, the current coin, Of
wisdom. Often a simile is the form it
takes. Driver says that most of the prov
erbs in this book ARE works of art and bear
the impress of the skilled hands which pro-
duced them" In l Kings iv, 12 we read
that Solomon spoke 1900 proverbs.
The learned Rabbi Vogue Of Paris says
that this book contains but 9l5 verses, and
the conclusion that he draws is as follows:
"The book of Proverbs appears to be in
greater part the work of King Solomon, a
work oral at first and perhaps complex,
then written and simplified later in part
while the author was living, and finally en-
riched from the time of Hezekiah by the ad-
dition of other portions emanating either
from Solomon or from other moralists"
C'Histoire de la Bible" Paris, 1881, p. Az.
This seems as plausible an account as any
that the critics have given. No one can say
that Rabbi Vogue is no Hebraist, for he is
aprofessor in the Jewish seminary in Paris.
Hebrew wisdom observed human life from
a divine standpoint and saw Gods provi-
dence everywhere. On everything that he
sees the wise man passes judgment. Buying
and selling, industry and rlaSiness, wealth
and poverty, sorrow and gladness, youth
and age, wisdom and folly, all are carefully
pondered, estimated and made matters of
instructioDin in righteousness. He sees and
feels that religion eleyates life and is true
wisdom-the most precious of attainments
and possessions.
Ecclesiastesis called in Hebrew Koheleth
--one that calls men together in order to
near wisdom. The book is attributed to
sSANoht VIC splcuulu king OF JcruSfleu,
David's royal son. The author intends to
represent the experience of Solomon in his
search for true wisdom. The book must
be taken as a whole. To pick out one verse
to found doctrine on is to pervert the pur-
port of the whole.
Modern critics, soul sleepers and destruc-
tionists have not done justice TO this pro-
found book. Renan calls the author a gen
tleman discouraged by the meanness of the
times that he lived in and compares his book
to pamphlet by Voltaire. The preachers
comparison Of the goddess man TO beast
has been perverted into denial of immor-
tality. His commendation Of natural pleas
ures has been construed into a recommend
alton OF merely sensuous life Even when
he refers to God, the future life and day
OF Judgment men like Driver and Cheyne
lnsinuate that such passages are additions
to the original work. Whyi Simply be-
cause the preacher teaches true religion as
the highest good Of man Would any one
redeem human life from its vanity, enjoy
the good things of Gods providence, avoid
a cheerless old age and rise above the fear
Of future judgment, let him remember his
Creator in the days of his youth, fear God
and keep Gods commandments" This Is
the cOncluciOn of the kxhola