The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-08-13

Sundays chapel services opened by
the choir singing the anthem, "Ashamed
of Jesus After prayer, Rev. J. H.
Albert, the officiating chaplain, deliv-
cred the sermon, taking his text from
Job XXI. 81 "Acquaint now thyself
with him, and be at peace; thereby good
shall come unto YOU" After review
ing the period contemporaneous with
Job, in which he outlined the history
of the Jewish nation from Moses to
Solomon, the chaplain spoke on the re-
lation of natural to divine law. The
Book of Job and the man Job are two
different things, the one is an evident
reality, the other may or may not be
fictitious parsonage. We are aware of
the existence of the book, with it's
beautiful passages relating the trials,
tribulations and marvellous patience of
it's chief character, and his sublime
faith in God and submission to His
will. The real character of Job may
be doubted without denying the scrip
lures or impairing the value of the les
sons the book endeavors to teach. He
may have existed merely as the charac-
ter of parable used to demonstrate
the worth of the virtues contained in
it's precepts. In His ministerial work,
Christ often made use of parallels as
an aid to illustrate some truth or duty,
and while the foundation was fiction
it served to more clearly express His
meaning. The general theological
opinion is that Job was a real biblical
character, who flourished about $50 B.
c., or about one hundred years before
the founding of the City of Rome, and
came of Arab stock. In those days
people could not conceive of the rela-
ton of cause and effect, the laws of
nature being but little known, and
every mishap was believed to be the
direct Judgment of God. If lightning
struck the tent of member of the
tribe it was looked upon as punish
ment for sin, and the visitation viewed
as evidence of guilt. In every phase of
life accidents were not considered as
the result of carelessness, but as testi-
mony of wrong doing. The radical
difference between ancient and modern
thought is that while the one believed
that God personally directed the affairs
of men, the other accepts the laws of
nature as the expression of His divine
will. Deep down in the human heart
the belief is rooted and grounded that
the rewards and penalties of this life
flow directly from God. The convic-
ton is strong that behind the natural
laws we recognize, there is Guiding
Power, serene and all discerning, know
ing the innermost recesses of the heart,
careful of the temptations and failings
of life, its uncertainties, hopes and
fears, ready, with judgment as wise
as it is sure, to punish or reward our
every act, however great, however
small. Every thing IN nature is guided
by laws, which allows of no violation
without the infiiction of an appropriate
penalty. The most pious christian may
overburden his stomach with improper
food, but his piety will not save him
from the pains of indigestion. Aphys-
ical law has been violated and a penalty
must result. The vilest sinner can
abide by the laws of health and be per-
feet as far as the body is concerned.
To understand God we must have a
knowledge of the laws of nature, and
as nature is the work of God it's laws
are our guide to right living in this
world, and as we obey or disregard
them so shall we succeed or fail. Be-
meath the vain fancies, the fires of pas
sion, the cares of responsibility and the
pride of ambition, with their follies,
regrets, troubles and blasted hopes,
that marks the course of life, the moral
nature rests as the guide-pos to the
laws of nature and the laws of God.
From the life of Job the chaplain
drew the lesson of obedience to law,
and the regrets that will inevitably
follow departure from the recognized
standards of morality and right. Serv-
ices ended by the congregation singing
the gospel hymn "The Home Over
} There"