The Portland daily press., 1897-03-08
THE BOOK OF JOB.
DR.. Blanchard's Sermon at Congress
Square Church.

in the Higher Criticism yesterday
morning. The subject was "The Book
of Job-a Poem of Trust In God" The
texts were taken from XIII aud XIII
chapters. ''Though he Stay me, yet will
trust in him but 1 will maintain my
own ways before him. When he hath
tried me shall come forth as gold"
After referring to his pleasure in pre-
pairing the sermons of the series and his
joy in conducting the ensuing Lenten
services and his purpose to deliver, after
Easter, another series of four sermons.
DR.. Blanchard said that the Higher Crit
icism showed that the hook u JOB is
the greatest poem which the world now
possesses. The word poem indicates the
difference between the old and new opin-
ions concerning the Scriptures. Once 1t
WAS held that the Scriptures are the
"Word of God. The Higher Criticism
shows that they are literature. Great
est of all literature, indead, but tue word
of man and not the word of Gcd. Litefa-
ture is what endures. Those writings
which satisfy our love of the beautiful
and inspire to noble life are literature.
We do not know who wrote this master
piece of poetry. Homer, Dante, Shakes
peare, Goethe are the four greatest
poets. The greater than these greatest is
unknown. The time of the writing of
the book is probably about 700 B. c.
The occasion of its composition was the
psrplexity of the post in trying to adjust
the facts of life TO the doctrines of his
people. They believed that the good al
weys proapered and that the evil always
suffered. 10 have calamity occur to any
one was sign Of sinfulness. The poet
saw that the facts did not dit the
theory. The wicked often prospered; the
good often suffered. He wiaked, tnere-
fore, to combat the current opinion. AS
Shakespeare took plots from legends or
novels SO this poet made use OF tradit-
ion concerning a man named Job. He
meant to show that man who Is right
eous may nevertheless suffer great sor-
row. He meant to teach that however
wrong events may seem, they are, never
theless, under the control OF righteous
God. He wished to make men trust
in God.
The arrangement and details OF the
poem are mastery. There is the pro-
Iogue with its scene of God and angels
and satan. There are the discussions on
the part of Jobs orthodox friends who
gather round him as he sits on bis ash
heap. There is the speech Of the young
De- fxod k in from the
whirlwind.S There is the epilogue which
tells of Jobs final happiness. The chap
tiers describing God speaking are marvel
lousy magnificent.
DR.. Blanchard thea emphasized three
points: I, the study of the book Of Job
will show its students that it is the great
est poem the world now possesses: H.,
this study will enable students to meet
the condemnation of the Bible by blatant
critics; ILL.,, the book will help men to
trust in God In their times OF deepest
needs.
He advised his hearers, therefore, to
study Prof. Genung's work ON Job,
which he calls "An Epic of the Inner
Life,'' and Prof. Moulton's Literary
Study of the Bible" He hoped that his
course OF sermons would induce many
to studysthe Scriptures thoroughly. He
should be very glad If the literary clubs
of the city would study job and Isaiah
and Genesis and Amos and Jeremiah. 70
study art. painting on china, history,
Goethe Browning and Shakes
psare is excellent. But the book of Job
is the worlds masterpiece it should re-
ceive great attention.
He made allusion to the best known
condemuer of the Bible. This man is
to be honored for the courage Of his con-
victions. He might have been governor
of Illinois and perhaps President of the
United States II he concealed his views.
He would not. But 1t Ia wonderful
how q man who prizes Hamlet does not
revere the book of Job. To all denoun-
GERS of the Scriptures, 1t is sufficient to
say, "Do you know the book Of Job"
This great poem will help men to faith
in God today. They see the wicked
prospecting. They see the good suffering.
They see calamities like the explosion in
BOSUOn-Uu6 ufoy OLe uOOu, ouo voIonHo3
the pestilenoe. They see their fortunes
lost through treachery Of others, they
have awful sorrows in the sickness or
death of.loved ones. They ask, "How
can God be good and suffer such things
to bef'' Let them see the poets hero,
Job, in his great struggle; in his assur
anee that man can be good even though
no reward is given; in his faith In a
hereafter; In his conviction that the sim
ner misses the highest happiness, love
and trust in God The..voice of the great
unknown poet will bring him cheer. 1t
encouraged Jesus: 1t encouraged Paul;
1T made men look up today brayely and
bear the burdens nobly az they too say:
"Though he slay me. yet trust in
him."
Fire in the Hub Shoe Store.