thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou disannul my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency, and array thyself with glory and beauty. Then will I also confess unto thee, that thine own right hand can save thee. The work is now accomplished, and the proud sinner is fully convinced. Then Job answered the Lord, and said: I know, that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered what I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes'.

Here this argumentative poem ends: and, as it exhibits throughout the strictest unity of design, so it may well be pronounced the noblest monument of Patriarchal and Levitical theology which occurs in the whole volume of the Hebrew Scriptures. To fallen man the subject is the most important of all other subjects: for, it is nothing less than a full discussion of the vital doctrine of justification and reconciliation to God through the merits of the Angel-Redeemer; a discussion, raised upon the basis of human vileness

1 Job xxxviii.-xlii.

and corruption, but carried up even to immortal life in the heaven of heavens itself. The subject, in short, is the very same as that of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans: and the book of Job, in its closely argumentative form, may be said to bear the same relation to the Old Testament as that celebrated Epistle does to the New Testament. Chapter by chapter, the work has been strictly analysed; and the general result of the whole is this: SINFUL MAN, EVEN WHEN MOST ATTENTIVE TO THE DUTIES OF MORALITY, CANNOT JUSTIFY HIMSELF IN THE PRESENCE

OF GOD. TO DELIVER HIM FROM WRATH, AND TO GIVE HIM A RIGHT TO A JOYFUL RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, HE HAS NEED OF THAT ATONEMENT, WHICH CAN ONLY BE EFFECTED BY THE ANGEL-MEDIATOR.

3. As, in this comment on the book of Job, I have adopted the principle that the drama is a theological apologue founded on a true history, which history is literally detailed in the prologue and epilogue of the piece: it will be expedient, ere I conclude, that I give my authority for such a mode of interpretation.

Merely to say, that the apologue or parable is a common oriental method of conveying instruction, is not, I apprehend, sufficient: unless some better reason could be given, the idea would be little more than a gratuitous assumption. The truth however of such an opinion seems to me abundantly plain, both from the

internal evidence afforded by the very subject of the poem, and likewise from certain declarations which (as a clue to the intention of the author) are artfully made respecting the hero himself.

(1.) With regard to the internal evidence afforded by the subject of the poem, I would state it in the following manner.

The naked history is that of a good man, severely tried of God with the heaviest afflictions, and yet refusing either to apostatise or to murmur. Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped: and he said; Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? This exemplary conduct in due time receives an abundant reward. The Lord turned the captivity of Job: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.

Such is the history: and, as it constitutes the basis of a sacred drama, we must obviously conclude, according to the just laws of composition, that the drama, like the drama (for the instance) of the Edipus Tyrannus, would be nothing more than a poetic amplification of the history. But, 2 Job xlii. 10, 12.

1 Job i. 20, 21. ii. 10.

when we come to examine it, so far is this from being the case, that no two things can well be more dissimilar than the subject of the drama and the literal historical narrative. The three friends of Job profess to comfort him; and Job himself appears bowed down with a load of affliction: but the drama itself, with the exception of a few references just sufficient to bind it to the history, has not the slightest connection with the peculiar fate of Job; on the contrary, we find the speakers elaborately discussing, from first to last, that grand and important doctrine which is alike the key-stone of all the three Dispensations. Now in what manner shall we rationally account for this extraordinary conduct in the author, except by supposing him to employ a literal history as the basis of a religious apologue?

(2.) With the internal evidence, afforded by the subject of the poem, agree certain declarations, which the author very artfully makes respecting the hero himself.

We are told, that the Jews complained of Ezekiel on account of his speaking in parables'. But, would we learn the nature of these parables, we need only advert to any of the numerous examples of them, which occur in the writings of that prophet, to be satisfied that they are strict or proper apologues. Such is the parable

1 Ezek. xx. 49.

of the eagle with great wings': such again is the parable of the sour grapes': and such is the parable of the boiling pot'. All these apologues are expressly denominated parables: and various other specimens of the same mode of composition occur, both in the prophecies of Ezekiel himself, and in many other parts of Scripture. At a subsequent period, our Lord greatly affected this parabolical method of teaching: and, in truth, he did nothing more than adopt a practice, which from the earliest ages had been familiar throughout the East'. Now Job is twice said to speak in parables: and the original word is the very same as that, which Ezekiel employs to designate his undoubted apologues. Hence I conclude, that, in using this term, it was the purpose of the author dexterously to insinuate the nature of his composition.

On the whole therefore, when we put together the internal evidence afforded by the subject of the poem and the author's assertion that the words of Job were parabolical, we can scarcely doubt, I think, that the drama is a religious apologue built upon the literal history of the trials endured by a pious Arab.

4

Ezek. xvii. 2—10.

3 Ezek. xxiv. 3-14.

2 Ezek. xviii. 2, 3.

* See Judg. ix. 7-21. 2 Sam. xii. 1-9. xiv. 1-20. Isaiah v. 1-7. Jerem. ii. 1-20. Ezek. xii. xv. xvi. xix. xxiii. xxiv. 15-27. xxxvii. Hos. i-iii. Zechar. i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. xi. Psalm xlv. Cant. Solom.

Job xxvii. 1. xxix. 1.