dence, from a higher stand than theirs. Again the wave of his affliction surges on him, and the evil of the world, the might of the wicked, and the wish that he might lay his cause before God's judgment-seat.' Then his thoughts of God lift him above his doubts of God's righteousness. He sees God in his works, his infinite creations and ordainings:

"Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways,

And how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power, who can understand?

It then comes home to Job, though he, the righteous man, may suffer, that it cannot go well with the wicked; the wicked must be desolate at heart, his cry unheard of God; and he shall not escape dishonor,-it cannot be.' Job's mind calms, and he sees an aspect of a farthest truth for man. Man may dig silver and gold, search out the earth and the sea; but that which the falcon's eye has not seen, nor the eyes of the living or dead, wisdom the priceless, which is God's alone, God's plan and understanding of the world, -this is beyond man forever. The ways of God exceed man's understanding; such is the decree of him who hath said that for man the fear of Jehovah is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. This also is the sum of the teaching of Proverbs. Job sees it from the point of view of the unsearchableness of God's plan. Henceforth he is at peace, though in sorrow. He yearns for restored communion with God; yearns for those days when God watched over him, and he walked by God's light in honor and prosperity, because he was righteous before God and man, delivering the poor that cried and the fatherless, causing the widow's heart to sing with joy. Then he thought his days would multiply, his life prosper to the end!

1 xxiii, 3, etc.

2 xxvi, 14.

3 xxvii.

'xxviii, 28. 5 xxix-xxxi.

Job's state is now such that he can feel if not understand the vision of divine power put before him by Jehovah, answering from the whirlwind. That answer explains nothing to Job's mind, but fills his soul with a sense of God's power and wisdom. O man, behold the infinitude of God's workings! Dost thou know anything whereby thou shouldst judge of the ways of God? Anything whereby thou canst sound his plans to judge his righteousness? Job's reply is man's only reply: I lay my hand upon my mouth.

Ecclesiastes.

The problem of Job touches life's deepest pain. Koheleth's questionings have dulled and broadened: where is the good in life? Both books rest on the general gnomic wisdom contained in Proverbs, and in both, such answers as are given are similar. If Koheleth shows Hellenistic traces, it is in the general form of the book and in certain turns of expression, rather than by reflecting doctrines peculiar to any system of Greek philosophy. Koheleth writes somewhat in syllogistic wise, and the confused composition shows how alien was dialectic to the Hebrew mind. The argument is neither continuous nor sustained; only the melancholy mood of the preacher remains.

Koheleth is dwelling on the gifts of life, its good things and its joys; most of which had ever been vanity in Israel; and now, when Hebrew thought brings itself to ponder on them, they are still vanity. Vanity of vanities, says Koheleth, all is vanity. What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth? Mortality is weighing on him, as it had not weighed on Israel in her strong times when faith in Jehovah was enough, though promising no clear life beyond the grave.—And there is no new thing under the sun. Did I not apply my heart and know wisdom?—a striving after wind. In much wisdom is much grief. And I have proved my heart with mirth; but I said of laughter, it is mad. I got me all good things-vanity, all! Still I saw that wisdom excelled

folly; yet one event happeneth to the wise man and the fool.

There is nothing better for man than that he should eat and drink and make his soul enjoy good; this is from the hand of God. God hath set its season to all things, and made everything beautiful in its time, and there is nothing better than to rejoice and do good as long as life lasts. Man cannot find out God's work; God hath done it that men should fear before him. As for wickedness, which stands in the judgment-place where righteousness should be, why God shall judge both the righteous and the wicked, and God seeks to prove the sons of men. He would teach them they are as beasts in what befalleth them. Then when I turned and looked on all the oppressions and beheld the tears of the oppressed, and power with oppressors, then I praised the dead!

Yet fear God, keep thy foot when thou goest to his house, be not rash with thy mouth to utter what thou knowest not; for God is in heaven, thou upon the earth; let thy words be few. If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violence instead of justice, marvel not; one higher than the high regardeth.

As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better the patient in spirit than the proud. Wisdom is a defense, it preserveth the life of him that hath it. Who can make straight what God hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful; in the day of adversity consider. There is not a righteous man on earth that doeth good and sinneth not.

And withal I saw the wicked buried; and they that had done right went away from the holy place and were also forgotten. This is vanity, which is as things seem. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God. Man by wisdom cannot find out Yet this I laid to my heart, that the

the work of God.

righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy; live joyfully with thy wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, for that is thy portion of life. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding; but time and chance happeneth to all. Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.

This is the end of the matter; fear God, and keep his commandments; this is the whole man. God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or evil. Dark Koheleth! Yet a Jew, his face turned towards God. Hebrew wisdom ends in the dark, waiting the revelation of another life.

Jehovah's character and ways were the source of the teaching of the prophets, and the standard of the instruction of Wisdom. Likewise the foundation of The Law a the Law, its sanction and binding force on Reflex of Israel lay in the qualities of Jehovah, and his Jehovah's Ways. relation to his people. Jehovah, Israel's god, is one God;' God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath, there is none else; He is holy, righteous, just, faithful, and compassionate.' No nation has a God so nigh as Israel; God has worked for no other nation such merciful and mighty works, such complete and marvellous deliverance; to no other nation has God so taught knowledge of himself and his commandments." Jehovah did not choose Israel because she was more in number than any people; for she was fewest of all peoples; but because Jehovah loved her and would keep the cove

1 Deut. vi 4.

9 Ib., iv, 39.

3 Ib., passim.

4 Ib., iv, 7.

5 Ib., iv, 32-35.

• Ib., iv, 8, 35, 36.

2

nant made with her forefathers.' He is also a devouring fire, a jealous God; a fire which must consume wickedness, a jealous God demanding full recognition of his power and righteousness, a recognition incompatible with worship of idols or with acts of sin. And he chose Israel for a holy people, to be entirely consecrate to him. Israel's promise and effort to fulfil the law constituted her answer of obedience to Jehovah's will; that represented her endeavor to preserve the right relationship of chosen worshipper to the holy and almighty God.

The central command of the law, and that which in Deuteronomy at least is repeatedly announced as of the essence of all other requirements, is: "Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thine Thou Shalt heart and with all thy soul and with all thy Lord Thy

3

Love the

God.

might.' This command follows as of course from the character of Jehovah's relationship towards Israel, he loves her; and most completely it betokens that imitation of him which is commanded of his people. Soon it is expanded in explanation and emphasis and God's wherefore: "And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good. Behold, unto Jehovah thy God, belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that therein is. Only Jehovah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you, above all peoples as at this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For Jehovah your God, he is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, the great God, the mighty and the terrible, which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward. He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and the 1 Deut. vii, 7, 8. ? Ib., iv, 24. • Ib., vi, 5.

2