And for myself his glory I shall see,
And not another shall behold for me.
In earnest panting for that coming day,
My reins within me are consumed away.
But since ye say, so cruel to your friend :
Let us pursue him to the bitt'rest end,
And seek to find with zealous skill and vim,
The root of charges criminating him ;
Be hence afraid of the destroying sword,
When swift destruction shall on you be poured:
For wrath and malice, cherished with intent,
Against a creature low in sorrow bent;
Devoid of pity, and of feelings fine,

That prove the spirit heavenly and divine;

Are crimes for which the sword deserves to slay,

That ye may know there is a judgment day.

CHAPTER XIII.

ZOPHAR'S SECOND REPLY TO JOB.

ZOPHAR now replies to Job. To the previous tender, and exceedingly touching speech of Job, one would suppose that he would have replied in a pathetic, and consolatory manner. But not so. He seems to be settled

in his opinions, past feeling or sympathy, and provoked at Job's false views concerning the government of God. He states, as the reason why he replied at all at this time, that Job had reproached his three friends in his last speech, and therefore his spirit was stirred. Zophar could use towards Job the most bitter and caustic language, without the least compunctions of conscience; but if Job retorts at all, his spirit causeth him to answer. The chief theme dwelt upon by Zophar in this speech is that calamity always has been, and always will be, the portion of the wicked. He declares that it had been conceded from the beginning of the world, that the triumphing of the wicked is short. He illustrates this by several examples. He shows that though exalted high, the wicked man will most assuredly be brought low; that all his comforts, and enjoyments will be torn from him; that he will not be allowed to enjoy his ill-gotten gains; that the heavens will discover, and publish his guilt, although he may try to hide it. He paints the circumstances of the wicked man, and also his calamities so vividly, and with such obvious reference to Job, as to leave no doubt but that he intended his whole speech to be personally applied to the afflicted patriarch. Zophar was more severe than either Eliphaz, or Bildad. He seems to imply that there is no hope for a wicked man ; that if once overthrown, he must for ever remain so. He is devoid of charity; he does not give Job any credit for his professed confidence in God; but he is perfectly under the dominion of the idea that God punishes only the wicked, and that therefore Job must be a very wicked man, because he is punished so very severely. Job's dreadful sufferings were before Zophar's eyes, and proved to him his monstrous guilt without argument. All Job's protestations of innocence went for nothing with Zophar. Hence his unmercifulness and inhumanity towards him.

When Job had Bildad's argument denied,

Then Zophar, the Naamathite, replied:

And therefore now my thoughts distract my mind,
And cause me thus upbraiding words to find.
Because you say these evils spring from God,
And He's no cause to smite thee with His rod;
Disturbed, and troubled, I am moved to speak,
And for thy words a caustic answer seek.
My heart is full; impassioned feelings rise,
I now make haste to utter my replies.
I've heard the check of my severe reproach,
That my opinions on the truth encroach;
The bold correction of my crying shame,
That tends to blast my fair, and honored name.
The strong emotions of my troubled soul,
Inspire replies beyond my own control.

Dost thou not know this hoary truth of old,

Since man was formed from out the virgin mold;

The shout to which the wicked oft resort,

As if victorious is always short?
His bold triumphing will indeed be brief,
Before calamities will cause him grief.
The joy the hypocrite doth sometimes know,
Is but a prelude to approaching woe.
Although his gifts to heaven, in honor, rise,
And oft his sacrifice may touch the skies;
Or though his ex'llency may mount afar,

And make professions, haughty, long, and loud

As high as burns the most refulgent star; Though tall his head should sweep th' empyreal cloud, 1;

Yet low in dust his tow'ring shall be flung,
And throughly perish like his worthless dung.
And they that saw him afterwards shall say,
O, where is he that did such pomp display?
As oft a dream doth vanish and forsake,
The dreamer's mind when first he doth awake ;
So he shall fly a baseless phantom round,
And unsubstantial nevermore be found.
As visions seen in slumb'rings of the night,
Depart forgotten in the morning light;
So he, illusive, spectral, shall be chased,
From human vision far away in häste.
The eye that saw him nevermore shall see,
This subtle monster of iniquity.

His tabernacle, tent, or dwelling-place,
No more shall see the visage of his face.
The squalid poor his children shall oppress,
Because still poorer, and in more distress.
The goods he plundered from the needy's store,
His hands again shall ev'ry whit restore;
His youthful bones are full of secret lust,

That, low with him, shall sleep beneath the dust.
Though wickedness, within his mouth, be sweet,
And though he taste it as his dainty meat;
Although he taketh pleasure in his sin,

And feel the rapture of his joy within ;

Though he prolong the sweetness from it sprung,

By hiding it beneath his tasting tongue;

And though he spare, and in his mouth retain,
That long the tasted pleasure may remain;
Though he forsake it not, but roll it o'er,
Against his palate sweeter than before;
Although he keep it still within his mouth,
And squeeze the juices to delight his drouth;
Yet all his meat is in his bowels turned,

And, deep with loathing, by his stomach spurned.
Though once so sweet the morsel seemed to be,
"Tis bitter now, and full of misery.

Though sin be pleasant when the deed is done,
A bitter consequence will from it run.

The gall of asps was in the dainty bit,
And now he feels the sting of swall'wing it.
Incurable and deadly is the bite,

His wound is swollen, and bedimmed his sight;
His stomach feels a sharp, and darting pain,
Succeeded soon by quiet stupor's reign;
Convulsions come, the victim chokes for breath,
And meets, at last, a hard and painful death.
He's glutted down the wealth of other men,
But he shall vomit up this wealth again.
Voracious, eager, and with monstrous greed,
He swallows riches as the vultures feed.
But loathing, retching, he shall writhe about,
And from his stomach God shall cast them out.
When pleasant nutriment he seeks to grasp,
Then he shall suck the poison of the asp;