Job 21:15

I. No man can hold the Christian view of God's personality and dominion without his whole intellectual nature being ennobled. The finer and clearer our conceptions of the Divine idea, the nobler and stronger must be our intellectual bearing and capacity.

II. Not only is there ennoblement of the nature of a man as a whole by his acceptance of the Christian idea of the nature of God: there is a vital cleansing and purification of a man's moral being; a new sensitiveness is given to his conscience; he goes directly to the absolute and final standard of righteousness; he knows the wrong, afar off and avoids it.

III. It is always profitable to base life upon religious faith. He who walks by sight only walks in a blind alley. Even in matters that are not distinctively religious, faith will be found the inspiration and strength of the most useful life. We cannot get rid of religion unless we first get rid of faith; and when we get rid of faith, we give up our birthright and go into slavery for ever.

Parker, City Temple, vol. iii., p. 73.

References: Job 21:15.—F. E. Paget, Helps and Hindrances to the Christian Life, vol. ii., p. 116; A. P. Peabody, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xi., p. 330; D. G. Watt, Ibid., vol. xxiv., p. 70. Job 21:19.—Expositor, 3rd series, vol. iv., p. 433. Job 21:23-26.—W. J. Keay. Christian World Pulpit, vol. xix., p. 285. Job 21:29-31.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vii., No. 410. Job 21—S. Cox, Expositor, 1st series, vol. viii., p. 1; Ibid., Commentary on Job, p. 274. Job 22:5.—New Manual of Sunday-school Addresses, p. 105. Job 22:15-17.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xv., No. 859; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 130.