1. Like Homer, who dated his poem in the rising of the star Sirius, so Job dated his book in the Pleiades, while the sun was gaining his vernal equinox in the star Alcyone of this constellation. The Septuagint speaks of Job’s age at the commencement of his trial as being one hundred years. By the closing statement appended to his book, we learn that he lived after his restoration one hundred and forty years. This makes his age two hundred and forty at his death. Alcyone marks by precession of the equinoxes 2100 years B. C. The great period of his longevity indicates a time antedating Abraham’s day by more than two hundred years. 2. This book is an epi-dramatic Oratorio of human history. It is epic, in that it gives the history of a real life; dramatic, in that it dramatizes human history, by the inspirations of these actors, with the religious intuitions of all ages. The poem as a whole shows the contending forces that develop character; the struggle of man’s redeemed nature against the tendencies of a series of degenerate ages, as far down as the full triumph of Christ’s reign; followed by the long prosperity that awaits the Church. It also sets forth the longings of the human intellect for a knowledge of first causes; and its crowning success when Nature is studied in connection with the revelations of God’s Word. The Book of Job was evidently the only Scripture that the world had for at least eight hundred years. The introduction shows Job to have been a person adapted to great reverses of fortune, rich, pious, prosperous, happy, and respected. Two spirits, either of which may take form, but neither being dependent on form or locality, are present in their religious gatherings as they have ever been in ours. That objective figures come before our imaginations in reading this part of the poem, only shows the high character of the production. 3. The first question between God and Satan is that hackneyed one of all history, viz: Is piety a selfish ebullition of the human heart or a divinely planted principle? Satan takes the first statement, God the latter. Satan affirms that a sudden reverse of fortune will change the aspect of Job’s piety, and he will then curse God to his face. Great principles are best tested by suffering. Nor is it necessary that every one should suffer in the same direction to show forth the same. The world is full of delegated suffering; the few for the many, and sometimes one for all. Job is the right man in wealth, station, influence, and habits of mind to personify piety in its relation to the world’s progress.