do we find him living in the midst of a thriving people, lamenting over the vanity of things. He is surrounded by a suffering people. In determining what purpose this book is to serve we should emphasize particularly the following facts. The book is written primarily for the godly in Israel. They are the only ones, as usual, who would give attention to a book such as this. Since the times are evil and the godly suffer much, this is primarily a book of comfort. It shows